Page 16 of Born in Depravity

He grabbed my hand and pulled me up the small dirt hill. I saw the road we were under for the first time.

Aside from the car that just passed, it was completely deserted.

I didn’t know what to think. Or how to feel.

I wished someone would tell me how I was supposed to feel right now, because I was feeling nothing but numbness.

We crossed the road. Unlike the other side of the road we were on, this side didn’t just have dirt. Yellow weeds popped up like gold in patches from the dirt as far as my eyes could see, and off to the side, a lone car was parked, just under a blooming tree.

A truck of some sort.

It was black and obviously old.

Roberto moved around the other side of the truck and reached under it. I watched as he pulled out a license plate.

He caught my eyes then. “It’s not stolen, but it is registered under a name your father would never think to look for. I hope you don’t get pulled over by the cops, but should that happen, don’t worry. All the documents I provided for you will go through.”

I tilted my head to the side. I didn’t know fake documents could be planted in the system.

He must have known what I was thinking, because he let out a small sigh. “Don’t freak out, but the new identity you took on belonged to a real person. She matched your description somewhat. The same brown hair, the same brown eyes, about the same age, and just about the same height.”

If she was a real person, and I was now using her identity …

“She died, Catalina. A long time ago. But her death was never registered with the state. Now, I’m not going to tell you any more than that. I just don’t want you to worry.”

Some of the numbness lifted, and I could feel a small sliver of disgust that I was now carrying a dead woman’s identity.

Was this what my life was becoming?

I didn’t think I was prepared for it.

“Go start the car. Get settled in. It shouldn’t take me longer than a minute or two to get this plate on, okay?”

Not knowing what I could say or do at this point, I got in the car. It wasn’t like I would beg to go back home. Even I wasn’t that stupid. I would never come back to my father’s house again.

I would rather fucking die.

I opened the door, and just as I got one foot in, the hair on the back of my neck stood up on end.

I let out a small shiver and looked around me.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Roberto and I were still the only people here …

Right?

Why did I feel like I was being watched?

I swallowed.

This was probably my paranoia talking. That was all it was. I was sure.

Almost positive.

Pretty certain.

Onlyslightlydoubtful.

I got in and found the key to the car already in the ignition. I twisted it and heard a small clattering noise before the truck roared to life.

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