Make it Through

Part 2 Cristal : Whose Fault's whose?

 I found my way back to the trail and promised myself that I wouldn’t tell Emily that I went off. I was almost to the camp site when all of a sudden I heard a rustle in the bushes. I froze with fear and couldn’t move. It could be them. They found us. I called out “Emily is that you?” My heart was beating like a humming bird’s wings. I saw a foot step out of the bushes. I was ready to run and scream and whistle the tune Emily taught me, when all of a sudden Emily stepped out of the bushes carrying a bundle of wood in her arms.

“There you are I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry; I was just trying to get enough dry sticks to start the fire.” I felt ashamed that it took me so long to get the twigs.

“It’s fine. I just wanted to make sure you were okay; let’s get back to camp.

“Okay, was Mia up when you left?” I asked curiously

“Yeah, I woke her up when I noticed you were gone too long, she can be a whiner I’ll tell you that much. I told her to hide until I got back.” I felt even worse now; she’s been hiding for quite a while. It took us five minutes to get to the camp, only the camp wasn’t as we left it. The tent was missing and there were drag marks in the dirt.

Emily’s eye’s narrowed, terrified and started looking for Mia, she wasn’t in sight. “Mia!” Emily screamed, frantic. There was no response but the sound of a chirping bird. Emily ran over to a tree and started to climb. I wanted to help, so I called for Mia as well. “No, be quiet,” Said Emily. I didn’t understand why would I have to be quiet? I’m trying to find Mia too. Instead of answering my confused facial expression she pointed up, I waited patiently. As I listened I heard whimpering up in the tree, it must be Mia. Emily climbed the tree to the point that I couldn’t see her. I started to get impatient and was about to climb up the tree myself when I saw Emily climbing down the tree with Mia right behind her.

“What’s going on, what happened?” I really wanted to know, me and my curiosity. Mia answered my question.

She got off the tree very slowly, shaking as she walked over to me.  “They almost got me!” she began crying again.

“Who almost got you?” I asked scared now, knowing who she was talking about.

“Jaime, Bobby, Earl, and Tina; Earls back and he was saying things when I was in the tree.” Oh no, Earl, my Daddy he’s coming for me. I began to cry now. I was beyond scared I was petrified.

Emily came over to me and gave me a hug, “Why are you crying Cristal?” I didn’t want to answer that question. “It’s okay really; you can tell me.”

I let it all out before I told her. “Daddy’s coming for me.” I paused, unsure what to tell her. “He promised me that he would come for me and if I was bad he’d hurt me, and Cody.” She wiped the tears from my face and hugged me tighter.

“He’s not going to touch you or Cody ever again, I promise.” She smiled to try to reassure me. But Cody promised me something years ago and I know it’s hard to keep a promise. “Okay, let’s set up camp again and we’ll move tomorrow; Hopefully Cody’s back by then.”

“Do you mean he’s not going to be home till tomorrow?”

“No, I mean if he’s not here tomorrow we’re looking for him.” We started to set up camp again when Mia came over to me.

“I’m scared Cristal!”

“Why, you’ll be fine, no one can hurt us.”

“I don’t mean me.” She said nervously.

“What do you mean?” she had to still be unconfident.

“I mean, your Daddy Earl said some scary things when I was in the tree.”

“Like what.” I was nervous now, I didn’t really want to know, but I needed to.

“He said when he catches us he’s going to make an example out of the girls, and teach Cody the most important lesson of his life. He got into detail and was saying it really loudly and I covered my ears, I’m scared!”

I froze petrified, he was coming for me I knew it. I left even after what Daddy told me. It’s going to be my fault if they get hurt when we get back. “Me too!” I said able to speak again, speak not move.

“What are you two worried about?” Emily asked.

“He’s coming back he knows where we are, we need to leave now please, they’ll get us!” I wanted to run.

“He is not, he’s not coming back this way, he thinks we just passed by.

“No he said they’ll circle around later, we need to leave now!” Mia dropped to the floor. Emily caught her before she hit the ground. I didn’t know when she gets so worked up she faints.

“Mia wake up, Cristal get some water.” I ran to the cooler and grabbed a bottle of water; I noticed that we were running short. “Cristal!” Emily yells

“I’m coming!” I ran back over to her. She ripped the cap off the bottle and poured water over Mia’s face, she woke up instantly.

“Mia, are you okay?” said Emily and I in unison.

“Yeah just a little light headed.”

“Okay, this is what we are going to do. First we’re going to pack up all our supplies and we’ll leave in an hour.”

“What about Cody, he’ll think they found us and took us!”

“We’ve waited too long already, we have to find Cody.”