Leap stifled a cry of pain as a splinter caught the tender skin on the palm of her hand. She couldn’t give up now. The board behind the bed was almost all the way loose, and she was sure that if she just tried a little harder it would give her enough of a space to crawl out. She paused for a minute, sure she could hear movement in the room next door. That was where the woman who had brought her here slept, and if she caught her trying to escape, Leap knew she would be severely punished. Satisfied there were no further sounds she returned to her task. Suddenly the board gave way and Leap fell back onto the floor. How loud had that been? She gently pushed the bed back into position and jumped under the thin cover. Trying to slow her breathing down she listened for the tell-tale footsteps tha
