by Sage du Toit
The road was bad but Tom handled going through the washouts and bumps without a problem, he just took it slow and easy. When they reached the gate to her parent’s house, it was locked with a chain and padlock. She took out her keys and found the one that went to the padlock, hoping it was still the same. The key worked!
She opened the gate and let Tom drive through and then shut the gate and relocked it. The driveway was long and passed under a thick canopy of trees that connected over, creating almost a tunnel. With the darkening of the sky overhead, it felt even darker under the trees. Sam looked out over the pastures on each side of the driveway and saw they were thick and overgrown. Her heart was pounding in her throat.
Tom pulled up in front of the old white farm house where Sam directed him to go. Sam told everyone to stay in the truck so they didn’t get shot, which was good advice. As soon as Sam stepped out of the truck, she heard a gun cock and a man’s deep voice said, “What the hell you doin’ on my property?”
Sam had a hard time swallowing her tears, “Daddy?”
The front door burst open and her Dad was running down the front steps and swooping her up and a big hug, “Oh my God! Samantha! Samantha! You’re alive!”