I couldn’t tell anymore.
I lost track of everything except the sound of the engine.
Then—the car jerked.
Hard.
The tires crunched over gravel—then dirt.
The sound changed.
We were slowing.
Stopping.
My pulse spiked instantly.
Every nerve in my body snapped to attention.
The vehicle came to a complete halt.
Silence followed.
A heavy, suffocating pause.
Then—the trunk lid flew open.
Light exploded into the darkness.
Blinding.
My eyes burned instantly as the sudden brightness stabbed through the blackness I’d been trapped in.
I flinched hard, squeezing my eyes shut, trying to shield myself from the overwhelming glare.
“¡Rápido!” someone barked.
Hands seized me again.
Too many. Too rough.
They grabbed my arms, my shoulders, pulling me out of the trunk with no care for my injuries, no concern for the damage they were inflicting.
Pain flared instantly as my body was dragged into the light.
Air rushed in.
Hot. Dry.
Overwhelming after the suffocating darkness.
My legs buckled the moment my feet hit the ground.
I collapsed immediately.
My knees slammed into the dirt with a sharp, grinding impact that sent fresh pain surging through my entire body.
My palms hit the ground instinctively, scraping against sharp stones and loose gravel.
