My Life My Rules

Chapter 3: Journey Through the Dark

The drive was long. There had already been about three hours that had passed and they were still out in the middle of nowhere. With nothing but open land surrounding them Kaila began to worry more than what she already was.

The land around them was just plain open field. Not a house nor a building was in site. And one hadn't been around them since they left the city the auction was held in.

The woman in the front of her had not once said anything to the girl, only adding to her mental fear. The nighttime sky grew darker by the minute and the girl could feel the affects of her weeping episode from earlier finally begin to have a toll on her.

She slowly began slouching in her seat as her body became too heavy to hold up. She wanted nothing more than to close her slightly puffy eyes and let this long day already come to its end. Sleeping would allow her to enjoy a short time of bliss where there was absolutely nothing on her mind to frighten her nor could harm her.

She was safe. She knew that her dreams were only that, dreams. Even though sometimes her nightmares felt like reality. But that gut wrenching feeling of terror was always only a few seconds long while she took time to collect herself.

And even now she was willing to take her chances of witnessing a horrendous nightmare over this struggle to stay awake. The fight was so intense it was soul crushing. It hurt every muscle in her body and every nerve telling her to sleep.

But she couldn't do that. Not yet. Not until she knew where she was going and what awaited her at this newfound place. Being asleep meant being completely vulnerable and helpless. And she was already in a position of that demeanor. Not wanting to add onto it she made the executive decision to stay awake.

Trying to keep her posture upright she wiggled in the backseat turning more of the woman's attention to her.

Finally clearing her throat the woman looked back through the cars rear view mirror. "Are you alright back there?" She asked as nothing but the street lights on the side of the road were ahead of them.

Kaila nodded wiping her eyes with the back of her hand slowly as tired tears were wiped away.

Something the woman noticed was that while she was just seemingly acting like another human being trying to fight away the sleep demon from fast forwarding the night away, the little girl had confused the woman by the way she responded to her own actions.

Peering into the backseat of the car the woman noticed the little girl nervously drop her hands to her sides, straightening her back up, and placing her hands on her crossed knees. Despite the desperate cry for sleep from the bags under her eyes, Kaila refused.

Staring out at the empty land around them her legs began to tremble against one another.

In the poor girls head there was a million and one things that needed to be constantly on her mind about where she could be headed and what possible horrible things she was going to have to endure.

Her internal monologue was interrupted when the woman finally turned down her classical tunes looking back at her through the rear view mirror.

"I'm sorry it's such a long drive. I should've warned you ahead of time."

Just nodding her head Kaila wanted desperately to know a response to a different question. And after building up enough courage to do so she finally said it. "Where are we going?" She asked more concerned with their whereabouts.

"I told you earlier we're going home."

"But where's that? Why is there nothing out here? Why's it taking this long to get there?" Her breathing began to pick up as the panic inside her started rising.

The woman sighed from the front seat. Shaking her head she looked disappointed in herself at the girl, "I want to tell you everything Kaila, I really do, but I promised someone I wouldn't. I told them we could tell you together." She said.

"We?!" Kaila yelped to herself after she realized what was suppose to be an inside thought instead was said aloud.

"Yes we." The woman couldn't help but chuckle. Holding up her left hand she showed the girl in the back a large shiny diamond that accompanied her ring finger.

Half expecting a small giggle out of the girl she was sadly mistaken when the girl only blushed harder looking away from the piece of jewelry.

As the woman looked back at the girl she reminded, "I don't bite Kaila. You can loosen up if you'd like. You can laugh a little, talk a little, relax a litt-well no relax a lot, you look really uptight by the way you're sitting." She laughed again still not seeing any improvement from the girl.

"In any case, we should be there in about another two hours." The woman said turning her gaze back onto the road.

'Two hours?!' Kaila said to herself. She knew she wouldn't be able to stay up two more hours. She was already struggling enough as it is to stay awake, but now it was going to be even harder than before.

With a goal that far away she collapsed into the back of her seat grumbling quietly to herself angrily.

"Why don't you close your eyes and I'll just wake you up when we're home." The woman offered.

But other girl shook her head.

"You're a stubborn one aren't you?" She raised an eyebrow staring back at her. "We'll go ahead and stay awake then. You'll be the one to feel the repercussions of it anyways."

Finally showing a small grin, the girl nodded holding her head up high as she kept her posture still. And if any of her limbs started falling she would bring it right back up to its upright position.

The woman in the front sat back relaxing as she enjoyed her ride home, continuing to keep an eye on the show behind her. The girl was blankly looking out one of the car windows staring into the darkness. Her eyes could be seen dropping slowly and her lips began parting open as she hung her head further back with each breathe.

For the next half hour Kaila was still struggling to stay awake but her fight was seemingly coming to an end.

As her eyes began to flutter shut the woman watched as Kaila slumped over the car door letting her head rest peacefully against the window.

Chuckling to herself she checked the time. "She lasted longer than I had anticipated. I thought for sure she was going to be out of it in five." She laughed quietly as the little girl behind her finally caught some up with her much needed sleep.

Listening to her music the woman drove the rest of the way to her home, cheerfully looking back at the girl behind her as she smirked.

With nearly an hour to go, the woman glanced down as the screen to her phone lit up. On top of it she saw a message. With nobody around for miles she slowed the car down to a safer speed as she picked her phone up.

Looking at the message on her screen she read it to herself mumbling it under her breathe. "Just arrived home. She's asleep. I'm going to get a bath started for myself. See you when you get here."

Smirking at the short text the woman gleefully put her attention back on the road after she put her phone down accelerating on the gas pedal. All that was on her mind was finally getting back home into the warmth of her bed. Not having to think about the dingy place she had just visited.

Picking up her speed again the woman continued home as the girl in the back slept undisturbed.

And finally after so long a city began to emerge out of the darkness of night. Lights and sounds started filling in the empty space as she got closer to it.

Entering the city she let the thousands of light pass her by as she made her way through its narrow roads. Driving until she entered a gated neighborhood secured at one of the edges of the city, the woman finally parked as she stretched her arms out tiredly.

"Man I hate long drives like that. Why couldn't they have been closer?" She said to herself as she held onto the wheel in exhaustion. Breathing deeply She took a moment to collect herself.

Looking back at the girl in her backseat she smiled. "Welcome home Kaila."
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Let me know what you think. Thanks Lexx signing off