One is Come

  Chapter 12

  Kidnap

  Long before she walked in her front door, Haylwen decided she couldn't wear the ring on her finger all the time—her family or someone at school might take it. She tried hiding it somewhere safe in her room, but she felt naked without it. She thought for a moment, then dove into a box in her closet labeled “arts and crafts.” She grinned when she found the long leather shoelace she remembered. She tied it around her neck, hanging the ring on it, low enough to where it wouldn't show. The knot was a hassle, but she wore the ring on her finger when she went to sleep anyway.

  All day at school on Monday she debated trying to leave early again. Getting caught cutting class didn’t really outweigh the dread of Brice catching her, but there had to be a better way. When walking between classes, she looked around for the old Hispanic janitor, but didn't see him anywhere either. She considered staying behind and cleaning up, or seeing if Mr. Vestas would just let her hang out in the art room. But who knows how long Brice would wait for her? She had to leave sometime. Walking between classes, she saw an inspiration. When the final bell rang, and everyone was streaming out of the halls, she turned down a side hall that led to a smaller exit. She had no clue where this one led, but a few kids were walking that way, so she knew it would lead her outside. A long walk home was well worth avoiding Brice.

  She came out on the opposite side of the school, went down a short flight of steps that ended at a side street. Kids were getting into their parents’ waiting cars. She briefly remembered when her father still picked her up after school, but just sighed and started walking down the street away from the front of the school, filing by the line of cars. She wasn't paying attention, figuring out how to get home without going by the front of the school when she bumped into someone.

  “Hello, there.” Haylwen froze, recognizing the voice immediately.

  “Mr. Johansen?” she said. “What are you doing here?”

  “Looking for you,” he said, as he put his large hand on the back of her neck with a firm grip. His squeeze was just slightly painful, but it let him easily drag her along, away from the other kids. “You have been a troublemaker, but that is going to end.”

  Haylwen felt a prickling all over her as he touched her, like being stuffed in wool pajamas. She could barely breathe. She tried to scream, but nothing came out. She tried to stop her feet from walking, but she couldn't control them. She could feel Mr. Johansen's hand flexing on the back of her neck as if she was a doll and he was making her move. As if from far away, she heard him mutter, “To use you to get to the boy just seems complicated, but whatever.” She watched herself stop by a long, red car. The door grated softly as Mr. Johansen opened it and he folded her into a backseat that smelled like disinfectant chemicals. Mr. Johansen leaned his head close to her as he buckled her in, and he still needed a breath mint. She was trapped, and it was her own fault. She kicked herself in her mind. If I hadn't tried to go that other way! Brice is nothing compared to this!

  Her arms felt too heavy to move, but she had a few seconds to think while Mr. Johansen went around to get into the driver's seat. What did he want? What would he do? How did he even find her? She tried to focus her frantic thoughts and noticed the seatbelt pressing something hard into her chest. The ring! Something about it... Trusting her intuition, she desperately tried to turn her fear to anger, and focus it through the ring. I hate Mr. Johansen! How stupid am I to get trapped in his car that smells like chemicals! The ring warmed and, like a switch, Haylwen found she could move. As Mr. Johansen buckled his seatbelt, she popped hers off and scrabbled for the door handle. Mr. Johansen yelled, and tried to lunge to grab her. His face twisted from surprise to hate. He still got one hand on her, but his seatbelt caught and he was pinned against his seat. He tried to shift to get free, and only pinned himself tighter. She jerked back away from his arm and managed to open the car door and fall mostly out. Mr. Johansen grabbed again and caught two fingers onto her backpack, but she yanked it free, stumbling the rest of the way out of the car. Mr. Johansen stabbed his finger at her and barked something that wasn’t English, but nothing happened. Haylwen saw his face twist in surprise and anger before she turned to sprint back to school. She could feel her ring, almost painfully hot, bouncing with her chest as she flew up the steps and through the doors.

  She slammed the doors shut, expecting to see Mr. Johansen right behind her. But Mr. Johansen and his car were nowhere to be seen.

  Haylwen waited until all the cars were gone, all the kids had left, and the whole school went silent. No one seemed to care if one little girl stood terrified by a back door. A noise, probably just the janitor making his rounds, spooked her. She burst through the doors and ran all the way home, expecting at any moment to feel Mr. Johansen’s hand on her neck again. It wasn’t until she had locked herself in the bathroom and turned on the shower that she let down her guard enough to sob and tremble. But she still didn't feel safe.