Found Her

Finding Her

"Will you just stop showing off. Slow down the car, asshole." I glare at Carl who is grinning like an i***t, obviously enjoying the ride more than he should.

"What the hell, Mike? Not having fun?"

"I don't want to die before we reach home, alright? Just slow down the f*****g car."

He has the stupid arrogant Carl grin plastered across his face but he slows down and I breathe a sigh of relief. I had met a car accident a couple of years ago and I wasn't comfortable in speedy cars since. Carl loves speed. He wants everything here and now and he gets it.

I am more laid back. I like to live life as it comes. We have been together for three years now and it's safe to say we are madly in love with each other although Carl will die before he will admit that out loud, I have made my peace with that. He loves me. He shows it enough.

The road trip was my idea and a good one at that. Carl actually did take the week off. An entire week off. I don't even remember the last time he had done that.

I start to wonder how did we even get along with each other. We are as different as we can be.

Carl has a business degree whereas I am an Interior designer. I make houses pretty.

Carl is well built. He works out 5 days a week. Well me? I am not in a bad shape but definitely not as chiseled as Carl.

I have tattoos. Many of them. Carl's body is a blank canvas.

I am still lost in my thoughts when we reach home. We have been staying together for almost two years now and it's perfect.

I step out of the car and instantly know something is wrong.

I run towards our house, sure enough, it has broken windows and the backdoor Is unlocked. But it's dark inside the house. Carl comes up walking looking quizzically at the broken window. We walk slowly but it's silent. We switch on the lights and we hear a yelp from the kitchen. Carl grabs the baseball bat and we walk towards the kitchen. The cabinet is half open and we can see someone inside. Carl keeps the bat aside and we look at each other wondering what to do.

"Hello?" I say and Carl rolls his eyes.

"We know you are inside the cabinet. Come out." He says rather harshly.

Whoever is inside starts crying. Sobbing. Howling.

"Hey... It's okay... You don't have to come out... Don't cry.." I say to the almost shutting the cabinet.

"What are you.. Have you f*****g gone mad?" Carl looks incredulous and he pushes me aside and opens the cabinet.

The girl inside starts thrashing and crying and begging.

"I.. I am S-sorry... Please, p-please don't hurt me. I will go a-away right now. Don't call the police.." She cries but pushes herself inside the cabinet.

Even Carl is taken aback. The girl is a pretty thing though In torn clothes and hugging a filthy bear. She has cuts and scratches all over. She looks sick and petrified and miserable.

We stare at each other wondering what to do.