Discarded M. Hunter (the snowy day read aloud TXT) 📖

muddy track. It had been several minutes since they’d left the road, and although Joanna had tried to keep an eye on the route they’d followed since passing her school, she’d soon become disorientated. If she ever had to show anyone back to where she’d been taken to, or even tried to get back home alone, she would easily get lost. She just wished such an opportunity would present itself.

The driver hadn’t spoken a word since lying about promising to turn at the roundabout and she was terrified about asking him again. He’d continued to watch her silently from the rear-view mirror. Although he hadn’t spoken since, there was a sinister gleam in his eyes that held her tongue. She would argue it was fear that had kept her from challenging him, but it was more than that. She could have demanded to know where he was taking her, why he had lied, and what he wanted, but none of those questions had sprung to mind. Instead, she’d just kept thinking over and over how much trouble she’d be in with her parents when they found out she’d been stupid enough to get into a car with a stranger.

Yet he’d been so convincing, hadn’t he? She hadn’t questioned whether he was who he’d claimed to be, or whether he would do as he’d said he would. He’d been kind to her in the shop, not some monster with ill intentions. He was a normal guy. No, he was more than that: he was someone she’d thought she recognised, and she’d had no reason to doubt he was Kim’s dad. In fact, for all her imagination was now telling her about who this man might really be, there was no reason to think he wasn’t Kim’s dad.

The car pulled to a halt, and the man killed the engine, keeping both hands on the steering wheel and his eyes off the mirror. She watched him via the rear-view mirror. He bowed his head lower so that she could no longer see his eyes. He looked sad. Was he now having regrets about not taking her home? Had her compliance and refusal to scream and shout shown him how wrong he was?

With the engine off, and the wipers static, the falling rain was now obscuring the view through the windscreen. She could just about make out several white caravans ahead, standing on the brown, grassless mud.

‘Where are we?’ she tried to ask, the words barely escaping her mouth as his eyes shot to the mirror at the sound of her voice.

He raised his head further, his reflection smiling. ‘You don’t need to be scared of me. I’m not going to hurt you.’

If the statement was supposed to put her at ease, it had failed. Her heart continued to thunder in her chest.

‘I want to go home,’ she whimpered. ‘My parents will be worried about me.’

‘No, they won’t,’ he said so calmly it frightened her. ‘I’ve sent them a message; they know you’re with me.’

She hadn’t seen him send any messages on his phone since she’d climbed into the car, so he had to be lying to her. Her eyes filled instantly.

‘Please,’ she tried again, ‘I just want to go home.’

She’d never wanted to be back home more in her life. Even though her parents could be embarrassing and her sister could be so annoying, at least she felt safe with them. She didn’t like the way he was watching her, revelling in her sadness.

‘I won’t tell anyone.’

Her eyes darted back to his in the mirror. In those four words she’d implied that his behaviour was anything but normal, and she saw his jaw tighten at the silent accusation.

‘All in due time,’ he replied, his voice softer than she’d expected. ‘I remembered I was supposed to pick something up from a friend of mine. It’ll only take a few minutes and then I’ll take you home. Okay?’

Had she got it wrong? Had he actually messaged her parents to let them know she was safe, and as soon as he’d collected whatever it was they’d stopped for, they’d be on their way again? As much as she wanted to believe he was telling the truth, her mind refused to take him at his word.

‘How long will it take?’ she checked.

He looked at his watch.

‘My friend lives in one of those caravans. Can you see? He said he’ll be home in a minute and then he’ll give me what I came for. It’s a present for my daughter Mel.’

Joanna knew Kim was an only child. Her eyes narrowed.

‘I thought you said you were Kim’s dad?’

He clamped his eyes shut in frustration. ‘I did say Kim, didn’t I? Shit, then I guess the game is up.’

Her throat burned as her nausea grew. ‘Who are you?’

‘I really am a friend of your dad’s,’ he said, looking back at her. ‘Listen, we’ll go in to my friend’s caravan, and then I’ll explain everything to you. Okay? You really don’t need to be scared of me. I’m not going to hurt you, Joanna.’

She hadn’t even considered the possibility that he might hurt her until that moment, and suddenly she could think of nothing else.

‘I just want to go home,’ she sobbed. ‘Please? I promise I won’t tell anyone that you lied to me. Just take me home now and nobody will ever know.’

The rain seemed to have stopped, and that was his cue to open his door and poke his hand out. ‘Ah, look, it’s dried up now. I can’t leave you in the car – there are some dangerous people out there, you know? – so come with me to the caravan, I’ll get you something to eat and drink, and then I’ll tell you what’s going on. Okay? You don’t need to look so worried; there is a perfectly reasonable explanation.’

Tears spilled against her cheeks, as she shook her head. ‘Take me home. Please? I won’t tell anybody. I want to speak to my mum and dad.’

He didn’t