The sharp corn fields

The sharp corn fields

The sun was hot on this July long weekend road trip. I decided on short notice that I needed a brake from the city and pull my pop up camper to the lake a few hours away from the city. My plan was to set up camp, build a fire and read my favourite book laying in a hammock and watch the fireworks at night. I decided to only tell my mother about my much needed short vacation.

The drive always seems to go rather quickly, after all singing and belting out the wrong lyrics to the eighties hits without being judged was rather amusing. Taking the back roads watching the horses run threw the fields, the ducks in the ponds with their babies, the air much cleaner out in the country. The memories come flooding in when I was a kid, there was an old barn that had a petting zoo of barnyard animals. I think to myself, I should take a detour and see if it is still there.

It’s been a long while since my last visit, but I’m sure I take a right after the old school house, then a left at the oak tree, continue to go straight and the barn should be on the right. I can feel butterflies in my chest as I take the last left. The road seems to have grown in the trees thicker, and the road narrower, however the nostalgia of seeing the old barn will feel my soul of memories of my sister and us chasing the chickens around the yard. I miss her so much, she died at the age of ten with complications of a rare heart disease that was mis diagnosed. It wrecked our family, my dad went into deep depression and was admitted into a mental hospital for many years, and my mom shut right down. I had to live with my grandmother for five years before my mom was ready to move in with us. My mom and I now have a great relationship but it took a long time to get there.

The trees now touching the car, and the eerie feeling of the noise of the branches screeching along side like nails on a chalk board. I can’t turn around now, so I have no choice but to keep going ahead and hope that there is a turn around where the farm was.

I can see light up ahead which gave me hope that the farm was still intact. Looking in the review mirror, you can’t tell that a car just came down the road as the trees settled back to where they were. The light became brighter as I was edging the entrance to the farm. There was a tiny house, with mowed grass, a huge garden beside the house and the barn was still there. It was still standing which was weird because it was old when I was young. I realized that whoever lives here must have fixed it up. I parked the car in front of the house and a man walked out with Jean overalls on, with a button up shirt and a cowboy hat. He looked around my mothers age 50 ish. He had a big smile as I walked up to him.

I explained how much the old barn brought back memories and was glad that it is still standing. I asked why the road was in such bad shape, and Orson explained that he decided to live off grid many years ago to live off the land. He had solar panels on the roof of his house, a well, an outhouse, an old beaten up truck, piles of split wood, and the animals and garden sustained him just fine.

He asked if I would like some ice tea, and I obliged. We had a really nice conversation and then he asked me if I would like to check out the barn. I was thrilled and didn’t want to take up anymore of his time, but he was happy for me to check it out. He told me that he would clean up and meet me there in a few minutes. My heart was full as I imagined my sister playing, and feeding the calf milk with a bottle. I remembered how I felt when it was my turn to feed another calf, and imagined my parents holding each other smiling at us.

I opened the side door of the old barn and stepped in. “What the heck” I said out loud looking at the door now closed behind me. I tried to open it but it was locked. I started to scream and holler for help.

“Sh…. , he doesn’t like it when you scream”.

I looked around frantically trying to get my eyes focused and I saw three girls in chains. Their hair was dirty and the clothes ripped. The chains were around their hands and could hear them drag along the dirt on the dusty wooden floor.

My eyes wide, my heart racing, I run to the door and bang on it, and call for help. I turn and look at the girls and run towards the first one. My instinct was to free the girls, run to my car and rescue these chained up girls.

“It’s no use, we tried everything. Run if you can and get help. If you move the the old wooden barrel there is a tiny opening that we have been carving out for months in between feeding times and our abuse. Run through the corn field North, until you hit the highway. Flag down a truck driver, and at the first gas station call for help.” Her eyes were gaunt, the smudge of tears on her cheeks, her clothes hanging on her from weight loss. I turned and looked at the other girls.

“What is going on here, what are your names”

She said “Carole, Mishelin, and Torique, we are sisters, he killed our parents. He is a monster…. RUN”

I looked at the three girls, ran to the barrel, got on my hands and knees looked back and said “I’ll be back, I promise” I ran into the corn field and kept running. The leaves were sharp and within a few minutes my arms and hands were cut up and bleeding. I kept running for what seemed like an hour and then I heard it.

A gun shot, I instantly ducked down and covered my head. Then panic struck, either he was shooting at me, or killed one of the girls. I started running again, and crying. My knees were now cut up from falling so many times. Then again another shot! This time the shot was further way, and I knew I was quite a bit further than he was, I tried to catch my breath leaning over with my hands on my knees. I hoped that he didn’t shoot another girl, then caught my breath and ran even faster.

I could see a clearing and hoped it was the road, and not the farm because it would be very easy to circle back and not know it. I continued to run and it was the road. Panic struck, because now I was vulnerable out in the open. The farmer could have broke into my car and drove down the road knowing were I would come out. I had to take the chance and continue to walk down the road. I couldn’t run anymore, as I was now feeling fatigued without any water.

I kept thinking about the girls and wondered how long they were shackled, I noticed that the clothes were baggie but they also looked small. Their jeans were short, their shirts were short. I hoped that a truck driver or a farmer would drive by and pick me up. My clothes were torn and my hands and forearms were still bleeding.

It was now dark, and wondered if I chose the wrong way, because one of the girls said there was a truck stop. Feeling defeated, I started to cry, but did not stop. Then, I saw headlights from a car. What do I do, stand in the middle of the road and wave, or hide on the side of the road just in case it was my car with the farmer. I decided to hide, I couldn’t take the chance after the car drove by, I realized that it wasn’t my car and I screamed…

“NO!...you will pay, you horrible man, you will pay” several hours later I saw the lights coming from a building, I ran towards it and it was gone. I now now that I was hallucinating, and fell to my knees. I closed my eyes for a moment. When I awoke I was on a chair in a room. I looked around frantically, and got up to run. When I saw a woman with a wash cloth approaching me.

“I asked what happened , and where am I”

The lady said “you are at the road side dog house, a truck driver dropped you off and asked if I could help you. “He found you on the side of the road passed out, and bleeding”

I told her everything what just had happened, and we needed to call the police. Once the police arrived, I hopped into the back and told them everything.

One of the officers looked back at me and said, “we have been searching for the family for three years, and the case was on the cold case files. “If it wasn’t for you they probably would have died there”

All I wanted to do was hug the girls and tell them they are safe. I touched my locket and looked up towards the sky and thanked my sister for her help in finding the girls. I closed my eyes, and cried. I cried for my sister and cried for the girls.

Once the farmer was apprehended, I showed the police were the barn was that held the girls. Once they were free we all hugged each other, and promised that we would keep in touch.

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