She stilled. He hauled her to her feet. She stumbled.
Then he was pulling her, one arm wrapped around her neck. Her feet struggled to keep up, but she kept falling against him.
Nausea roiled in her stomach.
Where was he taking her?
What did he mean?
Was he going to kill her now?
She could hear the water.
The waves crashed against the rock.
Air rushed all around her. The gentle spray of something wet hit her face.
She was outside.
Oh, God, she was outside!
Her heart fluttered. She wanted to cry out. She sucked in as much air as she could through her nose. Cold, salty.
Wait. She inventoried her senses. Where was he?
The arm was no longer locked around her neck.
She stumbled around, her legs like dead tree trunks.
Her hands shaking, she reached up to her face. Tape across her mouth. Something ... cloth ... over her eyes.
She whimpered ... was afraid any second he would grab her again and tell her that he’d only been joking.
She took hold of the cloth over her eyes with the tips of her fingers and tugged at it. It moved. She pulled it free.
She blinked. Looked around.
The moon peeked from the clouds. The water rushed over the rocks.
Where was he? She turned all the way around. Didn’t see him.
Tears slid down her cheeks. She ripped the tape from her mouth. Cried out at the burn. The sound echoed, reminding her that she was alive.
She stared at her hands. They were taped together. She tried to pull them apart.
The caw of a crow pulled her gaze skyward.
What if he was coming back? No! She had to run. Had to find help.
Her face crumpled with more tears as she stumbled forward.
She had to get home. Her mom would be worried ...
She swiped at her eyes and scrambled up the cliffs.
Don’t think. Just run.
Run for your life!
