Sold For Eternity

Chapter 14

“Oh, sweet girl, you already have. I have the marriage license in the envelope. You are now Samantha VanMeter. Now, if you would like to have a real wedding, learn to be a good girl, and we will see.” Jackson had one hand on the steering wheel and one hand on my leg. We had started to climb higher into the mountains. Tears started to slowly make their way down my cheeks. I said nothing.

“Tears won’t help you. Follow my rules. Be a good wife. Learn your place and we will get along fine.”

I turned to look at him but still didn’t speak. I had nothing to say to him. I will find a way to leave. I would find a way to run and disappear into the world. Never to be found again by him or anyone else. I faced the front again. I watched the road and studied any landmarks I could make out in the dark. Had he planned to drive this road in the dark? He probably had. He seemed very calculating, not the type to not plan for every detail. There were no lights, just dark forest and shadows. Occasionally, I could hear a howl over the radio he had turned on.

I couldn’t let him know I was memorizing everything I could. He knew. I didn’t know that at the time, but he knew. The more we traveled upward, the roads became more treacherous with turns and everything just became darker if that was possible. I gave up eventually. I could not see anything, barely even the road. He never let go of my knee. Rubbing small circles sporadically with his thumb.