I turn to Aryan after Ellis leaves. “Thank you.”
“No problem. I was here to see Peter and I wanted to make sure you were ok. I heard him threaten you. I hope I didn’t overstep.”
“No, not at all but I wonder if you could do me another favor.” When he raises one eyebrow but doesn’t say anything, I keep talking. “Can you tell Jabarri to look into Ellis. He’s been in Mississippi longer than I knew. His name is Ellis Crawford,” I tell him.
He pulls his phone out, types something, then looks at me. “Done. If you will excuse me, I am meeting with Peter.” And with not another word, he walks away.
What the hell is Ellis doing here? And how long has he been here?
Joseph
I swear on everything, I am going to disembowel whoever this is that has been holding me hostage,I tell myself. The food that he has provided has been a step above dog food, but I needed to eat solid foods to build up my strength. It has been at least another couple of weeks since he first began talking to me, and I am ready to get the hell out of here. And the questions he is asking are personal things, like my favorite color and food etc. I got to the point where I was done answering questions, and true to his word he withheld my pain medication. I thought I was doing alright, but once he didn’t give me anything for pain, I knew I wasn’t handling shit. I was in the most pain I have ever been in in my entire life. That was a good lesson to learn since I am going to have to try to escape and I can’t take the medication with me. Today is the day; either I am going to escape, or I am going to die trying. Either way, I am leaving here.
I listen closely. I have learned he leaves here every day and is gone for about eight hours or so, so I think he’s going to work. That gives me enough time to try to get out of here. I pull out the IV, grab my legs and swing them off the bed and try to slowly lower myself to the floor. I move as fast as I can to the curtain, and rip it down, on the other side is a door! When I pull myself up to it, it’s unlocked? I guess he didn’t expect a paraplegic to be able to reach the door, so he didn’t bother locking it. Once I am out, I drag myself up a short set of stairs and see water! There is land but it’s not very close. I am exhausted, so exhausted I pass out right there at the top of the stairs just a few feet from the water.
Get up! Joseph! Get your ass up, soldier! Don’t you give up! You’re too close, GET UP! I wake with a start and know I have been asleep for a few hours according to the position of the sun. My window of escape is closing fast. My whole body feels like it’s in a meat grinder, but I push on. Pulling myself the rest of the way up the stairs, I head for the side of the boat. Once there I do not think twice and fall in the water. Now this is where I excel. I swim like a fish, but I am not in top shape right now and I must pace myself or I will end up drowning instead of trying to get home. Over an hour later, I am finally almost to land. I swam over here because of the restaurants that line the shoreline. I am praying someone sees me and can get me some help. I hit dry land and I literally cry; I am so tired and in so much pain, I call out for help until I think I see someone coming in my direction and finally let the darkness claim me.