It’s really hard to stay braced and ready for hours on end, you know?
I had no way of keeping track of how much time passed, but the truck’s engine was a steady rumble for what felt like hours. After a while I got hungry and ate some of the food stashed above my head—grapes and a tasty chicken sandwich and sweet clumps of what might have been cookies made of rice. The food distracted me from the rotting stench that still seemed to linger in my nose, from when Udans held his hand over my face for so long. The only thing available to drink was a huge bottle of water—so boring—but at least it kept me from staying thirsty. And you try gulping down any sort of beverage while lying in a shallow box and being jolted back and forth constantly. The water kind of doubled as a drink and a shower.
After I’d eaten all the food I could lay my hands on, I rolled onto my side and imagined how I’d swing my arms out as soon as I saw the first crack of light above me. Everybody said I’d been the strongest kid in Fredtown; surely as soon as Udans unlatched the plank above me, I’d be able to sweep the plank aside, shove past him, and take off.
The truck’s engine kept humming along. The darkness around me stayed constant. Unending.
I don’t remember closing my eyes, but I was sound asleep when a bright light suddenly washed over me. I wasted a moment wincing and blinking, and then I could see Udans standing above me, a dark shadow in the glare of bright sunlight behind him. He had removed the plank entirely, exposing me to the world outside the truck.
And the truck was stopped.
I sprang up and took off running. My feet touched the flat surface of the truck’s bed only once before I leaped down to the ground. I hit with such force that I had to crouch for an instant and touch my fingertips to the road to balance, but then I was back up, sprinting away. There wasn’t even time to look where I was going—I was all about speed.
I raced forward, stretching my legs out as far as I could, shoving off from every step with my full strength. But Udans was taller than me, and stronger, too. Was he a faster runner as well? How much time did I have before he caught up with me? How many seconds did I have before I’d need to shout for help, or to find a way to outsmart him and hide?
I risked a glance over my shoulder, even as I kept running blindly forward.
Udans was still back at the truck, leaning against the bumper. He wasn’t even chasing me.
“Run all you like,” he said with a yawn. “Let me know when you get tired.”
“You can’t catch me!” I yelled back. “When my dad finds out I’ve escaped, he’ll . . .”
I finally noticed the scenery around me. Forget yelling for help—there was no one around besides me and Udans. Forget hiding—there was nothing in sight but Udans, the truck, and hectare after hectare of flat, scrubby land. The tallest plant I could see barely came up to my ankles. The ground was hard and dusty and cracked, as if eons had passed since the last time it rained. And this drought-stricken wasteland stretched all the way to the horizon.
I could run all I liked. But there was nowhere to run to.
There was nowhere for me to go.