Until she wins

6- flight home

It was Monday, the day after the race, and Max had finished in p6. He drove a fantastic race considering he started from the back of the grid but it still wasn't good enough. Even though he tried to hide it from me, I could tell that Max was annoyed with himself. He wanted a win but because of me he had to start p20 so he couldn't. 

I was packing my suitcase as my dad was furious with me and wanted me home immediately after the race. Max was sceptical about letting me go back to our dad after I had told him about what he did to me. But I told him that if I didn't go back to our dad now, it would just make everything ten times worse. Max still needed to film a few interviews at the paddock so I would be flying back alone. I would be on Max's jet though so it was fine. 

I climbed down the small steps at the front of the hotel and got into the taxi. I sighed as I thought of what awaited me when I got home.  I looked down at my phone as a new message popped up from Max.

-Text me when your on the plane and then when you land so I know you're safe

-I will! Hope ur interviews go ok

I looked up smiling slightly from my brothers concern. My smile faded however, as I recalled our conversation from this morning. Max told me that he wanted to get social services and the court involved as soon as possible so that he could be my legal guardian and I wouldn't need to live with our dad anymore. This terrified me. I hated living with my dad but I didn't want the courts to get involved because I was scared they would take me away. My brother reassured me that that wouldn't happen, but that didn't stop me from worrying. All my life my dad had threatened to put me in the foster system and now it might actually happen. I fidgeted, staring out of the window while letting my thoughts get the better of me.

We finally pulled up to the airport, I got out the car thanking the driver. A flight attendant was waiting outside to escort me to the jet.

"Abigail Verstappen?" she said looking at me.

I nodded. "It's just Abi but yeah that's me."

I sat down on the same seat I'd sat when we were coming here. It was my favourite one, next to the window in a quiet corner and I could just relax there. I leant my head back and waited for our departure.

--

Once we had landed I got into the car that would take me home. I didn't recognise the driver which I thought was strange as Max had told me that I would know them. I shrugged thinking it was just my bad memory. I put my headphones on and put on my playlist. Music blasted through my ears and for a minute I forgot where I was for a second. I just wanted to get home and go to bed. I frowned as I realised we weren't taking the usual route to my house.

"Excuse me, why are going this way? You are taking me home right?" I asked the driver.

He didn't respond, he only just eyed me through the rear view mirror. I started panicking as we took a road which went in the opposite direction to my house. I shifted further over towards the car door. The driver kept shooting me glances as my suspicions grew. I didn't know who this man was or where he was taking me. I needed to get out. I desperately tried to push my anxiety away and focused on escaping. I carefully slid my hand up the door to the handle. If I was going to get out I needed to be quick. *I can do this come on* I told myself. 3...2...1... I unbuckled my seatbelt as quickly as I could and pulled the handle. It was locked! I desperately tried tugging at it but the door wouldn't open.

"HEY STOP THAT NOW! WE'RE PULLING UP SO GET BACK IN YOUR SEAT!" the driver shouted at me.

I saw tall, dark gates fly past the window and a shadowy house up ahead. In seconds we had rolled to a stop in front of it. A pale, thin women opened my door from the outside and reached out a boney hand toward me.

"Come out now, don't be scared! We're your new family!" She said in a hoarse voice.

I pushed myself up against the other door trying to get as far away from her as I could. Suddenly the door behind me opened and I fell into someone's arms. I looked up to see a huge man with ginormous muscles holding my wrist so I couldn't run away. He dragged me towards the house and his grip tightened painfully. I screamed out for help but no one came. I kicked my legs in a desperate attempt to get free of his grip but it wasn't enough.

Then I opened my eyes. I was shaking and breathing heavily. I sat up and looked around the cabin. My eyes filled with tears as I recalled my nightmare. It felt so real especially as that's what I was so scared of at the moment. 

I opened my phone and started typing a frantic message to Max. I was about to hit send when a voice in my head told me not to. I shouldn't disturb him and had to stop being so needy all the time. He probably hated me and thought I was such a little baby always having issues and getting scared and upset all the time. I sank further down into my seat wishing I wasn't here. Not on the plane, not in Monaco, not in the world anymore.