A Short Story
Image is from Pixabay

A short story by Lynn Miclea

Lilly huddled in the closet, a small blanket covering her, hoping to stay hidden. She wasn’t even sure where she was, but she knew she needed to get out the first chance she could. She desperately wanted to go home.

“Lilly? Are you in your room?” His heavy footsteps sounded on the wooden floor in the hallway outside the bedroom. “Where are you?”

She held the edge of the blanket tightly against her body and kept her breathing shallow.

The man threw open the door to the bedroom and stormed in. “Lilly?” He stomped across the floor, opened the closet door, and peered in. “Are you in here?”

Lilly held her breath. Please don’t find me. Please …

The man stood there for a few minutes and then shut the closet door. Lilly heard his footsteps walk away. Was he really leaving? Or was it a trap to catch her if she came out? She wasn’t sure.

She sat there and waited at least twenty minutes without moving. Then she heard his voice coming from outside the house. “Lilly? I’ll find you, girl, and you won’t be happy when I do.”

Since he was now outside looking for her, she thought this might be a good chance to get away. It might be her only chance. She slowly peeled the blanket off her head, stood up, and opened the closet door. She cautiously peeked out. Nothing. It was quiet in the house.

Lilly slowly walked across the room, trying her best to stay quiet. She absently rubbed her arm and then her cheek, the places where he had punched her. Her stomach clenched. Why did he do that to her? He was mean and cruel, and she hated him.

She wasn’t even sure of his full name. Irving something. She knew he worked with her Uncle Rob, but she didn’t know much about him. Her aunt and uncle were looking after her for a few days while her parents were away. Two days after her parents left, Aunt Edith and Uncle Rob ran to the store. They said they’d be back within the hour and not to open the door.

Shortly after her aunt and uncle left, there was a sudden loud crash. Irving had broken into the house while her aunt and uncle were at the store. Lilly saw him in the living room, his face scrunched up into a mean, threatening glare. She jumped and tried to run to her bedroom, but Irving grabbed her. She screamed, but there was no one there to hear her. He dragged her out of the house. She struggled as hard as she could, but she was no match for him. Irving was strong, and he threw her into the trunk of his car and drove off.

Now she stood in the small house where he had taken her. She shook her head. She didn’t know where she was. And she didn’t even want to think about what he planned to do to her. She knew at only eight years old and being small for her age, she could not fight him off. He was big and strong, and she felt so small and helpless.

Terrified and shaking, Lilly stepped to the small window in the bedroom and peeked out. She didn’t see much from the second floor. Grass and trees. No people.

She ran out of the room and raced down the stairs. She rushed to the front door and hesitated. What if he were right outside waiting for her? She turned and ran to the kitchen where the back door was. She tried the doorknob. The door was locked. Panic set in. How would she get out?

Then she saw a small key on the edge of the kitchen counter. She grabbed that and tried it in the lock. It fit. She turned it and heard the lock click open. She waited a few moments in case he was out there. Then she opened the door a few inches. Nothing.

She opened the door a bit more, just enough to fit through, and she slipped out. She closed the door behind her, and then she paused and listened. Nothing. She ran.

Lilly raced across the yard and climbed over the short fence that surrounded the property. Terrified and desperate, she looked around. She was now in an empty field. There were a few other backyards and houses along the field, but who lived there? Would they help her? Or were they friends of Irving? She had no idea. Where should she go?

She crossed the field and came to a more heavily wooded area. Terrified and lost, she looked around. Maybe she could hide in the trees and he wouldn’t find her there.

Her heart pounded in her chest, and she started running. Her breathing became labored, and she slowed down. She had no idea where she was, but she kept moving, going deeper into the woods. At one point, she stumbled over a large root, but she quickly caught herself and then ran again.

Then she heard his voice, but it sounded far away. “Lilly? Where are you?”

A sob erupted from her. She huddled against a tree and tried to stay quiet, but she could not keep from crying. She collapsed onto the ground and wrapped her arms around herself. Sobs shook her for a few minutes. Finally, her crying eased, and she took a breath and looked around.

It was quiet. He was nowhere around. But she was lost in the woods and had no idea where to go. She couldn’t stay there.

She got up and ran again. Her legs felt stiff and her chest ached. How long could she keep running? Where was she headed? Would anyone ever find her? Would she ever get home again?

Finally, exhausted and terrified, she collapsed behind a large tree. She put her head in her hands and sobbed.

After about ten minutes, she heard voices. Two men were talking. Was one of them Irving? No, she didn’t recognize his voice. She got up and peered around the tree.

Two men, maybe in their twenties, were a short distance away, looking at one tree and talking. Were they safe? Could she trust them? Did they know Irving? Would they help her? Would they hurt her?

Knowing she couldn’t stay there by herself, and Irving would probably find her, she realized she had to trust someone. Lilly hesitated and then cautiously stepped forward. As she took another step away from the tree, she landed on a twig, and it made a loud crack.

The two men stopped talking and looked around, their eyes exploring the area.

“Did you hear that?” one of them said.

“Yes,” the other answered. “Something is in here.”

“An animal?” the first man asked.

Lilly took another step away from the tree, moving into a more open area, and she looked at them.

“Look, it’s a girl,” the second man said. “Hey,” he called to Lilly. “Are you okay?”

Lilly shook her head and started crying again.

The two men rushed over to her. One of the men squatted in front of her. “I’m Ben,” he said. “Are you lost?”

Lilly tried to talk through her tears. “I … I …”

The other man stepped forward. “I’m Josh,” he said. “What’s your name?”

She sniffled. “Lilly.”

“Lilly, are you hurt?” Josh asked.

“No. I … I … was taken here. I need to get away. I was …”

Ben look confused. “You were taken here? By your parents? Where are they?”

“No, no. Someone grabbed me from my home and threw me in the trunk of a car and took me here. I don’t know where I am. I need to get away. I just want to go home. I …”

Josh leaned forward. “We’ll help you. We’ll get you out of here, and then we can call someone for you. Okay?”

Lilly nodded. “The police. Please call the police. I want to go home.”

Josh took out his cell phone and tried it. “There’s no signal here. Maybe we’ll get a signal in the parking lot.” He turned back to Lilly. “Do you know who took you here?”

She bit her lip, afraid to say anything. Finally, she whispered, “Irving.”

Ben gasped. “Damn. I knew that man was bad news. He’s been in the news. He’s done this before.” He shook his head and held out his hand. “Come with us. We won’t hurt you. We’ll make sure you’re safe, Lilly, okay?”

She nodded and took his hand. The men seemed genuine, and she felt that she could trust them. Maybe they really could help her.

They walked around a few trees. “This way,” Ben said. “There’s a path just up ahead, and that will take us to the parking lot. You’ll be fine.”

Lilly nodded. His hand felt warm and comforting, and she began to feel a bit safer.

A few minutes later, they found the dirt path. It was easier walking on the path, and Lilly felt the fear begin to go away. It was almost over.

After a few minutes of walking down the path, she heard Irving’s voice again. “Lilly? Where are you? I’ll find you, Lilly, and you’ll be really sorry when I do. You won’t get away. You hear me?”

She drew in a quick breath, and her hand tightened on Ben’s hand. “That’s him,” she said, her voice wavering.

Ben picked her up and held her to his chest. “We need to get out of here,” he said.

“Let’s go,” Josh answered as he started jogging. The two men ran down the path, Ben holding tightly to Lilly.

Twenty minutes later, the path widened and opened into a dirt and gravel parking area. Ben gently put Lilly down. “You okay?” he asked.

Lilly nodded. “Yes. But I want to go home.”

Josh tried his phone and then nodded. “Good. There’s phone service here,” he said. He pressed a few buttons and looked at Lilly. “We’ll get you help, Lilly.”

As Josh spoke into the phone, Lilly leaned against Ben and trembled. She hoped it would be over soon.

Ben and Josh led Lilly to a bench at the side of the parking area, and they sat down. “The cops are on the way,” Josh said.

Ten minutes later, two police vehicles pulled into the parking area. Four officers got out, and Ben, Josh, and Lilly stood up from the bench. Josh waved at the officers, and the cops approached them.

As three of the officers spoke with Ben and Josh, one of the officers approached Lilly and squatted in front of her. “Hi, I’m Officer Vince Miller,” he said in a soft voice. “What is your name?”

“Lilly,” she said quietly. “Lilly Hanfield.”

“Lilly, can you tell me what happened?”

For thirty minutes, Lilly told him everything that happened, who the man was, what he did, and how it all took place. The officer asked a few questions, and she answered them all.

Finally, Officer Miller stood up. “Lilly, just sit tight here for a couple of minutes, okay?”

She nodded and watched as the officer went to speak with the other three cops. A few minutes later, Officer Miller came back to her. “Lilly, thank you for the information and for answering all my questions. You did a great job, and that was very helpful. We have backup on the way. That means other cops are coming, and they will go to Irving’s house and arrest him. Would you be able to identify him?”

“Yes,” Lilly said, her voice soft.

“Good. He’s done this before, and hopefully this is his last time. We intend to put him away for good.”

A tear ran down Lilly’s cheek. “I hope so,” she whispered.

“Lilly?” Irving’s voice rang out from down the path. “I’ll find you, Lilly. I’m coming for you. You’re gonna be really sorry.” His voice sounded close.

Lilly suddenly felt cold, and she clutched at the cop’s uniform. “That’s him,” she said.

Officer Miller led her behind the police vehicles, and he stood there with her. “Stay here, honey, and I’ll stay here with you.”

Two of the officers ran down the path toward Irving’s voice, and one officer stood in the parking area at the beginning of the path, his weapon in his hand.

Officer Miller spoke on his radio, and Lilly stood at his side, shaking, staring wide-eyed toward the path. Would Irving come bursting out into the parking area to get her?

A few minutes later, the two officers returned to the parking area, holding tightly to Irving. Irving, his hands now handcuffed behind his back, walked between the two officers, as they held onto his arms. Irving’s face looked grim.

Lilly gasped. “That’s him,” she said to Officer Miller. “That’s Irving.”

“Are you sure?”

She nodded. “Yes, absolutely. That’s him.”

“Thank you, honey.” He spoke into the radio again. “We have a positive ID on the suspect, and suspect is now in custody,” he said.

***

Two hours later, Lilly sat on her grandmother’s couch. Her grandma hugged her and held her tight. “You’re safe here, sweetie,” she said. “And if your parents go away for a few days again, you’ll stay with me from now on, okay?”

Lilly nodded. “Thanks, Grandma. I like it here.”

“Your parents are coming back tomorrow, and I’ll let them know what happened.”

Lilly hesitated. “Will they be mad at me?”

Her grandmother hugged her again. “Oh, no, sweetie. They won’t be mad at you. They love you, and they’ll be happy you are safe. This wasn’t your fault. You did nothing wrong.”

Lilly nodded, still feeling a bit shaken by everything that happened.

Her grandma stood up. “Would you like some sugar cookies? Maybe I’ll bake some cookies. Would that help you feel better?”

Lilly smiled. “I like sugar cookies.”

“Me too,” her grandma said. “Cookies always make everything better, don’t they?”

Lilly gave a short giggle as she watched her grandmother bustle around in the kitchen. She felt herself begin to relax. It was finally over. She was safe now.

And her grandma was right. Cookies did make everything better.

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