“I can’t,” Mina whined.
“Yes, you can.”
“No, I don’t think I can anymore. I’m cold, tired and don’t want to hurt you.”
“Mina, you have to. Your life depends on it.” Jared was getting angry. “I told you I can’t.”
“Do it for your brother. Do it for Charlie!” he yelled. “Do it for your father!”
That is what made Mina step back and blink in surprise. How did he know so much about her father? Was this some sort of sick joke? Mina gripped the stupid knife and felt herself go tense in preparation to attack. He was lying to her; or as he said, manipulating the truth. He knew more than he was telling.
“What do you know about my father?” Mina yelled angrily, hot tears burning in her eyes.
“I know that he was full of himself. James didn’t think he needed help and wouldn’t take it when offered. He tried to face the Story on his own terms, unprepared, and paid the ultimate price for his stubbornness. And you’re going to end up just like him if you don’t prepare yourself,” Jared called. Mina felt her body tense up like a tightly wound spring. “You’re weak,” Jared continued. ”If you don’t get stronger, you’re going to doom your mother to mourning not one child but two.”
That was the final straw; Mina grabbed her wooden knife and jumped at Jared, trying to push him more than hit him.
Jared pushed her back easily until she stumbled in the sand. “Come on, you can do this. Fight me.”
Mina hung her head in shame, her heart pounding frantically in her chest. She wanted to protect her family, her brother, but Jared’s boot camp encouragement had the opposite effect. She didn’t want to watch her mother suffer again. Perhaps her mom was right, they should leave, and get as far away from here from possible. They should try and outrun the Story.
Mina tossed the enchanted knife as hard as she could, watching as it created spirals in the lake after it disappeared into the dark depths. She wiped her eyes with the cuff of her jacket and walked away from Jared toward the road.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“Away, far away.” Mina kept walking toward the main road, it seemed really far and her calves were burning from walking in the sand.
“You can’t escape the Story.” Jared called, hoping to spur her back to fighting.
“No, I can’t. But I can run.”
Jogging to catch up with her, Jared tried to grab her shoulder and turn her to look at him but she started pushing and hitting him.
“Go away. Don’t touch me!” Mina was crying hard. “You’ve brought me nothing but pain. I hate you.” She turned her face up to him in defiance, her brown eyes sparkling with tears. Jared’s sculpted jaw twitched with hidden anger.
Mina flailed, but Jared grasped her wrists to keep her from hitting him. Eventually she quit struggling and stood still, quietly looking out over the water, refusing to make eye contact. When a soft tear fell on his hand Jared let go of her, as if her tear had burned his hand. As soon as he released her wrists, Mina pulled away from him and marched toward the road.
She had no plan, but at the moment she spotted a familiar green pick-up truck barreling down the road. Mina waved her arms furiously, and soon she had a bewildered Asian couple in a green truck opening the back door to let her in. She refused to look out the window at Jared as the truck sped away.
Chapter 17
As soon as Mina got upstairs, she decided to call Brody and apologize for not meeting him after school. But there was no need, because once she reached the top landing there was a beautiful present with a large red bow on top. Mina screamed with delight and Sara opened the door and laughed.
“It arrived a few hours ago. I couldn’t wait for you to see it.” Sara gently touched the bow and fingered a brown paper envelope. “There’s even a card for you, Mina.”