1-2

The men look to the side and wave the person over which makes a bundle of nerves erupt in my stomach. How will I explain this? I think to myself in dread. Soon, a man and a woman round the side of the truck to stand beside the other two. I immediately assume they are their parents. They glance at me only to double take. A petite woman, seemingly in her early-forties, with flowing blonde hair and fair skin looks back at me as her blue-green eyes widen. A man stands tall beside her, slightly tanned and muscled with dark brown hair and green eyes. His arm is wrapped around the woman's waist and he looks to be a little older than her, perhaps in his early fifties. Glancing at the others, I see the same suspicious expression on their faces which makes me shiver uneasily. Biting my lip, I wince when it stings and reminds me of the punch I received last night. Oh great! This is not a good first impression, I think in despair as I realize how I must look with bruises and scrapes littering my pale skin. "I-I'm sorry." I start with my voice almost like a whisper. I'm at a loss of how to explain myself and the situation I was in last night. It certainly looks bad that I hitched a ride with the boys without their consent or their knowledge but I was helpless. Last night, I needed to escape and in order to ensure that I couldn't alert them that I was in the back of their pickup truck. What if they told me to get out and left me on the side of the street for him to find me? I shudder in fear at the thought before praying that I never see him again. When I open my mouth to explain myself as best as I can, the lady steps forward. An involuntary whimper escapes my lips and I huddle into myself as a reflex action. I shut my eyes tight before opening them again to see that the woman has stepped back after my reaction. Her husband's hand rests on her shoulder with a frown on his lips as he and his wife both stare at me. "We need to get you nice and clean. Why don't you come down from the truck, sweet pea?" The lady holds out her hand to me with a warm smile on her lips. I hesitate as I stare at the family with caution. They seem like nice people and I don't think they will hurt me. I can clean up here and thank them before leaving to find a place to stay and a job, to start a new life. I place my hand in her warm ones, surprise flickering through me when she pulls me off the truck bed with her petite build. She gently praises me before wrapping an arm around my shoulders, keeping my hand in hers while guiding me forwards. I almost gasp out loud at the sight before me when I look up. There's a large ranch house made entirely out of wood with black slate roofs standing proudly. Behind it is a grassy hill with trees surrounding the right side of the house. A spacious lawn stretches out around the house and is fenced in with the same wood that was used to build the house. There's a large patio and I can see another cabin at the back with a stable and barn nearby. Glancing to the side I see a pen with horses of different color and size trotting about. All in all, this looks like a dream for someone who loves being in the country. The men walk a little bit behind us and I can hear them muttering among themselves, probably wondering how and why I ended up in their truck. The woman guides me through the front door and into She sits me down on a couch which is made of light brown leather and decorated with soft orange-red cushions. There's a table behind the couch I'm sitting on with picture frames I can't see but noticed when we walked in. There's also a plain coffee table resting in the center and small tables to either side of the couch. A fireplace has been carved into the stone wall with a light oak wood cabinet to the side and an archway on the other. The home has been beautifully decorated. But I had failed to notice when the women disappeared while I was admiring her house. She hurries back with a red medical kit and sits beside me before swiftly opening it and rummaging around for the right supplies. A noise of exclamation escapes her lips once she seems to find what she was looking for before turning towards me. Her slender fingers grip my chin lightly, angling my face towards her so that she can dab the antiseptic on my lips. Flinching when it stings, I shut my eyes and welcome her hand that grasps mine reassuringly. She works on me in silence, softly praising me as she does so. Pulling back from my face she rolls up my sleeves to my elbow only to gasp quietly when she notices my bruised and raw arms. I know there are rope burns on my wrists and that they are going to hurt like hell when she tends to them. Regardless, I try not to make a sound or indicate that I'm in pain by biting the inside of my cheek, although sometimes I unknowingly grip her hand too tight and she stops to let me take a breather. I can't get over how kind and thoughtful she is. She's caring and gentle, like a mother. I blink back the tears threatening to escape at the thought and look down in case she sees me. Eventually, she finishes and my wrists are now bandaged and my bruises and cuts are disinfected and clean. "Thank you." I whisper as I graze my thumb over the white bandage before I look back up her. She smiles at me in return before giving me a hug and her boldness surprises me. Once she pulls away it's then that I notice the men standing in the room. However, this time there's another man who is watching me with no emotion in his eyes. He looks to be much older and more rugged than the two men from the truck. I admit he is quite handsome and assume he is the eldest. He too has a muscled frame much like his father with dark brown hair and slightly darker green eyes. He has a perfect tan and oozes masculinity too. I take a deep breath as I know it's time to explain with the way they are staring at me expectantly. "Again, I'm sorry for stowing away on your pickup truck. I-I needed to get away and hid myself there. When you drove off, I was too exhausted to let you know and fell asleep. The next thing I know, it's morning and I woke up here." "Who did that to you?" The boy from earlier demands curiously as he leans against the stone wall with his arms crossed. "Noah!" His mother gasps from beside me with a deep frown. "Don't be rude!" His father then turns to me and shoots me a small smile while his fingers overlap with each other as he crosses his hands. "So, mind telling us your name?" "...Ella." I hesitate before whispering.