Free Screaming in the Silence by Lydia Kelly Page B

said as he stretched his arm toward me.
    I took a few steps and reached for it, lightly placing my palm against his. His fingers closed around mine as he started walking again, pulling me behind him. I had to quicken my step to keep up with him since his legs were much longer than mine.
    The shingled roof came into view and I craned my neck to see the driveway. It was empty, and I sighed in relief. I hadn't seen Ray's car since the morning they brought me to the house. I'm sure they had already fixed the damage, probably claiming they had hit a deer instead of two women.
    Kaden let go of my hand, bounded up to the front door and unlocked it. I took one last look at the afternoon sky before returning to my prison. The oranges and yellows of the changing leaves contrasted brilliantly with the blue sky. Waving gently in the breeze, the limbs of the trees seemed to be dancing together, perhaps celebrating their last warm day before the bitter cold of winter froze them to their core. I closed my eyes and tried to imprint the image into my head. This was ever so much nicer than staring at dust falling from ceiling rafters. Inhaling a last breath of fresh air, I opened my eyes and walked through the open door, passing Kaden as I stepped inside. I was halfway across the living room when I felt his grip on my elbow.
    "I'd like you to come upstairs with me," he said as I turned to face him.
    I eyed the front door. "What about Ray and Marshal? Won't they be back soon?"
    Kaden shook his head and pulled me gently toward him as a smile crept over his face. "They are on their way to Virginia to mail your letter and won't be back until tomorrow morning. At the earliest," he added with a tilt of his cocky head.
    "Where are you mailing it to? Sixteen hundred Pennsylvania Avenue?"
    Kaden's smile faded and he glared at me. "Clever, but not quite. You'd be surprised just how easy it is to obtain a PO Box over the Internet. Your letter is on its way to Dover, and will be waiting there until I can no longer afford the yearly payments."
    I wasn't surprised to hear this. While incredibly incriminating if discovered, Kaden's diversion would buy him some time.
    "Where do they usually go during the day?" I asked, wanting to change the subject.
    "Why do you care?"
    "Just curious, I guess."
    I could see him debating whether or not he wanted to answer me and finally he gave in. "They're at work."
    "Where?"
    "The docks," he answered quickly.
    "Why don't you work?" I knew I was letting my curiosity get the better of me but I couldn't stop myself.
    "I work from here." He pushed his hair out of his eyes and gave me an exasperated look.
    "Doing what?"
    "I'm done with the twenty questions, Raleigh," he snapped. "We're going upstairs so we can finish what you didn't even let me start back at the lake."
    I took a deep breath, knowing that what he wanted was inevitable. His hand was still on my elbow as I reached for his arm, lightly squeezing his bicep beneath his shirt.
    "Okay," I answered, forcing a smile.
    He seemed shocked at my acceptance and nodded slightly before leading me up the stairs and to his bedroom. I glanced at the doorframe on my way in, noting the marks on the wood from my fingernails only a day earlier. Things seemed so different now. I knew I wasn't going upstairs willingly, but I wasn't being dragged, kicking and screaming, either.
    I stepped inside his room and looked around, something I hadn't thought or wanted to do the last time I occupied this space. The walls were painted a light shade of grey, very similar to the color of my eyes. There were no pictures on the walls but a blue curtain adorned the windows opposite the door and added some depth to the room. His bed was exactly how I had left it the day before: the blue comforter strewn to the side, the pillows carelessly thrown about. A black dresser stood alone against the wall next to the closet, a deck of cards and notebook were the only things resting on it. From across the bed I could