Until I Really Do

Chapter four

“Wake up.”

There was a painful tug on her arm, dragging her out of the darkness until her eyelids were giving way to a blurry image.

“Hey, wake up!” Jenkins. The slimy drunk! Immediately, she remembered where she was.

Groaning, she sat up straighter and waited until his image became clearer. She tore her eyes off of him long enough to take in her environment; the wagon. What was she doing in a wagon?!

“Hurry up now.” A sharp pain followed his words as he grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the wagon, until her wobbly feet were coming to settle on the ground.

She opened her mouth to protest, but his hold on her simply tightened as he began dragging her along.

Where were there?! Her eyes drifted from left to right and back again, realizing as she did that they were on what seemed to her like a farm. She was uncertain, but there were several ridges in the distance, and the white two-story building Jenkins was now dragging her toward seemed like the home of the farmer. Several potted colorful plants sat on the porch, lining both sides of the stairs. There was a porch swing as well, and the screen door leading into the building stood firmly shut.

Wincing in pain, she bit down on her lower lip and fought to keep herself from stumbling. It was difficult to keep up with Jenkins, and the pain in her head, coupled with the painful grip he had on her arm, made it impossible to fight against his hold on her or to protest his actions of dragging her against her will to a destination she knew could only bring bad news.

They reached the building and he took the stairs two at a time, causing her to indeed stumble and fall forward, pain immediately shooting up her arm.

“Ow!” She gritted her teeth.

“Get up, whore!” The pain in her skull immediately told her he had taken a handful of her hair and was jerking her upright with it.

Weak —physically and emotionally— it was a wonder she was able to rise to her feet and stumble up the stairs until she was barely standing by his side. Every muscle in her body hurt, and her belly ached from its deprivation of hunger.

She staggered, nearly falling forward once more until his hold on her arm tightened, steadying her.

Ignoring the pain in her arm and entire body, she simply focused what was left of her energy on keeping her two feet planted on the floor. She certainly could not afford yet another fall.

The door swung open and her blurry vision came to rest on a pair of dusty boots.

“Here she is.” Jenkins angry voice drifted to her, shoving her forward.

His sudden movement caused her to lose her footing once more, and with the absence of anything to steady her, she braced herself for the fall, her vision blurring once more.

“What in the world?!”

She hit something solid, and rather than fall to the ground, strong arms encircled her, breaking her fall. Her wobbly feet were suddenly relieved of their task of having to hold up her weight, and her bruised body was suddenly nestling against something solid.

“It ain't my fault she chose to starve herself.” Jenkins snarled. She would have snapped back at him if she had the energy to respond, but she unfortunately did not have any ounce of energy left. Her body was weak, and her mind was going blank. Fatigue washed over her until it was simply impossible to keep her eyelids apart.