Secrets, Deals and Lies

Chapter 22 - Trouble again

I walked and walked until I realised I was lost. I wasn't exactly sure which way the house was, all I knew was that it was dark and cold, I was shivering and I could barely even see anything.

‘Jack! Where are you?!’ I screamed one last time, not walking. I hear a noise somewhere behind me and turn around fast, scared and alert. ‘Jack? Is that you?’ I ask quieting my voice and steps cautiously and walking toward the noise.

No answer.

‘Show yourself,’ there was still no answer. I turn around about to walk off but then I see a slight figure, ‘Jack, is that you?’ I walk toward it. I was almost close enough to see who it was but then it runs away.

‘Stop running!’ I screamed, ‘whoever you are, come here and be a man!’ I turn around and find someone towering over me, I recognised him.

‘I’m here,’ he says, the voice ringing in my ears. It was the really tall man; mean and scary and oh so shiveringly cold looking. He grabs my arm and pulls me closer to him. ‘I’m bringing you back. Why do it aye? Billy and The Warden are furious now.’ I try to make him let me go but he’d just grip harder, I look up and see the white of his eyes staring into mine.

‘I didn’t run away I was just… trying to find something, it got dark and I got lost. Now let me go,’ I struggled and got at least one step away his hand still placed firmly over my elbow.

He laughs, ‘yeah? I’ll believe it when I see it. And so far, from what I hear, ain’t no way I’m trusting you,’ he hisses.

‘Let. Me. Go,’ I say looking up at his moonlit face, ‘what so you can run away?’ he starts to smile about to laugh at the idea.

‘I’m not trying to run away! I just wanna get back home and get to bed!’ I start to raise my voice at him and he grips my arm tighter, looking at me more serious. ‘Scream at me again and you ain’t going anywhere, from here on now,’ he growls.

‘Look, I don’t care if you’re going to be following me just please, let me go, I'm not some dog you can pull around!’ he ignores me; looking away, and then starts pulling me somewhere despite my angry glare.

I start struggling and used my other hand to try to pull my arm free, ‘let me go!’ I kept saying, but he just kept ignoring and griping tighter.

He didn’t stop walking and it felt like we walked further than I did by myself, ‘where are we going? I'm really tired; I think I might pass out.’ I exaggerated, he laughs, ‘better for me if you do.’ I stop walking and make him turn around, ‘can we please stop? Its pitch black, I can't see anything, I'm tired, I'm hungry, my feet hurt and I really would like to go home now!’ I scream. He stops straight away like he got frozen then turns around slowly staring straight at me making my stomach flip and wish I hadn’t yelled.

‘I-I’m sorry, it’s just, I really w-wanna stop right now and rest. Please?’ I ask the edge and anger fading fast from my voice taken over by tiredness and fear. He considers me for a long time, and then looks at a tree nearby. ‘Fine,’ he says then drags me to the tree and pushes me to the ground so I landed hard on my bottom.

‘Ow!’ he holds me down and starts pulling out rope, ‘W-wait, what are you doing?’ he ignores me and ties my hands, tight, behind my back. ‘Do you want to rest or not?’ he asks, tired and bored.

‘Why do you have to tie me up for? How am I supposed to sleep with rope around my wrists, behind my back?!’

‘I dunno. You’ll figure something out.’ He smiles, teeth just visible in the dark. He pulls out a longer rope and attaches it to the one on my wrists, then ties it to the tree. ‘Okay, this is a bit too much-’