Endurance

Kelly didn’t know where to focus her attention, on her footing, or on Cam. She stumbled again.

He jabbed her a fifth time.

Kelly didn’t see how she could get away. He was stronger. He had a weapon. It was too hard to run in the forest. Cam would just keep stabbing her and stabbing her until—

“Be aware of everything around you, and not just what’s in front of you.”

It was Grandma’s voice. The thought was so strong that Kelly felt like Grandma was right next to her, reminding her of what she’d said earlier.

“Use your peripheral vision when you’re running over the rocks, so you don’t have to keep your head down. Keep your eyes ahead of you, but not your entire focus.”

Kelly forced herself to take everything in, not just the ground in front of her. She remembered the trick Grandma taught her, how to see using the whole eye.

Incredibly, the running became easier. She found her footing without having to slow down, and each step was solid and sure. Listening behind her, Kelly could tell she was pulling ahead of Cam, gaining distance.

Kelly lengthened her strides, letting her feet find their own way. The incline became steeper, but she didn’t slow down. Along with hearing Cam clomp through the forest, Kelly heard something else in the distance. Something familiar.

A waterfall.

She opened her ears, sensing its location, and headed toward it. Within two dozen steps the woods broke into a clearing, and Kelly stopped abruptly, staring over the edge of a steep cliff. Her eyes dropped, seeing the waterfall in the distance, the double rainbow floating in the mist it created. Then her eyes dropped further, staring at the rocks below, a drop of forty or fifty feet.

Kelly felt like she did while standing on a diving board. Her knees got weak. Her mouth became dry. She hated heights.

But Grandma came to the rescue again.

“What do you think you should trust more, your eyes, or the solid ground?”

The ground. I trust the ground.

Kelly saw a rock ledge, maybe three feet below her. Narrow, but enough to stand on. It looked solid enough to hold her.

She turned when she heard Cam come up behind her.

“You can run pretty fast, Kelly,” he said, out of breath.

Kelly took a small step back, feeling her heels teeter over the edge of the cliff.

“But now you don’t have anywhere else to go.”

You’re wrong. I do have a place to go.

“I think, this time, I can finally make the screaming stop.”

Cam moved forward, slow and easy, swishing the scalpel in the air. Kelly waited until he was within striking distance.

I trust the ground, Grandma.

She looked down, then stepped backwards off the cliff.

# # #

The cuffs were thick leather, brown and stiff with dried blood. Maria fought while Eleanor buckled them on, kicking and punching, enduring jolt after jolt from the cattle prod from Harry as he giggled and drooled. She finally fell to her knees, weak and shaking, unable to resist anymore.

Eleanor opened the latch on the banister, swinging the gate open.

“So feisty,” Eleanor said, her bug eyes glinting. “But I think this first drop will take the fight right out of you.”

Eleanor began to shove her toward the edge. Maria spread out her feet, grasping at Eleanor’s ankles, but the old woman was too powerful and continued to push.

A foot away.

Six inches.

I’m going to drop. I’m going to drop, and the fall will rip my shoulders from my sockets.

Maria closed her eyes and set her jaw, trying to prepare herself for the oncoming agony.

Then there was a crash. A gigantic crash that shook the entire house.

“Go check!” Eleanor ordered Harry.

He loped off, and while Eleanor was distracted, Maria grasped her chains and whipped them straight at the bitch’s head.

Eleanor staggered back, and Maria scrambled away, heading for the shotgun propped up against the wall.

The old woman recovered quickly, grabbing Maria’s chain, yanking her to a stop. The shotgun was almost within reach. Maria strained for it, kicking out her foot, knocking it onto the floor.

But then she was being yanked back to the railing. Eleanor reeled in the chain, hand over hand, like a longshoreman pulling in a net. Maria stood up, pulling back, putting her whole body into it. But there was no way she’d win this tug of war. Eleanor was too strong. Too heavy.

Inch by inch, Maria lost ground. She tried to shake the chains, but it had no effect. She changed positions, draping the chains over her shoulder, leaning in the opposite direction. But inch by terrible inch, Eleanor brought Maria back to the banister.

“I have royal blood!” Eleanor grunted, grabbing Maria by the wrists. “You can’t defy me!”

And then she shoved Maria off the edge

# # #

Kelly dropped down off the ledge of the cliff, landing on the ledge a few feet below.

She didn’t look down. She had no need to.

I trust the ground is solid. I trust my feet. I’m not going to fall.

She hugged the cliff face, knees slightly bent, and waited for Cam.

“Kelly?” she heard him say, giggling. “You did not just jump down there.”

A moment later, she saw Cam’s face peer over the edge.

“Whoa. We’re pretty high.”

Then Kelly started screaming. She screamed loud and long. Over and over.

“Shut up!”

Cam slapped his hands to his ears. Kelly screamed even louder.

“Why did you kill me, Cam! Why didn’t you let me go! I’m your best friend!”

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!”

Cam got on his knees, scalpel in hand, obviously desperate to silence her.

Kelly jumped up, snatching Cam’s hair, holding on while trusting her feet would find the ledge again.

Momentum took him off the edge of the cliff and right over her head. Kelly’s feet landed solidly.

Kelly didn’t bother watching him smash into the rocks below. But she heard it. A long, fading wail, ending in a sound like a belly-flop.

I did it.

I’m alive.

I’m alive!

Then Kelly chinned-up to level ground and then ran into the woods, anxious to find Mom.

# # #

Felix climbed out of the truck. Driving through the front door of the Inn had done quite a bit of damage to both the vehicle, and the building. He also could add whiplash to his shopping list of injuries.