Wrapping each hand around the headrest in front of her, Tara pulled with all of her might. The lap belt slid even further but seemed to be stuck at her knees. If she let go now, she would tumble to the floor and be stuck with the lap belt tight around her knees. Her arms burned as she gripped the headrest tighter. The lap belt scraped against her legs but she barely noticed. She centered all of her energy with her arms.
Reaching forward to gain more leverage, she bumped the lifeless body of Sheriff Harrison. Realizing she had touched a dead body, Tara nearly let go of the seat. She was crying now. Harrison's body slid forward and landed against the blinker. At first, she only heard the repeating click of the blinker as it flashed through the never-ending darkness. Her mind was so focused on pulling herself free, she didn't notice the figures approaching the truck. When she did, she could only see them in the flashing orange light of the blinker. The strobing blinker made it appear as if the figures weren't actually in motion but merely drifting through the darkness. The effect was eerie and made Tara scream in panic.
She hadn't meant to make a noise. She had wanted to remain still in the hopes the people would walk by. But now they knew she was there and they ran towards the disabled vehicle. In the orange blinking light, Tara thought they looked like a swarm of zombies ready to tear her limb from limb. With the last bit of strength her arms could muster, she pulled the headrest and shimmied her legs back and forth. Finally, they slipped free of the belt. Letting go of the headrest, she fell to the floor. Before she could escape out the side door, however, hands burst in through every open window available. It looked like something out of a nightmare. Hands protruded from the darkness, seemingly with no bodies. She crawled across the back seat to the other door but faces appeared in the window. Tara moved back to her own door but they were there too. She cried as the door was pulled open and she was dragged out into the night.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Her lungs felt like they would collapse at any minute. Sasha had lost her pursuers a while ago but kept running out of pure fear. This night had been the longest in her life and being separated from her daughter had only served to make it worse. She knew she had to leave town, even if she wasn't sure her daughter had made it out with Harrison. Her only problem now, she had no idea which way was which. Taking a random road could lead her right to her captors. She needed a way to gauge direction.
Far off in the distance, she spotted a tall water tower and she remembered Harrison showing it to her the night he drove her around. It seemed like weeks ago. If she could make it to the tower and get a bird's eye view, she might be able to make it out of this godforsaken town.
Trekking down the road, she made sure to stick close to cover in case she needed to hide. But the streets seemed unusually still. Sasha thought she would feel relieved but something told her it was bad news. Regardless, she carried on with her mission.
Surprisingly, she had no trouble getting to the water tower. Carlisle had become a ghost town in a matter of minutes. She shook her head as she gripped the cold steel ladder of the water tower. There was no time to think it over now. One rung at a time, Sasha climbed until she was at the top. The wind howled through her hair and she felt the odd sensation of gravity beckoning her to the ground below.
Trying to get her bearings, Sasha scanned everything she could see. From this height, she could see most of the town. She spotted the smoldering embers which had once been her home, if only for a brief time. She saw the town center, bustling with people. Before she could look away, she noticed something different. In front of the town center they had made a pile of something. If she had to guess, it looked like books and sticks. But that made absolutely no sense. Why would they pile sticks and books in the parking lot? Sasha knew she had to be missing something. She scanned the rest of the town before resting her eyes back on the town center, curiosity flaring.
Then, a rage burned inside of her when she realized something truly terrible. Among the disgusting citizens of Carlisle stood her daughter. They had found her. How? And where was Harrison? Had they found him too? Or maybe they already killed him? Sasha's mind buzzed with questions. She longed for a rifle. From her tower, she would pick off the vile people one by one. Killing almost seemed easier now.
A woman stood before the crowd and pulled Tara close. Sasha's hands involuntarily balled into fists and she pounded them against the railing. A voice came on the wind. Even with the amplification of the sound system, Sasha had to struggle to hear it.
"We...daughter. If you...again...give yourself...or we'll kill her."
The last few words had been eerily clear as if she had screamed them into the microphone. She couldn't be sure but she thought she heard the crowd cheer as she placed the microphone down. Sasha wondered how a whole town
