I had to believe that.
Especially because the car was slowing down, then finally stopping and cutting off the engine.
Hope was the only thing that was going to get me through whatever was about to come.
I took slow, deep breaths as I heard the car door open, then close, and listened to a crunch of feet as they moved closer to the back of the car.
This was it.
Nervous energy seemed to course across the surface of my skin, making me feel like I was buzzing.
My mind, usually so active, went oddly still, completely empty.
I’d never felt so fullyinthe moment as I was right then. Not worrying about the past or stressing out about the future.
Just acutely aware of my body. Of the sounds around the car.
My kidnapper’s hand moved out and stuck the key in the lock. Turned.
There was the click of it unlatching, popping open slightly, allowing a sliver of sunlight to shine into the dark space.
I focused on it, not wanting to be blinded by the brightness when the whole trunk opened.
There was the longest of pauses, but no sound at all.
Were they trying to scare me? Or were they waiting for me to try to push it open and make a run for it, so they could laugh at me?
Slowly, I started to pull my legs up so that when the trunk was pulled up, I could sit up immediately and take stock of my surroundings, decide if there was a chance for escape or not.
Seeing a shadow move into the slit of light—a hand grabbing the edge to pull it up—I just… acted.
I wasn’t sure I fully even thought the idea out.
I just pressed my hands to the inside of the door, and shoved downward with as much strength as I could given the awkward angle.
There was a howl of pain as the hand crushed in the small space before the top released, popping open.
I didn’t pause.
I didn’t think.
I just flew upward, my head knocking open the trunk the rest of the way so my hands could grab the outside of the car to help me climb out.
The problem was… I looked.
If I hadn’t looked, if I had just run, maybe things would have been different.
But I looked.
To the man who had thrown me in the trunk. The one who had been about to pull me back out of it to some unknown fate.
Not some random, unknown figure. Some Calgary Family henchmen.
No.
Not even a random stranger.
No.