the time. I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
A strong gust shot between us and yanked his hat off his head. It tumbled through the air to the river below. It disappeared when the water reached up and snatched it.
I didn’t hear Jonathan’s car but I saw Emma when she got to the barrier. “Jacqueline! What in God’s name are you doing?”
Henry waved one of his big hands at Billy. “Shut her up and get her the hell out of here!”
Billy looked relieved. He went back to the road, climbed over the barrier and tried to usher Emma back to her car. Her face turned red and her boney fingers clawed at the air like she could snatch me from where she stood.
Emma screeched my name. “Get your ass down from there! Do you hear me? How dare you act this way? You’re nothing but an embarrassment to our family! I’m going to have you locked up! Do you hear me? Locked up so no one has to deal with this nonsense ever again!”
Mr. Berry looked so sad.
I shrugged. “See. I can’t go back. I can’t live with her.”
He held his hand out to me. “We’ll find you somewhere else to go. You can come stay with Sharon and me.”
“And you think she’ll let me?”
“I promise you. I won’t let her do anything to you. Just come down.”
I wanted to believe him but he just didn’t know Emma like I did.
I stepped back and his face fell. “Jack, please. Please don’t do this.”
“I have to.”
“No you don’t.”
“It’s the only way I can get away. I’m sorry sir. I’m really sorry.”
I closed my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest. I pretended I was dropping back onto my bed after a long day of fishing or riding Joe Brady’s mare.
Henry Berry’s shout was lost to the whoosh of wind. The few seconds of freefall yanked my heart into my throat. Falling wasn’t half as frightening as being trapped with Emma. Being forced into a shape I did not fit.
My breath was knocked out by the slap of icy water against my back. The jaws of the river swallowed me whole. Water rushed into my gaping mouth, burning its way down my throat and searing my lungs. I gasped but there was no air, just more of the unrelenting cold. I told myself not to fight but my arms flailed and my legs kicked. Like Berry’s hat, I didn’t stand a chance.
Like my sister, the river would choke me, drown me, and crush me.
The current spun me around and my hip smashed into a rock. Another sharp pain blossomed in my shoulder. The gray sky wavered above rippling waves. I almost made it to the surface before being rolled under by the current and slammed against the rough bottom. My head bounced off another rock and everything blurred. After that my arms became heavy and my legs didn’t want to work. Something sharp bit into my thigh. I had a moment to be amazed that the river actually had teeth before the swell of current shoved me all the way down.
I inhaled no longer caring there was no air.
I told myself this is what I wanted but it was a lie. What I wanted was to be loved. I wanted to be understood.
I wanted to be kissed.
I bet Elliot’s lips were sweet. Sweet and warm.
A hand broke through the darkness. Momma. I reached out and fingers curled around my wrist. I was yanked up and the water peeled away. I’d thought the cold of the river had been painful but it was nothing like the cold of the air. It became my enemy as it mixed with the water in my lungs. Like sandpaper, the bitterness raked my insides with every gasp.
My stomach heaved and I vomited.
Henry’s panicked voice barked commands and someone wrapped me in a blanket. He picked me up. I tried to look at him but the dreary light hurt my eyes.
“Please…”
Let me go
.
“It’s okay Jack, I’ve got you.”
“I…”
Want to be free
.
“Everything’s okay now, everything is going to be okay.” Cradled in his arms, the darkness came for me and I let it take me down.
Chapter Three
For a while there were voices and I thought they were angels. The speakers
A strong gust shot between us and yanked his hat off his head. It tumbled through the air to the river below. It disappeared when the water reached up and snatched it.
I didn’t hear Jonathan’s car but I saw Emma when she got to the barrier. “Jacqueline! What in God’s name are you doing?”
Henry waved one of his big hands at Billy. “Shut her up and get her the hell out of here!”
Billy looked relieved. He went back to the road, climbed over the barrier and tried to usher Emma back to her car. Her face turned red and her boney fingers clawed at the air like she could snatch me from where she stood.
Emma screeched my name. “Get your ass down from there! Do you hear me? How dare you act this way? You’re nothing but an embarrassment to our family! I’m going to have you locked up! Do you hear me? Locked up so no one has to deal with this nonsense ever again!”
Mr. Berry looked so sad.
I shrugged. “See. I can’t go back. I can’t live with her.”
He held his hand out to me. “We’ll find you somewhere else to go. You can come stay with Sharon and me.”
“And you think she’ll let me?”
“I promise you. I won’t let her do anything to you. Just come down.”
I wanted to believe him but he just didn’t know Emma like I did.
I stepped back and his face fell. “Jack, please. Please don’t do this.”
“I have to.”
“No you don’t.”
“It’s the only way I can get away. I’m sorry sir. I’m really sorry.”
I closed my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest. I pretended I was dropping back onto my bed after a long day of fishing or riding Joe Brady’s mare.
Henry Berry’s shout was lost to the whoosh of wind. The few seconds of freefall yanked my heart into my throat. Falling wasn’t half as frightening as being trapped with Emma. Being forced into a shape I did not fit.
My breath was knocked out by the slap of icy water against my back. The jaws of the river swallowed me whole. Water rushed into my gaping mouth, burning its way down my throat and searing my lungs. I gasped but there was no air, just more of the unrelenting cold. I told myself not to fight but my arms flailed and my legs kicked. Like Berry’s hat, I didn’t stand a chance.
Like my sister, the river would choke me, drown me, and crush me.
The current spun me around and my hip smashed into a rock. Another sharp pain blossomed in my shoulder. The gray sky wavered above rippling waves. I almost made it to the surface before being rolled under by the current and slammed against the rough bottom. My head bounced off another rock and everything blurred. After that my arms became heavy and my legs didn’t want to work. Something sharp bit into my thigh. I had a moment to be amazed that the river actually had teeth before the swell of current shoved me all the way down.
I inhaled no longer caring there was no air.
I told myself this is what I wanted but it was a lie. What I wanted was to be loved. I wanted to be understood.
I wanted to be kissed.
I bet Elliot’s lips were sweet. Sweet and warm.
A hand broke through the darkness. Momma. I reached out and fingers curled around my wrist. I was yanked up and the water peeled away. I’d thought the cold of the river had been painful but it was nothing like the cold of the air. It became my enemy as it mixed with the water in my lungs. Like sandpaper, the bitterness raked my insides with every gasp.
My stomach heaved and I vomited.
Henry’s panicked voice barked commands and someone wrapped me in a blanket. He picked me up. I tried to look at him but the dreary light hurt my eyes.
“Please…”
Let me go
.
“It’s okay Jack, I’ve got you.”
“I…”
Want to be free
.
“Everything’s okay now, everything is going to be okay.” Cradled in his arms, the darkness came for me and I let it take me down.
Chapter Three
For a while there were voices and I thought they were angels. The speakers
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