The driver slammed on the brakes.
“What the hell are you doing?!”
I ran to the window.
“Please, help us! Someone’s trying to kill us!
Take us away from here! We need to call the
cops!”
The driver looked at us and at the guys
running towards us.
He nodded.
“Get in!”
We jumped in the truck.
It drove off, leaving those guys behind.
I leaned back, relieved, but still scared.
Sam took my hand.
ᄀ
“Riley, we’re safe now.”
I nodded, but then I pulled my hand away.
I was still shaken up.
The driver spoke up.
“Who were those guys? What did you do to
them?”
I took a deep breath.
“Just take us to the nearest police station.”
He didn’t ask any more questions.
A few minutes later, we got to the station.
く
I told the cops what happened.
They took us in and said they’d check
everything out.
They set us up in a waiting room to relax.
Sam sat next to me.
“Riley, I’m sorry. If I hadn’t been so stupid,
you wouldn’t have gone through this.”
I shook my head.
“Let me go when this is over.”
He was quiet for a moment, but then nodded.
I looked out the window.
く
It was dark, but dawn was coming.
Jenny confessed everything to the police.
She was calm, like she was talking about
someone else.
“I always knew.”
“I always helped the people on the mountain,
Connecting them with people who were alone,
that could be kidnapped. And you…” She
looked at me and smiled.
“Riley, you didn’t just wander off, but my
Mom did it, she kidnapped you.”
“After she kidnapped you, she threw me in
front of your house. She knew your parents
were looking for you and they’d adopt me.”
୮
“I spent twenty–two years living your life
while you were suffering.”
I started shaking.
Hearing the truth was different.
I never knew people could be so evil.
Sam covered my ears.
“Don’t listen, Riley. It’s over.”
Jenny yelled.
“Sam! Don’t touch her! You’re my man!”
Sam looked at her with disgust and led me
out of the station.
く
I could hear Jenny yelling, but the cops
stopped her.
Jenny got a life sentence.
She wanted to see me the day before she
went to prison.
My parents wanted to come with me.
We met in the visiting room.
Jenny was wearing an orange jumpsuit,
smirking.
My mom broke down.
“It’s all your fault! You kept me and Riley
apart for so long!”
く
Jenny didn’t care.
“It’s your fault, my family were so naive that
you can adopt anyone, it was easy.”
My dad held my mom.
“We took you in for so long! You’re such a
snake!”
Jenny laughed.
