Page 125 of Unspoken Truths

“While naked,” I add, much to their amusement.

Only, I’m not all that amused by this, and I’m anxiously awaiting my text from a very angry Latina.

Come on, girls. Let’s go already.

* * *

RACHELLE

It’s so cold.The current is pulling me along, pushing my head under water, and dragging me along the bottom as I silently scream. It’s a deep enough creek that Theo and Jared were able to toss me in like yesterday’s garbage. It’s a struggle to get my arms to thrash, and my legs to kick my head above water so I can suck in air.

Regrettably, I swallow water instead about half the time that I bob up to the surface, an undercurrent pulls me back down. It’s easy to believe there are creatures intent on drowning me while I’m anxious and terrified, no matter what I might know in the light.

Logic lives where it’s dry and evil high school boys haven’t made a pact with the devil.

I need to get out of the water.My brain is screaming commands at me, which is well needed, but my limbs feel so heavy. After all the exertion earlier today, the terror, and attempting to fight the boys off as they wrote God knows what on my skin, it feels like a struggle to get my arms and legs to do what I need to.

Thoughts of Lili and not knowing if she’s safe help me kick like my life depends on it, since my arms are useless tied the way they are. The bank here isn't steep, the ground mushy and it tries to suck me down. Breathing hard, I crawl out, concentrating on making sure I am getting out on the side that Lili is on. I can’t imagine having to cross it or go around.

My eyes tear up as I collapse on the ground, naked outside of my panties and bra, too exhausted to move for a second. The guys didn’t know if I could swim, which I can't do very well at all. When I find Lili, I’m going to tell her that I want to start running with her several times a week. We have said this before, but it just never happened.

I need to get proactive about my physical endurance if I want to survive, which is a sobering thought. I also need to get into a pool to practice swimming. Dog paddling doesn’t help me when my arms are tied up.

My stomach rebels on me, and I force my forearms to hold my body up as I vomit up creek water. It hurts, I can’t get myself to stop, so all I can do is let my body purge the shit I’ve swallowed on my trip down the mountain by water.

Finally, my heart pounds so hard I can hear it in my ears as my body finishes vomiting. I’m glad there’s no one here to see how pathetic I appear. I’m a weak girl, all alone in the woods on a mission to get the fuck out of here. Pulling my knees underneath me, I shove my fists into the ground as I psych myself up to get moving.

“Get up,” I whisper. “Come on.”

My body feels like it weighs a thousand pounds as I lift my leg to put my bare foot on the ground. These motherfuckers took my socks too! Pushing myself upright, the whole world moves as I push my toes down to help keep myself from falling down. I haven’t eaten since breakfast due to the guys chasing me through the woods for hours today, forcing me to hide and crawl toward my escape.

I was so stupid. I really thought they’d let Lili and I go. Blinking the thought away, I force myself to start walking back up in the direction I just flowed down from. If I can find some kind of significant marker, I’ll be able to hopefully begin walking across the woods to find Liliana.

It unfortunately will take longer than usual because I’m barefoot and tired. Glancing at my skin and the hateful words all over my body, I shudder. I can’t think about it or I won’t be able to keep moving.

“They’re just words,” I mumble to myself as I trudge along, following the creek. “They’ll wash off.”

I’ve survived much worse.I’m alive, I didn’t drown. None of the guys touched me sexually, either. I’m holding tightly to all of the things I can remind myself to be true, despite how bad things feel. I’m freezing, my teeth are chattering…

“But you’re alive,” I say aloud. Maybe if I say it enough times, I’ll believe this was worth it.

There’s just enough light for me to see the disturbed muddy area where they threw me into the creek. Unfortunately, my clothes aren’t here, even though my shirt and jacket were cut off of me. They must have taken them with them or thrown them into the woods. Cursing them under my breath, I turn and force myself to continue walking. If I keep going in as straight of a line as possible, I’ll come out onto the path where I was originally walking with Lili and the guys.

Forcing my steps to continue, I pray I won’t get lost as it gets darker and darker. Swallowing back a sob with a silent reprimand that it’s unhelpful, I keep moving.

Even when I step on sharp twigs which make me wince. Even though I know my feet have to be bleeding. I keep going. It feels as if I’ve been walking forever, but I know it’s because I’m exhausted, beaten down, and about to fall onto the ground.

Limping as I walk out onto the main path finally, I look around as I try to get my bearings.

“Lili?” I call out hesitantly. If I can hear her, I can find her. I know it.

A muffled scream has me limp-running up the path, dashing back into the woods to find her. I knew Jared and Ignacio wouldn’t have taken her far, I just didn’t know how far I was from her.

Gasping as I see her tied to a tree, I start by untying the bandana around her mouth, and helping her as she spits out what appears to be socks. Wincing, I continue untying her.

“There’s a knife in the backpack,” she rasps.

Looking around, I find the pack thrown several feet away. Retrieving it, I find the knife and open it to begin sawing away at the rope.

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