“Do it!”
“No,” Samantha moaned.
Megan couldn’t stand her friend anymore. Why wouldn’t she at least make an effort? Why not do everything in her power to get free?
You didn’t make an effort this morning either? her mind countered. Thankfully her inner voice no longer sounded like it was coming from someone else.
Frustration followed.
She had made no move against Jimmy while he was cleaning her even though he had been pretty vulnerable, especially when bending over to clean her feet.
Don’t let a moment like that slip by again!
She pictured an image of her getting the better of Jimmy and killing him. It was a pleasant fantasy, one which had permanently replaced the visions of her father coming to the rescue because that wasn’t going to happen — which is all your fault! If she had thought about calling him earlier while the phone was beeping Samantha and she would be free and Jimmy locked away. If she had called earlier she could have told her father exactly where the fallout shelter was and he would have come down, broken the door from its hinges and cut them free. After that he would have gone after Jimmy and made the bastard pay.
Now that wasn’t a viable possibility and if the two of them ever wanted to be free they would have to do it themselves. More important Samantha would have to undo her own ropes, and she would have to do it while in her current position, one which would allow her to stand up and put the knots to her mouth, knots that she could untie if her determination to be free inspired the strenuous activity.
Once you’re free you can untie me and we will both get Jimmy when he comes in. Megan had said this out loud several times since Jimmy had left for school that morning, but her friend didn’t seem to be able or willing to take part in the escape attempt.
“Samantha! Please!”
Her friend didn’t respond.
“All you have to do it stand up and untie the ropes with your mouth.”
Nothing.
“Do it!” Megan screamed and moved forward a bit so she could kick her friend.
The distance between them was just enough to make it impossible for Megan’s foot to cause damage, but only because of the rope holding her hands. If she had been low like Samantha she could have easily reached her and hit her hard, but then, if she was low like that she wouldn’t have to rely on her friend at all. Now Samantha was her only hope, and it, like the hope of her father coming to the rescue, was fading fast.
“If you don’t untie yourself we will die down here,” Megan said.
Again her friend did not reply.
Megan screamed.
Her voice bounced off the concrete walls several times and then faded.
Megan tried kicking her friend again with her naked leg, but once again couldn’t reach.
Tears threatened to fall after that, but she held them back, thoughts of killing Jimmy herself helping to distract her mind.
If you kill, him you will die.
But at least it would be more satisfying than waiting for him to kill her and then get away with it.
And once he was dead and Samantha saw it maybe she would snap out of her fear induced submission?
The school day passed quickly for Jimmy and Tina, both of them having only had to go to their morning classes. Normally a half day would have seen them going to all their classes, each one shortened considerably so they could all fit, but this half day wasn’t like that since the other grade levels still had a full day.
“I feel bad for your brother,” Tina said as they left the school. “It really is silly that we get to leave so much earlier than him.”
“Yeah, but he only has three hours to go,” Jimmy said. “He will survive.”
“Yeah, three hours isn’t really that long.”
“No, and there are worse things than having to sit in class during them.”
An uneasy silence followed.
The two stepped out of the parking lot and onto the sidewalk that would take them around the small lake and into the neighborhood, Jimmy’s eyes once again glancing at the garbage bin he had so foolishly thrown the videos into.
“What is it?” Tina asked.
“Oh nothing,” Jimmy said. “Do you think your mother will be upset that you didn’t stay?”
“She’ll be upset, but I don’t really care.”
“How come?”
“Because she doesn’t deserve any of the credit. When she left she made the decision she didn’t want to be my mother, but now she is trying really hard because the court says she gets a second chance. It’s stupid. This country is so focused on blood relations as if there really is a connection there, but there isn’t. They could have put me in a house with a lady that had no idea who I was who never even set foot on in Illinois and she would be just as connected to me as Rebecca is.”
“Huh,” Jimmy said. He really didn’t know how to add anything to that.
“What’s worse is how often people in this country will side with a mother because of the fact that she carried the baby for nine months even if the father would be the better parent. If Rebecca had wanted to she could have probably gotten custody of me without much trouble when she left. It’s stupid.”
Jimmy thought about a girl in one of his classes who had once said she would rather have an abortion than sign her child up for adoption because she couldn’t stand the thought of giving up her child. The statement had confused him at the time, but now that he was a few years older and had gotten a better idea of the world, he had come to realize she wasn’t alone in her thoughts. It was weird.
“But what can you do about it?” Jimmy said. He had planned on sharing the story of the girl, but then decided against it.
“Nothing I guess,” Tina said.
“Exactly.”
No matter how loud she shouted no one was going to be convinced so why even bother.
Tina’s house appeared on the left.
The two stopped.
Jimmy’s mind replayed the statement she had made earlier about being all alone and wondered if she wanted him to come in. How did one go about asking that? How -
“Do you want to come inside for a while?” Tina asked.
“Um, if you think its okay,” Jimmy said. “I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
“Come on, it’ll be fine,” Tina said and took hold of his hand.
Jimmy felt a pleasant tingle run up his arm as she pulled him toward the door, and when she let go to open the door an impression of her hand stayed against the skin.
The house was quiet.
“You’re sure she’s not home?” Jimmy whispered.
“Rebecca!” Tina shouted.
Jimmy jumped.
No answer followed.
“See,” Tina said with a smile.
Jimmy returned the smile.
“Come on.” She took hold of his hand again and led him up the stairs.
Jimmy’s heart was racing. Were they going to have sex? Did she want to have sex?
She wouldn’t have taken you up here if she didn’t, his mind said.
But maybe she would? Maybe she just wanted him to see her room.
If he made a move and it turned out she didn’t want to have sex with him it could ruin everything. But if he didn’t make a move and she did want sex that might ruin things too.
“My room in Glen Ellyn was better,” Tina said as the two entered.
Jimmy looked around and said, “Looks cool to me.”
“Believe me, it isn’t.” She tossed her backpack into the corner while saying this and took a seat on the bed.