New to the Family

Fire

Author's note: Sorry it took me forever to update. Life has been hectic.

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 Jared did not let me get changed into pajamas after dinner. Instead, he gave me one of his hoodies to wear. He had me stay on his bed. He poked his head out into the hallway a few times before sitting beside me. He reached into his nightstand and pulled out a deck of cards. I raised an eyebrow as he dealt the cards.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"You know you're not supposed to ask questions," he said.

I bit down on my lip. Jared reached out and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. He gave me a soft smile.

"Don't worry, Leah," he said. "I'm not going to punish you. It was just a warning."

"Thank you," I said.

Jared leaned in and kissed me before picking up his cards. I picked up the cards he handed me as I tried to remember the rules of the game.

"I'm waiting for my family to fall asleep," he said. "I want to do something special for you."

I was going to ask what it was, but I did not want to get punished again. My shoulders ached from just thinking about being tied up in the basement.

We played the card game for about an hour. After our last game, Jared told me to wait in the room. He crept out into the hallway and came back a few minutes later. He snapped his fingers and motioned for me to come toward him. I shoved my hands in the pocket of my sweater and walked over. He slid his arm over my shoulders. He held one finger up to his lips telling me to be quiet. I nodded my head and we walked into the dark hallway.

My heart was pounding in my chest. Jared said nothing as we walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. He brought me over to the kitchen door. He took his arm off from around my shoulders. He pulled the chain off from around his neck.

My teeth dug into my bottom lip. I struggled to stop myself from gasping. Jared was actually letting me go outside.

Jared grabbed my shoulders and turned me to face him. He looked over over his shoulder and then back at me.

"I am doing something big for you," he said. "Dad thinks it is too early for me to take you outside. If you try to run there will be serious consequences. Do you understand?"

"Yes," I said.

I lunged forward and wrapped my arms around Jared. He stumbled back, shocked by my reaction. I pressed my cheek against his chest, and he hugged me back.

"Thank you," I said.

"You promise you won't run?" Jared asked.

"I promise."

He kissed the top of my head, and let go of me.

I was not sure if I was going to run. I would be outside for once. This could be my one and only chance. I had no idea how fast Jared could run. He knew this farm better than I. If I got caught they would throw me down into the basement. They would probably torture me until I was officially brainwashed.

Jared kept a tight hold on my arm as he opened the door. The cool night air was like heaven on my skin. I took in a deep breath as I stepped out onto the porch. Jared grabbed a flashlight off of the window sill. He turned it on and pulled me forward. The cold grass was soft underneath my feet.

We walked toward the barn. I shivered as the cold air ripped through my hair. I pushed the strands of blonde hair out of my face. Jared opened the door and flicked on the lights. A pungent smell filled my nose. He pulled me into the barn before slamming the door shut.