I reply, “I don’t know.” Sucking in a deep breath, I remind her, “The plan. Don’t forget the plan, Chapel.” My gaze darts to hers.
She bites her lip and nods. “But…do you think—”
I cut her off, “Now is not the time to question it, Chapel.”
Just as her name falls from my lips, there’s a pounding knock on the door. The anticipation of this moment has been building since yesterday. “Come in,” I yell at the closed door—my heart races as I prepare for the impending doom. We escaped once when we were being carted off to some unknown place. We will escape again. My mind travels back to that day.
It’s been months since Chapel and I were allowed out of our cell. We go days without food, and we’ve both lost a lot of weight. We no longer have the privilege of showering or changing our nightgowns. We’re just like the others who have been taken away and never returned. It’s only a matter of time before it’s our turn, and it’s all my fault for not obeying or following orders. It’s my fault for embarrassing him at his party, but I can’t say that I’m sorry. What I’ve done for him at those parties, what I’ve done to other girls, to Chapel, I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to put a stop to it, and now, both Chapel and I are suffering because of my disobedience. We have been replaced by our cellmates, Rowan and Belle.
Something clangs against the metal bars of the cells; it’s growing louder and louder the closer it gets to us. Two men built like Hulk stop at our cell. With an evil smirk, one of them says, “You and you,” he points to Chapel and me, “time to go.”
“Where are we going?” I ask, but my question goes unanswered as they step into our cell.
“Haven!” Chapel screams for me when one grabs her while the other takes ahold of me.
“Where are you taking them?” Rowan yells as the cell door slams closed.
I hear the sound of Belle’s cries as we’re carted away. Chapel and I fight, kicking and screaming. We don’t give up until we’re thrown into the back seat of a car, a car we know all too well, along with the two men in the front. The door shuts, and the car begins driving away. Chapel scoots closer, and we huddle together. Streams of tears run down my cheeks, and my body quakes in fear while my heart beats so fast that I think it might explode.
The car rambles on for I don’t know how long until it pulls over to the side of the road. I speak softly, “Chapel, we have to keep fighting. We have to escape. Whatever happens, do not give up.”
“Okay.” Her voice can scarcely be heard.
Storm enters the room without Ace, pulling me from my memories, and he speaks the words I’ve dreaded to hear, “It’s time to go, Haven.”
I shake my head frantically. “We’re not going anywhere!” I exclaim. My eyes dart between Storm and the door. “Where’s Ace? Why is it only you here? What about Chapel?” Fear boils inside of me. “We’re not leaving. You aren’t taking me anywhere, and I’m not moving without Chapel.” The words “It’s time to go” have sent me into a state of panic, and my fighting instincts have surfaced.
“Haven,” Storm growls my name as if he’s giving a petulant child a warning. “Ace is coming. You’re freaking the fuck out for no reason. Calm down.”
My voice lowers, my tone is menacing. “We. Are. Not. Going,” I defiantly snarl.
He sighs heavily, stepping closer to the bed and me. “I don’t have time for games. We have to go.” He grabs ahold of my wrist, and I try to jerk my arm from his forceful grip, but he has his fingers wrapped too tightly. He yanks me up from my bed.
“Let go of me!” I wail, digging my heels into the hard wooden floor to try and hold my ground, but the force of his pulling is dragging me, burning and hurting my feet because I fight against moving even an inch. My wrist stings from his rough handling.
Grabbing my other wrist, Chapel uses all of her strength to pull me in the opposite direction of Storm. She tries her hardest to try and yank me back onto the bed with her. Both of my shoulders and feet are throbbing, the pain becoming unbearable. She screams at Storm, “Let