side.
“Mom…” I gasped.
Mom pulled a small briefcase from the wall and, as quickly as the compartment opened, it slammed shut, reverting back to a plain old wall. She moved quickly toward me, as graceful as any dancer would.
“Mom,” I grabbed her arm. “Tell me what’s going on. Please.”
She leaned into me and brushed strands of hair out of my eyes. “There isn’t time right now. But I will baby; soon. I promise. Now go get your clothes on.”
She didn’t even look like herself. Sure, she had the same face; the same clothes on, but there was a determination in her eyes that, when coupled with the way she now moved, made her look foreign to me; like someone had lifted a veil from my mother and I was just now seeing her for the first time.
I was about to run upstairs when Casper spoke.
“Mrs. Karr…” He was looking out the front door.
“Casper, son, you need to go home,” she said calmly.
“I will,” he fidgeted, still turned to the door. “It’s just, you’ve got company.”
Instantly, Mom sprinted to the door. I followed her and, looking out I saw three cars pulled up into our yard. They had bypassed the driveway and were now idling just inches from the front door. They were identical; all black Sedans.
“Get away from the door!” Mom screamed and grabbed Casper and I with either hand.
“Mom,” I said. I didn’t realize how much I was shaking until her steadied hand let go.
“Where is your necklace, Cresta?” She asked me, the determination in her eyes now tinted with something more frantic.
“It’s right-“ I reached for it, but found my throat bare. That was impossible. I never took that necklace off. Never.
“Damnit!’ She screamed. She grabbed the briefcase and shoved it into my chest. “Listen to me. There isn’t much time, so I can only say this once. I need you to do exactly as I tell you. Do you remember the weak spot in the fence that the Berkley children used to drive their four-wheelers through?”
I nodded.
“Good. I want you to sneak through there and get to my car. Once you’re there, I want you to press this sequence in the navigation system; 6,7,R,7,9,3, just like that.”
“No!” I panicked once I realized what she was asking. She was asking me to leave her. To what, I had no idea, but it was clear that my mother didn’t expect to come with me. “I’m not leaving you.” Hot tears spilled from my eyes.
“Yes, you are Cresta. I promised to keep you safe no matter what the cost, and that’s what I’m going to do. Now, once you’ve typed in that sequence, follow the directions to the destination it shows. Stop for nothing. It might say that you need gas, but that car has tricks. Trust no one. I don’t care how well you think you know them. When you get to where you’re going, I want you to find a man named Morgan Montgomery. Tell him Ash sent you.”
“Ash?” I repeated. “Mom, just let me call the police.”
“ No!”She grabbed my shoulders and squeezed them tight. “ The police can’t help you. They’ll just slow you down; get you caught. Go to Morgan. You can trust him, Cresta.” Tears started to glisten in her own eyes. “You do what he tells you. He’s a good man. And Cresta,” her grip tightened. “No matter what they tell you, no matter what you hear, I do love you; very, very much.”
“Mom, I don’t want to-“
The door exploded open in a sea of wooden splinters. Mom grabbed me and pulled me behind her, shielding me from whatever just destroyed our front door. Looking over her shoulder, I saw three men in the doorway. The buzz cut army dude from last night, Jiqui, was flanked on either side by burly men that I had never seen before.
“Go, Cresta,” Mom muttered, and let go of me.
“I’m
“Mom…” I gasped.
Mom pulled a small briefcase from the wall and, as quickly as the compartment opened, it slammed shut, reverting back to a plain old wall. She moved quickly toward me, as graceful as any dancer would.
“Mom,” I grabbed her arm. “Tell me what’s going on. Please.”
She leaned into me and brushed strands of hair out of my eyes. “There isn’t time right now. But I will baby; soon. I promise. Now go get your clothes on.”
She didn’t even look like herself. Sure, she had the same face; the same clothes on, but there was a determination in her eyes that, when coupled with the way she now moved, made her look foreign to me; like someone had lifted a veil from my mother and I was just now seeing her for the first time.
I was about to run upstairs when Casper spoke.
“Mrs. Karr…” He was looking out the front door.
“Casper, son, you need to go home,” she said calmly.
“I will,” he fidgeted, still turned to the door. “It’s just, you’ve got company.”
Instantly, Mom sprinted to the door. I followed her and, looking out I saw three cars pulled up into our yard. They had bypassed the driveway and were now idling just inches from the front door. They were identical; all black Sedans.
“Get away from the door!” Mom screamed and grabbed Casper and I with either hand.
“Mom,” I said. I didn’t realize how much I was shaking until her steadied hand let go.
“Where is your necklace, Cresta?” She asked me, the determination in her eyes now tinted with something more frantic.
“It’s right-“ I reached for it, but found my throat bare. That was impossible. I never took that necklace off. Never.
“Damnit!’ She screamed. She grabbed the briefcase and shoved it into my chest. “Listen to me. There isn’t much time, so I can only say this once. I need you to do exactly as I tell you. Do you remember the weak spot in the fence that the Berkley children used to drive their four-wheelers through?”
I nodded.
“Good. I want you to sneak through there and get to my car. Once you’re there, I want you to press this sequence in the navigation system; 6,7,R,7,9,3, just like that.”
“No!” I panicked once I realized what she was asking. She was asking me to leave her. To what, I had no idea, but it was clear that my mother didn’t expect to come with me. “I’m not leaving you.” Hot tears spilled from my eyes.
“Yes, you are Cresta. I promised to keep you safe no matter what the cost, and that’s what I’m going to do. Now, once you’ve typed in that sequence, follow the directions to the destination it shows. Stop for nothing. It might say that you need gas, but that car has tricks. Trust no one. I don’t care how well you think you know them. When you get to where you’re going, I want you to find a man named Morgan Montgomery. Tell him Ash sent you.”
“Ash?” I repeated. “Mom, just let me call the police.”
“ No!”She grabbed my shoulders and squeezed them tight. “ The police can’t help you. They’ll just slow you down; get you caught. Go to Morgan. You can trust him, Cresta.” Tears started to glisten in her own eyes. “You do what he tells you. He’s a good man. And Cresta,” her grip tightened. “No matter what they tell you, no matter what you hear, I do love you; very, very much.”
“Mom, I don’t want to-“
The door exploded open in a sea of wooden splinters. Mom grabbed me and pulled me behind her, shielding me from whatever just destroyed our front door. Looking over her shoulder, I saw three men in the doorway. The buzz cut army dude from last night, Jiqui, was flanked on either side by burly men that I had never seen before.
“Go, Cresta,” Mom muttered, and let go of me.
“I’m
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