When I walked down to breakfast, two police officers stood next to the table. Chance was talking to them and he looked really desperate. I walked straight to him and asked
"What's wrong? What's going on?"
The officers said "We'll be back in one hour."
With that they left and I was left with so many questions until Chance turned to face me.
"They're going to seperate all of us and put us into foster care."
I felt my face form into a face of shock again. I looked at Chance to explain, but he wouldn't look up from the floor when he said:
"I'm so sorry, this is all my fault."
I was left with even more questions than I had at first, but I had to have answers before it was too late. I grabbed Chance's arm and tugged him into the living room where the kids couldn't see us.
I whisper shouted at him "What in the world were you talking about back there?"
He looks at me and says "The truth."
"But, that's impossible! How could any of this be your fault!"
"There are secrets that I keep from all of you!"
"What 'secrets' could you possibly be hiding! Especially from me!"
" A lot of them. I hide things from you to keep you safe."
My heart flutters a little when he says that. In this moment he looks so vulnerable, like a kid who just lost a beloved pet.
I take a deep breath "How long have you known?"
"About six months."
"Why did you wait till now to tell me something that I should've known six months ago!"
He closed the distance between us almost instantly. He held my face in his hands and said.
"Because you are the most important person in the world to me."
I felt tears spring to my eyes and I slowly pulled him into a hug. He slowly wrapped his arms around my shoulders and rests his chin on the top of my head. I feel him breathe deep and I know he's about to cry.
He whispers from the top of my head. "What are we going to do?"
I pull back and look into his tear filled eyes.
"We run. As far and fast as we can, before they come back to take us away."
⬖⬘⬗
It took almost thirty minutes to pack all of our bags. There was still extra space in my duffel bag, so any toys or other things the kids couldn't part with was put into my bag. We all gathered into the kitchen to do a final head count before we went into the woods when there was a knock at the door.
It had only been thirty-five minutes since the police left. I silently went into my closet and grabbed the set of knives and the pistol Chance gave me for my fourteenth birthday. I crept back downstairs as a rock flew through the front door's glass.
I silently ran towards the back door as I heard the squeaky lock on the front door being turned. I saw everyone in the back mudroom gathered together waiting silently for me.
Chance was staring at the throwing knives strapped on my thigh. When he looked into my eyes, I nodded at him to let him know to get going. He slowly turned the back knob when we heard footsteps on the stairs.
If they got on the seventh step before we got out the door, they would know where we are. Chance opened the back door more quickly and ushered everyone outside. I pushed him out before me and quietly shut the back door.
There was a huge thump as the intruder jumped from the bathroom window. That window was upstairs. On. The. Second. Story. They landed behind us. Since I was closest to them, I took them on.
They turned and looked at me, then saw Chance standing in front of the kids. They started to move toward Chance but before they could, I lodged a knife close to the base of their neck. Instead of going down like I planned, they instead turned back to me and charged.
Before they could get close, Chance fired an arrow straight into their back. The intruder landed on their face, but was soon up again trying to reach me.
I threw my bag down and pulled the only thing I had left of my parents from my back sheath. I pulled the two-handed sword and instantly got into battle stance. When the intruder charged, I side-stepped and grazed my blade across their back shoulder.
Chance sinks another arrow into the back of their neck. They fall, the battle is over, and there's another skeleton to put in the closet. Chance walks over and pulls out the arrows that stick out of their body and I roll them over.
Our attacker is wearing a ski mask so I pull it off to see their face. Chance and I both gasp at the same time.
"Richard." Chance says.
I stand up and pull him into a hug. Chance's head rests on my shoulder and I feel my shirt getting wet from his tears. When I try to pull away, he wraps his arms around my waist and he buries his face in my neck. I manage to sheath my sword and hug him back.
He pulls me closer, and I can feel his breathing. I manage to pull back enough to look in his eyes. I look at him and say:
"We need to go before the police arrive."
Chance nods and starts stepping away. All the kids are huddled not far from us. I feel my face get warm knowing that they saw that. Chance grabs my hand and turns me to face him.
"You take the front and I take the back?"
I nod and the kids immediately fall into line. We have to hike ten miles up a mountain before we set up camp tonight.
We've hiked the kids up this trail many times, so they know what to do if they get lost. I grab my bag and take the lead as we start heading up the mountain.
⬖⬘⬗
We've been hiking for six hours and we finally see the top of the mountain come into view. The reason we have to hike up the mountain is for when we go down the other side. We couldn't take Chance's truck away from the house since everyone knows what it looks like.
We're hiking so we can get to my car and leave this place. We go just over the peak to a flatter spot to set up camp. We find our tree and start climbing up. We built a platform on a tree for when a moment like this happens. The kids climb up and fall asleep almost immediately.
Chance and I pull out protein bars and set up sleeping bags close to the entrance on the platform. When I'm not looking, Chance pulls my sleeping bag closer to his. I don't notice until I lay down and he lays down next to me. Chance taps my shoulder and I know he wants to talk.
I reluctantly roll over to look at him when he says:
"Do you think they'll find us?"
"The platform is built really high and is really well camouflaged. They would have to look really hard to find us. Plus, they can't drive to where we are."
"Good point."
"Thanks."
Conversation fell away and I closed my eyes to go to sleep when I heard:
"Melyssia?"
"Yeah."
"Can you scoot towards me a little bit?"
"Mhm-mhm"
I started drifting off again when I heard:
"Melyssia!"
I feel arms wrap around my waist and pull me against someone's chest as we fall over the edge of the platform. My eyes are wide open now and I see Chance holding onto the edge of the platform.
He starts shoving me up the platform where the other kids are waiting to grab us and pull us up. I reach my hands out to let them grab me when I hear a whistle whiz past me.
Chance grunts and shoves me up faster. I nearly squish the kids from how much he pushed me. I get up, turn around and grab Chances outstretched hands. He kicks off the edge and sends me backwards.
His lips land on mine when we both fall backwards and have the wind knocked out of us. Chance bounces back up and gets into fighting stance. While he's getting up I see his face for just a moment before his back is turned away from me. I see him blush before he turns away. I'll have to remember to use that if he ever gets on my nerves.
I unsheath my sword and stand at the ready, but everything falls silent. Too quiet! I hear my thoughts say you are unsafe, come to me and I will take all your worries away. Wait a minute! That isn't my thoughts! That's the other voice from my dream!
Soon we hear dogs panting beneath the tree, then a sharp whistle, then the dogs feet pounding as they run towards their master. All of us take a sigh of relief when we realized the danger was gone.
I grabbed protein bars out of my bag and gave them to the kids. After they had finished, I stuffed the wrappers back in my bag. All of them laid down, soon their breathing deepens and are swept away to the land of dreams.
Chance and I are left alone to talk about whatever happened earlier. I move my sleeping bag away from the edge and sit down on it.
Chance sits next to me since his sleeping bag is pinned to another tree. Luckily, my sleeping bag is a queen size so it can fit both of us.
"What are you smiling about?"
"What I'm thinking about."
"What are you thinking about?"
"That if I fall off the edge again your weight will hold the sleeping bag, but if you fall off than I will be sliding off right after you."
"Well that's an interesting thought."
Chance's voice squeaks. It almost never squeaks. It only squeaks when he's nervous.
"Are you feeling okay?" I ask Chance.
"Yeah."
"Is there something bugging you?"
" Yeah, and I don't understand how it's not bugging you."
"What do you mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean."
He looks at me then and I can see exactly what he's thinking about.
The kiss.
"Really Chance? Did you have to bring that up now?"
"Well when do you want to talk about it?"
"Never."
"Why?"
"Because, it was just a kiss that happened on accident…"
"And besides we have no feelings but friendship between us."
"Right. Only idiots would fall in love with their best friend/rescuer."
"Did you seriously just say slash."
"Yes."
"And is that all I am to you?"
"What?"
"A best friend/guardian to you."
I let his words sink in a little bit and realized what he was talking about.
"Of course I don't just think of you that way…"
I scooted closer to him and put my arms around him. He wouldn't look at me until I made him.
"There are other things I think about you, that I just don't tell you."
He turned and looked at me, then slowly snaked his arms around my waist. He pulled me a little bit closer and said:
"Like what?"
I glare at him and say:
"Like when I start my period or when I sneak out or…"
"Stop! Stop! Stop! Enough!"
He moves his hands to cover his ears. He looks younger when he does that and I get a glimpse of what he must've been like as a kid.
Without even thinking, I lean over and kiss his cheek. I lean back to crawl into bed when Chance's grabs my waist and hoists me into his lap.
He presses my head into his shoulder and rocks side to side, gently. A memory springs up of him holding me just like this when he first rescued me. He whispered something to me, but I can't remember what. I push myself away and look into his eyes.
"What did you say to me when you first rescued me a little over seven years ago."
"That's a very specific request." He gives me a coy smile.
"Just answer it!"
"Okay! Jeez! I wouldn't have rescued you if I knew you were this aggressive."
"Chance…"
"Okay! Okay, I'll tell you..."
"Good."
"But first, are you sure you can't remember?"
"Yeah."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes! No! I don't know! How am I supposed to remember something when I could barely remember my own name!"
I am standing now pacing the platform with tears streaming down my face. I am so caught up with how much I don't know that I don't notice Chance stand up. He walks over and puts his arms around me. I bury my face in his chest and grip his shirt as I let the tears fall. He whispers to me:
"Shh. It's okay, you're safe. I'm right here. Just stop crying. Please stop crying Panami."
"What did you just say?"
"I wanted you to stop crying."
"No, after that."
"Oh. you mean when I called you Panami. Right?"
"Yeah, what does that mean?"
"It would be better if I showed you instead of told you."
"How could you show me…"
Chance's lips press against mine with so much tenderness that I have no idea what to do about it. His mouth works slowly against mine until I find myself getting lost in his kiss.
I close my eyes as a new picture is engraved in my mind. I open my eyes to that day. The day when Chance rescued me.