Away from the past

Into the woods

          I have to make a decision here and now. Emily's safety is at stake. I have to fix this but I don't know how.

I go into the woods but not without dropping a hint of my own in a place where I know it will be seen by the right people. I know what I'm doing is stupid and I should have went to the authorities but I can't help but feel like this is something I have to do on my own. If it wasn't for everything I've went through plus all of the drama I brought with me, Emily would be with her mom right now and my friends wouldn't be so worried about me.

At this point I'm not scare, I'm more angry and fed up. Everything pretty much looks the same. Dirt, leaves, and branches are all I'm staring at when I walk deeper and deeper into the woods. I'm at a loss in terms of what direction to go in next when I see some kind of shed. My instinct is telling me to go in that direction so I do and when I get closer there are two teenage boys standing about ten feet in front of the shed.

I recognize them.

Donovan and Keenan, Theo's friends from Silverleaf.

I stop as they spot me because I know I'm where I'm supposed to be. I know Emily is here.

I hear footsteps behind me which makes me jump a little bit. Behind me is Greyson, another one of Theo's friends but he doesn't look as evil as the rest of them, he kind of looks like he's going to be sick.

"I knew you would come. You always come back to be." I hear Theo call out from behind the shed. He walks out and I get a burning sensation in my chest. He has a look on his face that I can't understand. He's broken so many boundaries, I don't know what next with him anymore.

"You're really going to add kidnapping to the list of things that are wrong with you? How far do things have to go for you to realize that you can't keep doing anything you want?" My mouth keeps moving and I just let whatever come out of it. I've stayed silent for so long and let him do whatever to me but when he took Emily, it officially pushed me over the edge.

"Don't say stuff like that baby. It has already taken me a while to forgive you. Do not mess it up." He's speaking slowly, getting agitated as he finishes his sentence.

"Where's Emily?" I say while looking at Donovan and Keenan on either side of me. I'm surrounded and I'm pretty sure Em is in the shed. I don't have a solid plan but I'm pretty quick on my feet.

"See, you're always thinking of other people and not me. Who cares where she is Liana, focus on me ! I am your life, I am your future. We're gonna graduate and go to the same college where we'll get our first apartment together. Our life is going to be great. Why can't you see that?"

"There is a mother where is terrified because she doesn't know where her daughter is. This isn't about what you think will happen with us in the future. It's about getting Emily home safely and that's exactly what I'm going to do." I get closer but so does Theo's puppets.

He opens the shed door and there she is tied up in a chair, crying. Theo grabs her out of the chair and walks closer to me but stops about eight feet away.

"She was quite the fighter I must say. You did this, Liana. If you would have just listened and stayed, we would have been okay, she would have been okay. You make me do stuff like this."

"You do this to yourself." I scream.

"Don't interrupt me!" He screams back and grabs her arm tighter.

Emily is staring at me with tears in her eyes and it breaks my heart.

"You want her? Here!" He shoves her towards me and she falls because her feet are still tied up too. I pick her up quickly and use my keys to cut her legs free.

"You won't be needing those. Take her phone too boys." They come towards me, pulling my phone out of my pocket but I hold on to my keys.

"Your mothers must be so proud." I look to the two boys who literally helped kidnap and hold a teenage girl hostage. I assume they got Emily early this morning because she usually doesn't go out late, especially not alone. My comment was meant for Greyson too, I just wasn't looking at him.

I make sure Emily is standing behind me this entire time.

"This stupid idea wasn't mine Kaden. You know how Theo gets, we're just dumb enough to get tricked into kidnapping a person. Now there is no way out." Keenan, who is on the right side of me states. Neither of the boys were really standing close to me.

They start to bicker a bit and this is where I start taking tiny steps backwards and Emily follows my lead. I took the duck tape off of her mouth a while ago so she can communicate with me.

I almost forget that Greyson is behind me but this time he looks like a ghost. I stop because I get a feeling that Greyson would catch on to what I'm trying to do but to my surprise, he pukes right behind me. I've never felt more relieved than I do right now. At this point we are far enough from Theo and his friends that I feel confident about what I'm about to do. Donovan was trying to get them to stop so they didn't even notice Greyson puking in the background.

"Emily." I whisper.

"Yeah." She's terrified.

"Run!" I say as turn towards her. Her feet were free but not her hands.

We run pass Greyson and I make sure she's in front of me the entire time. Emily went the opposite direction that I came from so I'm not sure where we will end up.

"Where are they?" I hear Theo scream.

"Greyson? What the hell man? Get them! I can't go to jail for this, I have a scholarship I can't lose!" I hear Donovan scream after Theo and I know they are looking for us now.

We are at a good distance but I don't know for how long.