The Wrenching Question

The smell of mildew hurtles into Ann’s nasal cavity. She tries to move; her legs are stuck in their place. A groan escapes her lips as she struggles to sit.

           “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” a voice calls quietly to her. Alarmed, Ann wonders where she is and what happened before she awoke. The building she’s in seems to be a barn-like place. Straw is everywhere around her, she’s up against a bale of hay. And there’s a tractor-like vehicle ten feet away from her. She assumes that that’s where the other person is. The barn is rundown, the planks of wood are uneven. They allow sunlight to barrel in. Ann believes its midday, and summertime. She has no reason to believe it is summer, she just feels it. “Are you still there?” The voice calls again. It’s deeper, like a mans. They sound tired, much like how she thinks she would sound if she spoke.

           She tries to speak but out comes a grunt instead. Her throat is dry, she desperately needs water. Clanging catches her attention, its coming from outside the barn. A tall, thin figure enters Ann’s eyesight. She can’t make out any distinguishing features.

           “You’re awake, what’s your name?” The person asks, coming closer to Ann. Fear overtakes her mind and she tries shuffling away—as if she is trying to force herself into the hay bale. “It’s okay; I won’t hurt you. My names Arthur, and your roommate is Max. Arnie picked you up three days ago, you’ve been out ever since.” Arthur tosses two things toward Ann and she just stares at him, “I thought you might need these, but don’t tell him. He said you put up quite a fight.” He still doesn’t get any reply from her, so he rounds the tractor to Max. Ann hears a thump, so she guesses that Max gets a present as well.

           “Thank you, Artie. See you soon.” Max states without any hesitation. Once ‘Artie’ leaves the barn Ann reaches for the two items a foot away from her. Her muscles ache from three days of not using them but she’s able to grab them. “It’s water and bread. Artie takes care of us. He’s nothing compared to Arnie.” Max sighs after time passes without Ann’s reply.

           Ann stares at the beat-up bottle of water, slowly opening the cap. She peers at it with hesitation. ‘I guess if it’s poisoned, I’ll die no matter what’. The bottle is pressing against her lips and she greedily drinks it. Spilling down her face. She pulls pieces of the loaf and nibbles on them—not entirely hungry.

           Only when the light from outside disappears does Ann whisper to Max. “How long have you been here?” She asks hoping he’s awake.

           “A month, it seems that the limit Arnie and Artie will keep someone is two.” He says louder than Ann.

           “Why are we even here? And what happens after the two months?”

           “What’s your name?” He asks avoiding her questions. She sighs in frustration.

           “Ann, and you’re Max. Now why are we here?”

           “Well, Ann. We’re here to die. At least I think that’s what’s going on.” The wind outside shakes the barn, creaking and cracking take over the sound of silence. Once the wind slows Max speaks again, “I was walking home from my bartending job. It was May and late in the day. I think it was around 11 pm in Vancouver. A sedan started pulling up behind me. I thought that maybe it was someone in need of directions. Artie was driving, he was a stuttering mess. Then out of the back jumped Arnie. I had zero chance against him. He’s tall and big.” The trembling in Max’s voice is heartbreaking. Though Ann can’t see him she knows he’s holding back tears.

           “I’m sorry,” she pauses, “I don’t remember anything. I’ve been searching my brain, but I can’t find any memory of this.”

           Ann startles awake, a loud bang is heard in the distance. She can hear yelling, a gruff voice. She’s in a different position then yesterday. Instead of being against the hay bale she’s sitting up with her back hitting the tractor. On Max’s side. “Max, what’s happening?” She asks once she notices the man, probably in his twenties. His brown hair is shaggy and sticking against his forehead. Max’s face is adorning stubble and dirt. His black jeans are ripped and so is his black shirt. Ann can’t imagine what she looks like at this point. She knows her hair is falling out of a ponytail and she feels the clamminess of her body.

           “They’re fighting, and it’s not good.” Max’s long face is wearing a soft expression while he does a once over on Ann’s figure. Just as she’s going to reply the barn door is opened.

           Artie’s slender fingers wrap around Ann’s thin arm, pulling her to her feet. Without any word from any of the three he tugs her out of the building. The land around her still reminds her of British Columbia however, she doesn’t see the cities buildings or any striking landscapes. They approach a house and the door swings open. That’s when she sees him. Her mind pulls her from this moment into the past.

Nearly a week ago Ann was making her way home after a party. Her mind was fuzzy from the copious amount of alcohol in her system. Ann’s eyes were swollen—her boyfriend of three years had just broken up with her. Apparently, she was too boyish, being a mechanic. That event caused her to run out of her friend’s house at one in the morning. It was a decent temperature—being mid-July.

The sedan’s engine is the first thing she heard. It was a long road with barely any houses or businesses. When the sedan pulled up to her she immediately knew she was in trouble. Running down the road as fast as she could. Nowhere to hide, she just had to keep running. At first Ann thought she was exaggerating until the vehicle sped past her and stopped. A man jumped out of the back and started towards her. A laugh rang through the quiet area and Ann was too shocked to move. Like a deer in the headlights she just waited for the impact. Once the man had his hands on her she snapped out of her trance. Kicking and screaming; she would not go down without a fight. The man had to readjust his hold on her a couple times before he threw her on the ground. Ann saw the rock in his hand. She didn’t know where he had gotten it, but it came down on her head and she was out.

“C’mon now. You need to keep moving.” Artie states trying to push Ann forward. It had been a whole minute since Arnie laid his eyes back on Ann. His jaw tightens as he remembers the whole incident. She was the hardest to grab.

“Are you okay? I know the first one is always the worst,” Max asks Ann once Artie leaves the barn, “you definitely look like you’ve had a rough time.”

“Max, for once can you just shut up.” She snarls at the man whose six feet away from her. Max turns himself around and Ann assumes that he’s done. However, he lifts the back of his shirt. Not only does she notice the lacerations on his back, but she also sees that he doesn’t have the ties around his wrists like she does.

“Most of these are from my first time, I think he just likes to keep us around for fun after. I’ve only seen Arnie five times.” Ann shushes her roommate.

“I don’t really care about that Max. Where are your ties. How did you get them off?” She questions hurriedly. Max sits back in his original position.

“Artie took them off after I was here for two weeks.”

“It’s like you’ve gained his trust.” Max hums in response. “Can you take off mine?”

It takes a couple minutes for Max to get close to Ann. His body is so tired that he can’t stand very good. He gently pushes her body forward so that he can reach her hands behind her back. Ann winces and almost sits back where she was comfortable with the deep cuts. “Oh good.” Max gasps, Ann’s white shirt is now seeping with burgundy, and the smell of pennies hangs in the air. His face is pressing against Ann’s back while he bites at the zip tie.

Relief washes over the woman’s face as she feels her hands come apart. She looks over at Max to thank him and is met with his bloody face. Her body trembles at the sight. “Thank you, Max.” As he stands the barn door opens revealing Artie’s figure. The sound of keys dangling from his belt loop. Max makes a dive for his spot by the hay, but it’s too late. Artie looks as though he has been betrayed and he grabs Max, hauling him off.

Ann tries to scream for Max, but her larynx won’t allow her, and she cries herself to sleep.

Max arrives again a few days later, he looks like he has taken many blows to the face. Ann is beside him as soon as Artie is gone. Her hands lifting his head to look at him. He’s unconscious but alive. To Ann that’s all that matters.

Her mind is scattering. “This wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t help me.” She says to him, knowing he won’t answer. Her body is still aching, but she gets up. It’s the afternoon, Arnie won’t be back for another three hours.

Ann is searching the barn for anything to help Max. She stays away from the walls; the wooden planks are nailed apart from each other. The two maniacs could see her if she isn’t in the more open area.

The door is of course locked from the outside. Ann lets out a quiet shriek, her back injuries opening with every movement. A wrench hanging on the door frame is now seized in her hands. She turns away from the obvious exit and is face-to-face with the tractor. She makes her way to the seat of the vehicle and finds the gas cap. The dangling keys from the belt loop make their way into Ann’s conscious mind.

Her body is being used as a pillow by the broken man she has grown close to. He sleeps quietly, wincing every now and again. Ann tries to sooth Max by running her hand gently through his hair. Arthur’s presence startles her, he tosses her two bottles of water and only one loaf of bread. “Your hands are free; did he help you with that?” He asks staring at the twenty-year-old.

Ann shakes her head slowly, “no I was able to do them myself. Whoever put them on didn’t do it right.” She watches as her words effect Arthur.

“They were tight when I put them on, there’s no way you got them off yourself.” He raises his voice. Arthurs body lingers closer to the two injured people. Ann is relatively short for her age, so she waits patiently.

Arthur leans down, inches from Ann’s face. “Why do you lie to me? I just asked you a ques—” The wrench is driven into his skull with all the force Ann could muster. Which given his lanky stature was enough to knock him out cold.

Ann turns to Max with her adrenaline running high, “Max we got to go now.” She lifts herself up and pulls his body gently. Max’s eyes are opening slowly, “Max c’mon, we have to go now.” With his help she gets him onto the tractor. Ann quickly searches Arthurs unconscious body for the keys.

“What’s going on Ann?” Max whispers as Ann fumbles with the keys. She just hushes him and pushes the key into the ignition. The tractor roars to life after the fifth key and Ann presses on the gas.

The vehicle can only go up to 60 kmh. Which hopefully will work. Especially if Arnie doesn’t know right away. They get halfway down the road when Ann hears gunshots.

Two weeks later

“Arnold and Arthur Gertold have just been reprimanded trying to leave BC for Alberta. The twins are known for thirteen murders and two attempted murders. Ann Wilks and Max Johnson were lucky to—” Max turns off the hospital room TV.

“I’m tired of hearing about that,” he tosses the remote onto a nearby chair.

“Well, I doubt we won’t stop hearing about it for many years.” Ann said packing up her things, “you almost ready to go? Doctor gave you the okay.” The now clean Max had just finished shaving when Ann came to pick him up. After nearly two long months of torture the doctors decided to keep him at the hospital for two long weeks. Ann was only in the hospital for four days. Max often complained.

“Yeah let’s get out of here, are you sure your parents are alright that I crash there?” He asks, rubbing his hand through his hair.

“Of course, in their eyes you saved me. We’re family Max.” She hugs the taller man and then they set off.