Alright, it's a super short chapter, and honestly, I didn't put much time into it. I've been so busy with things lately...Anyway, I figured a short chapter is better than none at all, so enjoy...if you can.
She'd been driving for hours, and the whole time she had remained silent. It was entirely too long, and Sodapop knew it. Something was building up inside of her.
He wasn't sure where they were. Nearly an hour ago he was sure that they were passing through Kentucky, but now he wasn't sure if this whole thing was something his crazy imagination had conjured up.
The first thing the two of them took notice of was the tire marks in the driveway. Judy recalled the short conversation she'd had with her neighbor, and held back her tears. She had sensed she was too late.
They stepped out of the car, and for the first time in a long time, took a look at the house they had once inhabited. The morning glory vines that once wrapped gloriously around their porch columns were brown and withered. The garden that was once in front of the house suffered the same fate. On the upper floor, the window to the study was cracked. This was due to one of Angie's wild parties, something they still did not know of.
The door wasn't locked. They proceeded inside warily, their footsteps soft.
It all looked neat. Too neat. Neat as in never used. A layer of dust coated everything. Flowers had shriveled up and died in a vase that was placed in the kitchen window. Angie had never bothered to dispose of them.
Her heart pounding, Judy went upstairs. Mark went to check every room on the way, but giving in to her instincts, Judy ran straight to her daughter's bedroom, and inside, found a shrine to a boy she'd never seen before. A chill ran through her as she examined each and every one of the drawings.
The bed was unmade. Clothing was on the floor, some half hanging out of her dresser. Judy whirled around when Mark began shouting.
"It's empty! She's taken all of the money!" Mark yelled as he stared into the empty safe that had been pried open. When Judy reached the room, she trembled.
"She's run away." She mouthed. The words wouldn't come out.
Nevertheless, Mark understood. He took his wife into his arms, and mainly for the reason that he did not want her to see his agony over the loss of money to a devious daughter.
The search wasn't over yet though, and after they parted, Judy led the way to the basement, where, to their horror, shackles would be found. The room smelled putrid, of rotten food, urine, waste and sweat. The place had been converted into a dungeon.
Even Mark, who had suspected his daughter was a cruel being, hadn't expected this. Judy jumped from conclusion to conclusion, and tried to reason with herself. She tried to find a suiting scenario, one where her daughter was innocent, and the victim. To her misfortune, it was clear that her daughter had held someone captive. The more closely they examined the scene, the more evidence they found. The needles, a blond hair, hell, even the smell was enough.
"What do we do?" Judy asked fearfully. Just then a thud was heard on the door. They rushed up together, glad for an excuse to be out of that hellish room.
"We need you to answer a few questions for us."
It was the police. Mark and Judy stared at each other, stunned.
"I'll…" she looked and sounded tired, "you can call them, if you want."
Sodapop was awakened from his daze. Angie was slowing to a stop beside a telephone booth.
Sodapop readily agreed to her conditions, and hardly paid attention to her presence as she hovered over him the whole time.
"Darry?"
"Sodapop?! Where are you?" The voice on the other line was loud and rushed.
"I can't tell you that."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"Where…where is she?"
Sodapop peered over at her and bit his lip.
"She's right next to me."
There was a fuss. Someone was trying to snatch the phone. Darry asserted himself holding up his fist.
"You'll be home soon buddy, I swear."
"I know…how's Pony?"
"He'll be fine in a week or so."
There was a long silence.
"I'll call the next time I can." Soda assured his older brother.
He then hung up. His hate tank for Angie had been refueled. He shot her a glare as they both stepped back into the car.
