Darrell's Fate

Chapter 2

                Hannah stormed through the green cornfield with no sense of direction. Thickets of weeds and grass scratched at her legs, causing her to jump trip several times. Dashing at what direction she thought was south, it couldn’t be sure since the sun was shining hard in all directions. Glimpsing up and around, wind rushing through the field Hannah stopped. She felt like a crazy nut.

          Sitting on her knees, she gasped tears rolling down her eyes. Feeling like someone else in this world knew she existed, an emotional breakdown overtook her heart.

          The feel of her wet face and lips perking up, Hannah felt hopeless and depressed. Crawling behind a little tumble weed and a patch of thick prairie grass she felt well hidden; safe enough to rest for over exhaling lungs.  

          Jeff and Darrell ran separate ways up the rows of the corn field just far enough to the sight of each other’s body’s. “Jeff! I think she ran this way!” Darrell standing waving him over. Darrell stood where he was at until Jeff came to him panting. “Why do you think she went this way?” he said. “Well look dumbass, all this grass is ran down.” Darrell said.

          “Could just be deer bedding or something.” Jeff said sarcastically. Being brothers they both thought alike but yet didn’t, they were the typical brawling siblings who would throw fists over the simplest argument.

          “Okay, Jeff, whatever. We are going this way, that little beauty couldn’t have gone that far. We both know we run faster than her anyways.” Darrell said.

          George and his old woman sat on their porch rocking on an ancient wooden bench, “George, I can’t wait for Hannah to come back. All the things we will do, and it will just make the family so much better.” She said. George just sat there rocking moving a big dip of tobacco around his bottom lip. “Yep. Sure will be.” he said.

          “Well Pa, aren’t you excited?” she said. “Dammit woman, you know I’m just as excited as you are. No sense of rushing the future.” He said. “Soon enough those boys will come back with Hannah but this time we gotta secure her better. I don’t know maybe tie her in Darrell’s room instead of just throwing her in. I didn’t think she’d jump out the window.”

          “Well George,” Ma said with a giggle, “You do remember when you had to get me? Oh that was something.  I was crying and scared but when you sat me down and held me, I knew you were the one to marry.” She looked off at the yard with a happy look. Remembering those old days really did bring her to tears of joy. George looked over slowly and smiled. “Don’t start crying dammit. You know it always chokes me up.” He said after spitting out a long brown spit of tobacco.

          Jeff in front of Darrell slowly paced his way towards some brush. Looking back at Darrell he held his fist up, signaling for him to stop. He looked back mouthing the words I think she’s here while pointing at the brush. Darrell slowly made his way up on the other side peering in the brush. With Jeff on the other side, he started kicking the grass to try to scare something up. Nothing. Darrell moved the brush around and saw nothing but an old piece of clothing. “Jeff just this.” Darrell said holding up a ragged shirt. Jeff seeing it shrugged his shoulders; shaking his head. “Fuck.”

          Hannah started to hear movement to her left. Not far away she could hear voices but not make out the words. Knowing if she were to jump up and run now, they would catch her. Hannah’s ankle still hurt and as time persisted it seemed to be swelling. Slowly crawling into a laid down position, she put her face down to the ground and paced her breath to no more than sloths movement.

          Jeff and Darrell began walking some more spreading out once again. This time they decided to just talk out loud to one another. They had the idea if they just kept doing this eventually Hannah would scare up. Kicking and throwing any debris in their way, both of them made sure to check all the thickets.

          Hours went by till the sun started to return to one side of the sky. Darrell starting to have his doubts called Jeff to head back. “Darrell! We can’t go back now. Once it gets dark, you know she’ll be gone for good. We just have to keep looking whether it gets pitch dark out. That or we head back and try to find some other girl. And we both know you don’t want to since Hannah caught your eye.” Jeff said.

          Hannah started to hear nothing but crickets. She rolled over to her back staring at the sky. Soon it would be dark and she’d have absolutely no sense of sight. Standing up she began to limp towards the direction that stood true to her.

          With the limp as bad as it was now, even more noise rattled through the cornstalks. Afraid of it, Hannah couldn’t decide if it was worth walking or merely hiding again.