The Ravine

[jesusfreak10537]

First off...this is one of those stories that I have no idea what I am writing, or what the climax, resolution, or even the plot is going to be. I am simply making it up as I go along, so it probably does not make any sense. Even my title is extremely skeptical.

Anyway, I would love to hear some feedback on this!

Chapter One​

“Oh, shut up.” The girl murmured under her breath, pushing her stringy brown hair out of her eyes. She was tired of listening to the endless rumble of their ancient van, exhausted from her little sisters’ chatter, and fed up with the never ending, frowning image of her father in the rearview mirror.
Then again, it was a rare occurrence when her father was not frowning. For two years now, his face had been bent permanently into the unmoving grimace. His cheerful chuckle, sparkling eyes, and youthful laugh had been abolished by an unspoken rule long ago. Indeed, the current state of the Howard family was vastly different from what it had been only five hundred and forty-seven days ago. The girl bit her lip grimly. That accursed number of days was always stuck in her head. Then again, it should be. The day that had occurred five hundred and forty-seven days ago still haunted her every memory, every step, every waking and sleeping moment.
“Daaaaddy!!!” Her youngest sister wailed loudly, jerking the girl out of her thoughts. “I’m tiiiiired!!! And huuungry!” Lotte, the littlest sister, certainly had the unusual talent of drawing out syllables to their most potent, annoying length.
“We’ll be there soon. Try to quiet down; it’s hard to drive in this snow,” her father replied sternly.
The girl glanced out the window. It was snowing out, the white flakes tumbling and flitting through the air until they met their oblivion on the van’s windshield. The girl heaved a sigh. The snow was so much like life: freefalling, existing with glee one moment, vanished forever the next. Like their mother.
“Dad, like, there’s completely like something in the road up there.” Brittany, the middle sister, pointed out in her bored, nasally voice. Her earphones slid off her head as she pushed herself out of her normal, terrible posture to see out the window.
“I know. I see it. It looks like a man standing out there,” the father replied, glaring out the windshield.
Brit snorted. “Like, out here?! Whoa, like, you must be crazy to be out here. Like, the last town we passed was like completely two hours ago.”
It was true. The wilderness of Canada did not have much in the way of civilization. They had not seen a soul for hours, and the girl was beginning to lose any hope of the town they were headed to being civilized either.
The van slowed as the father rolled down his window to yell to the man through the blinded snowstorm. The man was dressed in the bright orange outfit of a traffic controller, and he was holding a stop sign.
“Is there some sort of problem, sir?” her father asked concernedly as the man reached the van.
“No! We are just doing some routine repairs out here on the road. This part of the road is completely inaccessible right now.”
“Repairs?” her father declared in disbelief. “Here? Now? Does anyone actually use this road?”
“Yes, sir. Which is why we’re repairing it. If you want, you can take a detour across this field and meet up with the rest of the road on the other side.”
The girl examined the man skeptically. She could not fathom why road repairs were being carried out in the dead of winter, on a road that led to one tiny town. Still, she could see the blinking lights of repair vehicles up ahead; now her father was beginning to pull off the road into the expansive field. She should have known he would opt for a detour instead of taking them back to civilization—to Chicago, where they belonged!
“Daaaddy, don’t ruuun over any cute little animaaals!” Lotte shrieked as the van lumbered away from the road and the construction equipment. Her father did not bother to reply; his eyes were glued to the field ahead. It seemed to stretch out forever in the blinding snow. The girl was nervous about the field; it seemed like the farther they drove into it the farther they drove away from reality. Then again, sitting in a van in the middle of Canada did not seem like reality. She sighed and hunkered down in the uncomfortable seat, glowering.
“Okay, this is like completely freaky. I hate fields. Don’t you hate fields? I want to go shopping. I hate snow. I really need to like, find a restroom out here.” Brittany babbled endlessly.
“Brit, stop your bellyaching for a few seconds,” the girl grumbled. “I highly doubt there is a bathroom out here anywhere.”
“But, like, there were construction people out there! There had to be like, a bathroom or something.”
The girl rolled her eyes. “Be quiet! Dad needs to concentrate on the road. Wait, I mean…the field. Where are we, anyway?”
The field, so far, had not connected to a road. Now the lights of the vehicles in the back had completely vanished, and the only visible things were the snow and the tall grass of the field. It was eerie.
Suddenly, the ground seemed to drop away before the van. A pit loomed before them; it was not very deep, but enough to cause some concern.
“Must be some sort of drainage or irrigation system in the summer.” The father said worriedly. “It’s not that deep. This old van can drive through it.”
“Or we can go back to Chicago now and forget you ever took this stinking job out here.” The girl suggested darkly, meeting her father’s glare in the rearview mirror.
Her father did not reply but carefully drove the van down the steep embankment. The girl rolled her eyes and tapped her fingers on the armrest, looking out the window again. They were almost at the bottom of the embankment.
Then, quickly, before she could blink an eye, the ground had dropped away even farther. Evidently, the “irrigation system” was steeper than they had realized. Now the van was on the side of a steep hill instead of an embankment, and all three sisters in the van were able to unite on one thing.
“Dad. Turn the van around! Now!” the girl urged.
“Like, Dad, this van is like completely going to fall! We need to like, stop.” Brittany squealed.
“Daaaady, this hiiill is scaaaary!” Lotte wailed.
The father frowned. He could not exactly turn around. “It is just a hill, girls. Lest you forget, there are also hills in Chicago. We are going to reach the town tonight.” He released the brake slowly and the van began to inch downhill.
That was really the last conscious image the girl saw. She was aware of a sickening sliding sensation, then that feeling that one gets on an airplane when it is descending. Her stomach went to her throat, and she screamed as the van hit a large, protruding boulder, flipped, and plummeted down the hill. Her thick novel flew up and hit across the head, and then amid the screams of Brittany and Lotte, her vision darkened and then everything went black, completely and utterly.

*****​

“Like this. Watch.” The woman chuckled, holding up the antique bonnet. “It went across your head like this.” The woman, young and pretty, happily leaned forward to place the bonnet on her daughter’s head. Her eyes were sparkling, and the girl instantly knew who the woman was.
“Mom.” She said quietly, knowing even in her dream it was impossible.
“What, sweeting?” the woman replied absentmindedly, placing the bonnet back on its rack once the girl backed nervously away.
“Mom, you can’t go outside. You can’t! Just stay here and see if another bonnet will fit me.” The girl pleaded, but her mother just laughed.
“Oh, dearie, we have to pick up little Brittany from school, and then go make dinner for your father. We really do not have time to look at outfits for your school play at all. We’ll come back tomorrow.” The woman smiled and stepped out of the boutique, motioning for the girl to follow.
The girl winced, knowing what would happen. It always happened, and she could not prevent it. The sound of squealing tires, a horn blaring, the sickening thud of a fast-moving vehicle slamming into an object. A scream, then silence. The girl screamed herself, seeing herself that day in that shop, while her entire life was ruined in a moment. She shook herself awake, shook herself out of the dream, and thankfully the blackness rose up and began to envelop her again.

“You awake?”
This was the first thing the girl heard when she swam back to consciousness. Her head hurt horribly. Actually, her entire body ached. She felt like she had just been slammed repeatedly against a wall.
“Well, I see you are. That’s a good sign, at least. We thought you weren’t going to make it. I didn’t think anyone could survive a fall off of Cramer’s Ravine. Tricky place, that is. Especially in the snow.” The voice ceased, and then the girl heard cheerful humming. She opened her eyes painfully and found herself staring at a wood-paneled ceiling. Warm lamplight glinted off it, and she swiveled her head around the see the source of the voice. It was a movement she should not have made. Instantly, daggers of pain shot through her neck, and she groaned.
“I wouldn’t be moving if I were you. You’re pretty banged up.” The person, carrying a wet cloth, moved into her limited line of sight. Her vision was blurry, but she could see that it was a young man, about in his early twenties, with a tangled patch of black hair.
“Here’s a nice little cloth for your head, you’ll feel all better soon.” The man placed the cloth of her forehead and then was gone again, though she could still hear his humming. The cool cloth brought back momentary clarity to her mind, and she remembered with a jolt what had happened to her.
“My family! Dad, Brittany, Lotte! They were in the van with me…where are they? Are they safe? W-what happened?” The girl’s voice trembled as she spoke.
The young man’s voice sounded puzzled as he replied, “Family? No, my father—he pulled you out of the wreckage—said you were the only one there. I thought you looked a bit young to drive. I’ll have to have him go back and check again.”
The girl wished her head did not hurt so badly. Then she would jump out of the bed she had been placed in and would go search for her family. They have to be okay; she thought tearfully, they just have to be okay!
“…’Course, there’s a chance they could have woken up and wandered off looking for you. Pa said you were hard to spot,” the man continued, and now she could hear the frown in his voice.
She would have replied—thought it probably would not have been a reply, but a frantic order to find her family immediately—but a low, guttural voice called from outside the room. “Elijah! Git o’er here!” She could hear the young man drop whatever he had been holding and rush toward the door.
“I’ll be back…and you just lie still,” he told her, and then she heard the door shutting, and she was alone.

*****​

 

[thenewageriseth]

Wow! Did the rest of the family survive? Good story.

 

[jesusfreak10537]

I'm not entirely sure if the whole family survives, actually. Thank you. I just finished the next section...

*****​

Abel Gritty was all that his name implied: he was able, and gritty. He was the best friend in the world, if the world was running his way; likewise, he was the worst enemy a man could ever shudder to think of. His wrinkled face, tanned even in the dead of winter, was at once peaceful and angry, his piercing grey eyes flashing wisdom and warning at the same time. He was fifty-three; by no means a young pup, but able to hold his own. No one knew that better than his own son Elijah, who had taken both physical and emotional beatings at the hand of his rough and often ruthless father.
Now, however, Abel was thinking. It was rare for a man like him; Abel was all brawn and nearly no brains, and he could personally count the number of times he had produced an original thought. A man of his profession did not have to be especially smart, only tough and unyielding. Smugglers, though known for their violence and thievery, were not especially credited for their wit or impeccable grammar.
“Elijah, ye dimwitted sow, next time come quicker when I call ye.” Abel grumped, glaring at his son. Elijah was entirely too smart for him. The boy was training to be a doctor, and prided himself in holding an excellent command in both the English and French languages. Now, especially, Abel was going to take his troubles out on his son.
“I am terribly sorry, Father, but the girl had recently awakened.” Elijah explained calmly, raising his eyebrows at Abel.
Abel erupted with anger. “Well, now, that don’t help me none! That girl was supposed to die or—well, I won’t be sayin’! This could be bad for business, Elijah, bad for me business.”
“Father, I am a doctor. I am not going to stand around and watch someone die just so your violent, profanity-filled fellow smugglers can be nice and secure in your transportation of whatever you transport illegally.”
“That was a whole mouthful o’ words, boy, and I ain’t too happy to hear ‘em.” Abel growled.
“Well, maybe you need to hear them, Father! That’s why I came back here. You need to get out of here. Away from smuggling, and stealing, and…who knows what else you do!” Elijah retorted, glaring.
Abel regarded his son strangely. Elijah had never countered him in any way before. Of course, Abel had never been involved in a situation this…serious…before. “Well, boy, jus’ sit down and be quiet. Let me think.”
Elijah snorted derisively. “Okay, go ahead. Start thinking. And you’d better do it fast, and think of the reason why there a girl in there with a mild concussion who is screaming for her family!”
Abel swore under his breath. “Why couldn’t she have a serious concuon—concussu—what ever you called it, and forget her infernal family!” He began to pace around the tiny, cramped living room of the small hut.
“Oh, so she does have a family, and she wasn’t just raving.” Elijah clarified angrily. “Well, you’d better tell me, and tell me now: what did you do with them?”
“Me?” Abel feigned a look of innocence. “What would I do?”
“Oh, come on, Pa. I’m not a little boy anymore. They’re out there, somewhere, probably injured, in this snowstorm. What did you do with them, and why did you only bring the girl here?”
“I brought the girl here ‘cause I was out huntin’, and noticed blood all over the snow. I followed it, and there she was. Next to a smokin’ van at the bottom of Cramer’s Ravine. Didn’t see no family.”
“I do not believe you.” Elijah seethed. “Pa, can’t you just tell the truth and be honest just once?”
Abel smirked. “How would you know I was bein’ honest iffen you don’t believe me anyhow?”
Elijah, unable to think of a cohesive reply, threw his arms up in the air. “Well, I’ll find them. Don’t think I won’t find them. If they are out there, it does not matter where you put them. That’s why I’m a doctor, Pa. I care about people. Unlike you.” He grabbed his coat, an old flannel jacket that had clearly seen better days, and stomped out the door.

*****​

 

[jesusfreak10537]

The ceiling was becoming extremely mundane. The girl had studied every inch, every board, and every polished wood beam of it numerously. Now, when she closed her eyes she could see little boards dancing in her mind. It was exceptionally annoying, and she wished that someone would come and check on her or that the pain would go away so she could move.
The door creaked open, swishing against the floor. She had gotten her wish. She could immediately tell, however, that this new occupant of the room was not the young man. Scuffling, ponderous footsteps inched toward her until the face of a grizzled man reached her limited line of sight. He was old, but yet young-looking; his eyes and hair were grey, but they only served to give him a weathered look.
“Well, lookee here. Ain’t had a girl in these parts for nigh on fifteen years,” the man cackled, his voice as rough as his appearance. “You feelin’ okay? You was banged up pretty bad when I dug ye from that snow bank.”
“I have felt better,” the girl stiffly replied, not knowing what to think.
The man nodded. “I can see that. Well, what’s yer name, girl?”
The girl heaved what sigh she could muster from her aching lungs. She did not want to tell this complete and utter stranger her name. Her mind raced, and she finally replied, “Esther. My name is Esther.” It was not her real name, of course, but she had always liked the name “Esther.” It would suit her for now, until she at least discovered where she was.
“Well, nice to meet ye, Esther. My name is Abel. I’m just an ol’ hermit livin’ up in these woods. My son comes up here for a few weeks every winter to help me out with things.” The lie sounded good coming from his lips. She didn’t have to know the truth, did she? Abel chuckled gleefully to himself.
“Well, I’m grateful to you both for helping me,” the girl replied. She was about the say more when a door banged open and a disgruntled voice called, “Pa? I’m back!”
Abel favored her with a crooked grin. “That would be Elijah. He’s a right fine boy, helpin’ his pa. He’s fixin’ to be a doctor, so he patched you up right nice.”
“That’s good to know,” the girl replied dourly, but the grizzled Abel had already disappeared from the room. She frowned and turned her eyes back to the ceiling. There was a board up there she hadn’t studied yet…

​

*****​

“’Kay, Elijah, here’s what I told that girl.” Abel said excitedly as Elijah hung up his coat.
“Pa, what lies have you gone and uttered now?” Elijah exclaimed wearily, moving the stove to warm up his hands.
“I’m a weary ol’ hermit, boy, and you’re my faithful son who comes up here to help me every winter. Nothing about the other going-ons around here, got it, boy? If you breathe one word of my smugglin’ to that girl, I’ll tan your hide and leave it out for a mountain cougar to scratch on.”
“Mountain lion, Pa. Not cougar.” Elijah said bitterly.
“Whatever. I’m goin’ out to meet with some o’ my respectable friends.” Abel grinned. “Fix up dinner for me, faithful son.” He shrugged into his jacket and left, cackling.
Elijah rolled his eyes heavenward and went to “fix up dinner.”

*****​

​

The door creaked open again. “Hullo!” the young man’s cheerful voice greeted the girl. “I come bearing water and chicken noodle soup.” He set a tray with a glass and bowl on it on the rickety nightstand.
“Where’s my family?” the girl could not help but burst out, looking close to tears.
The young man—Elijah—looked at her sadly. “I went back and looked at the ravine. It was almost impossible to see anything in the snow. I did find some blood, and followed that, but it eventually just ended.”
The girl paled at the mention of blood. “Do you think they survived?”
“Well, you survived. There’s a good chance they did, too. We’ll find them. Don’t worry.” Elijah said cheerfully, ever the doctor. “Now, you need practice sitting up and eating your soup.”

*****​

“They’re all taken care of, boss,” a young, wiry man with a week’s worth of tangled beard said, by way of greeting to Abel. He stood up from the plastic chair he had been sitting in, up against the corner of a drafty, ramshackle hovel. “Good shipment we’ll have this time; the man, the two girls, and another two women we tricked with our roadblock scheme. We’ll get lots of money for them on the black market.”
Abel just glared.
“Somethin’ wrong, boss?” the wiry man asked curiously.
“Very wrong!” Abel burst. “You let the van get all the way across the field! It fell down the ravine! That is never supposed to happen.”
“We know, boss,” the man placated, “and how is the girl doin’?”
“That is the problem! Late teenaged girls are selling the highest right now. But we won’t get her! No, siree. My son found me tryin’ to patch her up in the kitchen before I took her back here. Now Elijah won’t never let me take her anywhere. He suspects we’re doin’ something like this, Elijah does, and if I try to take the girl his hairs’ll get even more hackled.”
The wiry man thought of a suggestion. “Why can’t you just get rid of him?”
“He’s my son, you fool! And he came all the way out here just to check on me! If I can make him think I’m still jus’ smugglin’ normal little stuff, like chairs and knick-knacks, he’ll leave here soon. Trust me. Elijah don’t like to stick around his ol’ pa much.”
“You’re not much of a pa to stick around.” The man chuckled.
“Right you are, Laroye! I’ve gotta be headin’ back now, before Elijah gets suspicious. Keep a close eye on our shipment. I’ll tell the guys out on the road they can quit for the night.”
“Okay, boss.” Laroye agreed, sitting back down in his plastic chair.
Abel cast one more look around the hovel, at the door that separated this room from the other that was cramped with scared, bleeding prisoners; turning, he walked out the door and through the fresh night air, his heart carefree.

*****​

 

[jesusfreak10537]

Chapter Two

​

The girl eyed Elijah warily. She had finished her soup, and now they were both staring at a chipped mug that held a steeping tea bag. With no fathom of what to say, the girl was both speechless and distraught. Her family was somewhere, she could not imagine where, and she had no idea how to find them. She was silently berating herself about the moments before the crash. Why hadn’t she told her sisters about how much she loved them? Couldn’t she have let up in her pout and have been civil to her father for a few moments?
She wished she had been at least civil. It may have been the last few moments she would ever spend with her living family. That thought brought tears to her dry, aching eyes, and she had to stifle a sob.
“You okay?” Elijah glanced at her quickly, frowning.
“Yeah,” she replied, stubbornly remaining silent. She had no wish to speak to this stranger. He may have doctored her, but she still did not know him at all.
Elijah shrugged. “Tea’s done, if you want it.” He stood from the rough hewn chair he had placed next to the nightstand. “If you’re feeling up to it in the morning, I can take you out to Cramer’s Ravine and show you the crash. We can look for your family some more.”
Again, the girl had to stifle a sob. Her family! What were the odds that they could still be alive? “Okay,” she replied sullenly, to cover her inward tears. Elijah glanced at her again and then left the room, closing the door softly behind him.
For a moment, the girl had to stare at the steaming tea to contain herself. Then she gave up all hope of not crying, and the tears began to roll down her hot cheeks. She sobbed, thinking of her family and the things they might never get to do. It was somehow releasing, and with every painful tear some of her emotional stress lightened. Finally, she was able to bury her face in the flat pillow and fall asleep.

*****

​

Sunlight woke the girl up. It streamed in from the single, dirty window and fell across her bruised face. She opened her eyes quickly, blinking from the glare. The world seemed brighter and clearer this morning. At least she was able to form a coherent thought. She cautiously rose from the bed to survey the tiny room. Besides the bed, nightstand, and chair, the only other article of furniture in the room was an ancient desk. She slid back her covers and landed on the wood floor, wincing as the cold seeped through her. She was still wearing the clothes she had been wearing the day before—a pair of light jeans, a layered shirt, and sweatshirt—but still the chill in the air reached her.
Feeling suddenly adventurous, the girl padded across the room to the wooden door and opened it quietly. She found herself facing a large, oak-beamed room. It contained a table, three chairs, a small couch and television, and an equally tiny kitchen. Two plain wooden doors led out of it to the left. The room was mostly empty, and there was nothing on the walls. It felt cold, bare, and extremely depressing.
Frowning, the girl walked into what kitchen there was and stood in the middle of it, staring blankly at nothing. When one of the doors to her left banged open, she jumped in surprise.
“Good morning!” Elijah said, his seemingly ever-cheerful countenance still bright.
“’Morning,” the girl replied, looking at the floor.
Elijah sauntered over to the kitchen’s single cupboard and peered into it. “Let’s see…we have muffins, jam, and bread in here. I bet I can find some milk and eggs in the cooler out back.”
“I’m not hungry,” the girl said quietly.
Elijah looked at her and nodded. “Well then, let’s skip breakfast altogether and go out to Cramer’s Ravine. It’s not very far from here, but it’s cold out. You can borrow that coat hanging up over there.” He pointed to an old woolen jacket hanging on a peg by the door.
She took the coat, put it on, and then followed him out the door. The morning was brisk and cool, although the bright sun glinting off the snow made it seem warmer than it actually was. The cabin behind her lay in a dense grove of pine trees; a never-ending forest stretched on around them.
“This way,” Elijah said, leading her through the woods by way of a narrow path. She followed him silently while studying the forest intently. If her family was crawling around somewhere—she shivered as she thought of them, cold and lost in this forest—she would find them. So intently was the girl peering through the trees that she did not notice when Elijah stopped abruptly. She slammed into his back and then blushed, speaking voluntarily for the first time. “Where are we?”
The forest had thinned out around them. On three sides of her, little saplings were trying to eek an existence out of the suddenly rocky soil. Directly to the front of her, however, was a solid gray wall of rock. It stretched so high into the sky she had to crane her neck to see the top. The entire rock was completely impassable, except for the very top, which was not quite as steep as the rest. That accounted for why her father had thought it a simple irrigation ditch the night before. In the thick snow, they had been unable to see how steep the wall of rock was.
Elijah broke into her thoughts. “It’s not really a ravine. My pa calls it that, for lack of a better word in his limited vocabulary, and the name stuck. At the top of it, there’s just the road and a—”
“A field,” the girl finished bitterly. “I know. Where’s the wreck?”
“Over there.” Elijah nodded to a snow-covered lump sticking above the ground. Running over to it, the girl immediately saw it was the van. Or at least what remained of the van. The main body of it was crushed nearly flat, with tires and various metal parts strewn around it. She could not see how she had survived the crash, let alone the rest of her family.
“D-did you or your father check—” She broke off, choking on her own words.
“The inside of it?” Elijah nodded. “Yeah. I found a couple of backpacks and duffel bags, but no bodies—I, I mean, your family. I dragged the surviving contents of the van just over there, under that sapling.”
The girl nodded wordlessly. She was speechless. My family…they have to be here somewhere! T-they can’t be…
Elijah was walking away from the crash site, into a thin stand of trees. “Pa found you here. When I came back here last night, there were footsteps leading away from the crash into the forest to your right. I couldn’t trace them very far; it was too dark. I hope the snow hasn’t covered them. At any rate, I suggest looking over here.”
The girl nodded again and followed him, feeling suddenly numb. She felt as if she were waking in slow motion, combing the nearby trees for any sign of a family that existed only in a dream. The only way she was able to keep what focus she had was by taking several slow breaths. After that, she could think more clearly and search quickly. Together, she and Elijah began a long search of the surrounding dense forest.

*****

Abel woke up in alarm. He had overslept, and Elijah was gone from the cot next to the window. Arising from his sagging bed, he quickly pulled on his clothes and dashed out of his room into the kitchen. He quickly ran to the girl’s room and cursed loudly when he saw that she was gone as well. “That boy! I shoulda told him last night not to take ‘er out o’ here!”
Seeing no alternative to it, he threw on his coat and dashed outside in pursuit of his disobedient son and the girl he hoped would bring him a great amount of money.

*****​

 

[puttytat190]

come on, why is the old man selling people ? Who is he selling them to ? why do they want people ? Other than those q's your story is great .I like the young doctor and the old man brings out the thrill of a story. You have a writing skill . At hte beginning i would put in somthing about her litle sistera anooying her or singing 100 bottles of bear onthe wall. So that you understand wh she says shut up .Just a suggestion overall I like it !

 

[Narmegil]

Nice a sneaky, hehe, I should write a story like this sometime, I like how the plot continues to deepen,

 

[puttytat190]

jf , where are you your fans are waiting not so patiently

 

[Narmegil]

I'm just sitting here working on the second chapter of MY story, I just posted if y'all wanna look, it's called A Story of Mine.

 

[jesusfreak10537]

Thank you for the feedback! Sorry it has taken me so long to post the next part of the story.

*****

“Over here!” the girl hollered, breaking the heavy silence that blanketed the forest. “I found some footprints!” She pointed anxiously at the ground as Elijah ran up, breathless.
“Good. The snow didn’t cover all of them.” Elijah sighed with relief. “Let’s follow them.”
The girl was already following the set of footprints. She was tense with excitement and anxiety. The footprints in the ground before her were the only possible link she had to her family. She was so intent in tracking the prints that she did not see the stooped figure approaching her from the forest.
“Well, howdy-day, ma’am! Good to see ye up and at it!” Abel greeted her cheerfully, making her jump and gasp. Elijah groaned beside her.
“Well, lookee here! You found some prints! Nice work. I’m sure we’ll find yer family!” he continued, ignoring Elijah’s glare.
“Pa, if you would kindly stand out of the way so we can follow the prints…” Elijah hinted angrily.
Abel did not acknowledge the hint and just stood there, grinning.
The girl, feeling ready to explode from apprehension, simply stepped around Abel and continued following the footprints into the forest. Elijah followed, and Abel wracked his brain as he tried to think of some way to stop them. Suddenly, his wrinkled eyes brightened.
The girl was only a few yards away from him when he let out a long, distressed groan. Abel clutched his chest and staggered backwards, moaning with sudden pain.
“Pa?” Elijah turned quickly. “What’s wrong?”
“Me chest, boy…don’t feel too good…” He moaned louder and then fell over into the snow, jerking with pain.
Elijah let out a worried shout and ran over to him. “Pa…can you hear me? Pa! We’ve got to get you home!’
The girl abandoned the footprints momentarily and dashed over to the two, concerned.
“We’ll have to drag him.” Elijah said, looking up at her. “Can you help me?”
“NO!” Abel groaned. “I ain’t lettin’ no girl with a head injury and my own son drag me through the forest!” He sat up and then heroically tried to stand. He had barely gotten to his feet when he crumpled into the snow. “It ain’t no use…the pain’s too bad.”
“Do not worry. Just focus on breathing.” Elijah advised him, and then he looked back at the girl. “If you can support one of his shoulders, I can get the rest of him and we’ll drag him that way. Okay?”
“Okay.” The girl nodded numbly and grabbed one of Abel’s arms. Together, they were able to haul him up and out of the snow. What the two did not see as they carried him off was the smug grin on his otherwise pain-wracked face.

*****​

Outside, darkness and silence had fallen. The forest outside seemed dark and threatening, and snow was beginning to drift down from the cloud-covered sky.
The girl was sitting at the kitchen table, fiddling with a cracked teacup and thinking about the day’s events. It had taken nearly an hour to drag Abel home. After that, Elijah had spent several hours examining his father and having the girl fetch various medical instruments from a big black bag. She had not gotten a chance to go back to the forest and follow the footprints. Now, it was too dark outside. Still, she could take a chance…there was a flashlight sitting on a side table near the door…
“He’s sleeping.” Elijah said quietly, coming out of his father’s room and shutting the door. “I think he experienced a very mild cardiac arrest—a heart attack. I’m pretty sure he will recover.” He sank wearily into the ancient couch and sighed.
“Well, that’s a relief,” the girl replied. “It’s a good thing you are a doctor and were able to help him.”
Elijah just glanced at her and did not reply. He seemed distracted.
“You must be exhausted. So am I. Goodnight.” The girl stood quickly and walked into her room, shutting the door behind her. It was only a matter of time before Elijah would go to bed, too. Still, she would have a long wait ahead of her.

*****​

Abel’s eyes flew open in the darkness. He could not suppress the grin that spread across his wrinkled face as he groped his way out of bed. Inching quietly toward the door, so he would not wake Elijah, he finally managed to open it slightly and peer through the crack. His view was limited, but he could still see the girl shrugging into a jacket and grabbing the flashlight. Scarcely had she slipped out of the cabin when Abel crept across the floor and stepped outside as well. The girl was already winding her way through the forest ahead of him, and he trailed her soundlessly, the grin still implanted on his face. Perfect…

*****

Anyone feedback would be greatly appreciated!​

 

[puttytat190]

cool! But I still have a question.Whre isn this quy seling people.

 

[jesusfreak10537]

Be patient! You'll find out.

Chapter Three​

​

The forest was dark. Too dark, almost; a blurred kaleidoscope of blackened sky and trees against dimmed white snow. The girl crept through the midst of it, the pitiful beam of her single flashlight providing only a minimal amount of light. Unseen specters seemed to loom at her from beyond the reach of the flashlight; the trees seemed to reach for her from their shadowed perches. Shivering, she tried to keep her focus on her mission. Her father and sisters were out here somewhere, and she would creep through a million scary forests to reach them.
At least, that was what the girl kept telling herself.
Finally, she reached the impassable wall of rock called Cramer’s Ravine. After scouting around it for a few moments, she picked up the trail of the footprints. She breathed a sigh of relief. At least the prints were still there; now it was just up to her to follow them. On and on they wound through the dark, looming trees, while the girl did her best to keep sight of them with the dim flashlight.
The footprints seemed to stretch on into eternity. The girl was exhausted, hungry, and shivering with cold and fear, but she kept her flashlight beam doggedly pointing to the ground. She passed the spot where Abel had had his heart attack earlier and went deeper into the forest, the footprints her only link, her only hope that her family was alive. She was so intent in her tracking that she did not notice the shadowy figure behind her, sneaking in and out of the trees.
Suddenly, she spotted a small light penetrating the darkness ahead of her. Relieved to have found some sign of civilization, she picked up her pace and noticed the prints led in the direction of the light. The girl passed an unusually large spruce tree and abruptly found herself in a clearing with a quaint little cabin situated directly in the middle of it. It was extremely odd and she was puzzled; the cabin was shabby, its front light was shining, and the footprints led right up to its door. Clearly, someone was living here, but there appeared to be no other signs of life. No other prints led through the snow, no cute chairs were sitting on the cabin’s spacious front porch, and it generally appeared deserted and forsaken.
The girl shrugged and marched through the snow to the front porch of the cabin. Hesitantly, she raised her hand and knocked on the sturdy oaken door.
No one answered her knock.
After she waited for what seemed like an eternity, the girl carefully twisted the doorknob. The door swung open, revealing a dark, cold living room inside. She cautiously stepped inside the cabin and noted the furniture within. It consisted of several plastic lawn chairs, a ramshackle card table, and a cot.
Frowning, the girl tentatively called, “Hello? Is anyone here?” No one returned her call, so she stepped farther into the cabin—more of a hovel, really, by its inside appearance—and noticed a door on the far side of the lawn chairs. She carefully made her way towards it, wondering what she would find on the other side. Her father? Her sisters? A grizzly bear? Anything seemed possible.
Anything except for what she found.
The room appeared empty at first glance, filled with nothing but old rags. Then one of the rags moved. She jumped back with surprise and fear, suspecting a grizzly bear, but it was not a bear, or any sort of animal. It was a middle-aged woman, her eyes wide with the same fear that was mirrored in the girl’s. The woman had shoulder-length red hair that was matted with a dark substance, and a large gash sliced the skin above her right eye.
“Quick, run!” The woman spoke urgently, her voice pleading. “Before he comes back.”
“Before who comes back?” the girl asked anxiously. “Who are you? Why are you here?”
Before the woman could reply, another voice broke in. “Sis…is that, like, you?” It was the unmistakable nasally voice of Brittany, although it had lost a great deal of its formerly bored tone.
The girl, who had carefully rehearsed what she would say if she found her sisters, found herself in tears instead. “Brit! You’re alive! You’re okay!”
“If you can call it that.” Brittany said angrily. “I like, completely need a bath. Look at me!” She stood up, and the girl saw, for once, that her sister was right. Brittany was completely caked with dried mud and her hair was matted with the same dark substance that covered the woman’s. She looked exhausted, haggard, and extremely glad to see the girl.
“Where’s Dad? And Lotte?” the girl inquired nervously, eyeing her sister.
“They’re here too. They’re like both sleeping. Dad’s pretty hurt, but that utter buffoon will not help him.” Brittany replied disgustedly.
“What buffoon?”
“The man who brought us here. I think his name is Laroye. He is completely up to like no good. Like, he and this other guy are like totally planning to, like, smuggle us somewhere!”
The girl frowned, confused. “What?”
“Like, you know that roadblock up on the road? That is like a complete fake. We were like really fooled by it. It’s for when people like us come along, and then those guys tell them to take the detour across the field, and then they like completely get kidnapped! And now like they’re selling us to someone, and Laroye says we’ll end up somewhere like in the Middle East or something, and I’m like really mad. Aren’t you like really mad?”
The girl was still confused. “They’re smuggling you? For money?”
“Not just Brittany. All of us,” the woman, who had remained silent, now exclaimed. “They’re thieves! Worse than that! Smuggling humans, kidnapping innocent people to sell in the black market in who-knows-where! My friend and I have been stuck in here for three days, ever since we were tricked by that roadblock. The next thing we knew, our car was surrounded by men who told us to get out of the vehicle, and then they knocked us over the head! We woke up here.”
Light was beginning to dawn in the girl’s head. “Oh my goodness. We have to get out of here, now. Brittany, wake up Dad and Lotte. Come on! Before this Laroye person comes back!”
But Brittany and the woman did not move. Instead, they inched away, back toward the wall, fear on their faces. The girl, bewildered, turned around to see a wiry man standing behind her. He was grinning wildly, and as she turned he began to slap his leg and guffaw loudly.
“Well, I’ll be! Old Abel was right. He knew you’d fall for this trap. And now we’ve got yaw!” He eyed her appreciatively. “Yes, you’ll fetch a right good price on the market, girl.”
“Oh, shut up, Laroye.” Brittany snapped from behind the girl. “Just let us go!”
The girl was too shocked to move. She just stood there, rooted to the ground, her mouth hanging open. Then another, taller figure came up behind Laroye.
“Get up against the wall, all of ye. Now. Or I’ll have to use this thing.” The new figure growled meanly.
The girl’s common sense came rushing back to her, and she immediately cried out, “Abel!”
It was Abel, but not the Abel she had known for the past day. Now he looked small and mean, his eyes glittering savagely. His appearance was especially not promoted when she noticed the small black gun that rested solidly in his right hand.
“Nice to see ye again so soon, girl. Now git up against the wall with yer sister.” Abel cackled, flourishing the gun grandly.
“B-but you had a heart attack! You should be r-resting!” the girl stammered blindly, backing up quickly.
“It was all fake, ye nimwit.” Abel growled. “I couldn’t be lettin’ me son find out about me business, now could I?”
The girl reached the back wall of the small room. “You’ll never get away with this!” she cried, borrowing the phrase she had seen in thousand of dime novels and movies. Except this was more serious than a movie or a pleasantly woven tale. This was life or death, and she could see the latter glimmering in Abel’s eyes.
“Who cares?” Abel gloated. “I’ll get the money, and no one will ever be the wiser as to where ye all disappeared to.” He allowed himself one more lofty chuckle, and then he turned to Laroye. “Laroye!” he barked to his small fellow smuggler. “Come and help me straighten this place up for when our elite client gets here in the morning. And we’d better clean them up, too.” He gestured to the terrified prisoners, then turned and left the room, cheerfully whistling.
“See ya in a bit.” Laroye grinned at the girl and then followed Abel, shutting and locking the door firmly behind him.

*****​

 

[puttytat190]

No! I thought they wre about to escape.Although that was a brilliant idea.I feel really sorry for them.

 

[jesusfreak10537]

*****​

​

Elijah abruptly found himself awake. He had no idea why he had awakened; he was a sound sleeper and nearly nothing could wake him. He sighed and turned over, his eyes landing on the bed near him where his father slept.
The bed was empty.
Elijah bolted upright and threw on his clothes. “Pa? Pa?” His father was clearly not anywhere in the room. He darted out into the main room, but could not find his father. He began to panic. Abel could have gone into insane convulsions and run from the cabin! He could be freezing to death right now! He could be lying in a snow bank somewhere, cold, alone, his heart paining him, without Elijah there to doctor him!
“Don’t worry, Pa! I’m coming!” Elijah pulled on a jacket and looked around for the flashlight. It wasn’t in its normal spot by the door. Then, he looked over and saw the door to the girl’s room was wide open. He frowned and peeked into the room, only to notice the girl had disappeared as well. Pausing for a moment to think, he considered the possibility that perhaps all was not as it seemed…

*****​

The room was cold, dark, and littered with debris. It was, of course, hard to tell the debris apart from the people. The two who had been there the longest—the two women—were so crusted with dirt, grime, and blood they looked like something out of the horror stories the girl read from time to time. As the girl’s eyes became accustomed to the dark, she could make out two other crumpled forms next to Brit—her father, and Lotte.
“Oh, no.” she breathed, watching the white cloud of her breath dissolve in the chill air. The dark substance that the girl had seen before was blood. And lots of it. Red, sticky blood covered her father’s motionless form and was spread out on the floor next to Lotte.
“They got like pretty banged up from the crash.” Brittany, suddenly beside her, whispered. “I can’t even take care of them…those two buffoons have like barely even given us water.”
“You’d think they’d want to keep their potential slaves healthy for the buyer, whoever he is,” the girl said angrily, rubbing her hands together to keep them from freezing. She went to bend over her father and immediately recoiled. The gash on his head was bright red and angry, and it was beginning to fester. She gingerly leaned back on her heels and felt her father’s wrist. She had read once in a mystery novel that you were supposed to do that, to tell if the victim was alive. She could feel his pulse, beating slowly but strongly, and she exhaled heavily.
“Who’s that?” Lotte suddenly woke and pushed herself off the floor. “Oh, noooo! It’s yooou! I can’t believe they caaaaught you!” she began to wail. “I haaate it here and I haaate these people and I waaanted you to rescue us!” Obviously, the lack of food, water, and all modern conveniences had not been detrimental to her lung capacity.
“Don’t worry, Lotte. We’ll get out of here somehow.” The girl consoled gently, patting the wailing Lotte on her back.
“How?” The second woman spoke for the first time. “There are no windows in here, the walls are solid, and Mister Grubby is guarding the door.”
“We’ll figure something out. Just let me think.”
“We’ve been thinking for five days. At least I think it’s five days…I’ve lost all sense of time in this stinking hole,” the second woman muttered.
The girl leaned back and placed her head against the frigid stone wall. Lotte, whimpering, climbed up into her lap and buried her head in the girl’s jacket. The girl heaved a sigh and began to rack her mind for every escape plot she had ever read in her novels.

*****​

 

[Narmegil]

Dramatic, I like it, but don't get any of them killed Great work, keep it up!