A HARD TOMORROW PART #4

By: Sarah Ackerman

INTRODUCTION
A PLEASANT HELLO TO YOU! I AM SARAH ACKERMAN. I AM THE AUTHOR OF THIS STORY. THIS IDEA STARTED AS NOTHING MORE THAN A PROMPT. TOM, ONE OF MY CPs, AND I WERE DISCUSSING SUPERHEROES. HE ASKED ME TO WRITE MY OWN SUPERHERO ORIGIN STORY. I’M FEMALE IN A MALE-DOMINATED DISORDER. IT WAS APT TO CREATE A FEMALE SUPERHERO IN A MALE-CENTERED SUBJECT. I PERSONALIZED THIS HERO TO BE WHAT I ASPIRED TO BE. A PIECE OF ME IS IN HERE. THERE IS A HERO IN EVERYONE. WE JUST ONLY NEED TO EMBRACE IT.

NATASHA AND HOLLY WERE LEAD DOWN THE MOUNTAIN. HOLLY WAS CUFFED BUT NATASHA WAS NOT. AFTER THEIR DESCENT THEY WERE FORCED INTO A BRIGHT ROOM SURROUNDED BY WINDOWS.

“GOOD MORNING LADIES. I HOPE YOUR ESCORT WAS NOT TOO GRUFF. IT IS GOOD TO FINALLY MEET YOU TWO. YOU TWO ARE FAMOUS WITHIN THESE WALLS.”

“SKIP THE PLEASANTRIES, HILL. WHAT DO YOU WANT?”

“LOST OUR MANNERS? DON’T YOU KNOW BETTER NATASHA?”

NATASHA SPIT ON THE FLOOR. “THERE’S YOUR MANNERS.”

THERE WAS A LOUD BUZZ AND NATASHA WAS WRITHING IN PAIN ON THE FLOOR.

“NATASHA YOU WERE TAUGHT BETTER.” 

A QUIVERING VOICE CAME FROM THE FLOOR. 

“HOW ABOUT YOU THINK OF THE LAST THING YOU WANT TO SEE BEFORE YOU DIE? IT IS GOING TO BE ME.” 

HOLLY LOOKED AT HILL IN DISGUST.

“YOUR DEATH WILL NOT BE QUICK. I’LL MAKE SURE OF THAT YOU TWISTED S.O.B.”

“THE ONLY THING YOU WILL BE SURE OF IS YOUR FAILURE TO SAVE YOUR PEOPLE. TAKE THEM TO THE PRISON SECTOR. MAKE SURE THEY’RE….COMFORTABLE.”

HOLLY AND NATASHA WERE PLACED IN SEPARATE CELLS. NATASHA WAS STILL ON THE FLOOR. SHE HADN’T MOVED SINCE SHE WAS ELECTROCUTED. 

“NATS? NATS ARE YOU STILL THERE?” A TEAR FELL DOWN HOLLY’S CHEEK. NATASHA WAS ALL SHE HAD. 

THERE WAS A RUMBLE FROM NATASHA’S CELL. HOLLY’S EYE OPENED TO SEE NATASHA BEING MANHANDLED BY THE GUARDS. 

“GET OFF ME!” 

ONE GUARD CRIED OUT. A PIECE OF HIS EAR WAS MISSING. NATASHA SPIT IT BACK AT HIM. ONE GUARD WENT FLYING. ANOTHER FLEW UP. NATASHA LIFTED ONE OVER HER HEAD AND THREW HIM OUT OF HER CELL. SHE RUSHED TO HOLLY. 

“C’MON LET’S GET OUT OF HERE!”

SHE RIPPED THE BARS CLEAN OFF THE WALL. HOLLY STEPPED OUT AND EMBRACED NATASHA. 

“OH, HOW SENTIMENTAL. IT IS A SHAME TO BREAK IT UP.” 

IT WAS HILL. HE HAD A GUN POINTED AT THEM.  

THERE WAS SILENCE. HILL WAS NOT GOING TO LET THEM GO. 

“GO AHEAD. DO IT.” HOLLY SAID.

“YOU THINK I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU? I DISABLED YOUR ABILITIES WHEN YOU FIRST GOT HERE. AN ODORLESS COLORLESS GAS. IT IS ONLY TEMPORARY BUT IT GIVES ME ENOUGH TIME TO TAKE CARE OF YOU.” 

NATASHA STEPPED FORWARD. AS SOON AS SHE TOOK HER FIRST STEP A SHOT RANG OUT. 

NATASHA CRUMPLED TO THE FLOOR. HOLLY AND HILL STARED AT EACH OTHER. HILL BEGAN TO CLOSE THE DISTANCE. HE WAS FACE TO FACE WITH HER. HIS VOICE WAS COLD.

“I REALLY HOPE YOU ENJOYED YOUR TIME WITH HER.” 

A TEAR FELL DOWN HOLLY’S FACE. 

SUDDENLY HILL CRIED OUT IN PAIN. NATASHA HAD GRABBED HIS ANKLE AND BIT IT. HOLLY SEIZED THE MOMENT AND TACKLED HIM. SHE PRESSED HER FOREARM ONTO HIS THROAT. 

“NOW TELL ME WHERE THE OTHERS ARE!” HOLLY SAID. SHE LOOSENED HER HOLD AND HILL COUGHED.

“TELL US WHERE THEY ARE!”

NOTHING CAME FROM HILL BUT MANIACAL LAUGHTER.

“DID YOU THINK I WOULDN’T COVER MY OWN TRACKS? THEY’RE ALL DEAD.”

“WHA…WHAT? HOW? WHY?”

HILL CONTINUED TO LAUGH. 

HILL LAUGHED AND LAUGHED. HOLLY GRABBED HIM AND LIFTED HIM SO THEY WERE FACE TO FACE. 

“I’M GOING TO ASK YOU ONE MORE TIME. WHERE CAN WE FIND THE REST?!!”

HILL’S LAUGHED SETTLED. “THEY’RE GONE,” HE SAID WITH A DEMENTED CHUCKLE. “DID YOU REALLY BELIEVE I’D KEEP THOSE SCHMUCKS AROUND AND LET THEM TAKE CREDIT FOR MY WORK? I’M THE REASON YOU ARE WHAT YOU ARE.” 

“I DON’T BELIEVE YOU. I DON’T BELIEVE ONE WORD YOU SAY.” 

“IS THAT RIGHT, HOLLY? TELL ME WHAT IS YOUR HOMETOWN?”

AT THE SAME TIME HILL AND HOLLY SAID, “SILVER MOUNT, IDAHO.” 

HOLLY GASPED AND THREW HILL ON THE FLOOR. HILL STOOD UP. 

“THAT’S RIGHT HOLLY. IT IS ME. YOUR LONG-LOST BROTHER.” 

“NO. NO IT CAN’T BE.”

“BELIEVE IT, SISTER.” 

HOLLY TREMBLED. SHE HAD BEEN TOLD HER BROTHER DIED IN THE WAR. 

“NATASHA TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON HERE! DID YOU LIE TO ME?”

NATASHA SLOWLY GOT TO HER FEET. 

“HOLL..”

“DID YOU LIE TO ME?”

“YES AND NO” NATASHA SAID. SHE WAS HOLDING BACK TEARS.

“IT’S A YES OR NO QUESTION. DAMNIT NATASHA TELL ME THE TRUTH!”

“YES. HOLLY YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND. YOUR FAMILY GAVE YOU UP. HE ISN’T YOUR BROTHER. HE’S A PSYCHO WHO EXPERIMENTED ON HIS OWN SISTER.” 

HOLLY WAS STUNNED. EVERYTHING SHE THOUGHT SHE KNEW HAD BEEN SHATTERED.

“HOLLY I’LL BE HONEST WITH YOU.” NATASHA SAID. “ IT IS IN YOUR BEST INTEREST TO END THIS NOW. HE ERASED YOUR MEMORY SO YOU’D NEVER REMEMBER WHAT HE DID. THAT IS WHAT MAKES YOU DANGEROUS. WHAT MADE YOU DANGEROUS. YOU HAD NOTHING TO LOSE. NOW THAT’S GONE.” 

“HOW IS IT GONE?”

“YOU HAVE A SISTER TO LOSE.”

NATASHA SUDDENLY HIT THE FLOOR. A POOL OF BLOOD STARTED TO FORM. HILL HAD SHOT HER.

END OF PART 4

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

SARAH ACKERMAN IS AN AUTISTIC WOMAN. FOR MOST OF HER LIFE SHE WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE. THEN IN 2017 SHE LEARNED THE SPELLING TO COMMUNICATE METHOD AT INSIDE VOICE IN SPRINGFIELD PA. SINCE THEN SHE HAS FOUND HER VOICE THROUGH HER STORIES.

SHE HAS A PASSION FOR BOOKS AND BEING IMMERSED IN DISCUSSIONS. MANY OF HER PROJECTS CENTER AROUND EMPOWERING AUTISTICS AND WOMEN. SARAH IS AN ADVOCATE FOR HER FELLOW NON SPEAKERS AS A MEMBER OF THE I-ASC’s SPELLERS AND ALLIES ADVOCACY NETWORK AS WELL AS SEEN (Spellers Empowering Education for Non speakers).

The mission of I-ASC is to advance communication access for nonspeaking individuals globally through training, education, advocacy and research.  I-ASC supports all forms of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) with a focus on methods of spelling and typing. I-ASC currently offers Practitioner training in Spelling to Communicate (S2C)with the hope that other methods of AAC using spelling or typing will join our association