on the cord.
“Hello?”
“Mrs. Barnes, this is Morgan,” I whispered, my hand cupped the bottom of the phone by my mouth. “Can you hear me?”
“Morgan, is that you?”
In the background, I heard Mr. Barnes asking her what was wrong.
“Mrs. Barnes, I’m sorry to be calling so late, but could I speak to Janet?”
“Honey, Janet’s been in bed for hours—we all have. Can you call back in the morning?”
“No. Mrs. Barnes, please. It’s important. I need to talk with her tonight.”
“Morgan, where are you?”
“At my parents.”
“Just a minute.”
The sound of the phone hitting a hard surface clattered through the line. I leaned against the washing machine and rubbed my aching temples.
“Morgan? What’s wrong?” Janet rasped.
“I’m at my parents. Can you come get me in the morning and take me back to school?”
“What time?”
“Mom and Dad should be gone by eight.”
“I’ll be there by ten after. Are you okay? Did your dad—”
“I’ve got to go.” I hung up the phone and returned to my bed. Before I pulled the covers in place, a scratching noise drew my attention. I didn’t move. The sound came again, a distinct pattern of someone scratching on the screen. I sprang from the bed, tiptoed to the window, and opened it.
Chuck stared back at me.
“I didn’t think you’d ever wake up. I’ve been out here for over ten minutes, wondering if you were in another room…or worse.” His voice cracked. “Becky had half the town looking for me. She called everyone. Are you okay? How bad…?”
“I’m okay. They didn’t… Dad didn’t…”
He used his pocketknife to unhook the screen. “Come on, I’m getting you out of here.”
“No.” I explained about Kay and Wayne and told him what Dad said. “As long as Wayne’s girlfriend is here, I don’t think they’ll do anything. Janet will come in the morning and take me back to Midway.”
“You’re leaving tonight.”
“It’s late, Chuck. Where would we go? The dorm is locked. I can’t go to your grandmother’s with you. And if we get caught together this time of night, nobody will be able stop Dad.”
He dropped the screen on the ground and held his hands up for me. “I won’t let him hurt you. Come on.”
Dad’s hunting dogs went crazy, barking and howling.
“Chuck, you’ve got to get out of here before the dogs wake Mom and Dad. I escaped severe punishment once tonight, it won’t happen a second time. I’ll call you at work tomorrow once I’m back at school. Thank Becky for me when you see her.”
“You may see her before I do. She’s still at Midway.”
“She is?”
“Morgan, please don’t stay here.”
“Someone’s up. Please, you have to leave.”
“All right. I’m going. But remember, I’m a phone call away.”
Footsteps shuffled down the hall. Then a light spilled under my door. I closed the window and scrambled back into bed.
The door opened, and footsteps entered my room. I tried hard to control my breathing, to lie perfectly still. I didn’t dare peek. After what seemed like an eternity, whoever it was finally closed the door behind them.
#
The next morning, by seven forty-five, my parents left for work. I dressed without showering and called Janet.
Neither Wayne nor Kay had come out of their rooms yet, and I sure wasn’t going to hang around until they did. I walked out of the house and waited at the end of the county road. God willing, I wouldn’t be back.
Chapter 10
Around ten thirty Saturday morning, I walked into the dorm lobby relieved to be back in its familiar, protected environment.
Mrs. Henderson looked up from a stack of papers, pulled her glasses off, and allowed them to dangle on her chest by a gold chain. “Morgan, I’m surprised to see you…I thought… Did you have a nice visit?” She gazed beyond me, toward the parking lot. “Are you by yourself?”
I didn’t feel like making small talk. Hungry, exhausted, and in need of a shower, I politely
“Hello?”
“Mrs. Barnes, this is Morgan,” I whispered, my hand cupped the bottom of the phone by my mouth. “Can you hear me?”
“Morgan, is that you?”
In the background, I heard Mr. Barnes asking her what was wrong.
“Mrs. Barnes, I’m sorry to be calling so late, but could I speak to Janet?”
“Honey, Janet’s been in bed for hours—we all have. Can you call back in the morning?”
“No. Mrs. Barnes, please. It’s important. I need to talk with her tonight.”
“Morgan, where are you?”
“At my parents.”
“Just a minute.”
The sound of the phone hitting a hard surface clattered through the line. I leaned against the washing machine and rubbed my aching temples.
“Morgan? What’s wrong?” Janet rasped.
“I’m at my parents. Can you come get me in the morning and take me back to school?”
“What time?”
“Mom and Dad should be gone by eight.”
“I’ll be there by ten after. Are you okay? Did your dad—”
“I’ve got to go.” I hung up the phone and returned to my bed. Before I pulled the covers in place, a scratching noise drew my attention. I didn’t move. The sound came again, a distinct pattern of someone scratching on the screen. I sprang from the bed, tiptoed to the window, and opened it.
Chuck stared back at me.
“I didn’t think you’d ever wake up. I’ve been out here for over ten minutes, wondering if you were in another room…or worse.” His voice cracked. “Becky had half the town looking for me. She called everyone. Are you okay? How bad…?”
“I’m okay. They didn’t… Dad didn’t…”
He used his pocketknife to unhook the screen. “Come on, I’m getting you out of here.”
“No.” I explained about Kay and Wayne and told him what Dad said. “As long as Wayne’s girlfriend is here, I don’t think they’ll do anything. Janet will come in the morning and take me back to Midway.”
“You’re leaving tonight.”
“It’s late, Chuck. Where would we go? The dorm is locked. I can’t go to your grandmother’s with you. And if we get caught together this time of night, nobody will be able stop Dad.”
He dropped the screen on the ground and held his hands up for me. “I won’t let him hurt you. Come on.”
Dad’s hunting dogs went crazy, barking and howling.
“Chuck, you’ve got to get out of here before the dogs wake Mom and Dad. I escaped severe punishment once tonight, it won’t happen a second time. I’ll call you at work tomorrow once I’m back at school. Thank Becky for me when you see her.”
“You may see her before I do. She’s still at Midway.”
“She is?”
“Morgan, please don’t stay here.”
“Someone’s up. Please, you have to leave.”
“All right. I’m going. But remember, I’m a phone call away.”
Footsteps shuffled down the hall. Then a light spilled under my door. I closed the window and scrambled back into bed.
The door opened, and footsteps entered my room. I tried hard to control my breathing, to lie perfectly still. I didn’t dare peek. After what seemed like an eternity, whoever it was finally closed the door behind them.
#
The next morning, by seven forty-five, my parents left for work. I dressed without showering and called Janet.
Neither Wayne nor Kay had come out of their rooms yet, and I sure wasn’t going to hang around until they did. I walked out of the house and waited at the end of the county road. God willing, I wouldn’t be back.
Chapter 10
Around ten thirty Saturday morning, I walked into the dorm lobby relieved to be back in its familiar, protected environment.
Mrs. Henderson looked up from a stack of papers, pulled her glasses off, and allowed them to dangle on her chest by a gold chain. “Morgan, I’m surprised to see you…I thought… Did you have a nice visit?” She gazed beyond me, toward the parking lot. “Are you by yourself?”
I didn’t feel like making small talk. Hungry, exhausted, and in need of a shower, I politely
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