I'm back! Yes, it's true, I haven't given up on this story, I've just been
extremely busy. I'm surprised I even found time to right this short little
part. Hahaha.
Let's see..not too much to say here. Just so you know, until football season's over, this story may take awhile to be updated. Band is my life right now, so it's hard to find time to write.
Ummm, oh! I got my senior license today, which means I can drive past eleven!! I am one happy girl, so I guess you can consider this chapter my celebratory writing.
So, I'll shut up now. On with the show.
*****
Michael let out a high-pitched, frightening laugh and stared at her. "You shouldn't say things like that. You shouldn't lie about that."
Malai's eyes did not leave her lap and she gripped her knees. Taking a long, shaky breath she said, "There's no way to get Robert out of this mess, is there?"
"Of course there is," Michael said with the same nervous edge to his voice. "Someone else killed James. Probably your father. We just have to get someone here to arrest him."
Malai shook her head. "There's no proof."
"There was no proof for Robert's arrest either," Michael pointed out. "It didn't stop them."
"Of course there was proof for that bastard's arrest!" Yhotip snarled from across the room.
"What are you talking about?" Michael asked.
"That little brat saw it," he said with jerk of his head toward Lucria. "She told me and I told the proper authorities. I thought they'd bring back that wretched excuse for a daughter too, but they didn't. Useless police."
"What is he talking about Lucria?" Malai asked cautiously, ignoring her father's complaint.
Lucria raised her head and looked at Malai with wild eyes. "I told father Mr. Carnahan hit Mr. Hurlington over the head and hurt him."
"Why did you say that?" Michael demanded.
Glancing at Michael, Lucria stared at Malai as she answered. "You always said you hated them. And then he tricked you into making us leave our home and he was going to make you leave forever. And you hit Mr. Hurlington," she whispered this so softly it was barely audible, "and I was afraid they'd take you away forever, so I started to run. I wanted to find father and tell him to come help. But you were gone when we got back. Father was very angry. He asked who hurt Mr. Hurlington, and I couldn't say you, so I told him Mr. Carnahan did. And it worked. You came home."
Malai opened her mouth in shock and was about to say something when Michael grabbed her shoulders. "What in bloody hell happened that night?" he growled quietly.
Opening and closing her mouth like a fish, Malai finally gained control of her shock and began to form a comprehensible answer. "I was running away from home," she began, "and Robert was helping me. We got to the docks that night and we were going to steal a boat when suddenly Mr. Hurlington was there. He knocked out Robert and was advancing toward me. I had to do something, so I grabbed the first thing I felt and hit him over the head. I didn't mean to kill him." She let out a long, shuddering breath. "But I realize now that nothing is going to get Robert out of jail except for a direct confession from someone else. And I'm prepared to do that."
Michael shook his head. "There has to be another way to get out of this mess."
"No." Malai stood up. "Let's go. Lucria, you come to. It's not safe for you here."
"What about me?" Yhotip bellowed from the other side of the room.
"You can rot and burn in hell," Malai said with fire in her voice, and the group of three left the house.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Robert had been dozing in the back of the transport for a few hours. A calm had washed over him since Malai had promised to rescue him and in his relaxed state he was finally able to sleep. It was late at night and they had been traveling for several hours in unpleasant conditions. It was a hot, jolting, uncomfortable ride, but Robert was content; the transport was much better than the jail.
The moon was high in the sky when Robert suddenly jerked awake. The continuous jostle of the ride had suddenly become haywire and Robert found himself being thrown around in the back. From outside he could hear the driver yelling obscenities and trying to get hold of the horses, but it was to no avail. The transport whipped around a corner and Robert's breath caught in his throat. Another turn, he realized, could tip the wagon over.
Bracing himself against the wall opposite the door, Robert tried to stay as steady as possible. The screams of the driver were becoming more frantic. Squeezing shut his eyes, Robert muttered a prayer and the next thing he knew, the world was spinning.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
When he awoke, Robert felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his head. After considerable effort, he managed to sit up and hesitantly felt his head. There was a bloody gash at his left temple and the pain seemed to radiate from that point. Ripping the sleeve of his tattered shirt off, Robert tied it tightly around his head, trying to ignore the throbbing. Then he shut his eyes and took several minutes to gather his strength.
Opening his eyes, Robert began to assess the situation. From the look of things, he presumed the wagon was now upside-down. Sighing, he slowly crawled toward the door, hoping it would be broken. Upon reaching it, Robert found the padlock unaffected by the crash and the only scratch on the door was one missing bar. His disappointment was sickening.
Leaning his head against the remaining bars, Robert pondered how he would ever get out of this situation. It was only after several minutes of forced thinking that an idea struck him. With a maddening glare of hope in his eyes, Robert reached his arm out of the hole in the bars and felt desperately for the bolts that held hinged the door. Feeling the top one, Robert pulled up, hard. The bolt gave a gleeful wrench. A second tug produced the same delightful result and finally, on the fifth try, the bolt came out. With a grin, Robert set forth to get the bottom bolt out. It was a farther stretch and harder work, but after much deliberation, it too released itself into Robert's custody. Shoving the door, it swung wide open and granted Robert his freedom, which he gladly accepted.
Circling the wagon, Robert found the driver dead, his neck broken. Shaking his head, Robert began to walk through the desert. In his delirious happiness, the thought that he had no idea where he was never came to his mind. He simply staggered straight ahead, thinking only of finding Malai and getting far away from Egypt.
*****
Sorry this segment was so short. It would have been longer, but I have a band festival tonight and, unfortunately, I have other things to do before I leave. Good news though, I have Monday off, so I might be able to squeeze a little more in. But after that the outlook is foggy. My next two Saturdays are also band festivals, so, that leaves very little time. I'll try me best though.
So, um, I hope you enjoyed this chapter despite its length. Please review!! I'd appreciate it from the bottom of my heart!
~Katie
Let's see..not too much to say here. Just so you know, until football season's over, this story may take awhile to be updated. Band is my life right now, so it's hard to find time to write.
Ummm, oh! I got my senior license today, which means I can drive past eleven!! I am one happy girl, so I guess you can consider this chapter my celebratory writing.
So, I'll shut up now. On with the show.
*****
Michael let out a high-pitched, frightening laugh and stared at her. "You shouldn't say things like that. You shouldn't lie about that."
Malai's eyes did not leave her lap and she gripped her knees. Taking a long, shaky breath she said, "There's no way to get Robert out of this mess, is there?"
"Of course there is," Michael said with the same nervous edge to his voice. "Someone else killed James. Probably your father. We just have to get someone here to arrest him."
Malai shook her head. "There's no proof."
"There was no proof for Robert's arrest either," Michael pointed out. "It didn't stop them."
"Of course there was proof for that bastard's arrest!" Yhotip snarled from across the room.
"What are you talking about?" Michael asked.
"That little brat saw it," he said with jerk of his head toward Lucria. "She told me and I told the proper authorities. I thought they'd bring back that wretched excuse for a daughter too, but they didn't. Useless police."
"What is he talking about Lucria?" Malai asked cautiously, ignoring her father's complaint.
Lucria raised her head and looked at Malai with wild eyes. "I told father Mr. Carnahan hit Mr. Hurlington over the head and hurt him."
"Why did you say that?" Michael demanded.
Glancing at Michael, Lucria stared at Malai as she answered. "You always said you hated them. And then he tricked you into making us leave our home and he was going to make you leave forever. And you hit Mr. Hurlington," she whispered this so softly it was barely audible, "and I was afraid they'd take you away forever, so I started to run. I wanted to find father and tell him to come help. But you were gone when we got back. Father was very angry. He asked who hurt Mr. Hurlington, and I couldn't say you, so I told him Mr. Carnahan did. And it worked. You came home."
Malai opened her mouth in shock and was about to say something when Michael grabbed her shoulders. "What in bloody hell happened that night?" he growled quietly.
Opening and closing her mouth like a fish, Malai finally gained control of her shock and began to form a comprehensible answer. "I was running away from home," she began, "and Robert was helping me. We got to the docks that night and we were going to steal a boat when suddenly Mr. Hurlington was there. He knocked out Robert and was advancing toward me. I had to do something, so I grabbed the first thing I felt and hit him over the head. I didn't mean to kill him." She let out a long, shuddering breath. "But I realize now that nothing is going to get Robert out of jail except for a direct confession from someone else. And I'm prepared to do that."
Michael shook his head. "There has to be another way to get out of this mess."
"No." Malai stood up. "Let's go. Lucria, you come to. It's not safe for you here."
"What about me?" Yhotip bellowed from the other side of the room.
"You can rot and burn in hell," Malai said with fire in her voice, and the group of three left the house.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Robert had been dozing in the back of the transport for a few hours. A calm had washed over him since Malai had promised to rescue him and in his relaxed state he was finally able to sleep. It was late at night and they had been traveling for several hours in unpleasant conditions. It was a hot, jolting, uncomfortable ride, but Robert was content; the transport was much better than the jail.
The moon was high in the sky when Robert suddenly jerked awake. The continuous jostle of the ride had suddenly become haywire and Robert found himself being thrown around in the back. From outside he could hear the driver yelling obscenities and trying to get hold of the horses, but it was to no avail. The transport whipped around a corner and Robert's breath caught in his throat. Another turn, he realized, could tip the wagon over.
Bracing himself against the wall opposite the door, Robert tried to stay as steady as possible. The screams of the driver were becoming more frantic. Squeezing shut his eyes, Robert muttered a prayer and the next thing he knew, the world was spinning.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
When he awoke, Robert felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his head. After considerable effort, he managed to sit up and hesitantly felt his head. There was a bloody gash at his left temple and the pain seemed to radiate from that point. Ripping the sleeve of his tattered shirt off, Robert tied it tightly around his head, trying to ignore the throbbing. Then he shut his eyes and took several minutes to gather his strength.
Opening his eyes, Robert began to assess the situation. From the look of things, he presumed the wagon was now upside-down. Sighing, he slowly crawled toward the door, hoping it would be broken. Upon reaching it, Robert found the padlock unaffected by the crash and the only scratch on the door was one missing bar. His disappointment was sickening.
Leaning his head against the remaining bars, Robert pondered how he would ever get out of this situation. It was only after several minutes of forced thinking that an idea struck him. With a maddening glare of hope in his eyes, Robert reached his arm out of the hole in the bars and felt desperately for the bolts that held hinged the door. Feeling the top one, Robert pulled up, hard. The bolt gave a gleeful wrench. A second tug produced the same delightful result and finally, on the fifth try, the bolt came out. With a grin, Robert set forth to get the bottom bolt out. It was a farther stretch and harder work, but after much deliberation, it too released itself into Robert's custody. Shoving the door, it swung wide open and granted Robert his freedom, which he gladly accepted.
Circling the wagon, Robert found the driver dead, his neck broken. Shaking his head, Robert began to walk through the desert. In his delirious happiness, the thought that he had no idea where he was never came to his mind. He simply staggered straight ahead, thinking only of finding Malai and getting far away from Egypt.
*****
Sorry this segment was so short. It would have been longer, but I have a band festival tonight and, unfortunately, I have other things to do before I leave. Good news though, I have Monday off, so I might be able to squeeze a little more in. But after that the outlook is foggy. My next two Saturdays are also band festivals, so, that leaves very little time. I'll try me best though.
So, um, I hope you enjoyed this chapter despite its length. Please review!! I'd appreciate it from the bottom of my heart!
~Katie