Gone (Gone #1) by Stacy Claflin Read Free Book Online

she was meeting Jared. Would they be worried that she hadn't texted them about it?
    Burying herself further into the bed of hay, she gave in to the tears until she was sobbing and shaking. Where were her parents? What were they doing? What about her annoying brother? What she wouldn't give to even see him and put up with his relentless teasing.
    Without realizing it, she cried herself back to sleep. She woke up when something tickled her hand, which was hanging out of the hay. She opened her eyes to find a black beetle crawling on her hand.
    "Augh! Get off. Off of me!"
    She shook her hand, but it didn't come loose. She used her other hand to flick it away. She wiped the back of her hand on the hay furiously, as though that would get rid of whatever remnants of the bug were left on her skin.
    Was she going to die in this room? Was this going to be the last place she was ever going to see? Sleeping in hay with bugs crawling on her, surrounded by rats and who knew what else?
    A loud crack made her jump. Macy buried herself deeper into the bale of hay, even though she knew it couldn't protect her. Rain slammed against the barn with such force that it practically shook above her. Thunder clapped again, and with it rainwater came dripping down the wall next to her. It pooled noisily on the ground.
    Did it flood down there? The rats weren't running for cover, so maybe—hopefully—that was a good sign. She could hear animals stomping around up above. They whinnied, mooed, and bahhed, making the storm even more eerie than it already was.
    Macy lay there in her hay nest, listening to the sounds of the storm and of the animals. It was the distraction she needed, and finally she relaxed for the first time since the ordeal had begun. Storms had always been somewhat comforting, in a strange sort of way. At home, she used to love watching the rainfall from her house. It was almost magical, even though she was too old to believe in that stuff anymore.
    The storm gave her hope, almost like a sign she was going to be okay.
    Her stomach rumbled along with the thunder and the hunger ate at her, making her feel weak and light-headed. She had been hungry before and knew this phase would pass. There was no way she was going to let him win. If nothing else, she would walk away from this skinny at last.
    Focusing on the storm, she ignored the hunger pangs. She thought of her poor old cat Snowflake. Imagining him beside her helped Macy relax further. He had always been able to sense when she was upset, and would show up to comfort her.
    As suddenly as it had begun, the storm stopped. The quiet rang in her ears, and all she could hear was the water dripping down the wall from the spaces above. Macy closed her eyes. She wanted sleep to take her away again, but it wouldn't.
    Her stomach growled again, rumbling over and over, making her light-headedness even worse. Her mouth watered for food that didn't exist.
    At home, she could walk into the kitchen and grab anything—well, anything without meat or animal by-products. Alex always waved cheese slices in her face after she declared herself a vegan. Cheese had been her favorite, and was probably the sole cause of her muffin top.
    A noise caught Macy's attention, and she looked toward the trap door as it opened.
    "Did you enjoy the storm? I was watching it by the fire, listening to music while lunch cooked in the oven. How did you like it from in here, Heather?"
    "My name isn't Heather."
    "The sooner you come to terms with the fact that you're Heather, the sooner you'll be able to get out of here. For now, are you ready for some food?"
    "I'm not calling you dad ."
    "That's a shame. I've got some food here for you. Can you smell it?" Chester waved his hands around, like that would send the smell her way.
    "Nope."
    "Are you sure you won't change your mind?"
    "I'm not Heather, and you're not my dad. I want you to take me back to my parents. Everyone's looking for me, you know. They've figured out by now that