Savage Cinderella

Chapter 13-Into the World

Chapter 13

Into the World

When Phillip met the two girls on the wide steps of the covered porch, his jaw dropped. "Wow! What a transformation!" He glanced admiringly from Brinn to Abby, who was grinning from ear to ear in satisfaction.

"She's amazing, isn't she?"

"That she is." Phillip commented kindly.

Grateful that Abby had found her a suitable sweater, Brinn squirmed under his roving eye. He no longer wore the expression of disgust she'd seen on his face earlier, but the look in his eye was a bit too wolfish for comfort. Her face warmed with apprehension at his response. 

"This calls for a celebration. Why don't we go into the city, have some dinner, and I'll take you to my favorite hot spot in Atlanta?" Phillip wrapped an arm around Abby’s waist.

Abby eyed Brinn cautiously. “There’ll be a lot of people for your first time out. Would that be all right with you?" 

Brinn smiled nervously. It was clear that her friend wanted to go. Besides, Atlanta was where Justin lived. If she was lucky, maybe she could find him. Encouraged by the thought, she took a deep breath, clenched her fists and followed the two away from the solid safety of the McMurrays’ front porch.

“I’m ready,” she said.

Abby’s smile lit with relief. She grabbed Brinn’s hand and squeezed. “I won’t leave you alone for a minute, okay?”

Before she knew it, she was riding in the cramped back seat of a pickup truck, speeding down the road past buildings and houses and fast-moving cars that made her head spin. Excitement fueled her nerves and tension thrummed, restless as a bumblebee inside her. The breeze from the open window caressed her face, easing her sense of impending doom. She tipped her face to the wind, feeling the speed at which everything passed by—as if she were flying. Her hair floated and whipped around her face, tickling her cheeks. She felt more alive than she had in years. 

By the time they reached the city, she’d grown somewhat more accustomed to the various strange sights along the way, though the rumble in her belly wasn’t just from hunger. She swallowed the acid that crept up her throat. Stay calm and breathe. These internal instructions kept her mind focused and present—a trick she’d found useful when stressful situations threatened to bring on an attack of panic.  

When they reached downtown Atlanta, she gaped in fascination. The city was bustling with people. They were everywhere; walking alone and walking in groups, packed together in herds on concrete paths, and shoulder to shoulder on street corners as they waited for lights to turn color. All of the faces blurred as her mind spun. 

What if the man was out there? What if he found her? So far she was safe—as long as she stayed in the truck. But what about when she had to get out and join the rushing crowds? Her stomach somersaulted. She hummed softly as she rocked to and fro. It’s now or never, she reminded herself, gripping her elbows. And then her mind was once again drawn to the new world that surrounded her.

The buildings were tall with windows that lit up the darkening skyline like a million bright stars. She was entranced by the sights, sounds, and smells of the city, a place that she had viewed as a small cluster of hazy lights in the distance from her mountaintop. A place she had sworn she would never come back to.

Once the truck was parked, the threesome walked along Moreland Avenue. Brinn watched all the people pass her by. They didn't seem to notice her at all—almost like she was invisible. There were no funny stares and no one spoke to her.  She started to feel a little less vulnerable, if not entirely safe, as the faces rushed past. She clung to her friend's side, not willing to relinquish the girl's arm, especially as they entered a building through a door shaped like a large human skull.