Determined to be brave no matter the situation, I manage to swing myself into a sitting position. I hunch my shoulders high against my face and begin pressing them upward against the burlap blindfold. The material scratches my cheeks, but I continue to use my shoulder to wriggle it loose. It’s slow and tedious, but patient exhales get me there.
I nearly shout once I work part of the cloth free. As soon as the first half of the blindfold is loose, I shake my head violently to remove the entire thing. The fabric drops to the dark ground beside me and I blink unsteadily.
My sight isn’t exactly restored, given that it’s black as pitch outside. I glance around, trying to get a sense of my whereabouts, and blink again. At least Karina and her crew are nowhere to be seen.
“All right, Rossi,” I pep-talk myself, “use those Girl Scout skills – how do you get your hands free?”
I close my eyes and try to focus on the random few lessons that have stuck with me from childhood. As one idea pops into my head, I act immediately, knowing that I have to act fast.
I pull my legs tightly against my chest – with no small amount of discomfort – and work to slide my hands from behind my back to the front of my body. I yelp in pain as my ribs crunch painfully, but I’m too close to freedom to stop. To my surprise and delight, after a few seconds of excruciating agony, my hands are no longer behind my back. I look down at the thick rope and nearly laugh out loud.
Whoever tied this thing might have made it tight, but the knot is an easy one to slip out of. With a few good tugs and pulls, I loosen the rope and shake it off entirely. Then, I work quickly to free my feet, my hands raw and cold but determined.
I stand up slowly, certain that I’m going to be lightheaded. But fortunately, adrenaline must be coursing hard through my veins. My head is clear and I breathe deep, sucking in oxygen. I no longer feel quite as cold, but again, it must be the adrenaline. This rush won’t last long.
Around me, the night remains quiet and still. Overhead, a large, full moon makes it easier to see, and I begin to inch my way forward in the darkness. My confidence builds as I realize that I can see a familiar tree line in the distance, signaling that I’m at least still at the Lazy R. The problem is, in the dark, I can’t tell which familiar tree line it is.
Sighing, I turn my back to the scene and consider what to do next. There’s something massive looming in the distance, and it looks like an abominable snowman that’s fifteen feet tall. What is that? My emotions tell me to run in the opposite direction, but instinct tells me that it might be shelter of some kind. Carefully, I pick my way through the dense prairie grass and hardening ground.
The last thing I need is a sprained ankle, I remind myself on repeat. Be careful.
As I make my way closer to the looming object, I slow to a crawl, wanting to make sure this thing isn’t something sinister. My mind is running wild with thoughts of the worst. What if it’s a bear? What if it really is the abominable snowman, even though there’s no snow on the ground? I must be going crazy.
“Hello?” I call out softly.
No response.
I creep closer and immediately breathe a sigh of relief as my hands come into contact with something familiar: a giant stack of hay, piled far and wide, waiting to be bundled in the coming days.
I pull at the soft straw, gleaming pale gold beneath the bright moonlight. Knowing that I don’t have any options, I begin to pluck at the hay more vigorously, clawing until I make a large opening in the middle of the heap.
Mindful of the fact that my body has begun to shake anew as the cold sets in, I climb into the haystack. I literally burrow inside, like a frightened animal. Hay closes in around me, and at first, there’s the overwhelming feeling of claustrophobia. I can’t see, I can’t breathe, and I’m going to die in this place.
But then, a calm euphoria descends. My eyes close and I let the golden strands buoy me as my limbs relax. I remain utterly still, my mind going into a trance-like state.
By tomorrow surely someone will know that I’m missing, is my last thought. You will survive, Juniper. Soon, the trance takes over, and I begin to dream. I think of Stanton and Shane coming to rescue me. I think of falling asleep in the twins’ strong arms. And I dream of waking up to them each and every day in the future.