A Reason To Grow

Prologue My nails scrape against loose gravel, desperate for purchase. The sharp stones cut into my fingertips. I’m crawling on the ground. Like a snake. Like a worm. I can taste blood—mine or his? I don’t know and I don’t care. All that matters is escaping. “Where are you going, Careena?” His voice drives terror through me. My muscles seize. It’s like he weaved some kind of freezing spell over me. My mind is screaming ‘run!’, but my body refuses to cooperate. Why can’t I move? The wind grows stronger, carrying the scent of rain. Goosebumps pop up on my arms and my exposed back. I lift my head, a tiny movement that is a great challenge. My eyes skim the surroundings—thick trees, a wooden cabin, a tall lamppost without a light. We’re far from the city. Far from the highway or any means of help. I can scream, but no one will hear me. Dark spots dance before my eyes. My hand hovers in the air, stretching toward the car parked just ahead. All I have to do is get up, run over, and drive home. I have a family who will comfort me. A man who will protect me. Thinking of them gives me strength. I can’t let this monster win. Not again. I fight against whatever’s keeping me immobile, struggling to push past the dizziness and the pain. My body trembles. The sky breaks open and weeps. Raindrops fall over me. My palms become slick with a mixture of water, blood and sweat. Come on, Careena. I try to bend my arm. Try to lift myself. My body plops against the stones. A cry of pain bursts from my lips as the rocks dig into my skin. It feels like a hundred needles are pushing into my body, tearing me apart. He laughs, delighting in the victory. His footsteps thud. The sound fills my head like a booming drum. It’s hard to breathe, but I don’t know if that’s because I’m panicking so hard or because of the mysterious illness pinning me to the ground. “Careena…” he mutters. “Shut up!” I can’t see him, but I can tell that he’s smirking. The stiff breeze numbs my skin. At least I can’t feel the stones anymore. The rain hammers my back. Invisible chains shackle my wrists. There’s no use running. It’s over. “Give up yet?” Thick, black boots appear in front of my nose. “You’re persistent, aren't you? The poison should have knocked you out already.” Dark spots grow from tiny dots to huge blobs that cloud my vision. Raindrops slide down my forehead and dangle on my eyelashes. The trees in the distance become hazy. They are soon swallowed by the shadows. “Please…” I hate that I’m begging. The words are bitter on my tongue. I want to keep my pride until the end, but I don't have time until the darkness overwhelms me. What happens after I black out? “Please… don’t do this.” His knees crick as he kneels and rubs my hair. “You are so beautiful.” A lump forms in my throat. My tears mingle with the raindrops. “Somebody help.” It’s the last thing I can say before my world tilts and everything goes dark.