Page 20 of Bound by Wreckage
Time is my enemy now, and I have to get moving before Buck finds out what I’m planning. It has to go undetected and thereare so many people around this place, I can’t just walk out the front door.
Using every bit of energy and willpower, I’m able to get up from the bed and move to lock the door. I’d rather get in trouble for locking the door than have anyone catch me getting the phone.
Tossing on a shirt and some jeans carefully, the bookshelf stares at me. It’s covered with different books and isn'tlight. Lifting, I’m unable to move it.
“Come on,” I grunt, and it shifts just a little. A book falls out to the floor and I still, waiting just a moment to hear someone outside the door. No one comes and I try again, shifting it a bit more. On the fifth try my body screams, but I’m able to move it far enough to pull up the board.
My hand reaches in finding nothing. “No.” Did Buckfind it? Did he know that I had it? How? Panic hits me hard, my heart rate speeding up so fast it could bounce out of my chest.
Feeling around more, cold metal touches my fingertips and I breathe. It’s here. The phone is here.
Sitting on the floor, I turn on the phone making sure the ringer is on quiet. It feels like forever for the little thing to boot up, each second feeling likean hour. Once it’s finally on, I hit the number one and hold it for a moment.
The call goes through and I hold it up to my ear, unsure.
“Carsyn?” he answers, and I’m filled with both dread and relief.
It takes me a moment to talk. “Yeah. Swear to me you won’t tell anyone.”
“You have my word.”
“I need to get out of here.”
“Do you have anywhere to be today?”
My eyes keep darting to the door. “No. He says I can’t leave today.”
“Fuck. Guess we’ll do this old school.”
“What?”
“I’ll be in front of your place in fifteen minutes. Get your ass outside by any means. If that means starting a fire in one of the rooms to occupy their time, do it. Any means.”
“Right,” I whisper, not knowing if I’ll be able to even walk outsidelet alone start a fire.
How the hell am I going to do this?
Shoving the bookshelf back just a bit, I move as fast as my legs will take me, out the door and down the hall. Keeping my head down, people are talking, but everyone leaves me alone except for the callouts.
The kitchen is well lit, and I only have one shot at this. If it doesn’t work and Buck catches me, I’m as goodas dead. But this is the furthest room from the back door and that’s where I’m going out.
You can do this.
If I do the fire, it can’t catch too fast or they’ll know it’s me and come after me first.
God, my body aches.Get out of here, then you can rest.
Fire. What can I use to start one that gives me a bit of time to get out of the room quickly. Thinking hard, my mindcomes up blank, but I keep pushing.Come on, Carsyn!
A battery. I saw it on a television show, but I can’t remember what it was about. The only thing that sticks out is putting a battery on top of the lit stove. It will take it a bit, enough time for me to get out, and then it will catch fire.
Quietly, I open up the small drawers looking for a battery. Two drawers in, there are none.Shit.
In the next one over by the sink, I open it rapidly sifting through the items. Frustration sets in, and I look up to the ceiling. If not a battery, then what.
My eyes settle on a flashlight and hope blossoms. Grabbing the red thing and twisting off the bottom of the lid, relief fills me when a C battery falls out into my hand.
Moving to the stove, I set the battery inthe middle of the burner and crank it up on high. Without any time to lose, I get a move on.
