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Ronnie opened his eyes to blackness and tried to move. The terror returned. His arms were bound behind his back and his legs tied at the ankles. He raised his head, but couldn't open his mouth to cry out. Something was lashed over it, biting into his cheeks. He blinked and craned his head around, but still couldn't see anything. What kind of awful place was this?
Water dripped somewhere close, and the air was cold. He shivered
under his thin pajamas, and rolled onto his side, trying to warm
his icy feet as he pulled them closer. A horrible face swam into his memory, a face he'd only seen for a moment back in his bedroom, one he hoped to never see again. Narrow mustache, thin snarling lips, scary evil eyes. He remembered other things. The flashlight stabbing out of nowhere, finding him. The gloved hands tearing him from his bed, pressing that terrible smelling rag to his nose, dragging him through the window into the rain. A sob welled in Ronnie's chest. He didn't want to be here. He-- Footsteps echoed nearby, and a bobbing light came into view. Ronnie's stomach churned, and a sour taste filled his mouth. The man was coming back! Ronnie squeezed his eyes closed and tried to shut out the world. Don't hurt me. Please. The footsteps were almost on top of him. In another moment-- He flinched as fingers touched his forehead. "Easy, child. Don't be afraid. Maggie's with you now." The fingers yanked at the gag, loosened it, at last tore it free, then pulled him close, cradling his fifty pounds with amazing tenderness. "I'm taking you out of this dirty cave and down to the house where we can find something to cut those ropes off." He collapsed against her, murmured "You're nice", and hoped she wouldn't mind that he'd wet himself. # "You had me worried, child, you did indeed." The woman pressed a warm, damp sponge to his face again and again, soothing, cleaning, taking away some of the pain. "Passed out in my arms you did. Before I even got you out of the cave. But I guess you were just tired." Ronnie blinked up at her, looked beyond, saw out the room's little window that day had arrived but that the rain continued. "I don't like this room. . .this bed. . . . I want to go home." A couple of tears spilled from his eyes, and she wiped them away. "There, there, dear." She leaned close, pressed a well-worn teddy bear into his arms. "Here. Teddy needs a boy like you for a friend. Someone to keep him company. And while I'm making you breakfast, you can change into that robe hanging on the back of the door. It's too big, of course, but I've pinned it up a bit, and you can roll up the sleeves how you like." Her soft voice. . . . It reminded him of Mom's. And her perfume -- that was like Mom's, too. But she wasn't like Mom in other ways. Much bigger, with gray hair and pink-framed glasses. He pulled the teddy close to his heart. It was skinny in spots and had only one eye, but he didn't care. He held it fiercely, and once more tears streamed down his face. And the lady named Maggie stayed with him, not leaving toprepare breakfast until he had cried himself dry. # She was gone only minutes and returned just as he lay his soiled pajamas aside. "It's stopped raining, child. And there's a pretty rainbow. Look." Ronnie followed her finger, staring out the window. It was pretty. So were the field and wildflowers and those trees in the distance. He ran his glance around the room, taking in other things for the first time. The ceiling had stains, kind of like the one at home did that time it leaked, and the window was cracked. He looked closer at the peeling wallpaper and picked out smiling pelicans and other strange-looking birds. One was especially funny -- an owl wearing huge glasses, a green and yellow polka dot bow tie, and towering hat. Ronnie pointed and laughed. "He's goofy."
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