Elaina J. Davidson's Blog, page 65

March 3, 2024

Excerpt: The Orphan - Nowhere

HE BOUND HER, gaggedand blindfolded her, put her in the back of a truck or van – she felt ridgesunder her and surmised it was more of a pickup – and then drove withoutstopping for many hours.

When they finally stopped, hedragged her by her foot to the edge, and snapped something cold and hard aroundher ankle.

“It’s a GPS tracking device. Run,and I can find you anywhere at any time. Nod if you understand.”

Sunflower nodded.

“If you attempt to remove it, itwill trigger an explosive chip inside and you will lose most of your leg. Nodif you understand.”

Swallowing, she did just that.

“An alarm will sound if you aremore than a hundred yards from my receiver. You will have ten seconds to returnto range. If you don’t, the explosives will trip. Nod if you understand.”

With tears seeping from under herblindfold, Sunflower nodded vigorously.

“If someone comes and you do nothide immediately, I will set it off myself. Do I need to say it?”

No, he did not. She nodded.

He lifted her to her feet,removed her bindings, ungagged her and shifted the blindfold down. He gave astrange smile and waved a hand. “You are free to move around within thoseconstraints.”

First, she stared at her ankle. Anugly metal band sat there; a tiny red light glowed steadily. She believed him.It could do all he said. Escape was virtually impossible. Then she looked up totheir surroundings.

A stone cottage squatted in themiddle of absolutely nowhere, in a field of grass with nothing but a lone treenext to it to break the severity of isolation. There were no other homes insight, not even a stable or pen or corral. The middle of nowhere. There was nowhere to run to, had she the ability to do so.There was nowhere to hide. No one would hear her scream.

Sunflower inhaled the fresh air.

Nowhere was by far better than adank room in the dark.

An orphaned boy searches for a lost girl.

A woman abandons her new-born at a motel in the back ofbeyond. Adin grows up unloved, bullied, and no one remembers him. He doesn’texist.

Until he sees a poster for a missing girl on a lamppost.There is an instant connection to little Sunflower, kidnapped for ransom, onlyto disappear after the money is paid. He exists because he must find her.Alone, he searches, a journey that takes him into the wild places, meetingalong the way some interesting characters.

In dreams he speaks to her, for she is the one who willremember him.

THE ORPHAN

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