His eyes narrowed as he watched his stepfather encage her freedom. He had gotten the vibe that something had truly happened in her past, but this would only bring it back. The idiot wrapped his hand around her neck and thrusted her head upwards to meet his gaze.

'Damn it.'

He heard the quiet chatter and slipped closer to the two. When he had left the barn earlier, he had placed a call to her folks to come get her. He knew this would happen and he wanted to get her out of here before it got ugly. However, it seems he had been too late in even that. Now the bastard was trapping her and it was his fault.

Then he heard, "Let go of me."

Her wit wasn't gone yet and he knew that would throw a wrench into the idiot's plans. Then he found a lengthy 2x4 and picked it up. He approached the man from behind and saw her glance at him. He looked back at the man before he got distracted and swung. She was freed instantly and he jerked her away from the fallen idiot.

She looked up at him and asked, "Terry, what is going on here?"

He kept his gaze on his stepfather and said, "You just met my stepfather."

The man groaned and said, "You brat! You will pay for that bruise."

Terry looked down at Amy and said, "Go outside. Your dad should be here to get you soon."

She met his complete gaze and asked, "You called them?!"

He looked at the man in front of them and said, "I had no choice. I won't be able to take you home."

The man chuckled and said, "You've got that right, bud. You won't be able to do anything when I get through punishing you."

Amy looked at the man and said, "Stop."

The two men looked at her and she said, "Terry, just take me home. Ignore this jerk and take me home."

At first he hesitated, but then he nodded and said, "Fine."

Then he looked at his stepfather and said, "We'll finish this when I get home."

The man was fuming from Amy's intervention and said, "Try to escape and you won't come back alive."

He smirked and led Amy out of the barn. When they were out of hearing range, Terry stopped walking and looked at her. She looked like she was either pissed off or she had no clue what to do next.

Then he said, "You wanted to leave. Get in the car."

She looked up at him and asked, "Is this what it's like here? Do they hurt you all the time?"

He walked to the car and said, "Just get in."

Amy sighed and walked over to the car as ordered. They got in without a word and he pulled out of the drive. As they drove down the road, the heat of the sun made the car rather unbearable. She was about to roll her window down when the car pulled to the side of the road. Then she looked at Terry and he turned the engine off.

He opened his door and said, "Get out."

She watched him walk around to her side and she got out. When she closed the door, he snatched her wrist and drug her down the grassy ditch to the woods. Her feet stopped outside the woods and she jerked her hand free.

Then she asked, "Just where are you taking me? I thought I was going home."

Terry walked into the woods and said, "That's what I'm doing. We're being followed as well."

Amy looked back at the road and asked, "Why didn't you just tell me that?"

He was gone and she rolled her eyes before stepping into the woods. It was rather dark and the temperature was at least ten degrees cooler. She ran her hands up and down her arms and looked for Terry. There wast still no sign of him and she kept walking. When she heard a snapping of a twig she looked behind her.

Her eyes widened at the sight in front of her. A grizzle stood mere feet from her with her fangs showing. Amy took a deep breath and looked for Terry.

'Just my luck. First I move to this town where everything is like it was back home. Then I meet one person who I can't understand. Now I'm about to become food for a hungry grizzly and most likely her cubs.'

PGS