Chapter Twenty-Three

Billie made it to the top of the wall twice in what seemed no time at all. But instead of climbing a third time, she turned herself around and around like she remembered doing as a child, intentionally making herself dizzy and losing her sense of direction. Putting her hands out, she felt around the walls until she felt a section of the wall not familiar to her. She closed her eyes as if she could add to the darkness, and felt of the rocks as high as she could reach, locating each rock outcropping large enough for a hand or foothold. Once the rock map was ingrained in her mind, she placed her hand and foot on rock ledges remembered, and up she climbed.

When she reached the highest point she had mentally mapped, she began feeling with each hand, locating new outcroppings and climbing higher, repeating this process until her arms grew tired. Slowly, she made her way back down the wall. By the time she reached the bottom, her muscles screamed with fatigue. After finding the table in the center of the room, she got her bearings and made her way to the mattress, where she collapsed in exhaustion.

Billie didn’t know how long she slept, but she was awakened by a scratching noise. Her peeping friend was back. She rose onto her knees and put her ear close to the rocks. Soon, the rock was pulled from its hole, and she heard him or her breathing again. Not wanting to frighten the person away, Billie sat quiet and waited.

Thump!

Again, something had been pushed through the hole. Billie felt around beneath the hole and picked up a small, metal tube-like object, a small flashlight, a Maglite. Billie picked up the end of the mattress and shielded the flashlight so she could see if it worked without shining the light out into her cell. With one small twist, a stream of light shot out. Quickly, she turned it off.

Billie lowered her mattress and crawled back toward the hole. She felt for the hole, and after finding it, put her mouth close to it.

“Thank you.” Billie whispered. She was surprised when she heard a strange male voice answer in a whisper.

“Welcome.”

“What’s your name?” Billie decided to see if she could get the voice, a he, to talk to her.

“Charlie.” A moment of silence, and then he asked, “You?”

“Billie…my name is Billie.” She waited, not wanting to scare him off. “Can you help me get out of here, Charlie? I’m really scared.” Billie spoke in a cracked whisper, on the verge of crying, both out of fear and hope, but all she heard was silence.

“Billie? Charlie not know Billie.”

Billie thought by the way Charlie talked he was mentally slow, but it didn’t matter. He had already helped her with the knife and now the Maglite.

“Get help, Charlie. Please tell someone you trust…a friend. Bring them here.”

“Secret.” Charlie was talking at the hole from a distance now.

“Please, Charlie. I’m going to have a baby, and I need to live; my baby needs to live.” Billie sobbed softly. “I’ll die if you don’t help.” More silence…longer this time and Billie thought Charlie was gone.

“Charlie go.”

And just like that, Charlie placed the rock back in the hole and left Billie with her tears, her fears, and darkness.

After weeping for a few minutes, Billie sat up and shook herself out of her self-pity. Reaching under the mattress, she found the small hole she had made in it with the knife Charlie had left her before. She stuffed the Maglite far up inside the mattress next to the knife, making sure to pull the cotton stuffing around the objects and back toward the opening. Then, placing her hand gently on her stomach, she curled into a fetal position.

Be strong; fear not! God will save you! And I’ll help. Just show me the way.