From A Get Away To Getting Away

Terri was on her usual fall road trip to the North Carolina mountains. She loved the crisp air, fresh apples and the beautiful leaves. Normally she wasn’t alone. However, this time her friends weren’t able to make it. She figured a quiet trip by her self would be good. Terri was in the midst of writers block and hoped this trip would jog her brain. What she didn’t realize is this trip was going to be hair raising.

She pulled in at one of her favorite stops. It was a combination gas station and restaurant. She went inside to get pumpkin spice pancakes with lots of whip topping and a hot apple cider. While waiting for her food Terri noticed a young girl, maybe sixteen, that looked frightened. The man that was with her did all of the talking to the waitress. When the girl got up to use the bathroom he followed her and waited outside the door. Terri knew something was going on. This girl looked as if she was in trouble. She took a deep breath and told her self to quit writing mysteries into people’s stories. She was probably traveling with her dad and he was just being cautious.

After getting back in her car, Terri watched as the man tied the girl up and shoved her in the back of a van. He didn’t know that Terri was seeing this. She pulled out her phone to call the police, but she didn’t have signal. She thought for a minute “What should I do? I can’t let him get away with this”. She cranked up her car and decided to follow him. She stayed a few car distance behind so he wouldn’t notice her, for all he knew she was going this way. Terri was wiggling in her seat, she sure hoped that he made a bathroom stop soon, because she had to go. Of course she had to drink hot apple cider, How was she supposed to know she would end up in pursuit of a kidnapper. Saying that to herself brought chills at the thought of causing a kidnapper. She had to be crazy.

The van turned off on a winding mountain road. Terri knew at this point a bathroom break wasn’t in her near future, she would just have to hold it or let it flow in the rental car. She wondered what the cleaning fee would be for that. There were no other cars so she backed off of him a little. The last thing she wanted was to be spotted tailing him. She checked her phone again and still no signal. She told her phone “Come on now, I need to call the police”! She slowed up, the van pulled over on the side at a look out point. She speculated “Surely he isn’t going to dump her off the mountain”. Nope, the kidnapper had to relieve himself. She said aloud “Must be nice”.

The man got back in his van and started down the windy road again. Terri waited until he couldn’t see her and pulled out. There still weren’t any other vehicles on this road. She asked herself “Where is he going”? She had no idea, but she was going there too. Terri thought about the young girl in the back of the van tied up. She was probably hungry, thirsty, scared and had to use the bathroom too. Terri spoke out in an aha moment " That’s it! Maybe he will stop for the girl to go to the bathroom. One could hope”. The van pulled off at a farmers stand. He got out long enough to grab a few things and jumped back in the van. There wasn’t enough time for her to stop and report what she had seen or look for a bathroom.

Terri went back to tailing the van. She had snacks and something to drink. Only problem was, if she ate she would be thirsty and we know what would happen if she drank anything. They came up to a little road side store and Terri was praying for a chance to see the girl, call the cops and use the bathroom. NO chance, he didn’t stop this time. She had to find a way to get help. She had thought about honking her horn to draw attention, but that would also alert the kidnapper. The road was too curvy for her to write a note and throw it out the window. There had to be something she could do. What if she rammed into the van, no she could get hurt and even injure the girl.

Out of options and still no signal Terri just kept following the van. Her need to relieve herself was growing stronger. Then suddenly the van turned down a dirt road. She waited until it was safe to follow. The van was going a lot slower, so she had to slow down to a creep. She watched as the van took a left down another dirt road and was still traveling slow. She really was afraid he had seen her following. Her stomach was in knots again! Did he have a gun? Would he shoot her? It was starting to be dusk out and She turned the running lights off. As they creeped down this old dirt road she noticed a cabin in the woods.

The van drove up to the cabin and stopped. Terri had to stay back so she wouldn’t be detected. She checked her phone “Dang it! I need a signal”! She watched closely as the creepy man drugged the scared girl out of the van. The girl was kicking and screaming. The man just laughed and said “Scream all you want. No one will hear you out here. You’re all mine”! The poor girl was crying and begging him to let her go. He continued to drag her into the cabin and slammed the door. Terri was petrified “What can I do? I have to do something! He might catch me and keep me too”!

Terri waited till it got a little dark and crept up to the cabin. She peeked in the window and saw the young shaking girl sitting tied to a chair. Terri heard the man say he had to get something out of the van. Maybe this was her chance to grab the girl and run. Nope, not happening. He was too close to the front door. She decided to find another way in. She went around back and entered through a bedroom window. Her stomach was flip flopping to the point of almost vomiting. She slowly cracked the bedroom door open to see he was still outside. Terri walked up to the girl and made a shushing motion. She whispered “I’m here to rescue you”! The weary young girl started crying.

Before she knew it Terri heard footsteps on the porch. She assured the crying young girl that she would be close. She slipped back into the bedroom, but left the door cracked enough to see and hear everything. She couldn’t believe what she was doing, it was like one of her books. Somehow she was going to save this girl. The man approached the terrified girl and looked very menacing. The girl mustered the courage to ask “Can you get some fire wood? If you want to spend time with me it would be more cozy here”? The nasty grungy man laughed in a wicked laugh “I see you’re starting to come around”.

He went out to gather fire wood and this was Terri’s chance. She made sure the window was open and quickly went to release the girl. She was so panic-stricken that her fingers fumbled with the ropes. She managed to get the girl loose and they fled to the bedroom. The two escaped out the window and ran to Terri’s car. By the time they got in the kidnapper realized his prisoner was free. He ran outside to see Terri’s car driving off. He jumped in his van and took off after them. Terri asked the girl “What is your name”? The young now released girl started sobbing and said “My name is Lisa”. Terri flew down the mountain road and headed back to where she could find lots of people and signal.

Soon she noticed that the kidnapper was after them. She told Lisa to hold on and buckle up. She passed Lisa her phone “Keep a check on it. If we reach a signal call for help”. Lisa did as she was asked and told Terri thank you for saving her. Terri rushed down the mountain as fast as she could on this winding road with her heart in her throat. They were approaching one of the roadside stores and Lisa said “There’s signal!! I’m calling 911”! Terri knew if she kept driving they would lose the signal again. She was going to have to risk pulling over. Lisa reached 911 and the operator came over the car radio. Terri quickly filled them in and said they would have to keep moving.

The dispatcher stayed on the phone as Terri whipped the car back onto the road, just as the van was pulling into the store parking lot. Before losing the dispatcher, they were told that police were being sent their way. Terri softly spoke to Lisa “Everything is going to be okay. You did a good job with the phone. The police will catch up with us soon”. She continued cruising at a fast pace down the mountain road. When they came to the turn off the police were waiting. They motioned them through and closed the gap in time to stop the van. They were finally safe and the kidnapper was in custody. That was when Terri remembered she still had to pee. She wished that she hadn’t been through all of this, but it was worth saving Lisa.