Sweat poured from her brow. Her clothes
clung to her as she ran for her life through the ink-black forest. She’d
already bumped into several tree trunks while looking over her shoulder for
him.
Why
me? Why is he so desperate to kill me?
She tripped over a half-hidden log and
landed in a pile of autumn leaves, but she was up running again within a few
seconds. Her life depended on it.
Stop
thinking and just run!
She could hear him tracking her—the
sound of crunching undergrowth getting ever nearer. She had no place to hide. Is that why he brought me here? Of course.
The question was: would she ever leave this place alive?
Another stray branch slashed her cheek,
distracting her. As she tumbled over a
large fallen tree trunk, her heart almost shuddered to a stop. She tried to get
up and continue running but winced as a sharp pain shot up her leg. She looked
down at her ankle. It hung at an odd angle. “Fuck! Damn and fuck.”
The noise of leaves rustling just behind
her made her turn her head sharply. She didn’t see the flat head of the shovel
until it was inches from her face.
“Run from me would you, bitch?”
Stars danced through her terrified
brain. She tumbled back into the damp undergrowth, but her attacker quickly
yanked her upright again and placed her back against a wide tree. Everything
was a daze, except the way he was glaring at her. She felt the rope slither
around her torso, then groaned when it tightened, pushing the air out of her
burning lungs. “Please don’t hurt me,” she whispered, fear tearing at her vocal
chords.
“You shouldn’t have run. Now I have no
choice.”
“Yes, you do. Everyone has choices.” She
tried to reason her way to survival. Right then she would have done just about
anything to save her life. “Please, I have money, savings in the bank. Take it.
Have it all… but please don’t hurt me.” Saltiness from her tears slipped into
the corner of her mouth.
“I don’t want your money. I wanted you.”
“Then have me. We’ll go away together.
You scared me. That’s why I ran. Please, give me another chance. I won’t mess
up again. I swear.” Her words forced confusion to travel his face.
Is
he debating setting me free? “We’ll be good together, once I get to
know you properly. It takes me a little while to get used to people. Please
give me that chance.”
The confusion gave way to anger. His
eyes creased up until they formed tiny slits in his tanned face and his lip
curled with intent. “If I set you free now, you’ll only run to the police and give
me away.”
“I won’t. I promise. Give me a chance. Give
us a chance,” she implored,
desperation lacing her words.
“You had your chance. Nobody makes a
fool out of me. Many women have tried before, seen me as some kind of joke, to
their cost. I thought you were different, but when it comes down to it, you’re
all the same. Full of your own self-importance. Preening yourself to attract us
men. Then, when you’ve snared us, you cast us away like a used tampon.”
She had never thought of herself in that
way and really wanted to challenge him. However, she was conscious that would
only make matters worse. She turned her head to the side and mumbled an
apology.
His hand shot out and clasped her
throat. “What did you say?”
He had cut off her airway, so she
couldn’t speak even if she wanted to. She could feel the air disappearing and felt
light-headed as his grip tightened. Her eyes fluttered shut, and her family’s
faces filled her oxygen-starved mind. Bye,
Mum, Dad, and Cheryl. I’ll never be able to share good news with you all again.
Please don’t grieve much for me. Go on with your lives. Never let the
bitterness of what he’s about to do to me destroy your lives like he’s
destroying mine. I love you all… until the end.
He let go of her throat, and she gulped
air as if it were an endangered commodity.
He held her hand in his, touched it
affectionately to his cheek, then looked her in the eye as he crushed her
fingers between his. She’d never felt so much pain in her life, and she
screamed until her voice dried up.
“Scream all you want, bitch. No one will
hear your desperate cries out here.”
She sobbed and whispered through dry
lips, “Get it over with. Kill me.”
“Oh, I will. Not yet, I intend to make
you suffer first. This is just the beginning of what I have in store for you,
bitch.”
He stood up and towered over her. Her
gaze remained focused on the tree stump opposite. She could make out, formed in
its bark, her mother’s beautiful smiling face, giving her the courage to be
brave. When she looked around, she realised that he’d vanished, leaving her
alone and vulnerable to the four-legged creatures of the forest. The sobs came
and increased in tempo as she came to the conclusion that even though he hadn’t
killed her, it wouldn’t be long before she died a horrible death out there.
Alone.
Lost deep in thought, she neglected to
hear his return. She jumped when he taunted her with his vile words.
“Say your prayers, bitch.” Something
glinted in his hand, and her eyes opened wide before the object sank deep into
her flesh. “Your life is about to end.”
She tried to scream, but her voice box proved
to be raw and uncooperative. The third time he struck her, she drifted into a
welcome unconsciousness. The blackness surrounding her quickly gave way to the
brightest light she’d ever witnessed. She moved towards it and breathed a sigh
of relief. I’ve arrived… He can no longer
hurt me.
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