In Dying Light

Take Me Home - Morgan

I’ve only been here a couple weeks and I already wanna go back to see my grandmother. Mom has been leaving a lot and I can’t stand being away from Alabama. I know that I hated my job and the one reason why I liked Huntington, Alabama was because it was a small town. Province, New Mexico felt different. I watched Mom walk into the room

          “I’m going out.” Mom said.

          “So you can screw another guy?” I asked.

          Mom scoffed and left. She was always going out to mess with other guys, even when she was married to Dad. I hated her for it. Now she dragged me down here and I may never get to see my grandmother ever again.

          Sighing, I turned on the television and began flipping through channels. I was so bored right now. All of the sudden, the doorbell rang. I got up and opened the door. It was strange because the two men standing in front of me were wearing suits.

          “May I help you?” I asked calmly.

          “Is your mother home?” The taller one asked while taking off his sunglasses.

          “Uh, no,” I said, “why?”

          “We were just wondering.” I said.

          I nodded slowly and began to close the door. Suddenly, one man pushed the door open and I fell to the ground. I began screaming and one guy knocked me out. Here is the part where I think I am dead.

A small, gleaming light filled my vision. I couldn’t quite tell where I was at, but I saw two other people in chairs next to me. The men were nowhere in sight.

          “Hey, are you okay?” The other girl asked.

          “Yeah, but I’ll be fine when I know where I’m at.”

          The man sighed.

          The two men came back. I tried pulling at the zip ties around my wrist, but it was useless. A cold liquid began dripping down my wrist. One of the men smiled. “We have a game for you. And if you die, you lose.”

          My jaw dropped at the next thing he said. And I didn’t even want to mention what he said.

Mom came home late as usual. I sat on my bed and clutched the blanket close to my body. She was whispering to someone. Another shadow was walking next to her.

          Quietly, I walked over to my door and shut it all the way, locking it. I’m going to be dead. The words from that man kept ringing in head. It was like a siren I couldn’t turn off. I sat back down on my bed and pulled my knees close to me. Heat rose in my face.

          How was I going to tell Mom? She doesn’t believe half a word I say. How did the other two people react? A lot more questions came to my head, yet, they had no answers. I rested my head on the wall and looked up to the ceiling. Maybe I should just die already. That’d be better than screwing myself over.

          My eyes began to feel heavy with sleep. Hopefully sleep will let me forget the events today for a short time.

“You’ve been quiet.” Mom said as I came downstairs.

          It’s been three days. Everything is beginning to wind down. “Yeah so,” I said sitting at the counter. “Why do you care? Aren’t you usually gone by this time?” I could feel her hand rest on my shoulder. I eased her hand off of my shoulder. I got up from my seat and pushed pass her. “Just leave me –”