Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 67975 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67975 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
And think fast I do.
I circle back around and run back up toward the house, using the thick trees as coverage. They’re going to assume I’m going for the front gate, that’s the logical way out. I’m not.
I stop when the bikes pass me, speeding down toward the gate. And then I run, I run with everything I am back toward the house. Only then do I make a sharp left and barrel through the scrub. I can only hope those bikes won’t get through this thick bushland. That’s my hope, anyway.
I shove through trees, branches scratching and jabbing at my skin. I hit trees, trip over logs, and honestly, I have no damned idea where I’m going. My arms and legs ache from scratches and I can feel blood trickling down my face. I hear shouting, the bikes revving back to life, and I know it won’t be long until they find me. They’re going to catch up soon and when they do, I’m done for.
They’ll have exactly what they need to bring this whole show to a stop.
I reach the fence line and exhale with relief, but only for a second.
It’s high, at least eight feet. There is no way I’m getting over it easily. I can only imagine it’s probably lined with barbed wire or something equally as horrible. I need to think. Fast. Or I’m dead.
There’s a huge tree sitting against it a couple of meters down. I decide that’s the only way I’m getting out, and I start to climb. Luckily for me, it has massive branches and loads of them. I make my way up the tree, panting and puffing, bleeding from god knows where. I get high enough and then risk everything by using my cell phone flashlight to see if I’m going to be able to get over the fence.
I’m higher than it, but the fall is huge.
It’s not going to feel nice when I hit the bottom.
But it’s that or die.
I find a branch close enough to the large fence, that is indeed barbed wire, crawl out as far as I can, take a deep breath, and then I jump.
The fall is so much worse than I anticipated.
It feels like I drop and drop, with no end in sight. I know it’s going to hurt; I know I’m likely going to break something, but it’s a risk I simply have to take.
I land on the ground so harshly all the wind is knocked out of my lungs. I can’t breathe. For a solid few minutes, I gasp for air and roll around, trying to get my body to work again.
Then comes the pain.
The excruciating pain.
My ribs, my wrist, my leg.
Oh, god.
Someone help.
I LIE ON THE GROUND for far too long, before finally managing to push my body up, through all the pain, and I make myself move forward. Everything hurts, but somehow, I don’t think I’ve broken anything. I push on, needing to get as far away from this place as I can. I walk and I walk, crying in pain, feeling my lungs burn as they try to recover from the incredible fall. My back aches from impact, I’m limping, and I know I’m not going to be able to walk much farther.
Finally, I come to the road. When I reach it, I cross it quickly and go into the bushland on the other side.
I feel a whole lot safer suddenly.
I pull out my phone, and I call Alarick.
I need help. I need to get out of here before they find me.
They’re going to be looking, thankfully for me, hopefully they’re focusing on the property thinking I haven’t escaped.
As soon as they realize I’ve escaped, they’ll come out here.
“Where are you?” Alarick barks when he answers.
“I need your help,” I rasp into the phone, out of breath.
“Briella, where are you?”
“I’m ... I ... I’m at Dax’s property.”
The phone goes dead silent, for so long I’m scared he’s gone.
But I know he wouldn’t do that to me.
“Tell me you’re fuckin’ jokin’?”
“I’m not. Listen, I got out, but I’m hurt and ... I don’t know how to get home.”
“Where is the property?”
“Also ... I don’t know.”
I start to cry as the pain and exhaustion gets the better of me.
“You need to find your dad, he knows where it is. I’m going to keep walking and get as close to town as I can because if he finds me ...”
“Fuck. Fuck. I’m going to make some calls. Sit tight. Do not stop moving, get away from that place.”
“I will.”
“Keep your phone in your hand, I’ll call back.”
I hang up and sit for a few moments, trying to catch my breath, trying to remind myself that if I don’t keep walking, I’ll end up in a really bad situation. So, I push to my feet and I keep walking. One foot in front of the other, I move toward the direction that we came in from.