"Girl. A useless girl" she screeches and quickly hands the baby over to me.
"Colton will not be happy about this. You didn't do your most important wife duty by giving him a son, you gave birth to a useless girl!" She yells at me before rushing out the room, no doubt to call Colton.
Holding my baby girl tightly to me I start to cry, what do I do?
Colton will come home and kill my baby I know he will and I can't allow that to happen.. But where will I go? What do I do I cry loudly and scream into my head.
I look down and look at my beautiful baby girl crying softly and snuggling into the warmth of my body.
Part of me was so scared to leave this place, I had gotten so used to this life and I became the wife Colton expected me to be but now I can just lay here and allow him to kill my child, I can't, I just can't!
"Yes, son. I'm sure she has given you a girl. I know the difference" She shrieks into the phone.
"Here" she thrusts the phone out to me "your husband wants to speak with you. He isn't very happy with you. His disappointment is strong in you now"
His disappointment? Like I could actually control what I was going to give birth to?
"Hello, husband?" I ask, as I put the phone to my ears with shaking hands.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DID THIS. HOW DARE YOU HAVE A GIRL. YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE MY PERFECT WIFE AND YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO GIVE ME A STRONG SON TO KEEP OUR FAMILY TRADITIONS GOING BUT YOU FAILED ME. YOU HAVE FAILED YOUR JOB AS A WIFE AND YOU HAVE DISAPPOINTED YOUR HUSBAND. I WILL BE COMING HOME AS SOON AS MY FATHERS READY AND WHEN I GET THERE YOU WILL WATCH ME SLIDE MY KNIFE ACROSS THE GIRLS THROAT WHILE YOU WATCH SO THAT YOU NEVER DISOBEY ME AGAIN" He's yelling so loudly into the phone that I feel that my eardrum will bust.
With my hands still shaking, I quickly hand the phone over to his mother with my mindset on what I need to do next. I need to get me and my baby out of this house before Colton comes back home. He hasn't left yet, so that means I have only a few hours to get far enough away that he will never be able to find me or my child. I can not let him kill my child.
I set her down on the bed beside me and quickly thought of a plan. When she gets close to me,I'll jump on her and choke her until she passes. If that does not work I'll find something to hit her over the head with. Something anything to get me and my daughter far away from this place as I can get us.
I slowly climb out of the bed, my body protests after all the pains it's been through tonight but I don't care, I push through it and stand up slowly. I hear the mother climbing back up the stairs and my heart starts to pound out my chest with fear. I rush to the side table next to the bed quickly, unplugging the lamp and holding it high above my head as I move to stand in front of my daughter.
"He wants me to take her-" she stops mid-sentence as she takes me in, her eyes widening as she notices the lamp in my hand.
"What do you think you're doing?" She snaps at me.
"I'm taking my daughter, and we are leaving this fucking place. You're fucking insane if you think I'd ever allow yall to kill my child!" I screech and hold the lamp tighter in my hands, just waiting for her to come closer to me.
"You stupid, stupid bitch. Do you think you can run away? You will never get past that fucking fence. Now put the lamp down and I won't mention this to Colton" she screeches.
I know she is lying, this bitch is a sneaky one and she will be quick to tell him as soon as he steps through that front door, I'm not stupid.
"I said we are leaving" I snarl at her. She will not touch me or my child.
"You won't get past the gate. Colton will kill you for this. She snarls back at me.
"I'm not stupid. That was all yalls first mistake. I watched Colton key in that code. I'm leaving this hell hole and I will be taking my daughter out alive" I screech at her like a bad woman that I am as she flies towards me, I quickly raise the lamp above my head and knock it against her as her body hits me and we both hit the floor hard.
I quickly roll her off me and notice there is a pool of blood playing around her head and I can't take that long to check to make sure she is alive, I honestly don't care if she is or not all I care about is getting my baby girl to safety.
I lean over her and slide the necklace from around her neck. Sighing with happiness that she was still wearing it with the truck keys around her neck.
Her being a wife her self she never learned her lessons properly. She was always greedy with the little power she was able to have and that will be her downfall when Colton and her husband get back home.
I rush to the bedroom door and I come to a hard stop, looking down the hall. I cant leave Ally chained up. I can't be worrying about her while I am trying to escape but I can't just not do something to help her.
I quickly rush into Cains room, seeing that Ally is wide awake.
"Look. If you want to run now is the time. Im going to free you. We are lucky the keys the mother had, also has your lock keys. Im not going to wait for you. I need to get my baby out." I rush out and quickly push the small key into the locks freeing her arms.
"Here." I toss her the key. She can get her own legs free. I can't waste too much time up here knowing Colts on his way.
"Why are you helping me?" She asked, slowly bringing the key towards her ankles.
"Because I won't be able to live with myself knowing I left you like that. Your on your own now. Stay safe and good luck." I told her softly before running out the room.
I don't think much else about it, I quickly scoop my baby girl into my arms and run down the steps so fast, I have to steady myself before tripping down it with her in my arms.
I run through the living room and then through the kitchen quickly unlocking the door and pushing it open hard, making it bang against the house as I take off towards the shed that they keep the beat-up truck in. I'll have to ditch it soon but for now it will get us far away from this family. I run into the shed and quickly jumped into the truck, laying my baby girl on the seat. I shove the key into the hole and start the truck, sending up a quick prayer that I'm able to pull this off and that Colton didn't change the lock code to the gate.
I shove the truck in reverse, punch on the gas and hear the tires screech as I back us out the shed.
I hear Lucky barking and I cant believe I almost forgot my baby boy. My foot stomps on the break, leaning over I quickly open the passenger door. Laughing softly as Lucky jumps in side.
"Good boy Lucky. Watch the baby okay? Lets get out of here." I tell him.
"Don't worry, baby girl. Momma will get us out. I won't let them harm you" I whisper to her before putting the truck in drive and zooming down the long driveway leading to the front gate.
I see the gate coming into view and I can't help but sob with the hope that I'm about to get me and my child-free. I'll ram this gate over and over if I have too, but we are leaving tonight. I don't care what it takes.
I pull up quickly to the keypad and punch in the numbers quickly and after a few hard seconds of fear rushing through my body the gate starts to finally open. I can't help the scream of pure joy that passes my lips, I don't even wait for the gate to open fully. I punch my foot hard on the gas and rush through it.
"WE ARE FREE BABY GIRL. WE ARE FREE" I begin to sob harder as the feeling of getting my daughter and me to safety is pulsing through my body. Oh god, thank you.
I can believe I'm finally free.
I look back into the review window and watch as the house slowly disappears behind me. I made it I can't help but repeat over and over in my broken head. I made it, I made it. I got myself out and I protected my daughter.
"What should I name you baby girl" I cool down at her watching as she looks at the lights all around the truck.
"How about Hope? Because without the hope you gave me and love I have had for you I wouldn't have been strong enough to get us out."
My baby gives me a soft yawn before slowly falling back asleep, well I guess she likes it.
So Hope it is.
My precious Hope.
The reason I was able to keep what little bit of my broken brain left to finally get myself out.
I drive onto the main road and start to think about where I'm driving too, that thought never passed through my mind before this, I know I can't stay here or actually in this state. Colton will look for me, I need to get as far away as I can and I'm going to have to ditch this truck sooner or later. I have no clue where the other family members are and I don't know if Colton and the rest of them will keep an eye out for me and the truck or not so I should ditch the truck soon.
I lean over and quickly pull up the center console and pull out the envelope of money that Colton shoved in there last time we went into town, after all that happened with his brother I didn't know if he had grabbed the money or not but I was hopeful and thank God he didn't. It has a few hundred bucks in it, it's not much but it will get me to where I need to go.
I drive into the night, singing along with the radio, being happy to finally be free, and watching as my baby girl sleeps in the passenger seat. I know it's not safe for her to be riding like this but I have no choice at the moment I promised myself I won't stop until I have to, I had stopped for gas a couple of miles back, quickly paying the cashier and pumping the gas before jumping back into the truck as quickly as I could.
I need to keep moving.
I have no idea what kind of vehicle Colton's father drives, I don't even know if it's a car or a truck and I'm so paranoid that I'm caught and my daughter will be killed, that I don't even take the time to pee.
It's not till I get into another state that I finally feel the adrenalin leaving my body, I see a dollar general coming up to my left and I quickly pull into the parking lot and grab up my baby.
Walking into the store I try to act as calmly as I can so I don't attract any attention and I grab a few things I need right now.
The baby formula is a very cheap kind and can't be that healthy for my daughter but it's the only one they have so I'll take what I can't get.
A baby bottle, I know she will be screaming in hunger soon, I was so scared I didn't want to stop sooner, water for her bottles, part of me feels like a bad mom for doing that but the other part understands my fears and knows my daughter would understand if she was able to.
I grab a box of newborn diapers and a pack of wipes, she doesn't have anything on, just wrapped in a blanket and I'm sure If I look at the seat in the truck it will be full of pee and poo.
Going to the hair section of the store, I pick out the cheapest hair dye I can find, I got red. I have blonde hair now, so I think with red hair I'll look much different than I do now.
I speed, walk back to the register, pick up a coke bottle and several chip bags, and a chocolate honey bun and pay the women, once I'm out the door my heart speeds up in my chest as I take off to the truck looking around quickly for Colton.
I open the truck door and toss the bags inside before laying my baby back down on the seat, starting the truck I speed away.
45 minutes later I come up to a cheap-looking motel and decide that it's finally time to stop for the night and I need to tend to my daughter.
Outside of the motel, in the barking lot I see a pay phone. I struggled mentally for a few minutes. I need to call the cops. I need to tell them where to find Rebeccas body. I dont know the full address. I just know its a farm near my town and as I zoomed by one of the letters on the mail box was a 6.
I gather all the bags shoving as many things as I can into one bag and slowly pick her up snuggling her close to my chest after parking the car.
Before I get out though I look around again, I think I'll be doing this for the rest of my life but as long as I keep my daughter breathing it will all be worth it in the end.
I slowly make my way towards the pay phone and jerk a few coins out of my pocket. My heads telling me I am being a bad wife. To not get my husband in trouble but this time I do not listen.
I dial 911 and wait for someone to pick up.
"Hello?" A womens soft voices comes through the phone.
"My name is Abby. I was kidnapped last year. A man named Colton took me to his farm and held me there for months. He beat me. He raped me. His family is into some weird cult and they all kidnap their wives. One girl died while I was there. Her name was Rebecca. I dont know the address, i just know that the farm is close to the town that I used to live in. Oakdale or Wahsterberg, Iowa. One of the numbers on the mail box was 6. The girl is burried in the back pasture. Please find her and give her family some peace. Another girl was there before I escaped her name is Ally. I unchained her before I left. I dont know where she is now." I rushed out and hung up.
I quickly get us inside the building and walk up to the front counter where an older man's standing.
"I'd like a room for the night please," I say and send him a fake smile. I don't need to draw attention to myself. I just want to get me and my daughter safely inside a room and finally get a night of peaceful sleep.
"Sure, which one-" He starts to say, but I cut him off.
"The cheapest one please" I smile and bounce my baby up and down slowly rocking her as she starts to cry, she is probably hungry.
"Sure. It will be 50 dollars, please"
I quickly hand him in and wait for my chance and the room key, before taking off in the direction he pointed. I find the room quickly and push my way in before shutting the door right behind me and locking the door.
Finally, once I hear the door click into the lock I lay my body lean back against the door before letting a sigh of relaxation and release leave my body.
I'm finally feeling like I can breathe now. There isn't anyway he would find me here at all. I took so many turns and drove all night, it's nearly 11 am. I drove for 9 hours. I think we are safe for the moment. I'll drive more after I get some sleep.
I move to the bed and start to fix my daughter and bottle, I lay my body down on the bed and lean my body back against the headboard and feed her and she hungry takes in the milk.
Yes, my poor Hope was so hungry, but mommy needed to get us far away. 10 minutes later she is done eating and I quickly change her diaper before laying her down on the bed, placing pillows all around her so she won't roll off the bed.
I really need a shower but I'm so scared somehow Colton will find me and come into my room and I'll never hear that, I just end up washing up in the sink which isn't easy after giving birth. My bodies a nasty mess but my mind will not let me think that taking a shower is safe right now cause I wouldn't be able to hear the motel room opening and closing.
I pull out the hair dye from the sink after I wash up and quickly dye my hair the red color, 35 minutes later I rinse out the dye and finally get a look at myself in the mirror with my new hair, I don't look like my old self at all, I think happily to myself.
I quickly clean up in the bathroom, leaving the light on I move to the chair in the corner of the room and push it in front of the door, making myself feel much safer.
Finally, I lay my worn-out body next to Hope's, laying my head on the pillow on her right side, I just stare at her and think how blessed I am to have had her. She gave me the strength I needed to save myself, I softly start to sing to her.
"Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine, make the clocks reverse, bring back what once was mine, what once was mine" I softly let out the last word and I follow my daughter into a peaceful sleep.
The next morning, I get us quickly out of the hotel and started driving again. I drive for another 8 hours that day, only stopping when I had to.
I leave the truck in town and catch a bus that's going to a town 5 hours away. I quickly bought myself a ticket and my daughter being so young doesn't need one.
Several hours later the bus pulls into a small town and I step off it holding what few things I have and holding my baby close. I start to walk around the town thinking if he is a good place to finally stop at when I come across this little bakery that had a help wanted sign, holding my baby tighter to my body, I went inside to apply. The little bit of money I have left won't last long. I need a job as soon as I can get one.
"Hello, I'd like to apply for a job" I softly tell the older lady behind the counter and kiss the top of my daughter's head.
"Well, hello, dear. Yes, please follow me to the back and I'll go ahead and interview you" she smiles at me and nods to an older man that I assume is her husband to take over the front counter.
"Do you live around here?" The old lady asks me, as she leans against the counter next to a stove.
"Um- no-no I just got into town a-actually" I stuttered out. Shit, how could I not even think? Who would want to hire me looking like this and not even having a place to stay...
"Are you in some type of trouble, sweetheart?" She asks me gently, raising her hand towards me probably to comfort me, but I shrink away from it.
"Um I- I- I left my h-husband last night" I whisper out telling her honestly, maybe now she will understand the state I'm in.
"Do you have a place to live?"
Quickly I shake my head and start to cry, "I was in such a hurry to leave before he got back home, that I didn't think I just drove. I've driven at least 18 hours..I took a bus.." I trail off and stare down at my baby, sleeping in my arms.
"Alright. I'll tell you what. You got the job, it's not hard. It's working the register. You can even bring your baby down here with you until you can find a babysitter. We have a small empty apartment above the shop that we never use. You're welcome to stay there if you need to." She whispers, talking in a low tone to me and smiles.
"A job and a place for me and my daughter to live?" I rush out and ask her, in a squeaky voice. I'm so surprised and so thankful for her right now.
"Yes, of course. My husband and I have gotten too old to be up in this shop every day, that's why we decided to place the hiring sign out front. You will be helping us and we will be helping you" she smiles at me.
She gives me papers to sign over and once that's done she leads me up the small stairway into the top apartment. She opens the door and waits for me to step slowly inside.
"What do you think?" She asks me, as I look around slowly.
"It-its perfect" I start to cry out how thankful I am right now and how I'm so happy God has been with me through the past few nights.
"I'm happy to hear that, darling. I'll let you go now. Take the next 2 days off and just relax, alright? Once you start work I'll train you. Good night. " She smiles at me before closing the door softly, behind her.
"Hope...we will be okay. I just know it" I cry softly and cuddle her deeper into my arms.
Before the nights are over I push a recliner chair, I found in the living room placing in front of the door, I lay my daughter down after I feed and change her diaper and lay down next to her.
I'm finally free. The past year has been so hard on me, I mentally and physically been abused, I could feel my mind start to slip away from me but my daughter snapped me out of it. No matter all that pain I went through, it wasn't enough to push past the love I had for my child. She and I were both free from that family and their traditions.
I close my eyes and for the first night in a year, I don't dream at all, not even a nightmare. I sleep peacefully throughout the whole night with a smile on my face.