The Getaway

Luke approached the old barn with a certain disdain in his eyes. The old thing was ready to collapse at this point. He figured if he exhaled hard enough it just might. Weeds and grass were overgrown all around it. It had never been painted except for the protective lacquer that had since expired. Splinters jutted out all along the eroded surfaces. Messages were carved into the outer walls. His eyes fell on several messages as he scanned the building. One read, J + B Forever, while another read, EAT MY SHORTS! Luke chuckled at that one.

He thought about how long it had been since he’d last been here. It felt like an eternity and just yesterday all at once. Cautious of splinters, he put his hand on the door frame and peered inside. Besides everything falling apart, it really hadn’t changed much. Luke could still imagine the last night he had ever spent in this barn.

“Grandpa! You ready? We’re gonna be late!” The sudden noise jolted him out of his trance.

Luke’s granddaughter Leah, stomped over to him and said, “What are we doing here grandpa?”

Luke smiled and looked at Leah straight in her big brown eyes and asked, “I ever tell you about the time your grandmother and I up and ran off?”

With her brows furrowed, Leah shook her head.

Luke nodded and said, “I didn’t think so.”

“You can tell me in the car grandpa, we really should get goin’. The funeral starts soon and we don’t wanna be late.”

“I know it, but humor an old man for a moment.”

---

Jane unfolded the note and refolded it for what must have been the hundredth time. The creases in the paper ran increasingly deep from her constant fidgeting. She didn’t have to read it any longer because she had it memorized. Not that it was all that impressive. It was only nine words long, Meet me in the barn when he falls asleep.

She continued to absent-mindedly fold and unfold the note as she stared out of the window at the barn. She hardly noticed the rain as it pattered across the glass in a familiar rhythm.

“Wha' are ya doin’ over there?” Her father asked with the whiskey slurring his words. “Go on an’ ge’ me another drink.”

“Yes, father.” Jane replied in as kind a fashion as she could. She didn’t want to upset him in any way tonight. She needed him to pass out soon so she could go out to the barn.

She poured him two fingers of Jim just as he had taught her all those years ago. The smell sent a sickening shiver down her spine. She was nearly seventeen now and couldn’t wait to be free of him. She took a deep breath and brought the drink to her father.

He smiled stupidly at his daughter and said, “Goo’ girl.”

The drink slipped from through his hands and the whiskey spilled all over the carpet

“Dammit!” he shrieked as he stood to his feet, “Was perfectly good whiskey, an’ you dropped it!” The back of his hand landed against her cheek with a resounding WHAP!

Her face immediately welted up with a sharp sting. Her eyes welled uncontrollably. The bruise from just a couple days ago hadn’t even healed up yet, making this strike feel much sharper than normal. Jane stumbled backward trying to put distance between them. She hoped he would sit back down. No luck.

“Jus’ like your mother, always fuckin’ e’rything up!” He mumbled as he took another step toward her. To his surprise, he received a hard strike between the eyes from one of the living room lamps.

He stumbled back, feeling the warm blood trickling down his face. They stood staring at each other stunned by what had just happened. Normally she would have just taken her beating and gotten on with her night, but not tonight. She didn’t want to live like this any longer.

“I hate you!" She screamed with tears running down her face.

She took a step forward and kicked him as hard as she could between his legs. He collapsed to the ground, moaning in agony.

Jane took off up the stairs to her room. She stuffed a bag full of whatever she could grab. A set of clothes, her toothbrush, her mother’s locket, and the book on her nightstand. She took off down the stairs. Her father was still on the ground, and was making slow progress to get up.

“Goodbye Calvin,” she said with venom in her voice.

The rain beat down over head and lightning stretched out over the sky as she scanned for signs of Luke. She raced for the barn, the mud kicking up onto her clothes. The barn wasn’t far, but the mud made her feel thick and slow like molasses.

She finally reached the barn door and started yelling, “Luke! Luke! Are you there?” She tried to slide open the barn door, but kept slipping and falling in the mud.

“Luke!” She was starting to think that maybe he wasn’t here yet.

She heard the door to the house slam open. Her father was coming. The barn door slid open and Luke stood there, eyes wild with concern.

“Jane?! What’s going on?” Luke followed her gaze back to the stumbling giant that was getting closer by the second. Jane’s father was a large man, but looked even greater at night. He was like a large demonic shadow that meant to enact his revenge.

Luke bent down and lifted Jane out of the mud and into the safety of the barn. He quickly set her down in a stack of hay nearby before turning back to close the barn door. He just about had it closed when Calvin grabbed a hold of the door.

“You won’t take my daughter from me you bastard!” Her father snarled from the outside.

“Jane! Grab something to hold this thing closed! I don’t think I can hold it very long!” Luke yelled. His muscles strained, and his jaw clenched. His feet were already starting to slide. Calvin was much larger than Luke, making it difficult for Luke to hold his ground.

Jane returned with an axe and a rope. She dropped the rope and hacked at her father's hand. She missed with the first swing, but took his index and middle finger off with the second. He howled in pain as his severed fingers fell to the ground. They slammed the door close as Calvin continued screaming and cursing.

“Quick! Help me with this!” Luke yelled as he picked up one end of the rope. “Tie that end to the handle of the door.” Luke handed Jane one end of the rope she had brought over as he ran over and tied the other end around the stick of the backhoe. They pulled the rope tight just as the door started rattling.

“LET! ME! IN!” The old man roared in his drunken rage.

Luke and Jane both held onto the handle of the barn door with the rope hoping that he wouldn’t be able to get in. Suddenly the door stopped rattling and his yells fell silent. They looked at each other and waited a moment before they both sighed with relief.

“What are we gonna do?” Jane asked.

Luke shook his head and said, “I really don’t know.”

She was just grateful that he was here and he wasn't asking questions. She fell into his chest and wrapped her arms around him tight as she could. He returned her embrace and pressed his head against hers. His eyes gripped shut, he took a deep breath and then held Jane out at arms length.

Looking into her brown eyes, he asked, “Alright, is there another way in or out of this barn?”

Jane had tears streaming down her face now as she shook her head.

Luke looked around at the barn and then back at Jane, “Then I think we are gonna have to fight our way out. I won’t let him hurt you anymore.” He touched the welt on her cheek gingerly, but she still flinched in pain.

Before he could pull away and start planning their escape, she pulled him in for a kiss. They stood there at the edge of the barn fully embraced and connected with one another. The rain beat down on the roof of the barn and the lightning continued to strike down. All of the chaos faded away for the moment.

That moment was stripped from them in a matter of seconds. Both their heads turned at the sound of a rumbling outside.

They heard the truck engine revved high, but only after it was too late. The truck pulverized the barn door and headed straight for them. Jane was able to push Luke out of the way, but wasn't as fortunate to get out of the way herself. She was knocked a few feet away from the truck toppling a barrel of grain as she went.

“NO!” Luke cried out as he immediately ran to her side. “Jane! Jane!”

She groaned, but didn’t wake. Luke was surveying her injuries when the truck door opened up and her old man started yelling at him.

“You get away from her! You don’ belong here!” The old man picked up the axe that had just removed two of his fingers. The blood streamed from the stumps where his fingers use to be. Drenched in his own blood, he stumbled steadily toward the young man.

There was murder in the Calvin’s eyes as he locked in on Luke. He was too drunk to notice what Luke was holding in his hand. Calvin raised the axe with both hands above his head and that was when Luke made his move.

He had picked up an old rusted trowel laying next to Jane. Instead of fleeing from the old man’s attack, he ran toward it. Luke rammed the trowel as deep as he could inside of the hateful man before him. He hit just underneath his ribcage and penetrated deep into his dark black heart.

The axe dropped as the shock of the pain spread across his face, and he slowly slumped to the ground. His jaw moved as if he wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t escape. Before long the man lay still as blood spread across the barn floor.

Once Luke was sure that he was no longer a threat, he turned his attention back to Jane. Jane was still unconscious. Nothing on her looked deformed or badly broken. He looked over to the truck and noticed that it was still running. He swooped up his love and moved her to the front seat of the truck cab. He drove off into the night in search of the nearest hospital. They never went back to that dreadful place.

---

“Grandpa! You killed a man?”

Luke could only grunt and nod disapprovingly at himself.

Leah exhaled deeply and shook her head. “I had no idea that you went through that. I’m sorry grandpa.”

Luke managed a smile and said, “I only did what needed to be done in the moment to keep your grandmother safe. If I hadn’t, than neither one of us would be standing here today. That day bonded us more than anyone will ever know. We had a beautiful life together. I wish it could have lasted longer, but the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away." Silence hung briefly between them before he said, "I think I’m ready to go to that funeral now.”

Leah, not knowing what to say just nodded and walked silently next to her grandfather as they headed back to the car. Her grandmother had lived a good long life, and now it was time to celebrate and honor that life.