Chapter Three (Part Two)

Calla

A dull ache in my leg and muffled voices woke me from a restless sleep. My limbs felt heavy and my eyelids refused to open. 

"What do you mean you can't figure out who sent my daughter the text message?"

Confused, I rubbed my face and frowned. Who is dad talking to? Where am I?

Finally managing to open my eyes, I looked down at the white gown and IV sticking out of my arm. The memories came crashing back, though some were blurry. My backside throbbed from falling out of the hospital bed.

The sound of my father's shoes pacing back and forth made my stomach clench. While the sound was barely audible, it was a telltale sign that he was nervous. He always paced when he was nervous.

An unfamiliar voice answered him. "We've traced the text message to a burner phone. Officer DuBois is trying to track down where it was purchased and by whom."

Is he talking to the police officer who came in here earlier? I had only seen him for a few seconds, but he had a baby face and braces. He looked like he belonged at Jackson High School instead of on the police force.

The pacing quickened. "Someone is threatening to kill my daughter and it's all my fault."

My heart sank.

"Mr. Vinson, focus on helping your daughter recover. We will find the person or people behind these attacks. The good news is, we have a potential description of the car the assailant used to get away after throwing the brick through your window. We have a BOLO out and additional officers are canvassing your neighborhood now."

Letting out a frustrated sigh, my dad asked, "What about that kid that harassed Calla at school on Friday? Did you talk to him yet?"

The officer nodded. "Yes, his parents have given a statement that he was at home during the time of the incident."

"And you believe them? Just like that?" The exasperation in my father's voice had reached its peak.

"Mr. Vinson, I want to assure you, we're doing everything we can do figure out who is behind the incident which took place at your home today and who is responsible for the threatening text messages your daughter received."

I tried to take it all in, but my head swam from the medication.

"What can we do to help keep my daughter safe?" My dad's voice had softened, but it remained heavily laced with concern and fear.

"Is there somewhere you can both stay for the time being?" asked Officer Porter. "Perhaps out of the city?"

My dad frowned. "Calla has stayed with her aunt before, but she only lives a few blocks over from our house."

Officer Porter shifted his weight. "That isn't ideal. Especially if she stayed there before."

I cleared my throat. "What about the farm house?" The words echoed in my head as soon as they left my lips.

"Calla! You're up," said my dad, pulling the curtain open. He forced a smile on his weary face and strode across the room to give me a gentle hug. "I'm sorry we woke you up."

I pressed a button on the bed, raising my back to a sitting position. "It's okay. The medicine is making me feel pretty woozy, but it sounds like we need somewhere to hang out for awhile. What about the farm house?"

Biting his lower lip, my dad thought about the proposal. In addition to the house where we currently lived, my grandparents had also left us a large farm an hour north of the city. They had sold some of the land, but over 100 acres remained as well as an old two story house with a rope swing in the front yard. Most of the land had been rented out to local farmers, but the house remained empty.

"That might be our best option," he said. "But there's not much out there to do and I don't like the thought of being twenty minutes from the nearest police station."

I tried to smile, reassuring him that the farm house was a good plan. "If my teachers can send my homework, I can just work on that for the next month and we can up our data plan. Plus, I haven't told anyone about the farm except Rowan and he would never tell anyone where we were staying."

My dad looked conflicted.

"I thought I could handle the rest of the school year," I paused and looked at my leg, "but I changed my mind. I just want to be at home and away from whoever is trying to hurt us."

My father rubbed his chin and nodded. "If we stay in our house tonight, can the officers stay until we leave for the farm in the morning?"

Officer Porter nodded. "Yes. We can arrange that for you."

My dad looked exhausted. The dark circles that always filled the space under his bloodshot eyes were puffy. "Can you also arrange for the local police to patrol our property while we're there?"

"Yes, I can arrange that, Mr. Vinson," said Officer Porter.

"Thank you," my father responded.

I reached out and grabbed his hand. "It's for the best, Dad. No one will know we're out there. We'll be totally safe."

He sighed and tried to smile, instead, the creases in his forehead deepened. "You're right, it's for the best."

******

Cliffhangers,

Here's a little hint, everything is NOT going to be okay at the farm house! *inserts evil laugh*

Also, I added Calla right under Chapter Three (Part Two), to indicate the point of view for the chapter. I'll add them in the previous chapters as well. Why am I doing this? Keep reading to find out, but I'll give you one more hint... You're about to meet someone very evil! Think Alexa Vega on steroids! 0_0

Until next time,

Kelly Anne Blount xoxo