This chapter has finished being edited.
"No!" she screamed as she dodged the blade that grazed her cheek. Still groggy from her rude awakening, Jane hit her attacker with her shoulder. She knocked him off balance, effectively tripping him.
Get away! Escape! Her mind was screaming for her survival when her eyes locked with a big metal door that gleamed in the dark warehouse. Jane sprinted with all her might and ran into the door before twisting the handle and pulling it open.
She ran out of the strange building only to find a desert in front of her. For the first time in her life she hesitated, what if I can never make it out of there? She looked behind her and didn't see her assailant. A panic took grip of her heart and she made her decision to run.
I just need a second...
Jane sat on the other side of a white tow truck whose paint was chipping at every other spot on the vehicle's surface. Once she didn't hear any noise coming from the rusted, oversized shack she began to think more clearly.
What did people need in deserts? Water, food, shoes... Jane looked down to her bare feet and couldn't quiet remember how she had lost her shoes. She guessed that her kidnapper had used drugs to sedate her and that was why she had a hard time remembering and thinking clearly.
Jane huffed out a breathe, making her decision to go back to the only building in sight and look for things she could use.
Peeking over the hood, she saw what looked like a junk yard to the left of the building. She knew she would find something she could use there. But the truck was right next to her and she looked inside to see if the doors were locked. Unlocked.
She guessed he didn't think anyone would be breaking into it since he was in the middle of the desert. Always underestimating me... Irritated and adrenaline hyped, Jane opened the door, easing it open as to make no noise, and grabbed a handful of some kind of food bars, but at the last second put them back.
There wrappers made noise and she still needed to find something to carry them in. Once again her eyes shot to the junk yard lit by moonlight. Since she was lucky so far...
Jane ran the 50 feet to the junk yard as quietly as she could. Once she was hidden from the front door she began scanning over and inside barrels, between crates, and shuffling sand trying to find anything useful. Just when she began to think she wouldn't find anything the wind blew and a small movement caught her eye.
She closed in on her target, careful to stay the same level as the barrels that surrounded her at the back of the building. Under a layer of sand was a cloth sack made for potatoes, but for Jane it was salvation. She smiled a cashmere cat classic.
The desert chill snapped her back into her determination. Hell bound on getting everything she needed, she stuffed the bag into the back pocket of her skinny jeans. When she did she felt a tug on her finger and saw her grandma's ring that her mom had given her.
Jane thought back to the strong women that had raised her, all the hell they'd survived. All the hell she, herself, had survived. Jane's fighting spirit soared like a phoenix from the ashes. She was going to live past this horrid, rancid, and stale warehouse then she was going to find a road to follow to find help. She had learned patience over the past few years and now she was going to use it, seeing as she wouldn't be getting out of this desert any time soon.
Passing rows of barrels, she stopped just outside a back door. Jane was squatting outside looking back and forth for the man who was hunting her. As quietly as she could, she eased the door open, metal eerily groaned as she slid in through the space that was just wide enough for her to squeeze through. Once inside, the only light she could see was moonlight through high windows. It was just enough for her to see four bottles of water sitting on a shelf.
Why...? Jane saw magazines, tissues, and lotion sitting in a corner of the storage room on top of an old rusted desk. She narrowed her eyes and her mouth set in a tight line, so this is where he's been staying and doing the only business he's ever going to get?
Her mind flashed back to when she would play Xbox with her friends and they could talk shit to strangers for hours. They would play call of duty and work as a team, calling out and joke to each other, and nothing was more fun than clicking with her people, feeling a sense of comradery and belonging. Even if it were just a video game, the connections she made with the people close to her were real.
She would feel that again. She looked around the room to the old, dusty shelves filled with metal and wood. The place smelled like an old nursing home and a few empty cardboard boxes here and there. Whoever had abandoned this place took off with essentials.
Jane tip-toed to the plastic water bottles and took the bag out of her pockets, stuffing the water in and carrying it in her left hand. She had just barely opened the door that was on the other side of the storage room when she heard the back door slowly creaking open as if the killer from a horror movie were just about to finish her.
Jane's breathing escalated, dust and stale asbestos filling her nostrils, and her heart began pounding in her ears. When she heard the first boot step her instincts took over, she snatched the first thing that was usable as a weapon as her conscious zoned out.
She swung what ever she had picked up. A loud bang? She had missed. Metal and wood fell to the greasy carpet that made Jane want to wash her feet with acid just to feel clean. The man came at her. Fear choking her, she clutched onto the items in her hand.
Run.
Like a fucking gazelle.
Jane was gone, pale feet making the grated warehouse floors cling in every step from their loose holdings. There were three steps that led off of the platform, but Jane had no time or brakes, could barely think. Only one thought kept her focus: getting the hell out alive. She bounded over the steps, but landed on her ankle at a weird angle.
"Ah!" She let out a yelp before she kept bounding for the exit, every step on her right foot made her breathe through her teeth making a loud hiss. But she kept on, ignoring the pain, because it wouldn't matter if she broke her ankle if she were dead and this place equals death for her. She wasn't about that life.
Grinding her molars to what felt like dust, she hit the door a little less hard than the time before and threw the door open, slamming it shut behind her.
Now that that's taken care of...
When she turned too quickly she was reminded of her ankle. Cursing, Jane looked around. I can't run so I need to hide.
Her eyes looked around, she wouldn't make it to the barrels in time. Her eyes landed on a familiar rust bucket A.K.A. her new hiding place. Without hesitation she ran and slid under the truck, just barely pulling her bag behind her when the man got the door open.
Jane froze, her eyes snapping to her opponent. She evened out her breathing so she could calm her heart beat.
He looked around for her, apparently not smart enough to follow the footprints in the sand, and gave up, fishing a flip phone out of his pocket.
The only people who had flip phones were people that prepaid, she wasn't aware of anyone who had them on plans. The only people who usually had prepaid phones were people on a budget and people who didn't want to be traced. Jane narrowed her eyes, anger swelling. The only people who didn't want to be traced were people who were running or people doing things they shouldn't be.
Had this guy planned on kidnapping her? He planned to stab her when she was unconscious?!
She took the time the phone was ringing to study his looks; he had dark hair that was cut choppily, dark eyes, he looked to be around his late 30s, his face looked sunk in, his body was bones wrapped in skin and no meat, he had stubble that didn't know if it was stubble or a beard, he was very twitchy, must be a drug addict. Jane took in his clothes; he had on worn out work boots, could be his grandfather's, worn out pants with holes on the knees and stains from any to everything were everywhere, he had on a red collard flannel shirt with the front open and the sleeves rolled up, and the black shirt he wore underneath had numerous stains and a hole under the collar.
Studiously keeping her eyes on him, Jane ran over scenarios as to why the guy wanted to kill her. His face switched between nervous and hesitant.
When someone picked up from the other end she could see the man start to sweat, "I, uh, might have some bad n-news." Jane's eyes widened. Scratch nervous or hesitant, this cat sounded scared for his life. She was surprised he wasn't pissing himself and adding another stain to that stench he called pants.
As if the wind had telekinetic powers the wind blew his awful sewage scent right in her face. She had just kept herself from gaging something horrid when the man continued his conversation.
"Sh-she woke up before I could finish the job," he said hastily. My life is only a job, motherfucker?! Jane bit her lip to keep from going all vigilante on his bitch ass.
Her temper was legendary back in her home of South Carolina, it made her one of the top dogs at her gym. That and the fact that she was better than most of the people there. And she had always backed that up, accepting any challenge. She was always a good sport, however, she always had respect for anyone trying to better themselves in her sport.
"She ran before I could catch her!" Ass-Hole said defensively, yea, cover up the fact you were tossed on your ass by a girl.
There was some hard core yelling from the other side, even Jane slightly winced from the man's tone. Ass-Hole's eyes widened to a surprising degree. Was his life getting threatened as well?
Good. Jane thought, feel what I feel you inconsiderate Fucktard.
Another thing Jane was notorious for? Her shit talking, never before has there been anyone with her skill! Developed and shaped by her "brothers" at her gym and on Xbox, she could out shit talk the mightiest of warriors! Anytime she stepped up for weighing in against her opponents she wished for them to try to say something. Unfortunately, it had only happened the first time and not any times since.
"Come on, Daddy's girl." The woman who was taller than her by three inches had said. So she's done some research I see.
But so had Jane. Putting on a confused face Jane retorted, "Doesn't Agatha call you Daddy when you put your little strappy on?" Jane dawned a false mask of sympathy, "must suck that daddy wanted a big football player, but got a daughter with nothing but the paws of a kitten and a V where she straps on a D."
When the woman's face ran redder than any pepper she'd ever seen Jane smiled a victorious, cashmere cat smile.
"B-but I can handle a little girl by myself! There's no reason for another-" Cut off, the man blanched even more. "No sir I wasn't trying to yell-" The man balled his fists and leaned onto the truck making it groan.
From this point of view Jane couldn't see his face, but could hear his hands still fidgeting, pulling paint from the truck. "Yes sir. I'll find her and report to you as soon as I do...Yes sir."
The man snapped the phone shut, "Fuck!" He slammed his fists on the hood of his truck and Jane jumped out of her skin when it made the truck stop only a couple of inches from her face only to go back and resume it's normal height.
She heard the man swear and stomp off to the warehouse, only when the door closed did she come out. Dusting herself off and emptying out the sand from her clothes as much as possible, Jane double checked that he was in the warehouse.
Once she was positive she would be alone for a few minutes she took a few seconds to breathe, calming her heart that was beating dangerously fast from the double spikes of adrenaline.
Calm and collected, Jane eased the door open and quickly grabbed the bars she had her hands on earlier. When she assured herself she wasn't leaving anything she could use she noticed a hoodie. It ranked with ammonia and rotten eggs. She hesitated, but when the chill of the dessert seeped through her again she snatched it. I'll get used to it.
Jane paused. I've never stolen... Her eyes peered around, not seeing a pair of keys. She even did a quick sweep through the stale truck, shuffling through wrappers of fast food places, some with God-only-knows-what growing on them. What the fu-
Holy shit dick, I touched it! For the second time tonight Jane almost gagged. Her hand had accidently brushed a used condom that hadn't been tied. What in the actual fuck! She screamed in her head in a pitch so high she was surprised it wasn't actually out loud.
After a few more seconds of shaking herself out of it she knew he had the keys on him and she wasn't going to get to GTA his truck.
With a pouty face she tied the top of the bag and threaded the pipe through her belt loop. With a sigh of a mind made up, she jogged away from the building.
About 30 feet out from the front of the building the sand became a more packed ground, as if things ran over this spot constantly and had compacted it. With a silent prayer Jane looked down and, in the moonlight, could seen the faint outline of a road.
One more small victory. Jane ran down the road, hoping to get far enough away that when he realized she wasn't there anymore she would be far enough to lose him.
"Come on, Jane, keep pushing! You're almost there!" Coach Parson's voice yelled. His voice echoed in Jane's head as she sat up, slowly waking up in the rays of a sunset. Once she remembered where she was she was filled with dread, eyes threatening tears. Dear God, please let me get home instead of staying in this God forsaken desert one more day.
Jane stood up, brushing out sand from every crevice and cranny as she blinked her almost-tears away. I can't afford to lose any hydration.
She breathed through her nose but instantly winced, the harsh wind and sand had made it so raw she would put money on it being as red as the cursive writing on the hoodie that was so cracked that added with the stains it was undecipherable. Jane cursed the desert with every bad word she knew as she finished dusting herself off. Jane unwrapped the hoodie from around her head and slid it on. The temperature had started to drop more rapidly.
The three cacti had been her salvation today, yesterday it was a rock that just reached the middle of her thigh. She used them for shade against the sun while she slept most of the day trying to save her energy and to keep herself from over heating.
The rock she used kind of reminded her of a giant burger. Thinking of food back home only made her think of the last bar she had, Jane was going to throw up if she had to eat one more of those peanut butter protein bars that tasted like plastic wrapped ass.
Jane propped the pipe she had found two days ago against the orange rock and sat on top. She began checking her feet that were raw from walking on sand and rocks with nothing but ripped up pieces of her long sleeve t-shirt. Her feet were red, a couple of blisters on each foot, and she wished they were numb.
She used to love running barefoot around her Nana's yard, only stopping for a moment to say ouch and wipe the pain away before she continued running around. Nana would smile and watch her from the porch, getting around had been difficult for her so she could only watch Jane play; running with her dog Lulu, flying through the air on a homemade swing as the summer air would whip through her toes and long blonde curls, and all the while Jane never felt alone or sad.
Her Nana had been her guardian that saved her from that dark city and brought her to a home where she could heal and be free. She grew a backbone and her common sense was her go to.
As Jane thought of her Nana, guilt swirled in her chest. Her face in the rearview mirror almost brought her to her knees in regret every time. Dear God, the regret...
Gritting her teeth, Jane removed her thoughts from that time, it wouldn't help her here. She knew her Grandma forgave her and that Jane loved her with all her heart. She deserved better.
She shook her head, focusing on her feet and the dirty, tattered pieces of teal cloth that covered them. The strong will that coursed through her veins from her female ancestors flowed through her anew as memories of her Nana having problems and pain in her feet, but she never let that stop her.
She would stand and walk through the small kitchen in their trailer for hours to cook for them and the ones they knew needed a meal. She had the biggest heart. In the back road area they lived in anyone was welcome, she may have disagreed with some people on their decisions but she never turned them away. She just slaved over that stove for them.
Jane looked at her feet and rewrapped them, her Grandma had suffered for years and Jane could last longer than two days. The sting from the pressure mad her hiss through her teeth, but she blocked it out knowing she had no other choice.
Standing anew, she looked at the sunset; purple, pink, and orange blotching the sky and clouds. It was surreal.
Wrapping her hand around the curved end of the gruff pipe and looked to the dessert as if it insulted her.
Challenge accepted.
Sweat trickled into Jane's eyes and she quickly wiped it away. She needed to keep from sweating so she didn't freeze which continued to get harder as the temperature kept dropping and she kept sweating from the pain that radiated from her feet and joints.
Got dammit. How much longer... Jane grasped for answers in the bright and gorgeous stars that watched her struggle to survive. A star shot across the sky and she rested on the ground with a plop to make her wish.
Get me the fuck out of here, please.
After a moment of silence she sighed and turned her attention to the bag. There was a third of a water bottle left and half a peanut butter bar. Jane glared begrudgingly at the bar and tossed it figuring it would only dehydrate her and hurt her chances rather than help.
She took a couple of sips and tossed it back in the bag which she brought along incase she needed it for something. She only had one bottle now and it was half way down after her break. Tying the bag around the belt loop on her left hip, she picked herself up and swiped off her ass.
As she began to walk the bag tugged at her pants and Jane had to stuff down her agitation.
I'm a fucking pack mule.
Her dirty, strawberry blonde curled crazily from all the wind and was fringed at the ends. It clung to her clothes which were filthy from sand and sweat. She felt disgustingly dirty and knew she felt bad, but she had no time to really do anything about it. Her nose was used to the smell now so she just shrugged off the feeling.
Jane felt almost numb to everything except the pain in her body and even that had ebbed into a stinging pressure. The only things pushing her were her family; her mom, Nana, and the family at the gym.
A rattle sounded somewhere to her left toward one of the larg rock plateaus and she spotted the movement in the bright moonlight. Jane sighed at her luck and efficiently tossed the pipe up and caught the straight side, knocking the shit out of the reptile.
Fore! Jane smiled at her sense of humor coming up. At least it wasn't lost.
When she turned that exhausted smirk in front of her she stopped dead in her tracks.
There. In front of her. Was a road.
It was a ways up, probably 1/4 of a mile, but it was her salvation. She hadn't seen it through her droopy eyes before, but there it is.
Thank you, she thought to the stars that granted her wish and answered her prayers.
Her pain completely forgotten, Jane ran to the road as relief poured over her and tears of joy trickled into the air behind her as she ran. When her cloth wrapped feet hit the warm pavement she fell to her hip and wept.
"Uhn...aah!" Jane whaled for how long, she didn't know. She finally got her breathe back and breathed in the glorious smell of concrete.
A soft wind was getting louder when she heard the faint sound of an engine. Her eyebrows scrunched with emotion as she quickly jumped out of the road out of sheer instinct and adrenaline filled her, but the vehicle was down the road.
The road she was on curled around the plateau on her left and that was where she saw the two small lights quickly approaching her from. Jane jumped from her giddiness, the cold, and the adrenaline. All these made it hard to think.
What do I do? She couldn't stand in the road, it was too dark and they might not see her in time to stop.
Jane tugged at her hair as her options seems to slip away from her and helplessness enveloped her. Darkness began to fill her at the familiar feeling.
"You have to be strong now..." The comforting voice calmed her mind and swept out the darkness like wiping off a white board. Now Jane had a clean slate for her thoughts and she accessed what she had at her disposal.
There were cacti, no, boulders, she couldn't pick them up and the smaller rocks they could brush off as natural road hazards. She began to double check her pockets, nothing. She threw the bag off with resentment and looked at the last item. Mentally kicking herself for not thinking of this first, Jane picked up the pipe as she had with the snake, but instead of holding it as a golf club she held it as a bat.
Desperation and adrenaline made her body shake anew with what she was about to do, what she had to do.
As what she recognized as a large bus approached she solidified her resolve and swung at the front and immediately ducked as the pipe flew back behind her. Jane looked back and whistled low. Her bones ached as they still rung from the reverberation of metal on metal.
Hissing through clenched teeth, she ran towards the bus that had slammed on breaks.
It had stopped about a thousand feet away and Jane sprinted for that glorious, beautiful vehicle that was going to save her from this hell she had been kidnapped into.