She wanted to be long gone before that happened. She rushed towards the trees at the back of the property, breathing a bit easier once she was hidden amongst their depths.
There was just one problem now.
What was she going to do next? If she could, she’d take the car. But it would be a risky move to head back to the house. The car was parked out front with all the other vehicles. What if she ran into someone? What if she ran into Tiger?
She shuddered and leaned against a tree to catch her breath. Her body continued to shake, flooded with adrenaline.
Okay, options.
Reaching into her backpack, she drew her phone out of her handbag. She tried to turn it on.
Blank.
Oh no. No, no, no. She let out a sob, despair filling her.
Calm down, Marisol.
Calling anyone was out. She couldn’t get to the car. She had her emergency stash of money, so the only thing to do was walk into town and hope she could get a room in the local motel.
Good. A plan. That was all she needed.
Making her legs work, she jogged towards the road. If she moved around the edge of the property she could head around the front, hopefully without running into anyone.
The sound of yelling from the house made her jump. She had no idea if it was another fight breaking out.
Or if Tiger was coming for her.
But she wasn’t waiting around to find out. She wished she had a flashlight. The moon was out, giving her some light, but she was a city girl. Walking around the countryside in the dark wasn’t her idea of a good time. Pushing away thoughts of wild animals, she made herself move.
She had to wonder what the neighbors thought of all the noise and yelling. Managing to stick to shadows, she quickly snuck her way around the front of the property.
She kept away from the driveway, staying close to the fence line. Once she made it to the road, she started breathing easier.
Moving briskly, her gaze roamed up and down the road. Would he come after her? God, she didn’t know but she had a feeling that he might. Fear and cold had her teeth chattering as she wrapped her arms around herself. Noises in the shrubbery made her jump.
There’s nothing there. Everything is fine. There’s nothing there.
She could do this. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
She silently sung Christmas carols to herself to cheer herself up. Maybe it sounded silly, but singing Jingle Bells and Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer managed to keep her from completely losing it.
Christmas was magical, right? And right now, she could use a bit of magic. Or luck. Or something.
Lights shone in her face, headlights headed towards her. Instead of moving, she froze.
Marisol, dive.
The car was coming from the wrong direction, heading towards the house. So it wasn’t Tiger searching for her. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t one of his buddies heading to the party. Her heart pounded, blood rushing to her head.
Please don’t stop. Please don’t stop.
The car slowed and came to a stop. She was hidden behind a tree, too scared to go further into the forest but terrified to reveal herself in case it was one of Tiger’s friends. A car door opened. Footsteps crunched on gravel.
Go away. Please, go away.
She was going to throw up or pass out. Calm down, Marisol.
“Hello? Is someone there?”