Thankfully, the walk back isn’t as bad as earlier. It warmed up a bit, and the snow has stopped sprinkling down on us. The only downside is that the snow is turning to slush, and an hour into our walk back, my feet are wet.
“How much do you wish you stayed back?” Silva asks, grinning smugly over at me.
“Fuck you,” I huff, making her laugh. “Whatever.”
We chat about our plans and what we want to do next. Silva has been using the library computer to look for jobs that include room and board. There are a few options for live-in maids that we are hopeful for. She’s just making sure we can either work at the same place or within the same town.
We don’t have enough money to rent a place, so it’s the best plan we have.
Once we get back, we start a fire and hang our wet clothes up to dry. Silva makes us chicken soup, and honestly, it’s the best thing on a day like today.
When night comes, we cuddle up in bed like we do every night and fall asleep.
The next time I wake up, it’s to Silva shaking me awake. “Lexi!” she hisses in my ear.
“What’s going on?” I groan, rubbing my eyes.
Her hand covers my mouth, and my body goes still. “Be quiet,” she hisses. “Someone is in the house.”
My eyes widen, fear spiking through me.
The sound of whispers and footsteps getting closer has me whimpering, pure terror taking over.
“We need to get out of here. Now.”
I nod, and Silva removes her hand. She carefully goes to the window and looks outside. “Fuck,” she whispers and comes back. “I can’t see anything. I don’t know who, or how many people are here.”
“Do you think it’s the owners?”
She shakes her head. She’s trying to stay calm, but I can see the fear in her eyes mirroring mine. “I don’t think they would decide to come back in the middle of the night.”
“Do you think it’s them?” I swallow hard, thinking of my foster brothers.
“I don’t know,” Silva says, voice shaky.
She goes to the door and grabs the bat we have leaning against it. “We have to go out the window,” she says.
Nodding, I get out of bed, and we both put on our snow gear.
I guess it wasn’t a stupid idea when Silva suggested we have it close by just in case.
My hands are shaking, and I’m trying not to cry or puke, but it’s hard when I’m so damn afraid.
Just as we’re done getting our gear on, the door bursts open. I can’t help the scream, my eyes going to the door. Three men loom in the doorway. Not our foster brothers.
“Look. We’re sorry if this is your house,” I sob out. “We didn’t mean any harm.”
“Lexi, shut up.” Silva stands in front of me. “Go. Now,” she hisses.
My eyes snap to the window. I run and try to push it open, but it doesn’t budge. Fuck, fuck, fuck. I look down and let out a sob. It’s nailed shut. Fucking nailed shut.
“Silva,” her name comes out as a broken sob.
“Come with us,” one of the guys demands. “And no one gets hurt.”
“Fuck that!” Silva sneers, swinging the bat as he lunges for her. She manages to get a few hits in, but he grabs her when she goes for the third hit.
“Let her go!” I scream, grabbing whatever I can get my hands on, throwing it at the men fighting with her.
