“Stop!” Ethan yelled at me. I couldn’t see him but I could feel his hair.
“No! We need to go—”
“If you keep yelling we won’t be able to breathe,” he said, rolling onto his back.
“Ouch, my hair.” Dona winced.
“Sorry.” He lifted up for her to pull away. “You okay?”
“Aren’t you scared?” she whispered, her breath right at my ear.
“No.”
“Liar,” I muttered. He was always doing that, trying to pretend he was always so strong.
“Why do you always fight me?”
“Ouch!” We both yelled when her hands smacked us.
“Mommy said I can hit you if you fight.”
“No, she didn’t,” Ethan replied.
“Yeah, Mommy said so.” I wished she hadn’t.
We didn’t talk.
“We need to get out of here.” Ethan put his hands up above us.
“How?” Dona did the same.
He felt around and finally said, “I know how.”
“I think I know how. Mommy made me do this.” I just needed to remember.
“What do you mean?” Ethan questioned.
“Shh.” I closed my eyes, trying to think.
TWO WEEKS BEFORE
“Mommy?” I yawned as I woke up; everything was dark. Where am I? I felt her carry me.
Sitting up, my head hit the roof. What? What is this?
“Mommy!” I banged on it. “Mommy!”
Where am I? Am I in a box? “MOMMY!”
My hands started to shake and my eyes felt like they were zooming in close. “MOMMY! HELP! SOMEONE HELP!”
“Wyatt.” I heard her voice.
“Mommy, help me, I can’t see.” I reached up above me, feeling the top again. She was right over me.
“Wyatt, you are in the trunk of a car.”
“WHY!” I screamed and it sounded like she was laughing at me.