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The Visit continued. The conversations she and Michelle had with Danny raced through her mind. Michelle told Danny that they traveled through several states, bought a lot of nice things, and then she offered to pay for his meal. "We have plenty to spare," she had said immodestly, smiling at Danny. Ava remembered kicking Michelle's leg under the table, her way of telling Michelle to shut up. Michelle never thought before she spoke and now, two days later, this was where they were. Just as Ava decided to run to another farmhouse she heard shuffling. Ava spun around to face Danny, his face red, his eyes burning with hatred. Grabbing Ava's hair, he half drug her into the house. "Mason!" he yelled, pushing Ava through the kitchen door, "I've found the older sister. What kind of fool did you take me for, Girl?" Ava stumbled forward. This was it. "Where's my sister?" she asked, fighting back tears. "Tell me." Just then Michelle came into the kitchen, her face dirty, clothes torn. Nervously she stood next to Danny. "Don't hurt her," she whispered to Danny. "Please don't hurt her again." A bald-headed man in a stained t-shirt stood next to Ava. His green eyes seemed to burn with either anger or hatred; Ava couldn't tell. "It's over," he said. "It's all over now, girls." Ava stood taller, observing Mason. Mason reached into his back jeans pocket and pulled out a gun. 'Don't do it, don't do it', though Ava, over and over. 'Don't do it. God, please don't let him do it'. A single gunshot rocked the house as Danny fell to the floor. Still alive, he stared at Mason. "Traitor!" he yelled, his hand over his stomach. Nervously, Ava stepped around Danny as Mason stared back at the fallen man. It was as though Ava and Michelle were invisible. It was time to run. Michelle grabbed her sister's hand and they fled the farmhouse. "To the road!" yelled Ava, pulling Michelle along. "Hurry, hurry!" Reaching the road, it took all of Ava's strength to continue walking. There would be time to talk later. Michelle would fill her in on all the details. The next farmhouse wasn't far away now. Suddenly Michelle jerked Ava's arm, and the sisters stopped. All that could be heard in the still spring air was the soft blowing of wind and a mule braying. Another gunshot fired and echoed across the valley. Michelle stared at Ava. Her lips quivered. "I don't understand," Michelle said. "I don't know why any of this happened to us." Ava shook her head. "Let's go. We need to find help." Michelle released her sister's hand. "It's not over," she whispered. "I need to go back." Helpless, Ava watched Michelle make her way back to the farmhouse. All Ava knew was that her sister was making a mistake. She caught her sister's arm, refusing to loosen her grip. "You're coming with me," Ava said. "You aren't well. You need help." Mustering all her strength, Ava drug Michelle along the dirt road. Michelle fought Ava the entire time, muttering something about Mason that Ava couldn't quite comprehend. Finally someone heard Michelle's cries and a woman emerged from the second farmhouse. "You've got to help us," said Ava, her voice shaking. "We've had a terrible time. Please help us." The woman smiled at the sisters, and nodded toward Michelle as though she knew her. Michelle looked away. Then the woman slowly led Ava and Michelle to her farmhouse, closing the door and locking it behind her. The donkey brayed again one last time. THE END
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