THALIA

22. Escape

• THALIA •

The car drive home is silent. I anxiously wait for the future to come. I find myself replaying happy memories in my head. Most of them are from when I hang out with Nadine. I love that girl. I fantasise about if my Mum hadn't left and we reunited with my Dad. I imagine where I could've been now. Outgoing? Sporty? I guess we'll never know. One can only imagine.

When we pull up to the house I struggle to walk to the front door. My legs are numb and weak. And I feel on edge.

Nadine tells me to go the kitchen. I do.

I wait there for what feels like forever. There's a huge part of me that yells escape. Run for your life. You're going to die anyways. Then there's a part of me that hopes she gift me with an easy death. I don't want to risk a painful, slow one.

Esmerelda walks into the kitchen. She starts yelling at me. Saying shit. I don't hear any of it. I cant focus. The room is spinning. I am wobbling all over the place. I can't find my centre of gravity. Next thing I know is lights out.

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My eyes flutter open. It's cold. I am freezing.

I open my eyes fully to see a Tv in front of me. Where am I? I look around and there is nothing. Apart from the fact I'm on a bed and there's a window. I'm guessing I'm in a guest bedroom. I go to put my arms round my body and realise I've been stripped of my clothes.

Oh my god.

I instantly try to put the covers over me but soon realise there isn't any duvet to hide myself in.

My breathing becomes staggered and I start to breath rapidly.

"Ah, you're awake." Esmerelda announces all of a sudden, wandering into the room innocently.

I stay completely still and utterly silent. "Silent treatment? Pathetic."

I try some out and think about my long lost family but her words are like knifes cutting deep into my flesh. They sting.

Esmerelda switched the Tv on. "At first, I was going to let Bill and Gordon take care of you. Have their fun for a while. Don't get me wrong, they've had lots of fun the past two days,"

I've been out two days?!

"But... well that's not good enough. I then thought I'd just force you to stay here, I guess that torture enough for you but, we'll I can't be arsed to be honest. Then I thought I'd kill you. But I'd rather not. In all honestly, I don't know what I want to do with you. I don't really want you as my responsibility. So I figured something out. Or I made a plan, if that's what you want to call it."

She presses play on the controller and some video footage starts playing. It's a girl... she's got a... knife. And she.... She looks exactly like me. And the other woman looks exactly like Esmerelda. I get shivers watching this fake footage. They argue, until- until the girl - the girl - 'stabs' Esmerelda.

The video cuts off abruptly.

"What have you done?" I asks, calmly. I am in so much trouble.

Esmerelda laughs bitterly. "We'll I didn't want to take care of you any longer so I thought... why not lock you up for the rest of your life?" She asks rhetorically, smiling to herself. "All I need to do is send the footage in and then you're locked up. So I'll be back with the police by my side." She smiles before walking out the door and locking it shut.

I need to get out of here. Oh my god.

Mh bretahing is rapid. I'm shaking uncontrollably. I think I might-

I throw up all over the bed.

That's my parting gift to Peter and Esmerelda.

I run to the window and look outside. There's nothing but the outside of the house. I run towards the big Tv and rip the cables out of their plugs and try carry the Tv towards the window. I place it down then gather all the sheets and pillows in a pile. I pick the Tv back up and walk towards the door then line myself up in front of the double window. I count to three before charging at the window. The tv cracks a lot more than the window did.

I pick the Tv back up and wrap the duvet around me along with all the pillows. I take a deep breath and charge for the window. It smashes quite a lot. I break off a few shards of the Tv and jab at the little hole I made in the window, I carry on until I've made a big head sized hole. I try stuff the duvet throw along with the pillows. During that, more glass breaks off. The duvet and cushions land close enough to each other on the ground. I try to fit my head through the window, cutting myself during doing so. I got my head out the window and I try pull my shoulders through, which breaks off a lot more glass. I take five deep breaths before launching myself off of the second floor. I land on the floor awkwardly. My body hurts - a. Lot.

I think I've probably broken something.

I stand up, I'm wobbly to say the least, and my body is in agony, but we move.

I make a trek away from the house and I just hope I somehow end up on a good persons doorstep.

I walk and walk for what feels like hours but is probably only 20 minutes. I find a parade of shops and decide to go into some bar. I walk in and immediate collaps onto a bar stool. God, I've never been more grateful for a seat in my life.

"Thalia?" Someone says.

My head snaps towards them, and I imessoatlty think I've been found, but I haven't. Well not by who I thought. It's Mr Richard Ford. Sat one seat away from me with a shirt on and a loose tie. He looks kind of dead, with a bottle of beer in one hand and a phone in the other.

I don't manage to stop myself from actually gasping. "Oh, god, hello!" I try to say joyfully, ignoring my leg bouncing under the table.

He offers a small smile before signalling for the barman to come over. "Drink for the lady please." He says before turning to me, "what would you like?"

"Oh, uh - no thanks - no I can't - thanks though - I - Thankyou."

"What do you want do drink?"

"I can't - but -"

"Thalia." He warns. "What would you like to drink? I promise it's fine. I'm not going to drug it okay, and you don't need to worry about paying me back. It's a treat, okay?"

I just nod and mutter a small Thankyou.