When Laurie first opened her eyes, she didn't know where she was. Everything was blurry, and her head was pounding. The first thing that she was aware of were the voices. They were vaguely familiar, she felt as if she had heard them before, but couldn't place where. There were so many things she couldn't remember, so many things she didn't want to remember...she shuddered involuntarily at the thought of all she had been through. No one could help her, no one cared about her, except Michael. She felt that she could trust him, a sturdy branch to hold onto during the fast flowing and unforgiving flood that made up her life. He was so like her grandfather, not just in appearance, everything about him reminded her of the old man she loved so much. His unwillingness to show the emotions that were definitely there, the way he could convince her when all others seemed to have given up, his comforting though slightly sarcastic smile. She couldn't stop thinking about him. Then she focused back on the voices. They were far away, having to travel through several walls to reach her ears, but still there. Things in the room now slowly began to swim into view: a richly carved bureau, the fine silk that made up the canopy of the feather bed she was lying in, the feather stuffed pillows that supported her confused and pained head. Looking around, moving her head in sharp painful jerks, she began to panic.
*Where am I? Where is Michael? Did they find me? It's them! They found me! They found me!!*
Two figures burst into the room. She ignored them, continued to scream and struggled to free herself from the tangle of expensive sheets and blankets. They ran over to her, one on each arm, and strove to restrain her. She fought fiercely, biting kicking slashing scratching hitting slapping punching tearing, not understanding anything but knowing through some animal instinct that she had to get out. She managed to break away from the figures holding her back, lunged at the slightly open window, and within seconds was gone. The people left in the room were shocked and speechless. Finally, one managed to open their mouth.
"Well, what are we going to do?"
"Go after her, of course".
Laurie ignored everything, the burning in her chest that made her feel like her lungs were about to explode, the sharp stabbing pain in the ankle she had twisted while jumping out the window, her cramped leg muscles. She just ran. She didn't know how long she had been running, probably hours. She ran to try to escape her life, her problems, but no matter what she did they were always right there with her, next to her, in front of her, behind her, laughing taunting leering at her. She couldn't get away. She ran blindly through the desert, not thinking about where she was or how she would get back home. *What home?* She thought bitterly. Soon even that shred of sanity had left her, and she was in confused, in pain, and agonizingly alone. She finally slowed, stopped, collapsed, let her discomfort and troubles surround her and fill her with the one emotion that she truly knew: fear.
Michael turned the steering wheel with a tired hand. He opened his mouth as if he were about to say something, then changed his mind and closed it. Maria glanced at him but said nothing. After a few minutes, Michael spoke.
"I think we should look for her"
"What? Did I hear you correctly, Michael Guerin? Because I think I just heard you say that you wanted to go back to that wasteland, and look for that girl who is completely out of her mind!! But no one in their right mind would say that, right Michael? I'm sorry, but I'm not going anywhere near that place ever again!"
"Okay, okay, jeez, just a thought"
He looked down at his feet, then at the road, then out across the open desert. It was true, even if they tried to find her in this emptiness, it would be nearly impossible. He continued to gaze at it, as if someone would magically appear and tell him what he should do. Then he saw something that made him slam on the brakes. He jumped out of the car, leaving Maria to either follow him or sit there wondering where he was going. She chose the former, running after him screaming and nearly tripping in her calf length leather boots.
" Michael? These boots are new! And they were expensive! I can't go running around in the desert after some deranged girl who is wanted by the law! Michael?!" he gave her one exasperated backward glance, made as if to stop, then continued his sprint toward the minute figure he had seen. Not seeing the vague shape that Michael was running toward, she gave up, collapsing onto a large rock some 50 yards from the car and sighing in annoyance. The trembling shape got bigger and bigger as he came closer. Finally he reached her. He spoke softly, so he wouldn't scare.
"Hey."
She looked up at him with wild, frightened eyes. He smiled thinly. Then she suddenly jumped up and hugged him. He was startled at first, and awkwardly patted her back. She just clung to him, sobbing and breathing and choking out words.
"I was so s-s-scared I didn't know where I wa-as they found me I don't know what happened They found me They're coming back I don't know what to do they found me They hurt me they're doing something bad they found me help! Help me!!"
She collapsed onto the ground. Michael hesitated, ran a nervous hand through his hair, then spoke.
"So...you ready to go back to the car now?"
She nodded abruptly and tried to choke back a small sob.
"Come on."
He gently took her hand and led her back to the rock where Maria still sat complaining loudly. Her back was facing them, and as they approached they heard her yelling.
"Michael, you are replacing everything that was damaged in that car, you are coming up with an explanation for my mother, and you are never, ever, taking me on one of these STUPID trips again!!!"
She turned around still yelling hysterically.
"Michael- OMIGOD!!" she shouted, seeing Laurie. "Ok, I thought we were done with her! We took her to her family; they took her in. she escaped. Not our problem! What does she want now??"
Michael sighed. Laurie hid behind his shoulder, whimpering softly.
"She wants to be," he answered slowly,"safe."
Maria sighed anoyedly, shook her head, then spread out her hands in acceptance.
"Fine. Fine! So now we're going to drag her all the way back across the country. Whatever. As long as you take all the blame for any disasters that are just bound to happen." She turned around and stormed into the car. She sat there, pouting. Michael sighed, swung the door open, and got in.
"Coming?" he asked Laurie, who was standing a few feet away from the car, looking fearfully at Maria.
"It's ok. Come on." She climbed uncertainly into the back seat. She looked up at the mirror in the front of the car, saw the faces of the only two people that had ever done anything for her. She took a deep breath and said quietly
"Thanks."
Even Maria had to smile.
*Where am I? Where is Michael? Did they find me? It's them! They found me! They found me!!*
Two figures burst into the room. She ignored them, continued to scream and struggled to free herself from the tangle of expensive sheets and blankets. They ran over to her, one on each arm, and strove to restrain her. She fought fiercely, biting kicking slashing scratching hitting slapping punching tearing, not understanding anything but knowing through some animal instinct that she had to get out. She managed to break away from the figures holding her back, lunged at the slightly open window, and within seconds was gone. The people left in the room were shocked and speechless. Finally, one managed to open their mouth.
"Well, what are we going to do?"
"Go after her, of course".
Laurie ignored everything, the burning in her chest that made her feel like her lungs were about to explode, the sharp stabbing pain in the ankle she had twisted while jumping out the window, her cramped leg muscles. She just ran. She didn't know how long she had been running, probably hours. She ran to try to escape her life, her problems, but no matter what she did they were always right there with her, next to her, in front of her, behind her, laughing taunting leering at her. She couldn't get away. She ran blindly through the desert, not thinking about where she was or how she would get back home. *What home?* She thought bitterly. Soon even that shred of sanity had left her, and she was in confused, in pain, and agonizingly alone. She finally slowed, stopped, collapsed, let her discomfort and troubles surround her and fill her with the one emotion that she truly knew: fear.
Michael turned the steering wheel with a tired hand. He opened his mouth as if he were about to say something, then changed his mind and closed it. Maria glanced at him but said nothing. After a few minutes, Michael spoke.
"I think we should look for her"
"What? Did I hear you correctly, Michael Guerin? Because I think I just heard you say that you wanted to go back to that wasteland, and look for that girl who is completely out of her mind!! But no one in their right mind would say that, right Michael? I'm sorry, but I'm not going anywhere near that place ever again!"
"Okay, okay, jeez, just a thought"
He looked down at his feet, then at the road, then out across the open desert. It was true, even if they tried to find her in this emptiness, it would be nearly impossible. He continued to gaze at it, as if someone would magically appear and tell him what he should do. Then he saw something that made him slam on the brakes. He jumped out of the car, leaving Maria to either follow him or sit there wondering where he was going. She chose the former, running after him screaming and nearly tripping in her calf length leather boots.
" Michael? These boots are new! And they were expensive! I can't go running around in the desert after some deranged girl who is wanted by the law! Michael?!" he gave her one exasperated backward glance, made as if to stop, then continued his sprint toward the minute figure he had seen. Not seeing the vague shape that Michael was running toward, she gave up, collapsing onto a large rock some 50 yards from the car and sighing in annoyance. The trembling shape got bigger and bigger as he came closer. Finally he reached her. He spoke softly, so he wouldn't scare.
"Hey."
She looked up at him with wild, frightened eyes. He smiled thinly. Then she suddenly jumped up and hugged him. He was startled at first, and awkwardly patted her back. She just clung to him, sobbing and breathing and choking out words.
"I was so s-s-scared I didn't know where I wa-as they found me I don't know what happened They found me They're coming back I don't know what to do they found me They hurt me they're doing something bad they found me help! Help me!!"
She collapsed onto the ground. Michael hesitated, ran a nervous hand through his hair, then spoke.
"So...you ready to go back to the car now?"
She nodded abruptly and tried to choke back a small sob.
"Come on."
He gently took her hand and led her back to the rock where Maria still sat complaining loudly. Her back was facing them, and as they approached they heard her yelling.
"Michael, you are replacing everything that was damaged in that car, you are coming up with an explanation for my mother, and you are never, ever, taking me on one of these STUPID trips again!!!"
She turned around still yelling hysterically.
"Michael- OMIGOD!!" she shouted, seeing Laurie. "Ok, I thought we were done with her! We took her to her family; they took her in. she escaped. Not our problem! What does she want now??"
Michael sighed. Laurie hid behind his shoulder, whimpering softly.
"She wants to be," he answered slowly,"safe."
Maria sighed anoyedly, shook her head, then spread out her hands in acceptance.
"Fine. Fine! So now we're going to drag her all the way back across the country. Whatever. As long as you take all the blame for any disasters that are just bound to happen." She turned around and stormed into the car. She sat there, pouting. Michael sighed, swung the door open, and got in.
"Coming?" he asked Laurie, who was standing a few feet away from the car, looking fearfully at Maria.
"It's ok. Come on." She climbed uncertainly into the back seat. She looked up at the mirror in the front of the car, saw the faces of the only two people that had ever done anything for her. She took a deep breath and said quietly
"Thanks."
Even Maria had to smile.