The Escape Plan

Outside the window, the garden sits in repose.  A squirrel climbing up the tree is the only sign of life in the otherwise gray February landscape.  Addison sits at the kitchen island with a feeling of exhaustion and apprehension.  Everywhere she looks, there is something that needs done.  The monsterera plant needs watered.  The kitchen counters need cleared of the clutter from her busy family.  The dishes in the sink need washed.  But she continues to sit and stare out the window.  The coffee she drank roils in her stomach, unsettled.  The winter storm they have been calling for has already hit Cincinnati.  In another couple hours, it will likely be here.  This is the day they’ve been planning for for months.  If they are going to pull this off, it has to be now before the storm makes it impossible.  The thought rouses her from her stupor and forces her to get up.  

She wanders into the bedroom, the low light filtering through the window blinds.  Knowing she will need extra layers to guard against the cold, she decides to pull on her fleece-lined black leggings, wool socks, her warmest long-sleeved cold gear, and a sweatshirt over top.  Addison catches her reflection in the full length mirror and pauses.  Normally calm and collected, she doesn’t recognize the nervous curly-haired red head looking back at her.  Her eyes, which are normally a sparkling blue-green, are dark and stormy as the black from her pupils threaten to overtake her irises.  Adrenaline is pouring into her bloodstream now, her heart racing as she contemplates what she is about to do.  What they are about to do.  For the past six months, this has been on the edge of her thoughts, hovering and intruding at every opportunity.  This is her chance to escape.  If I don’t do this now, it will only get worse.  

Before leaving her room, Addison crouches next to the bed and opens the door to her bedside table.  Reaching towards the very back, she pulls out an old hardcover novel.  Her children know these are her special books and not to play with them, so she knew it would be safe here. The thick white envelope is right where she left it, propped up against the back of the cabinet.  Opening the envelope, she makes sure the money, plane ticket, and passport are still there. She then quickly pockets it, closes the cabinet, and stands up to leave.  No going back now.

Addison heads toward the mudroom with her chocolate lab on her heels.  “You can’t come with me for this walk, Bear.”  Bear sits and looks up at her, seeming to sense her unease.  He whines and nudges her hand.  Before she allows the panic to overtake her, she pulls on her heavy winter coat, boots, hat, gloves, and scarf and walks out the back door.  

Her and Nathan really were so fortunate to find this property.  In spring and summer time, the gardens sprawl over several acres in a glorious mass of color and vibrancy.  Their dreams of having a pool and vegetable garden have all come to fruition over the years.  She can’t help but send up a prayer of gratitude for her life.  She has a loving husband, three beautiful children.  Everything she could have ever hoped for.  Unfortunately, her twin sister Andrea has not been so lucky.  

Now, the evergreens wait in an almost eerie stillness.  The red cardinal flitting from one tree to another is the only sign of life in the otherwise quiet morning.  The icy cold seeps into her skin, stinging her exposed cheeks.  Her muscles tense in an effort to hold onto some body heat as she hunches further into her coat.  The smell of snow is in the air, and she knows it won’t be long now before it starts falling.  Addison walks with intention towards the western portion of their land where the lawns turn into wooded forest.  The sooner she can get there, the sooner Andrea can leave.  

As she approaches the tree line, the wind starts to cause the very tops of the large oak trees to sway, the first harbinger of the approaching storm.  Picking up her pace, she navigates carefully along the dirt trail, making sure to avoid tripping on rocks and tree roots.  She has run these trails most mornings and knows them like the back of her hand.  But this morning, the woods feel unfamiliar.  Sinister.  Almost like they know what she is trying to do and won’t keep her secret.  

The winds start to howl through the trees as she finally reaches her destination.  Last Easter, the kids painted birdhouses and insisted on hanging them from trees in the woods.  Her oldest, Sawyer, made this particular birdhouse, the sage green color dulling to almost blend in with its surroundings.  Heart pounding, her eyes dart all around, making sure she is truly alone.  But really, who else would be on her property in the woods in this weather?  She pulls the envelope from her pocket and quickly slides it through the wooden seam in the back of the birdhouse.  The white of the envelope barely peeks out.  God, please let Andrea find this before the storm hits.

Stepping away from the tree, she retraces her steps, practically tripping over her feet in her haste to get back to the house.  The winds continue to pick up, and even with the shelter from the trees, it bites into her flesh.  A twig snaps somewhere to her right, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin.  Every muscle tenses, her breath coming in short puffs, as she slowly crouches down next to a large tree.  

Except for the wind, the woods are silent.  There is a tension in the air, the stillness heavy with anticipation.  Addison holds her breath as she slowly inches her way forward to peak around the tree trunk.  Black leggings and a dark green coat appear on the trail 20 yards away.  Dark red curls stick out the bottom of a black winter hat.  Relief makes her shoulders sag.  It’s Andrea.

Andrea cautiously approaches the birdhouse, looking left and right, before pulling the envelope from the seam and placing it inside her coat.  She must sense that someone is watching because she turns quickly with wide, fearful eyes.  Addison slowly rises from her crouched position and the sisters make eye contact.  The girls were always able to communicate without needing to use words.  It’s one of those amazing bonds that twins share.  

Addison had sensed for a while now that Andrea was unhappy in her marriage.  But she never imagined it was as bad as it was until about six months ago.  Her and Nathan had hosted an end of the summer pool party and invited Andrea and her husband, Brock, to join them.  Andrea had paired her dark sunglasses with a black one-piece swimsuit.  She was unusually quiet all afternoon and denied anything was wrong when Addison asked.  Before dinner, Andrea went inside to shower and change.  With Brock and Nathan occupied by the grill, Addison decided to confront her twin.

After knocking on the door to the spare bedroom, Addison opened the door and called out, “Hey, it’s me.”  But before she could say anything else, words deserted her and she reeled with shock as she took in the sight of her sister.  Andrea was standing in the room in her bra and underwear with dark purple, almost black, bruises up and down her ribs.  “Andrea,” Addison barely breathed the words out.  “What happened?”  Andrea looked at her sister in panic.  “Shhh.  Please don’t say anything!  It’s nothing.  I don’t want Brock to hear us.”

Over the next couple of weeks, Addison finally got Andrea to talk about what had happened.  Brock had been drinking more, blaming his alcohol use on being under a lot of stress at work.  He was a mean drunk.  He usually resorted to verbal abuse, which Addison had witnessed on a few occasions.  But unfortunately, the abuse had only gotten worse over the past year, and had now turned physical.  Andrea had asked for a divorce, but that night he left her with several cracked ribs and the bruises that Addison saw at the pool party.  Brock had a lot of money and influence, and Andrea was fearful that he would eventually kill her to ensure her silence.  

Addison agreed to help her escape.  She would do anything to protect her sister, even if it meant keeping a secret from Nathan.  The less people that knew how and where Andrea was disappearing to, the safer she would be.  They came up with a plan to help her disappear.  Addison covertly hid money away each week.  She helped Andrea get a new passport with a different name.  And last week, she purchased the plane ticket that would take her twin away from her forever.

Now, their eyes meet across the woods.  Tears shimmer in Addison’s eyes and her throat closes up.  They quickly meet in an embrace, trying to hold tight to everything they will be losing.  If they linger any longer, she is afraid she will beg Andrea to consider another path that won’t take her away.  But she knows she will be in danger if she stays.  When they finally separate, Addison nods her head and turns back towards the house, knowing this is probably the last time she will see her sister.  

When the trail opens up onto the lawn, she forces herself to slow her pace.  Breathe in, breathe out.  The first heavy snowflakes have started to fall.  There will probably be six inches by noon from what the weatherman is predicting.  Andrea will have enough time to get out of the woods and to the bus station before the storm.  Addison’s emotions war inside her, threatening to crush and squeeze her heart.  How can she live without her twin?  But in the same breath, how could she live with herself knowing Andrea was in danger?  Knowing she was hurt?  She knows in her heart that this was the only way.  

As she walks in the back door, she startles when she sees Nathan in the kitchen.  “What were you doing outside?  It’s freezing!”  He quickly closes the distance between them and cups her head between his hands.  She is terrified he will be able to read the guilt in her eyes, so she quickly pulls away and starts taking off her coat.  “I wanted to check on some things outside before the storm hits.”

“Oh, you didn’t have to do that.  Brock is on his way over to help me bring the firewood up to the house.”

Addison’s heart stops and the color drains from her face.  Will Andrea have enough time to get out of the woods before Brock shows up?  Will there be footprints in the snow showing that someone was walking in the woods?  “He doesn’t have to come over.  I can help you with that!”  She rushes to say, trying to keep the pleading out of her voice, but doesn’t quite pull it off.  Nathan gives her a strange look.  The doorbell rings and her thoughts fill with dread.  Everything we have done over the past six months could be ruined.  And if Brock finds out, Andrea will pay the price.

Her heart pounds as Nathan meets Brock at the door and they both head to the edge of the property, their footprints now visible as the snow rapidly piles on the ground.  She stands frozen, wringing her hands, unsure of what to do.  She races towards the front of the house and runs down the front walk.  She should be able to see the edge of the woods where the trail would spit Andrea out at the sidewalk from here.  The trail starts here and winds deep into their woods, eventually leading to the tree where they met earlier.  Her heart lurches in her throat when she sees footprints coming from the trail and heading south.  Andrea is out of the woods, but is she far enough down the street that Brock won’t notice her?

She races back inside and quickly busies herself with the tasks she left in the kitchen earlier.  With her back to the door, hands submerged in soapy water, she sends up a silent prayer.  Lord, please help Andrea to escape.  Please help her get to the train station and on the plane.  She hears voices approaching.  Nathan and Brock spend a few minutes stacking the firewood against the wall on the back porch.  The snow is now coming down harder, reducing visibility and blanketing the ground.  Please let her footprints be covered up by the time he leaves.  Nathan says goodbye to Brock, and a couple minutes later, she hears his truck rumble to life and back out of the driveway.  Shakily, she lets her breath out.  

Nathan walks inside, stomping the snow off his boots.  “The snow is really coming down.  You can’t even see our footprints from walking back towards the house.”  He comes up behind Addison and wraps his arms around her torso, kissing the side of her neck.  “Since my parents have the kids today, let’s light a fire and watch the snow fall.”  

She turns into his embrace and wraps her arms tightly around him, burying her head into his neck.  “I love you Nathan.  I don’t know if I tell you that enough.  But you are such a good man.”  Tears are now streaming down her face, and he looks at her with new understanding in his eyes.  

“I would never hurt you Addison.  And if you don’t want Brock to come back, that is ok with me.”

I don’t have to tell him that Andrea is gone.  He knows.  I let out a breath and nod.  Andrea is going to be ok.  I can feel it.  Outside, the freshly falling snow covers her footprints, keeping her secret escape hidden beneath.