Sisters by chance - The beginning

Escape

Sofia POV

It's been four days since they took Ruth and Rose. Tobias has checked on me on several occasions and is probably trying to take good care of me. As good as he can under the circumstances. I'm so glad the other girls are here. Without them, I would have gone crazy. Crazy from the constant pain and from the loneliness that would have been. It also saddens me that they have to be here, and go through this. I can not understand what he's going to do with them. 

I'm sitting with my back against the wall in this dark room wishing that I could see them. It is hard, not seeing them, but at least I can hear them all. I know that they exist, and are real people. It is painful but in a different manner. Tobias has unintentionally let it slip that this will change, that there is a goal with the trip. But he has not given me any details. two days ago I learned that things are going to change and I have little to no details! Yesterday they brought another girl. Now we're me, Mia, Agnes, Rose, and Ruth, the twins that I had tried and failed to help. And the new girl, Olivia. I have not seen her, but she seems calm, collected, and friendly. We have been planning to escape together, all of us. The problem is to figure out how and when. The girls are behind the semi-wall tied to ropes hanging from the ceiling. They've spread apart so they can't untie each other. I'm bound behind my back but not tied to the walls or ceiling. We have decided that it's best by nighttime if the truck is at a standstill. He seems happy with the number of girls because his driving routines are more even. We are drive during the days and sleep at night. The plan is that I am gonna sneak past the wall and help Mia out of her restraints. She is closest to the opening in the wall. Then she will untie me so we can free the others. We will sneak out and split up. Agnes didn't want that. Neither did Rose nor Ruth. But Mia and I told them that we're having a better chance of making it this way. If we move together in a group, they may get us all. But if we split up, they can't find us all at once. Whoever makes it will go to the police and make sure that they try to find us and arrest our kidnappers. We haven't been agreeing about this either. I don't want Tobias blamed, but the others regard him as equally responsible. And he is, in a way. 

After going through the plan for the third time, we all decided to rest. We need to be well-rested if we want to escape. We don't know where we are and for how long we'll have to run. My head lies on the floor, and my thought wanders to Hannah, is she okay? I worry about Noah. Is he sleeping in Hanna's bed, or is there room in mom's? Did someone remember to take him to his swimming lessons? What if I never see them again... May and June, will they remember me? Silent tears are rolling down my cheeks into the hay beneath me. I can't decide if I miss Hannah or Noah the most. Curled to a ball on the ground, I let the truck rock me to sleep, hopefully for the last time.

***

When Tobias comes, he is quiet and absent. He neither looked at me nor talked to me. I do not know if I imagined, but Tobias seemed sore, or in pain. He is holding his ribs lightly, and he's walking carefully. When he has been with the others and is getting ready to go again, I can't help it: "Good night!" I whisper and smile lightly at him. He softens and looks at me briefly.

"Good night," he mumbles before turning off the light and leaving us again. We don't know how long we will have to wait, and there is no chance in hell to keep track of time. So we keep quiet and calm, patience is the most important quality to have right now.

"Okay, everyone ready?" Mia whispers, after what I think is an hour "No talking, and move carefully. We want to make it. And we will!" Her little pep talk gets us going. It's time to get out of here!  

Just as we planned, I get up and cautiously move towards the other side. It's impossible to see in the dark. But I slide against the walls feeling my way with my hands. Mia is supposed to sit by the wall to my left as I pass by the opening. I carefully glide against the wall feeling it, inch by inch. I feel my way on the floor with my foot, one step at a time. Something soft appears, and I sigh with relief. 

"Hi!" I whisper,

"Hi!" she breathes back to me. Her hands find mine and give me a light squeeze. She then starts to untie me, although it should be the other way around. When I'm freed, I fall to my knees next to her. We find each other's fingers, I follow them up on her arms, her shoulders. We've never met, yet it feels like I can't be without her. I take her in my arms and hold her. Her hair tickles my cheek, and for a few seconds, we just hold each other.

"hi," I whisper again.

"hi," she answers breathlessly and holds me tighter.

"We have to go now. We have to get out of here!" She whispers, so we swiftly let go of each other and get to work. It rustles as we crawl across the floor and feel our way to the others with our hands. We manage to free all girls in silence. And then sneak back to my side on our hands and knees. It's completely dark. With some difficulty, I grab hold of the door and opened it. The cold night breeze greets me, the moon offers some light and we quickly and as quietly as possible descend the ladder. There is so much I want to say, I want to hug them all. Make sure they are safe. But I'm with Mia on this. We need to split up. I squiz Mias hand one last time, then I let her go, and take off into the night. We are in a dark forest with thick spruces. The road leads in two directions. We all slowly walked away from the truck, three of us in each direction. Without some serious night vision equipment, they will never find us! After a while I leave the road, turning into the woods by a huge boulder. I climb over tree trunks and boulders in a clear area, all the trees are cut down. I look up at the sky, the stars shine brightly, but the moon is covered with dense clouds. Although the clear-cutting is open, I choose to continue across it. I need to get as much distance as possible between me and the truck. It does not take long before I'm sweaty and breathe in huffs. Without having had enough food and water for several days, I do not seem to be able to cope with the effort needed to getaway. I start to regret my chosen path, we should have divided into two groups and walk the road in each direction. But what's done is done and I continue forward.

A chilling howl through the night makes me freeze in my place, like a statue I remain still, trying to listen from where it came. A horrendous scream makes my heart jump out of my chest. I duck down and hide under a tree trunk. I can't breathe, I can't think. My heart beats so hard that the whole forest probably can hear it. I don't know what to do. Go back and risk being caught or stay, and maybe be eaten by wolves. 

I wonder who screamed? 

Again a horrifying scream fills the night. I think it's from my right this time. I whip my head quick enough to hurt my neck. Before I can think myself out of it I move as fast as I can towards the direction of the scream. In the corner of my eye, a blurry shape sweeps past. I move away from it but keep heading in the direction I have in my mind. My vision is blurry, my lungs burn, and I can't think straight. The cloud parts and the moon gives everything a pale glow in the darkness. I stumble and turn slightly to my right again when the shadow swoops past one more time. Suddenly, I'm falling down onto the dirt road, I scrape my palms and hiss from the blistering pain. I can't see the truck anywhere, and I don't hear more screams. Everything is unnaturally still except for my panting. A low growl behind me makes the tears stream down my face. I don't want to die, I don't want to die… I slowly turn around, expecting to see the wolf that will end my life. The clouds slide away completely, and the moon casts a cold glowing light over everything. Instead of a wolf, I see him, standing in the middle of the road. He's Bathing in the moonlight, his shoulders rise and fall with his breathing. His eyes have a slight sparkle in the light and a memory of Hannah's graduation crashes in my mind. These are the eyes I saw. He walks towards me completely naked grinning from ear to ear. So I turn again and run!