And I got pretty damn good at it too.
Pretty damn good.
“I’ll be okay,” I assured him. “I’ll be okay.” Everything was going to be fine.
I would be fine.
Phil searched my eyes before finally resigning himself and straightening. “Get yourself ready, kid,” he instructed, turning for the table.
I could see clearly that while he hated this decision, my decision, he was also relieved because he knew as much as I did that had he even tried to save me, his wife and son would have been the next two people in this room, only they wouldn’t have Merlin. They would have been completely alone.
No Merlin.
No Everett.
Just pain.
Just a cracked mind.
Phil gathered the cleaning supplies and left the room, and I felt my shoulders fall as soon as the door shut behind him.
So, there it was then.
Once I left here, Everett would never find me. Even if he was still searching, he would never find me. I would never see Phil again, the only thing left in this world that I would have would be Merlin, my letter, and my tattoo.
I clutched him in both hands, petting him with one thumb.“It’s going to be okay,” I assured him. “No matter what happens to me, you’ll be free. Just remember to avoid big open areas and anything flying in the sky. Oh, and big tabby cats. As fuzzy as they look, they are not your friends.”
Merlin squeaked softly as if he could read my mind just like Everett could.
I whistled that little tune back to him before kissing his head and placing him on my shoulder.
He promptly scuttled up into my hair, tickling me uncomfortably as he made himself comfortable. He would be safe there.
My job when I was taken from this room would be to figure out if escaping now, between here and the van, would be the most advantageous thing I could do.
If I was truly in the woods like I thought I was, I could disappear with ease, but I could also get lost. Very lost. And while I was strong, I didn’t have as much energy as I used to. I wouldn’t be able to run far, and I’d starve without my bologna and carrot.
So maybe I would wait. Wait until I got to where I was going, and then I would run. If it was a city, I could sprint down the street, yelling‘fire!’.There was no way people would ignore me then. People always looked when someone yelled fire.
I closed my eyes, and I focused. Focused my breathing, my reliable mind. I stretched all my fingers and toes, my neck, my arms, and my legs.
I wasn’t sure what would happen once I got out there, but I knew I would have to think fast. I knew that if this was the best opportunity, I would have to steal a weapon, sorry Phil, and I knew that there was a chance I would die before I managed to do anything noteworthy, but I still had to try.
I had to be smart too. I had to consider all the options. If I had even a single ounce of doubt, I would wait. Wait until they pulledme out of that van.
So many variables.
What would Everett do?
He wouldn’t be caught dead without havingsomethingas a weapon.
But I had tried.
I had tried to find a piece on the bed they wouldn’t notice, that I could sharpen, but the entire bed frame was welded together, and the springs in the mattress were too thin, even wrapped together. I had tried stealing things from the men I killed too, but every time I came out of that black fog, Phil was already in the room, and sometimes other people were there too. Not a good opportunity to steal a weapon.
All I had were my hands and teeth.
All I had was my speed.
