Chapter 4

Selena bolted from her bed. It was time. Slowly, she rested her feet on the ground, careful not to step on the creaky hardwood boards too hard. It was deathly dark, but somehow her brain knew the way to the dresser, and her arms pulled out the clothes needed for this escape. The knee throbbed, but Selena ignored it. There was no noise from the would-be escapee; only nature holding their breath at this dilemma. Suddenly, she remembered an important part of the plan: tell her closest friends. Selena grabbed her studded hot pink fountain pen and started to write the final note to her close friends and family.

Selena capped her fountain pen and looked out the window. The moon was a new moon, perfect for this escape. Grabbing her iPhone, tablet, fountain pen, writing materials, money and food, necessities and a long treasured photo of her mom’s, she pried the window open and jumped out, running to the stable. It took little more than a minute to saddle Lucky Charm and slip the things Selena was carrying into the knapsack on the Paint’s saddle. She took a last look at the ranch she had grown up on for so many years, then spurred her horse on and galloped off. Soon they were riding alongside the highway that ran past the ranches along the road, at the border of the desert.

Normally the road was filled with cars getting home to the ranch after spending a night in the town, but today the roads were empty, allowing Selena and Lucky Charm to ride in the middle of the road and hear the clip-clop of the iron horseshoes. They weren’t going to cut across town; that wouldn’t be horse-friendly. Instead, they would cut through the desert until they came to any town. As they made the transition from asphalt to desert sand Selena put her hand on the horse’s flank.

The rythmetic split-splat as it sunk into the sand calmed her for some reason. Dawn was fast approaching, and the desert heat was rearing its sometimes deadly head in the face of Selena and her horse. But suddenly Lucky Charm squealed to a stop as there was a rattling. Selena slowly got off the horse to face the enemy of the desert; the rattlesnake.

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 Back at the ranch, Selena’s father was waking up. Eliza had left almost a day ago, so it was safe. His calloused hand brushed against a broken beer bottle and he groaned. Then his eyes focused as a picture of him and Belle when they got married appeared in his eyes. The caption read: Thomas and Belle Grace; the Newlyweds. It made him remember the happy days. He stood up and stretched.

“Selena! Get down here now!” He shouted. There was no reply. Angered, he tried again. “Selena! Are you deaf, child?” Nothing. His temper was raising, but he pushed it down and called again.

“Selena! Are you deliberately trying to get me angry? If you don’t come down here right now, I promise, I will whip you.” Still nothing. Now enraged, he fumbled for his leather belt.

When he had found it, he marched up the stairs and smashed Selena’s door in. “Okay, come and get it-” The room was empty. There was no trace of Selena. “WHAT?!” The room shook, and Alex and Matt shepherded Cameron to the stable to read the letter to him. Thomas marched out the door, grabbed the car keys, and drove to the one person he knew was probably responsible for this: Tyler Knox. He was going to get the punishment for messing with Thomas Grace. Yes he would. Yes he would………………

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