Chapter 413 Chapter 413
Emersyn scrambled to sit up as she fought to catch her breath. Her heart was beating so fast that her whole body was vibrating. Where was she? Kicking the blanket to the floor, she stood up and looked at the other empty bed. The trailer. She was in a trailer at Kobie’s. Blowing out a breath, she focused on calming down. The light-headedness made her sway as she moved to the front of it. Bracing her hand on the wall, she closed her eyes and tried to erase the images from her mind. The pains in her ankle served as a distraction long enough for her to reach the small couch and sit down. Turning, she moved the curtain and looked outside. There were no tall fences or buildings anywhere to be seen, just nature and a light dusting of snow, making it bright and new-looking. It was new to her, all of it. She wasn’t in that house or, she touched her neck, in that collar.
Leaning back, she closed her eyes again and took a deep breath. It had been dark when they got here last night and after the long drive of trying not to freak out, she’d been too exhausted to care where she slept.
Her stomach gurgled with hunger, reminding her that she’d been too tired to eat as well. Sitting up, she looked down at her ankle and scowled at it in a silent chastising that it was going to cooperate and allow her to move around freely. Freely. She smiled slowly; she was free. She could step outside anytime she wanted to.
Jolting, she looked around for the tablet. Getting up, she leaned against the counter beside a sink and looked back to the bedroom. It was on the small table between the beds. Blowing out a breath, she limped back to get it. As she reached it, she noticed someone had plugged it in. She knew it wasn’t her. Noah, she didn’t know how she knew, but it had to be him that did that for her, so she could continue to look at Aspyn. Removing the cord, she hugged it to her and turned around.
Stopping beside the little fridge, she opened it far enough to peek in, hoping for something to drink at least. Her hand shook as she did it, going into the cupboard or fridge was against the rules unless you were told to. Clenching her teeth, she hissed out a breath between them, she forgot, again that she was free. Putting the tablet down, she yanked the door wide open.
She stared at the contents with awe, it was full. Not of sealed trays of premade foods, but fruits, vegetables, and store containers she didn’t recognize. She felt giddy. Fresh food. That had been so rare in the last nineteen years. Grabbing an apple and bottle of some sort of juice, she set it on the counter behind her and then moved her hand, hovering over the containers and reading them. It took her a minute to sound out the word. Yogurt. She had no idea what it was, but she was trying it.
Closing the fridge, she turned and looked at the cupboards and small drawers. Opening the top one, she grinned to see forks, spoons, and knives. She hadn’t eaten with anything but a spoon in many years. Of course, that was her own fault, she had tried to stab a guard with a fork. Clicking her tongue, she frowned and then opened the container, did she need a fork for yogurt or a spoon? Upon seeing the contents of it, she nodded, “spoon it is.” Taking one out of the drawer she closed it and hopped to the table and stretched to reach the items on the counter to put them on the table. A note stuck to a small machine on the counter caught her attention. She scowled at the words. Turn. On. For coffee. Eyebrows raised, she pulled it off and pushed the button. She’d never had coffee, it wasn’t allowed in the houses, but she remembered older women always saying how much they missed it.
Settling down in the seat, she watched the machine as it gurgled and made coffee. Picking up the yogurt, she looked at the picture on the side. There was fruit in the picture, but when she looked in it, there was just a white substance. Stabbing the spoon in, she stirred it around and was delighted to see the fruit was hiding at the bottom. Taking a bite, she moved it around her mouth, it was an odd taste, not bad, just nothing like she’d had before. Swallowing it, she decided she liked it and took another bite.