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“Let go of me! Let go! I’ll tell.” Nikki struggled and kicked, but the man was too big and she couldn’t get away.
He didn’t say anything, and that was scarier even than his ski mask. It matched the Hog Hell souvenir cap she wore. “You were at the restaurant, too.”
He gripped her arm tighter, right on top of the scratches Hope had left. He marched her back into the barn. Was he mad about Hope? Her lip began to tremble. “Are you Mr. Felch?”
The man paused, and stared at her a long moment, considering. Then he nodded.
“Why’d you lock that lady up?” She wouldn’t cry. Her brother Hank wouldn’t cry if he’d gotten caught, and neither would Melinda, so she wouldn’t either. Despite the silent assertion, a tear dripped off her cheek. “What’re you gonna do? Please, Mr. Felch, let me go. I won’t tell. Cross my heart.”
It was wrong to lie. Mom said so all the time. But Nikki didn’t care, she’d tell the biggest lie she could if he’d let her go. And then tell on him anyway! She was pretty sure it was against the law to scare kids. And for sure, it wasn’t legal to lock up ladies in barns.
He held a big heavy flashlight like a club and she shivered. She could see lots better than from the light her phone made, before he stomped it and broke it to pieces. Another fat tear slid down her nose. Daddy gave her that phone. Now she couldn’t text him or anything.
They reached the padlocked door, he found a key, and unlocked it. Her teeth chattered. He’d lock her inside, too. She remembered the school lesson on stranger danger, and what to do. Run. But she couldn’t run. Scream. That she could do.
The door swung open, and Mr. Felch pointed his flashlight into the woman’s terrified face. September yelled, “Macy, KILL IT!”
Nikki saw a pinprick of light focused on the man’s ski mask. Nikki screamed.
Mr. Felch yelled, too, when a furry projectile hit him claws first in the ski mask.
