I yank it out and almost drop it as my hands are trembling so badly. Pressing the side button, I wait for the phone to turn on. It takes forever, and I worry I won’t have enough time to make the call. “Hurry. Hurry,”I say to myself. Finally, the display screen appears, and I feel a sniggle of relief.
Lucas texted me from the number I’m supposed to call, so I navigate to the text messages, my eyes darting between the phone screen and the door over and over again. My stomach tightens with fear. He’s going to return at any minute, and the nightmare of that night is going to be relived all over again.
My fingers slide across the screen, but somehow, I manage to hit the green call button. I bring the phone to my ear, hoping and praying that he answers, but after a second, I don’t hear anything, not even the ringing of the line.
Pulling the phone away from my ear, I stare at the screen, watching as it says calling…No!Tears prick at my eyes. I’m on the verge of crying. At the top of the screen, I see the signal button. No signal. I have no fucking signal.
I squeeze the phone in one hand. I’m tempted to throw it but restrain myself. There’s nothing I can do. Nathaniel’s going to come back at any second, and then it’s going to be too late for Lucas to save me.
Defeat threatens to consume me, but this small voice in the back of my mind starts to repeat itself. The sentence grows louder and louder… until it’s the only thing I can hear. The only thing I can feel.
You don’t need anyone to save you. You can save yourself.