Ashley felt the branches tearing and scratching at her skin as she ran through the forest. She was thankful that the evening sun was still shining even though it was the end of summer. She didn’t know what to do but run. When she saw what he was doing to the girl… what he had done to her, she couldn’t think about that now. She needed to get as far away as possible. She slowed to a walk and tried to catch her breath once she reached the road. Flashes of the day she had clouded her head, she couldn’t think.
She remembers last night, parts of it, but coming to a dark room woke her with a start. She had stood immediately, beginning to feel the space around her, and stopped when she felt his presence behind her, the darkness keeping her from seeing the room around her. She knew she shouldn’t speak, in that moment her chest was so tight she knew she wouldn’t be able to talk even if she tried. The man shifted so he was in front of her, grabbing her by the arms and pulling her to another room. “Here.” He grumbled and shoved her to the floor. This room was lit, blindingly lit, and made her feel less safe than the dark did. At least the dark was something she was familiar with. This, this sterile room, this felt like her worst nightmare coming true. She had always hated the doctor's office, mainly because of the fluorescent lights, and this was that turned up to eleven. By the time she had collected her thoughts, her eyes were still adjusting to the light. “I wanted to show you.” The man stated and the words made Ashley flinch. She looked around the room, hoping to see where the voice was coming from. “I hope you’ll understand, I didn’t want to show you like this. It was the only way.” The words boomed from the sound system that was somehow connected to the room. Where the hell am I? Ashley questioned herself. What was he going to force her to see? She looked up at the glass panel in front of her and her jaw dropped. She was terrified.
A rustle from behind Ashley pulled her out of the memory of the night before and nearly made her jump out of her skin. She clenched her fists and forced herself to breathe, trying to remember what she had learned in therapy and her self-defense classes. She tried to take stock of what she had. Her (now dirty) t-shirt from the night before, her torn-up jeans, and her socks. “Fuck.” She whispered to herself. She knew there was only so much time until he realized she was gone, and there was only one thing left to do. Pick a direction and start walking. Ashley began walking through the grass on the side of the desolate road. Not a car in sight. She wondered how long it had been. A day? Had she only been stuck with that man since the previous night or had she been out for longer? She looked around as she walked, trying to identify any sort of landmark that could tell her where she was. Nothing, just trees, and sky, and grass, and road. Ashley was exhausted. Her adrenaline had kept her going through the farmland and off past the forest and onto the road. A road. Any road. That was her goal. She had gotten out. What now?
Ashley clenched her teeth as she began to open her eyes again. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Through the glass, she saw a girl who had to be around her age, if not younger, tied to a chair with a burlap sack over her head. She was covered in blood so fresh, and dark, that Ashley could barely tell what color the girl's skin was. Her bra and underwear were dyed red. Ashley’s mind began to race. “Why me?” She bellowed at the glass, caving in on herself, using all the energy she had to form the words she knew she needed to say. “Ashley…” The man started “I’m disappointed. I thought you understood me.”
Ashley shook her head “I don’t even know who you are!” She screamed. She heard him speak again. “Fine.” The man spat, his voice echoing through the speakers “If you want to have it that way. Go.” She heard a click, the door behind her opened, and that’s when she started running.
The asphalt was tearing the skin on the bottom of Ashley's feet, and still she walked. She checked each side of her, the fear of whoever it was that had her trapped just hours ago was still in her mind. Her mind was still racing but she forced herself to walk, to conserve her energy. Finally, about 3 hours and 6 miles later Ashley almost cried tears of joy as her walk broke into a run when she saw the gas station. She kept running, she was so close, less than half a mile away. She could see herself now, past the gas pumps and trash cans and through the double doors of the 7-11, then into the back of a cop car on the way to figure out who the hell did this to her. When suddenly, she heard the engine of a truck behind her.
Written by Lucy Anderson
Photography by Mia Scagnelli
Talent: Lauren Bastidas, Ella Malave
MUA: Marlie Kaye