Wrong Place at the Right Time

Sophie raised her head at the shuffling sound from outside and flicked off a wood chip that was stuck to her cheek. She rolled over onto her back and with her non handcuffed hand, shovelled a few pieces of wood chips from her bed. She was lucky enough to be given a blanket and a crib mattress, yet somehow, she still couldn’t keep the wood chips off of it.

The shuffling subsided and Sophie eased herself back down on the bed. She thought it was him.

How many days had it been now? Sophie turned her head to the metal pole she was handcuffed to and counted the rock marks she had etched on it. Nine. Nine days in this dumb old barn. Her wrist was healing since she had given up squeezing out of the handcuffs. It had only took her all of one day to give up. Arguing with him was a lost cause. He knew she would be able to kick out the wooden wall panels no problem with how weathered they’ve become over time. Sophie wasn’t sure what used to live in this barn before she arrived. Probably nothing for years, there were a line of pens along the right hand wall, they looked too small to hold cows. Pigs perhaps? Maybe sheep? She had tried to ask him one time when he came in to give her some food, but he seemed to be annoyed at the question. It made her wonder if it were even his barn at all. Or is this just some abandoned lot outside of town.

Some scuttling sounded from one of the pens and Sophie was elated to see Doc scurrying over to indulge in some of her leftover ham and cheese sandwich.

“Hey buddy!” Sophie exclaimed. “Where have you been all day? That meat is probably a little funky by now”.

Doc seemed to not care as he went nibbling away on the leftovers. Sophie’s unlikely friendship with a mouse began on her first day. She was always terrified of rodents, but now, she was just glad to have someone to talk to. She named him Doc after one of the dwarfs from Snow White, as he keeps her sane and in check, as the one from the movie.

“What do ya say today, Doc. Should I give it the old college try again?” She said, referring to the handcuffed wrist.

“Yeah you’re right, whats the point. If I did get out of here, where would I go? I don’t even know where I am. Or why I’m here.”

She was too afraid to ask, because all the possible outcomes played through her head each day. Sometimes, not knowing is better.

It was easier not to think of the people she’s missing. Her parents, sister, all her friends. They’re just out there living their lives as normal, while she had to sit here, with no responsibilities. It almost seemed unfair, but for them, not her.

“Do you know what my Dad said to me before I left that day? Why I went to the bar?” Sophie said.

“He told me he was sad that I gave up on soccer in high-school. I’m pretty sure he wanted me to become like, professional or whatever. And I didn’t give up on soccer, by the way. I just had friends, and work and extra curricular activities, and I don’t know. I got to the point where I didn’t see it in the cards. A future in soccer, I mean. Anyways, it made me feel like a bag of shit so naturally I went to the one place you can drink guilt-free; a bar.”

Sophie paused to scratch a bug off her leg. Doc was looking up at Sophie like he was waiting for her to continue.

“Yeah, I know. When he asked me to come back to his place, this wasn’t what I had in mind.”

Doc went back to munching and Sophie sighed.

“Like, I wanna blame my dad, you know, for sending me to the bar, but damn, Doc. I never do this. This isn’t me. The whole, going home with a stranger thing. Whatever. None of this matters since I’ll be dead soon.”

It was funny how easily she was able to say that and not care. She had gotten a lot of time to think about it. But death wouldn’t be so bad. Not anymore.

Sophie moved her leg and Doc jumped away.

“Aww, I’m sorry little guy. Come back, you should be happy. This is the first time a mouse will outlive a human! Oh wait that can’t be right. How old are you?”

Doc scurried away underneath the door of the first pen and Sophie shook her head. “Dammit. Now what?”

The days had felt so long, she couldn’t even understand how there was so much time in a day. Before it had seemed like time wouldn’t slow. She found solace in all her extra time, and spent most of the day sleeping, feeling more well-rested since she was born it seemed like.

Shuffling from outside the barn sounded again and Sophie sat upright. She heard keys jingling in a lock and she knew it was him. Probably dinner time. The barn door let out a creak as he opened it.

“Hey there, got some meatloaf for ya.” He walked inside and placed the dish down beside Sophie. It was cut up nicely into bite-able chunks. He made sick face at the mauled up sandwich. “Gross, you shouldn’t let the mice near your food. They’ll keep coming back.”

Sophie shrugged and took a piece of meatloaf. It was much better than she had anticipated.

“They’re my friends,” Sophie said.

“Oh you’re making friends? That’s great.” He walked over to the pens and started fiddling with the doors. Sophie stopped chewing her meatloaf. Something was different. He never hung around after he dropped off food.

“What?” she said.

He turned around. “I think I’m gonna let you go.”

Sophie mouth was so dry the meatloaf scraped her throat on the way down. “Excuse me?”

He scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, I’ve just- I’m sorry I’ve done this to you.” His eyes started to glisten and he looked about to break. More upset than he was that night in the bar.

“Oh, well. It’s okay, I’ve—“

“No!” He shouted. “It’s not okay. I’ve ruined you, you won’t be the same.”

Sophie hardly believed that. Sure maybe she wouldn’t trust strangers as easy, but it had only been nine days.

“I’m fine. Honestly. I’ve had good food, now I got a nice bed, you know, it has’t been that bad. I’ve gotten a lot of meditating done. It’s been… peaceful.”

He frowned at her. “It sounds like you’re convincing me to not let you go?”

“What? No, just I— I’m fine. Honestly, I’ve been enjoying my time away from… it all. Don’t worry about me.”

He began shaking his head abruptly. “No. No that’s all I do. Everyday I’ve been worrying about you. I didn’t think that was how it was going to be.” He began marching out of the barn.

“Wait. Where are you going?” Sophie called. Silence. What the hell was that about. Nine days in and he’s got cold feet?

Sophie looked around. She felt… sad? She should be happy, right? He was going to let her go! No more drafty nights in this old barn, no more going to the bathroom in a bucket, no more sponge bath.

But what about him? And what about Doc? Who would feed him now? She lay back down on the mattress. Just as she was imagining life going on without her, now she was forced to imagine herself re-joining life out there.

Maybe he was right. She would be different. Not like, a different person, but life would definitly be different. She wasn’t sure she wanted to do it now.

She didn’t want to think about it. She shut her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Sophie’s eyes snapped open to the sound of sirens. She wrapped the blanket around her body and hid behind the pole. Multiple feet began stomping on the outside of the barn and a loud crash sounded as the wood from the door split in half. A flashlight shone in the barn and Sophie squinted her eyes.

“Sophie McLennan?” Said the flashlight holder.

“Yes?”

“You’re going home.”

Her eyes began to water.