Locked In While My Siblings Chase Freedom Novels & Stories

If I slept, I'd see my parents again. I resisted, fighting the seductive pull of darkness with all my might. I knew it was lying to me, but I couldn't speak. It felt like I was choking. I could only run—run... Just as the suffocating sensation threatened to consume me, a beam of light tore through the darkness like a sword. I, too, overcame the heaviness in my chest. For the first time, I heard my own voice, clear and true. "Harvey... help me."

Whenever the thought crossed my mind, Derrick's face would involuntarily surface, making me sick to my stomach. Though I had moved and started my shop alone, I had the enthusiastic locals who had helped me with each step along the way to thank. I took a deep breath. This was the smell of freedom. My past self must have been out of her mind. Just as I finished getting everything ready, Crystal called. "Derrick is such a pain! He refuses to sign the papers, no matter what. I've spent an entire month trying to make him give in. But he simply won't listen to reason, and his words are plain vile! How did you put up with him for so many years?"

“I’m going to try the key—to make sure it works.” A tremor runs through me—anticipation and terror tangled together. My wolf stands in the center of my mind, tail rigid. Be steady. Do not ruin this. The key slides into the lock—metal scraping against iron. Then— click. The manacles unlock. For a single heartbeat, freedom is real. My weight shifts forward—instinct, reflex, the wolf screaming run through every nerve. Now! Move! Escape! My body almost obeys. Almost. But I bite down on the impulse with everything inside me.

The way she’d looked at me through the smoke of our burning home. I’ll find you. I meant that. I pressed the glass against the plastic. Dragged. Again. And again. Each slice felt like it took years. Above us, floorboards creaked. I froze. Footsteps passed overhead. Voices murmured. Then faded. I exhaled slowly. Not yet. Not yet. The zip-tie at my ankles thinned. One final pull… Snap. Freedom. I caught myself before I fell forward completely. Don’t rush.

stamp as a means to get away from the south and into the north. For three years, we were able to survive doing menial labor and moving. Our lives changed once more when we turned 19. I wasn't an only child, and my father groomed my older brothers to be a man after himself. They were able to track us down. My sister was the first to act, being her true fearless self. We tried hard to fight back, but we were out numbered. We're ran far off into the woods, pleadfully in search of sanctuary. One of the slave catchers caught up to us... caught up to me. He was disgusted by my display of affection for my sister - a being meant to be beneath me - I show love for. He was more enraged with me than h

The room swam in and out of focus, black spots crowding the corners of my sight. “You want your freedom…” I forced the words out, “…then you have to leave everything tied to me behind.” My head sagged against the rope at my throat, but I dragged it back up just to see her one more time, “My brothers might let you walk away, but they’ll never stop hunting for him. He’s their blood. They won’t stop until they get him back.” My vision blurred but I blinked harder to clear it. Tears streaked her cheeks, she swallowed, rocking slightly on her feet like she was about to topple. Everything about her begged me not to ask. Everything about her made me ask anyway.

Each failed attempt made my heart race faster. Outside.. A car engine roared to life. My head snapped up. They were leaving. This was it. My only chance. “I have to get out…” I whispered desperately. I focused. This time Steady and Careful. The pin slid in again. Twist. Push. Hold.. and a Click. I froze. Then… The chain loosened. My breath hitched. It… worked. A shaky laugh escaped me. “I did it…” My wrist slipped free. Freedom at last.

But sometimes protection feels a lot like a cage. Sheridan, my older sister, had tried to break free once. She’d slipped out one night, met some man at a club, and for the first time, she looked happy. For a few weeks, she glowed. Then Papa found out. The man disappeared, and Sheridan’s laughter died with him. She never forgave herself for it. I promised I’d never make the same mistake. But promises are easier to keep when the world doesn’t tempt you. Lately, I’d started to wonder what freedom might smell like, beer and gasoline, maybe, or rain on asphalt.

"It’s not just Mother it’s after. It’s us. It’s everyone." The door to the study slammed shut and the electronic locks engaged with a heavy, final thud. They were trapped. Pim stared at the door, then at the dead terminal, and finally at her sister. The betrayal they had planned was nothing compared to the reality of the machine they had built. "We need to get out," Pim said, grabbing a letter opener from the desk. "Now." "How?" Chalida asked, as the gas began to pool on the floor, white and thick. "We’re locked in, the exits are sealed, and the house is trying to kill us."

"Lock you in? What are you talking about? You just need time to think. I did the same thing with your sister when she acted up. Now go!" "No…" "Dad, you can't…!" Judy rushed over. "You want to start, too? None of you ever make things easy for me!" He shoved Judy aside with one hand and pushed me forward with the other. "Dad…" I stumbled inside, my shoulder hitting a stack of boxes. The door slammed shut behind me, and the lock clicked. Darkness swallowed everything. "No… Don't lock it!" Everything fell away. All that was left were flashes of fear. The whip with barbs. The clamps biting into skin. Men laughing as they closed in, hands already at their belts.