Page 69 of Cruel Legacy

As I get closer, I see my name printed on it. The sound LJ makes lets me know she’s found one with her name on it, too. I pick it up to read it.

And so it begins…

What begins? Cause there ain’t shit happening here. I study the notecard, trying to pick up clues about what we’re supposed to do next. It’s hard to focus. My fingers tingle. I lose my grip on the card, watching it fall to the ground. Something’s wrong. I make my way to the door, calling for LJ to follow me. Just as I step through the doorway, everything goes hazy, then black.

A beeping sound and low chatter cuts through the fog in my brain. Did I leave a tv on? Why is my head pounding? I ignore the pain and peel my eyes open. The first thing I see is that I’m not in my room.

I close my eyes, trying to regain my equilibrium and figure out where I am. Everything comes rushing back. The abandoned house, and feeling like I was losing control of my body. Somebody gassed us and took us.

I sit upright; the movement makes my head swim. I scan the room for an exit. I’m in fight-or-flight mode. More fight than flight.Shit,I knew I should’ve worn my boots, but I guess the heel will make an effective weapon.

My rage simmers down to an irritating hum when I realize I haven’t been trafficked. I’m not the only one in this room- and judging by the looks on everyone else’s face, they’re happy to be here- so I’m going to assume I’m not in any immediate danger. I wasn’t in that building alone. I count twenty girls, none of them are LJ.

A voice pipes through a PA system, cutting through the chatter. “You’re all awake. Perfect. Welcome to the meet and greet.”

Meet and greet? Whatever this is, it’s not a friendly tea party like the other things LJ dragged me to. The voice continues talking. “You have all been invited to apply to the most prestigious sisterhood there is. We’ve reviewed your grades and your extra-curricular activities, and deemed you interesting enough to apply. But unlike the other organizations on campus, your interview is about more than telling us how great a fit for us you’ll be. You have to show us that the clever quips, perseverance and poise, the quick thinking and strength you all say you have is real. We’re Nu Nu Zeta Nu, the sister sorority of Rho Beta Psi, and unlike our rivals, we’re not coddled and merely hanging on the sidelines. We are an important part of Beta Psi’s winning strategies. We have to be as fearless and as cunning as they are. We’re winners. We’re the best. Tonight is the first of many nights where we determine if you have what it truly takes to join us.”

The lights go out, plunging us into darkness. I know before I see or hear anything that we’re no longer alone in the room. A silk bag is shoved over my head and I’m hoisted off my feet and thrown over someone’s shoulder.

I’m all for being manhandled when I want to be, but I didn’t give this fucker permission to touch me. He carries me along with his hand on my ass. He’s obviously used to these screeching, squealing chicks, but he’s got me all the way fucked up. I swing, punching him in his ear. My attack catches him by surprise. His grip loosens and I tumble to the ground.

“What the fuck, man?” Someone yells. I guess dropping the merchandise is a big no, no.

“That bitch just hit me.”

He’s lucky I don’t have my knife to puncture his ear drum. Though my heel might work. I’m pulled up to my feet again, as I’m working to get the bag off my head. An arm bands around me, keeping my arms at my side so I can’t swing again.

“Easy. This is just part of the interview process. Nobody’s gonna hurt you.”

I’m lowered onto something hard, then music starts piping through the bag, cutting off the surrounding sounds. I reach up and discover headphones are built into the covering. After a few minutes, my body sways and an engine rumbles beneath me. I’m in some kind of vehicle.

I sit back trying to count the turns or approximate the distance, but it’s hard to do with the music distracting me. Once again, I’m hauled to my feet. I feel a draft seconds before I’m pushed from the moving vehicle, landing on my hands and knees.

I scramble to my feet and work at the ropes around the hood. A voice cuts through the music.

“Home. It’s the centralized area encompassing all that we are, from birth until now. The one place we can always return to, even when we’re lost. You’ve all been driven to a location away from campus. We have your cell phones, and tablets or any other electrical items that help with navigation. Your first interview item is to find your way back to campus before sunrise. Good luck.”

I finally free the knot, yanking the bag off my head, and look around. The first thing I notice is that I’m the only one out here. Whereverhereis. The second thing I notice, is that she’s right. My wristlet with my phone is missing. The worst part of this is, I’m still wearing these fucking heels.

I don’t know how long I was out of it, but I know it was around seven when LJ and I got to that house. The stars are still out, the moon high in the sky. I estimate I have a good five or six hours before sunrise. Now, the question is, how far did we go from the house? That’s a problem I’ll deal with as soon as I figure out where I am in relation to campus. I look up, scanning my eyes across the constellations, slowly turning in a circle, until I find what I’m looking for.

Hello Polaris, my old friend. I imagine standing on my balcony, looking at the stars. My dorm is always east of Polaris, which means wherever I am, I need to travel in that direction. I’ll work out if I’m south or north of campus when I get closer to town. Assuming there is a town close by, seeing how right now I’m in the middle of a road with no signs.

I won’t make it far in these heels. I’m not even gonna try. I pull my shoes off and walk barefoot. Promising my feet a nice long soak in the tub when I get back.

I estimate I’ve been walking about thirty minutes when a highway sign comes into view. I let out a snort. I know exactly where I am. I make my way down the offramp and walk the two miles to town. When I reach my destination, I dust off my feet, slip my shoes on and strut into the bar. Fucking ironic as hell that I wind up in the place I met Deacon. ErCoach Wolfe.

I sidle up to the bar and wait. It’s not long before someone walks over and offers to buy me a drink, which I happily accept. On the other side of the room, a group of girls are laughing and wildly gesturing around the room.

One of the girls is wearing a Kiss the Bride sash. A bachelorette party, usually means there’s a designated driver or a party bus. I turn back to the guy who brought me a drink and suggest his buddies should buy the girls at the table a drink, too. They agree and I help them carry them over.

As a thank you, the party insists I sit and join in on the fun, and when they’re trying to figure out what to do next, I offer my help, suggesting another bar in a different location, and some food at a restaurant that has the best pie in the state.

An hour later, the party bus pulls up in front of Mel’s diner. We tumble down the steps of the bus, and pile inside the doorway of the diner waiting to be seated.

I stick around long enough to have some food and take a slice of pie to go, before slipping next door to see if the shuttle driver has to make a run near campus.

I’m told he’s already off for the night. One of the maintenance guys hears my request and tells me he’s a student at Canyon Falls, too, and offers to give me a ride when his shift is over. I agree, and plop down on the patio furniture overlooking the beach, basking in my buzz while I wait. Forty minutes later, we’re on our way.

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