Dakota’s eyes opened, and her senses slowly came back to her. Duct tape covered over her mouth, and her hands were all also duct taped behind her back. She sat against a wall, in the room she had been held capive in. She looked around, frightened. She saw Jordan and the others, sitting up, conscious. A look of fear was in their eyes, and she followed their gaze. She saw something slither slowly in the kids direction, and rattle. A rattlesnake! Dakota curled up against the wall as close as she could, as she thought of options of escape. I could find something to cut the duct tape on, I could try and grab the snake from behind me, but that would probably end in failure.
She looked around the room for anything that would be useful. After finding nothing, she looked down at her tennis shoes. God, please provide a way out of here! A tear ran down her cheek, I always thought I’d be brave at the point of death, I guess I was wrong. She studied her shoes a little longer, and her eyes settled on her red shoe lace. Dakota suddenly remembered certain instructions her dad had given her once. She began to do all that her dad had showed her to do, as slowly as she could.
She brought her arms under her legs, and with difficulty, she got her hands in front of her without attracting much attention from the snake. The rattlesnake hissed in her attention, but did not make a move. The others sat in fear, and in curiosity of Dakota. She ripped the duct tape from her mouth as quietly as she could. She gasped from the pain of hair ripping after it was taken off. She sighed in new fresh air, and prayed. Thank you God.
She waited to see what the snake was doing, it slithered closer toward them, as if waiting for the best moment to strike one of the kids. Dakota reached down for her shoe, and restrained from ripping it off, and hurling it at the snake. She untied her sneaker, and took one of the laces. The snake came closer, and she could guess who it was aiming for, Sarah. She could see the terror in her eyes, as the snake came closer. Dakota stopped, and whispered, “Sarah.”
Sarah shifted her gaze to Dakota, in sheer terror. She whispered instructions, “Sarah, just don’t move. I’ll get you guys out in a moment.”
Sarah nodded, and didn’t let her gaze off of her, as she continued. Dakota placed the end of the lace in her mouth, and began to saw the shoelace against the duct tape that bound her hands together. She sawed as quickly as she could, while taking a few quick glances at Sarah. Dakota was half way through the duct tape, when she heard a rattle. She turned her head, and saw the snake take it’s venomous fangs out of her leg. She could see blood seep through Sarah’s khaki designer pants. Dakota sucked in a quick breath, and knew she had to hurry.
She sawed through the duct tape as fast as she could, and by the time she stood, the snake was attacking Samuel. She slowly approached the snake as it neared him. She paused for a moment, and gathered her courage, then went for the head of the snake. But before she reached it, it lunged forward at Samuel, and sunk it’s fangs into his leg. It freed itself from his leg, and Dakota grasped the head. She saw, from the corner of her eye, Ian beginning to do exactly what she had done to get free.
She glanced around for somewhere to hide the snake. After finding no where, she panicked. “Ian, hurry up.” She demanded frightenly.
The snake twisted it head around and around, trying to bite her arm. Ian sawed through the duct tape, and stood up. “Ian, get Sarah and Samuel and then the others. I can’t help, if I’m not careful the snake has the opportunity to bite someone, if within reach.”
Ian nodded, and began to unduct tape them. Dakota kept the rattlesnake away from her body, and everyone else as he freed them. When Jordan’s duct tape was off, she rushed over to Sarah and Samuel, and began to study their wounds. “We need to get them to a hospital.” Jordan announced.
“Uh, duh.” Brooke acknowledged, as she stood, “Not to mention that we are locked in here!”
Ian glanced at Brooke, “How do you know?”
“Do you think they’re going to leave the door unlocked?!”
“We could at least try.”
Ian ran up the stairs, and checked the door. He ran back down with a frown covering his face, “Told ya.’” Brooke sassed.
“You guys,” Dakota reminded them she was there, “Holding the snake here, and I can’t hold it here forever.”
Brooke marched over to Dakota, and grabbed her by the collar of her shirt. She tried to keep the snake away. “This is all your fault! If you had help us do what we were asked to do, we wouldn’t be here right now!”
Dakota felt the snake squirm, and she freed herself from Brooke’s grasp, “They said they were going to do what they planned to do with us, all along! They planned to kill us, and this is not my fault!”
Dakota squeezed her hands tight from her anger. She squeezed the snake’s head out of her hand. It fell to the floor, and Brooke screamed. She ran to the other side of the room, and the snake followed. The snake slithered by Ian, and he grabbed its head. Now the rattlesnake was angrier than ever. “I’m killing it.” Ian told them.
“How are you-”
Ian slammed the snake on the floor and stomped his heel into it’s head. The snakes body coiled up, and then fell limp. “Oh.”
Ian inspected the dead snake, while Brooke huddled in the corner breathing in gasps of air. She seemed to gather herself after a moment, and then glared at Dakota, “You did that on purpose!”
Dakota stared at her in shock. “I would never do that! It slipped out of my hand!”
“Then maybe you should have kept a tighter grip on it!”
“Well, everyone’s fine now! So whats the big deal?!” Dakota shouted.
“Sarah and Samuel got bitten!”
“Well, if it hadn’t been for me we all would have been bitten!”
Brooke seemed to have no come back for Dakota, instead gave a deathening glare into her eyes. Dakota returned to glare, not daring to back down. “You guys, I need your help.” Jordan acknowledged.
They looked at Jordan, and she took charge. “Try and find water maybe, and soap, and a sharpie.”
Brooke looked astonished, “You think they’re going to leave us water and soap!?”
“It’s worth a look isn’t it?!” Shouted, the usual quiet and calm, Jordan.
Brooke hesitated but began to explore for the items. “Ian, help Brooke find them.”
Ian nodded, and began to look, despite his doubtful expression. “Dakota, come here and help me.”
Dakota approached the three, and studied Samuel and Sarah. They had pained looks on their faces, and they clutched the legs which had been bitten. “What do you need help with?” Dakota asked.
“Roll up their pants, and loosen and clothing around the bite. I’m telling them about Jesus.”
Dakota nodded, and began to carefully loosen the clothing. She listened to Jordan as she soothed them with her words, “I’ve told you guys before how God created the Earth, and everything on it. I also told you how we have all sinned, and fall short of the glory of God, and that because of that we deserve eternal suffering, and can’t be in His presence. But I haven’t been able to tell you guys how God fixed that, and that we can be with Him.”
“I don’t want to know about that stuff.” Sarah told her, through clenched teeth.
“Well, I’m going to tell you anyway. God came down here, to the sinful Earth, in the form of a human baby. I’m sure you’ve heard of the original Christmas story. Haven’t you?”
Samuel nodded, and Sarah continued to stare at her, “God sent an angel to a virgin named, Mary, who was supposed to be wed to a man named, Joseph. The angel told her that she was to have a son named, Jesus, God’s son. She asked him how this could possibly be, for she had been with no man, before. The angel said, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.’ Nine months later it was as the angel had told her, and she gave birth to a son, and named him, Jesus.”
Jordan paused for a moment, then continued, “As He grew up, He did many miraculous signs. He healed the sick, He loved everyone in His sight, He turned water into wine, and He taught people about God, He was perfect and innocent. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Sarah and Samuel nodded. As Dakota took off Sarahs sock, she could tell she was now fully hooked. “He was like no other man, because He was no man, He was perfect because He was God.”
“Well, of course not. I’ve seen people do nothing but wrong things my entire life.” Sarah answered.
“Yeah. Well, there were some people that didn’t like Him very much, they wanted Him dead. They had tried many times to catch Him in blasphemy, but each time they failed-”
“Jordan we found a sharpie!” Brooke said, with obvious surprise, as she and Ian rushed over.
Jordan and Dakota looked up at Brooke and Ian, Brooke handed the sharpie to Jordan. “Thank you.”
Dakota stared at Brooke for another moment, when something caught her eye. “Brooke, is that a bobby pin, in your hair?” Dakota asked.
Brooke pulled it out, “Yeah, why?”
Dakota smiled, “Give it to me!”
She snatched it from Brookes hand and ran up the stairs. When she got up, she began to pick the lock with the bobby pin, and in a moment she heard a click. She creaked open the door, and glanced around for any trouble. After finding none, Dakota entered into the hall. She hurried, quietly, through the house, searching for a phone. She searched for ten minutes with no success, and paused in the kitchen for a moment. Do they actually live here? She glanced around some more, and found nothing.
She began to leave to look for the front door, when she heard footsteps. She paused for a moment, and listened more intently. The footsteps came closer, and she scrunched down behind the counter. The person came closer, and Dakota tried to guess if it was , Red, Blonde, or Creepy. She gathered up her courage, and looked behind her shoulder, at the person approaching her. It was a girl, and she had long brown hair, and Dakota realized it was Brooke. She sighed, and stood up. “Brooke, what are you doing up here?” Dakota asked.
“What!? I can’t find a way out?!” Brooke shouted.
Dakota raised an eyebrow at her, “I’m sorry I offended you.” She mumbled.
“Did you find a phone?” Brooke asked, after a moment of silence.
“No, I was just about to look for a door.”
“Well, I did.” Brooke pulled a phone from behind her back, “I already called 9-1-1. They’re on there way.”
“I have no idea where we are. How’d you know the address to give them?” Dakota asked.
She blushed with shame, “I’ve known where we are this whole time.”
Fear creeped into Brooke’s eyes, and she took a few steps back. “Brooke?”
“Dakota, duck!”
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