Mute || ✔️

Chapter 3- Tara

Chapter 3-Tara

            My knee was shaking when Drew, Molly, Christian, and I all piled into the car. It continued to shake when Drew put the key into the ignition and turned it. I jumped in my seat as the car roared with life. My stomach lurched violently when he backed the car out of the driveway and turned down the dirt road out of the Webster Family Sheep Farm. With a shuddering breath escaping my lips, I turned around to catch one last glance at my aunt and uncle. They waved with smiles on their faces when they saw me looking. I waved back, but my mouth didn’t have the will to form a smile or maybe…I didn’t want to smile back at the people who so willingly gave me away…

            The car turned and my body was thrown across Christian’s. A silent gasp broke the surface of my lips and my eyes snapped shut in fear of him being angry. All was still and silent as I waited for him to yell or snap at me for colliding with him. But instead, I felt his body began to shudder violently. Had I hurt him? Suddenly guilt pooled in the pit of my stomach.

            Slowly, I opened my eyes against my better judgment. What if he was mad at me for hurting him? But still I had to open them. I had to face my fears. To my surprise though, he was looking down at me shaking his head, with a half grin on his face….

            For a second I stared at him. I’m pretty sure the expression on my face brought a whole new meaning to the term ‘Deer in headlights’. Then he gripped my shoulders lightly. Surprisingly, my body didn’t flinch back at his hands touching me.

 Lifting me upright in my seat, Christian then leaned over me and pulled the seatbelt around my body and clicked it into place.

“There that’s better,” he spoke with a half-smile on his face. I didn’t form a smile back though. I couldn’t because that voice inside of me was taunting me again.

You know he only did that because he doesn’t want you to fall on him again right? It sneered. I bowed my head embarrassed and didn’t look up again until; Drew pulled the car to a stop in a gas station parking lot.  He and Molly spoke for a moment, before Drew got out. Then Molly turned to us, her reddish brown curls of hair bouncing as she did so.

“I’m going to go get us all something to snack on and something to drink for the rest of the way home,” she explained in a soft tone with an equally soft smile as well, “What would you guys like?”

            Before my brain could even process what she was offering, I was already shaking my head. I didn’t deserve any generosity. I heard Christian sigh then he spoke to his sister-in-law. But I didn’t hear him, my mind was numb and blank…

            I jumped at the sound of door shutting behind Molly with a loud bang as she walked into the store. For a moment, Christian and I sat in silence; until he broke it, “Why are you so jumpy?”

His question caught me off guard. Looking over at him, his eyes looked slightly…sad? I frowned back at him wondering why he looked sad, before I shrugged my shoulders. Then I went back to looking at my hands that sat in my lap.

“You know no one will hurt you here right? Drew, Molly, and I won’t hurt you. Is that why you’re so jumpy? Because your Aunt Hannah and Uncle Neil abused you?”

Alarmed, I looked back up at him and shook my head slowly. Aunt Hannah and Uncle Neil had been nothing, but kind to me. Kindness that I didn’t truly didn’t deserve. After all, I was the reason that my parents were…Well at least that’s what Aunt Ruby always told me…

            “Then why?” His question pulled me out of the endless sea of thoughts that I had been drowning in. It took me a minute to realize he was still talking about the fact that I was so jumpy. Once again, I shrugged my shoulders. Then I began looking for my notebook and pencil when I realized I had packed them in my suitcase.