Antecedent (Tex Sawyer)

Antecedent 10

A/N Sorry for the delay. A mix of arthritis and fibro was definitely not what the doctor ordered but something that likes to flare. But anyway enough of my feeling sorry for myself, 10! I can't promise I haven't made mistakes, it's still dark in my room and pretty early so I haven't really spell checked. But hopefully it's decent. Anything you want to see? Let me know and I'll see what I can do.

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By the time evening rolled around all I felt was sick. Confided back out into the garden I could hear the protest of my stomach, my digestive system sensing that something was internally wrong and not wanting to accept it. Squirming against my tires, my body pained not a part of it yielding to the constant ache as my mind remained awake and aware of what was going on. The sound of chatting and laughter spread throughout the kitchen as they prepared. From what Tink had told me and took great joy in doing so, it looked as though the next victims had already been scouted and the 'meat was coming in.' I closed my eyes, the thought of people being so naive and deceived was vile enough but to know what the true intentions of the family were only made it more so. The cruelty that would come their way was unimaginable until they saw it for themselves and by then it would be too late. How quickly they snared people was awful and showed only how much time they had perfected their predatory behaviour and that they clearly had their own routes made up. Hearing the door of the shed slam shut, Junior grunted as I opened my eyes to inspect where he was going. A chainsaw held tight and ready he marched on past me and around the house.
"The boy is eager tonight." Tink laughed from within the kitchen as he bid his mother a goodbye and opened the door to the kitchen. I turned my head the minute he came into view. "Still sulking little girl? Better get used to it soon or you'll be spending a lot of time out here." Much rather out here than in there. Stopping beside me, he drew a sigh, his hand reaching upwards to test the amount of budging distance the rope against my wrists allowed me above my head. "Good, wouldn't want you to be an opportunist now would we?" He asked rhetorically as I breathed behind the gag unwilling to humour him in any way. "Just wait, you get a front row ticket to the show this time." Glaring up at his smirking face, Tink drew back leaning on his knees. "How do you like your bacon?" scrunching my nose up in disgust I did my best to ignore him. While Tinker was in some way the lesser of evils it didn't make him less of a manifestation of evil that took delight in hurting others. "See, you're learning. Full use of your legs and you're not even trying to kick me. See how much happier some good food makes you? Much better than the processed shit your daddy makes. You're welcome." His taunting ended with the loud sound of a horn and a rumbling of an engine as he exhaled loudly. "I know boy, I'm coming!" He barked towards the house and to where Junior was presumably waiting in the vehicle. Pointing a hook at me as he straightened up he gave a warning look. "You best behave yourself for Mama while I'm gone. No funny business." Bluntly I raised an eyebrow to where I presumed my hands to be behind my head showing that even if I wanted to, there was no possibility. "Nevertheless I don't trust you. Just because you're smarter doesn't mean you're getting a whole lot wiser. Behave yourself, sit back and wait for supper." Clapping his hand against my shoulder as he walked past to join his cousin I pulled lightly at my restraints to test if I could begin to slip my hands through. .
"Grandma says if you try to escape we can cut you." Heather's voice chimed.
Breaking my concentration to look at the little blonde girl holding a toddler sized skeleton. She too had a wicked smile spread on her features as she sat down on the kitchen step a few metres away. As she brushed what was left of her 'doll' with her hands she hummed gently.
"And if we cut you Grandpa, will start expecting dinner early and Grandma says he's gotten greedy enough as it is lately." From behind her I had Mama gasp something, voice muffled from the slight distance and being hidden away behind the walls. In response, Heather giggled and nodded. "Grandma says your boyfriend was more blood than man but she says the other boy you were with was more..baby. Much easier to kill and cried a lot, until we shut him up with the hooks in his  mouth and oh, we cut out his tongue too." Feeling my jaw clench against the material gag, I remained still knowing they were fishing for a reaction. As soon as they got one I knew for a fact that being raised the way she did Heather would not hesitate to slice me with the small sharpened bone that glinted dangerously at her side. Humming away and now taking to flattening her dress, she tilted her head at me. "Grandma also says that the first thing you say is free and then we can hurt you. She wants me to start with the face, she says bruises aren't enough punishment when you've been so ungrateful."
Ungrateful, misbehaving, inconsiderate. They were three words I was certainly hearing a lot from the family along with of course: stuck up. They were four things I never considered myself to be but if being a genuine human being with emotions made me up my own ass in their eyes I could accept it. I didn't ask for this and no one in their sane mind ever would. Deciding to tune out her mocking, I turned my head, something which seemed easier as Tink had loosened the collar enough that I could breathe without as much difficulty and looked out to Junior's now darkened shed. I didn't know the people who were coming but I could only hope they had their wits about them. If even one of them survived and somehow managed to escape this hell hole it could mean being freed from them myself and going home. I was hopeful but at the same time not one thing had gone right since crossing paths with the Sawyers so I knew not to get ahead of myself. Biting my lip gently I allowed my face to remain hidden behind strands of auburn hair. The minute Heather went back inside I would try again to force my fingers from my binds before focusing on the collar. If there was a chance, no matter how miniscule that this could be the last hurdle, I had to be somewhat ready for it.
"I'm not allowed to kill anyone yet." Heather continued swinging her legs and purposely allowing the hells of her shoes to collide with the stone. "But daddy thinks I'll be ready too soon, Uncle Tex as well. It looks so easy, people just get stupider and stupider, no one ever gets away but you already know that, don't you? Grandma says I need to go wash up for supper but me and Sally will talk to you later. Remember though, we'll cut you." Jumping up to get feet and flattening her dress she stood back up onto it using the boney hand of the small corpse to wave in my direction. "We'll cut you real bad." She promised to skip into the kitchen to join Mama.
The moment she disappeared through the door I pushed my head back trying to tilt my head enough to spot where my wrists were bound. It was difficult to see a thing and the collar pushed warningly at my neck but feeling and pushing my wrists up and down, I told myself to be determined. If the family was distracted, if they all sat down for their dreaded plans it could be my only chance of taking to the road. The only trouble on the road then should be Charlie Sawyer. I hadn't the faintest clue what he looked like and that made it more dangerous to trust any kind of security car.
"Avoid police cars, hide in the trees when you see lights." I breathed to myself quietly, each word being muffled by the gag. I thought of Tinker's warning, the ways which prevented escape but if the Sawyers didn't notice my absence for some time then there may be no need to amp up the light to sufficiently scope the area amongst the woods. "Stick to the shadows. Don't go too deep into the trees. Don't draw attention to yourself and don't look back." The worst was yet to come if they found me. Tink's threat of pulling teeth or amputation, Heather's desire to cut me, Mama inciting Tex to do something criminal. Being captured was not an option. Again I pulled and tugged and became more determined as the rope's desire to move wouldn't go further than my lower palm. I shook my head and thought instead about all the family had done to me this far as opposed to what they would do. The pain they had caused me, the people in my life they took away. I groaned in pain at the searing burn against my flesh.
What was another injury if it meant an advantage to getting away?
Keeping an eye on the door as I rubbed and pulled against my binds, I froze as movement came from inside refusing to risk the wrath of Mama too soon. When it remained silent for a handful of seconds I squeezed my eyes shut regaining the confidence to start once more.
Now or never Lori, now or never. Fight.