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Chloe sags a bit, looking defeated all of a sudden.
“I don’t know, and I don’twantto know,” she says. “I don’t keep in touch with them. The drugs, the shaman, and the … well,everythingwas awful. The drugs were just the tip of the iceberg.”
I nod.
“I’m sorry I brought it up, Chloe. I know it weighs on you.”
“No, it’s okay,” she says with a half-smile. “Now, I’m expecting a baby and things are going to be better,” she says in a determined voice. Then she brightens. “Now go, Ames! This is your chance! I don’t want to see your face anymore because you need to get out from under your parents’ thumb. We’ll be fine at A Woman’s Secret. Go!”
Then, without any further ado, my friend clicks off and I’m left in silence in my room. The lack of noise is jarring at first, but then, I spring into action. I dart to my closet and pull out an enormous backpack which can easily fit some extra clothes, a sleeping bag, a sleeping pad, and some supplies. Then I rummage around for a lightweight windbreaker, as well as shorts, a top, and my hiking boots. It’s all there, and already, I’m feeling better. Maybe I’m not Indiana Jones, but at the very least I’m going on an adventure … because I can’t stay in this hellhole any longer.
3
Amy
Shit! I stumble and almost fall, practically doing a face plant into a bush. What was I thinking?
Oh, that’s right. Chloe encouraged me to go on a week-long hike to “get away from it all,” and that’s what I’m doing at the moment. In fact, I left the morning after our phone conversation. I didn’t even tell my parents. I was a no-show at dinner, and then the next day, I dropped a note on the table in the foyer telling them I’d be gone for a little bit.
I look down at my cell. There are no calls from Amity and Andrew despite the fact that I’ve been hiking for a couple hours now. I have full signal too, so it’s not like their calls were lost in the ether. No, my parents don’t care about me, and so long as my “fiancé” is still in rehab, there’s no need to keep tabs on my whereabouts. In fact, they’re probably happy that I’m out of their hair so that they can keep going about their plastic lives, with their fake smiles and helmet-like hair.
I snort, staring at the dirt trail in front of me. How in the world am I descended from Amity and Andrew? I swear, I must have been switched at birth. Other than the fact that we all have red hair, it doesn’t seem like we share any DNA whatsoever. Is it possible that I was switched at birth? Maybe a nurse made a mistake, and there was another baby girl named Amy born that day.
Or maybe, Amity and Andrew actually are my parents, and I’m just unlucky. I sigh, sitting down on a huge boulder. The sun beats down on my head, and I pull the brim of my hat further over my eyes. With ivory skin like mine, you have to be careful. My mom always says that I have to apply sunscreen in order to not become old and wrinkly. Sadly, she’s probably right about that one.
At least it’s beautiful here. The sun isn’t too strong yet, and the light shines through the leaves of the trees above me, casting dappled shadows on the dirt floor. There’s plenty of vegetation, and the sheer amount of greenery soothes my nerves. Not only that, but I can hear bird calls as well as the rustling of leaves. Perhaps there are animals in the brush, although I doubt they’d show their faces with a human around.
My stomach growls, and I decide it’s time for a snack. Reaching into my pack, I rummage around before reappearing with a meatball sub in my hands. Yes, I decided to treat myself, weight gain be damned. Again, this is something that my mom and I always argue about. As a realtor, Amity’s very concerned about “presentation” a hundred percent of the time and works out like a fiend. She cycles between lifting weights at the gym, working with her trainer, brutal rides on the Peloton, and going for long runs in the woods next to our house that last two to three hours. When she comes home and sees me eating food, she can’t help but look disgusted.
“Really, Amy?” Amity asked the last time she saw me downing pancakes. “A full stack? And do you really need powdered sugarandmaple syrupandbutter for flavor?”
“Why, what would you suggest I use?” I snark back.
Amity rolls her eyes.
“For one, I wouldn’t eat pancakes. Those things are all carbs and they’re just going to sit in your stomach for hours. Second, why don’t you use that new vegan spread I got instead of butter? It’s healthier for you.”
“It’s not healthier for me because that vegan shit is made from all sorts of fake oils that come from a lab. I’m sorry to diss your lifestyle choices, but vegan doesn’t necessarily mean “natural.” It just means no animal products. Lab-manufactured chemicals are very much still on the table.”
Amity merely scrunched her nose with a look of disgust.
“Have it your way then,” she says, stalking off while slapping her towel over one shoulder. “But I swear, Amy. If you balloon to three hundred pounds from your poor food choices, don’t come knocking on my door for gastric bypass. I’m not paying for the surgery!”
I roll my eyes as my mom disappears up the stairs.
“No one’s doing gastric bypass anymore, Mom!” I call after her. “Everyone’s doing Ozempic or Wegovy instead! Haven’t you heard? Semaglutides are the new miracle drug for weight loss! Get with the program!”
Of course, Amity already knows because she tried to convince me to take a couple shots of Ozempic “just for fun.” I said no, of course. I don’t trust the diet industry, and besides, this stuff hasn’t been tested long-term yet.
But there’s no reply from upstairs, and I roll my eyes again. Seriously, Amity’s harping gets on my nerves and I’m glad to be away from my mother, if only for a week. The memory makes me angry, and snapping back to the present, I take a vicious bite of my meatball sub as if in retaliation for all of my mother’s snarky comments.
Calm down, Amy, the voice in my head soothes.You’re here to get away, remember? Forget Amity, Andrew, and the stupid arranged marriage they’ve set up for you. Focus on the present.
I take another bite of my meatball sub, but somehow, the flavor’s been ruined by my mom’s past comments. Sighing, I put it down and decide to look at the trail map. I’m probably pretty close to the next fork, where I transition from the Stuntz Trail to the Sooner Fork. It’ll be good to get my bearings before picking up to start the hike again.
But when I stare at the map, suddenly, I realize that something’s wrong. I was supposed to pass a certain trailhead a couple miles back, and I didn’t see anything. Not only that, but according to the map, I was supposed to be hiking slightly uphill this morning, but that definitely hasn’t happened. If anything, I’ve been going downhill and putting pressure on my knees during the walk. What in the world? Where am I?
I bounce to my feet before whipping out my phone. Of course there’s no signal now that I’m lost. I stand there for a moment, listening with all ears, trying to see if I can hear the rush of cars, or any indication of civilization. But again, there’s just the soft rustle of leaves, as well as the call of a bird from high overhead. What the hell?
