Gunshot

Ezra had been in her room for over a week without food and had already licked the floor of the little water that Henry had kicked. Henry hadn't been in the room for a week and Ezra hadn't even heard him through the walls in the warehouse. She wondered if she was trapped in the room.

She thought after three days maybe he had died from drinking too much poison or alcohol. But she also didn't think he would go that easy since he drunk all the time. She wasn't sure how much poison a store would let you have, but she figured he was a strong guy if he could drink it all the time.

The warehouse was quiet and Ezra decided to color the walls of the warehouse since her coloring book was full. She tried to draw Kelly and David and even drew Henry. She had hope that deep down he was a good guy but didn't want to admit it. She thought that maybe his first mommy and daddy were not so good of people so maybe that's why he was so mean.

It started getting dark when Ezra finally heard someone rummaging around the warehouse. Finally she heard Henry's voice. He seemed panicked and aggravated. She wanted to try to talk to him to get him to calm down but she was afraid she would be hurt again in the process.

Finally Henry came into Ezra's room with a flashlight and shook his head. He threw her a new outfit and a sandwich.

Henry sighed and rubbed his face as if he hadn't slept for days, "It's over kid! I'll be back in fifteen minutes. Change your clothes and eat the sandwich! Understand?"

Ezra nodded as Henry left the room. She struggled to get changed in the dark room, but it felt good to have on different clothes. Henry had given her a few different outfits since she had been there, but it was every three to four weeks. The worst part was she wasn't able to take a bath so even though she didn't do much after about two weeks she really started to smell like a hobo.

The sandwich was peanut butter and jelly which was not one of Ezra's favorites. She absolutely hated Peanut butter, but she hadn't ate for days so it was good at the time. She struggled to swallow because Henry hadn't given her any water but she managed.

A few minutes after finishing the sandwich Henry came back with the flashlight in one hand and a rope and tape in the other.

Ezra was scared of what Henry was going to do, but she was hoping he wasn't going to hurt her.

Henry looked away for a minute then finally said, "It's really over kid! I'm sorry! I'm sorry kid!"

Henry started to cry but he stopped himself then said, "It's time to go and I don't want you to scream or fight! Just trust me and you'll be okay!"

Ezra started to cry as he put tape over her mouth. He put Ezra's hair back behind her ears and whispered everything would be okay. Ezra was scared but for some reason trusted him. Henry then tied Ezra up and picked her up.

Ezra watched the warehouse fade as Henry drove off with her in an old pick up truck. That must of been the truck that got her to the warehouse she thought. Ezra was excited to see trees, the highway, houses, and so much more even though it was dark outside. It was as if she was being reborn again.

Henry fidgeted with the steering wheel and drove frantically. Ezra didn't know what was going on, but she wished Henry would come down. She started to worry they would crash, or Henry would have a panic attack.

An hour after riding Ezra recognized where they were at. It was the town she lived in and she remembered the park, her father's work office, and her school. She started to get excited, but didn't want to jinx herself.

A few moments later Henry turned down a road with a bunch of houses and within five minutes came to a stop. Ezra looked confused because she wasn't quite sure where they were at. She recognized some of the houses, but not all of them.

Henry took of the tape and Ezra cried a little because she thought Henry would hit her.

"Please don't hurt me Henry! I promise I'll be a good girl!" Ezra pleaded as she looked in Henry's tiresome eyes.

Henry started to cry, "I'm not going to hurt you. I promise you, but I need you to promise me something. I'm going to untie you and I want you to follow my directions do you understand?"

Ezra looked down then finally looked back up and nodded.

Henry started to untie her then said, "I didn't get the money for you. I want you to know that and you were right you are not a doll. When I untie this last knot I want you to get out of the truck and go up the street six houses on the other side of the road. You're smart so I know you can count to six. Once you get there you'll see your daddy's car, and once you get out of this truck I don't want you to look back or stop! Do you understand Ezra?"

Ezra smiled then said, "Henry thank you for being good!"

Henry shook his head, "Do you understand Ezra?"

Ezra nodded as Henry untied Ezra's last knot. Before she got out of the truck she hugged Henry and said thank you one last time.

As Ezra hopped out of the truck she turned to Henry and said goodbye. She started to run up the street, but after she got passed three houses she thought about giving the locket back to Henry to remember her and to try to remember to be good.

Ezra turned to run back, but as she did Henry fired a gun. Ezra gasped and started to cry as she saw Henry's head leaning out of his truck window as blood poured from his head.

Henry committed suicide because he didn't know any way else out and he didn't want anyone else to take his life for him.

Ezra fell to her knees and cried more as she clenched onto the locket. She knew Henry was a monster, but she didn't want him to die.

As Ezra cried a few minutes later she felt her mother's hands and heard her crying.

"My baby is alive! I knew you didn't die! I'm so sorry Ezra! I love you!"

Ezra's mother lifted her up and Ezra's father kissed her forehead. The nightmare was over, but Henry was dead and Ezra was heartbroken.

"The monster is gone babygirl! I promise no one will ever hurt you again!" Ezra's father said as they started walking back to their house.

Ezra wiped her eyes from the tears and said, "He wasn't that bad of a monster! He was just hurt by so many bad guys! I tried to help him, but he used the gun."

Ezra's mother nodded and took Ezra inside as Ezra's father went outside to talk to police. It had been almost seven months and Ezra was finally found. Ezra curled up to her mother and went to sleep as her mother sang her a lullaby.