“I want to help you Michael, and I’ll do whatever it takes. But that man is so much stronger than I am… and he has a gun,” I stated.
“I’ll be with you, Liz. But you have to do your part to stay alive. Yes, he is very dangerous, and strong, but if we do it right, we can get you out of there. I’m not the first person that he’s killed.” He shouldn’t have said that last part.
“Oh God! He’s killed before?” My stomach twisted in knots. He was a ruthless murderer, and I was just another victim. He wouldn’t care if I lived or died.
He braced my head in his hands and gazed steadily into my eyes. “Yes. But you will not be another victim. I won’t allow it.”
“But how, Michael? I’ve already tried to fight him and obviously lost that battle. He’s just too strong.”
He looked at me sadly, then took my hand and walked me to a nearby rock and sat me down. Holding my hands in his, he took in a long, deep breath.
“Liz, I have some things that I need to tell you, but you have to promise me that you won’t freak out. Promise?”
“Too late! I’m already freaked…just by those words!” I exclaimed.
He looked at me tenderly. “I know. But this is a very complicated situation we’re in, and I need you to be with me - one hundred percent.”
“I’m with you. I just can’t make you any promises, especially ones that I’m not sure I can keep.” Telling me I shouldn’t freak out already had every part of me twisted. But then, I looked at him and saw the look of despair and desperation in his eyes.
“I promise. I’ll try,” I sighed.
He smiled, and didn’t waste another second. He held tightly onto my hands, and looked directly into my eyes. “When you wake up… your hands and feet will be bound.”
My mind instantly produced the picture and I started to hyperventilate. “I can’t do this! I can’t!” The mere thought of being bound sickened me. “I really can’t do this, Michael. Can’t I just die now and be with you? Please… Don’t make me go back to that man, Michael. Please, don’t make me go back,” I begged while tears streamed down my face.
He steadied me; gently placing his hands on either side of my face to keep me focused and gently wiped away the tears. He was trying to be strong, but a look in his big brown eyes gave away a fear that was buried deep within them.
“I know… I know it will be difficult. This will be the hardest thing you’ve ever been through, but I know you Liz… you’re a fighter. You’ve always been strong and you’ve always pulled through,” he said, cupping my face in the warmth of his hands.
“Liz, please listen to me. It’s vital to your survival. You will need to concentrate on getting yourself free. Right now, he is heavily intoxicated. If you are smart you will have the upper hand, but you’ll need to move quickly.”
I kept shaking my head. Thoughts of waking to a dangerous, horrifying killer made me nauseous. I wasn’t strong. I wasn’t brave. With Michael, I never had to be.
I knew I would be alone, most likely in a very remote place, miles from anywhere or anyone that would be able to help me. I knew I’d have to fight for my life. The possibility of being beaten, tortured, or worse… was utterly unbearable. I couldn’t dwell on it. Deep inside, I would rather just die and take my chances. I’d rather stay with Michael forever, but I knew he wouldn’t agree to that...at least not right now. He wanted me to live. He wanted me to be safe, and happy, and he would never be at peace until he was sure of it.
He broke the silence with a whisper. “Liz. You’ll be alright. Everything will be alright.”
I slid off the rock into his embrace, and melted there. I immediately felt warmth emanate from him throughout my whole body. I felt safe near him. He lifted my head and gently pressed his lips against mine, making me dizzy. I instantly felt his love, and how much he cared for me. He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me close. But no matter how close we were, it wasn’t close enough. The feeling was so overwhelming.
“I love you so much,” he breathed.
“I know… I love you too much.” I heard him chuckle at my response. The sound of it sent tingles through me. I didn’t know if, or when, I’d ever get the chance to see Michael again. I wanted to stay right here, with him, and never leave the comfort of his arms, but I knew I would eventually have to. It was inevitable. I had to dig deep and be strong for him, even though I felt so weak.
“So what do you have planned?” I breathed, unsure of what was to come.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” he questioned.
“Yes. I guess as ready as I’ll ever be. This is something that no one could get ready for.”
I turned and looked into his eyes. He kept a tight hold on me, knowing that it was his closeness that was keeping me together. Then, he inhaled and exhaled one loud breath.
“Okay Liz. When you wake up… you will be bound to a bedpost with duct tape.”
I closed my eyes, taking in my own deep breath to keep from freaking out. I didn’t say a word because I knew this was too important. Life or death important.
He continued. “But the right corner of the bedpost has a small, sharp, piece of metal bending outward on its back side. If you rub the tape against it, it will tear and you can free your hands. But you’ll need to be careful that it doesn’t cut your wrists. Right now that’s our best bet.”
I looked at him aghast. “My best bet? That’s not a sure deal. I was kinda hoping for a 100% fool-proof plan. My body doesn’t function well under fear. For me, a 50-50 shot is like issuing me a death sentence.”
My words cut him like a knife. He closed his eyes and sighed. His face was overwhelmed with sadness and I hated it.
“I’m sorry, Michael. I know you’re trying to save me.” I apologized.
“Liz, I won’t allow you to suffer and die by that bastard. Do you understand me? I will not leave you alone, and I’ll do whatever it takes to help you get free,” he said in a strong and even tone. His eyes told me he was dead serious.
I nodded. I couldn’t say anything to that. His words left me speechless.
He resumed, not knowing how much time we had left.
“Once your hands are free you’ll need to use the amulet Lucy gave you. There is a sharp edge between the bear’s legs. Rub it against the tape around your ankles. It should tear easily. As soon as you’re free… run. You run like hell and don’t look back.”
I noticed that his voice was wavering, but also assuring and telling me exactly what I needed to do to avoid death. I had gone through many challenges before, but never like this. This one was life threatening. And no matter what, I always had Michael there to protect me.
I knew I would have to fight for my life… and fight alone, with the person who killed Michael.
“Liz, are you getting all of this…all the details?” I was dumbfounded at the details he was giving me. Precisely down to a piece of metal sticking out on the back of the bedpost. And how could he know that Lucy’s amulet had a sharp spot between the bear’s legs?
“How did you come up with this plan? How do you know that I can even find the metal and that it will cut my hands free?”
“You’ll just have to trust me,” he said softly but confidently.
“I do trust you,” I noted, but then my mind started to turn, and my fears began to overshadow everything else. “But, what if it doesn’t work? What if I can’t get the tape off? What if I can’t get free from him? What if he --” I couldn’t say the words. It was too terrifying. Tears poured from my eyes and I curled up grasping my stomach. I felt sick. I didn’t have even an ounce of optimism left in me. All my hope had suddenly vanished, overwhelmed by fear, doubt, and anxiety.
I felt Michael’s warmth surround me. He took me up into his arms and held me close to him. “It will work, Liz,” he assured me. “You will get the tape off and you will get free,” he said hugging me tightly. He gently kissed me, and for that second, I forgot about everything else. My mind became overwhelmed and fogg
ed by him.
“You promise you’ll be with me?” I asked, looking into his big beautiful brown eyes.
“Yes,” he said squeezing me tightly. “I will be with you and there is nothing in heaven, or hell, that could keep me away. You might not be able to see me, but I promise you – I will be there.” He looked directly into my eyes; his words were sure and unwavering. I suddenly felt a sense of peace, even if it was in the smallest measure. Just knowing that Michael would be there, even if it was in spirit, gave me a glimmer of hope.
I felt like my whole existence was to be with him. That out of all the millions of people in this huge world - we were meant to find each other. But one man, one murderer, one selfish drug addict, ripped that part away from me…the part that kept me breathing… the part that kept me… me. A loving, caring, beautiful life… stolen away.
Some would say it was his destiny, some would disagree. I didn’t want to believe that we weren’t supposed to be together. He was my perfect match. And even though I am only seventeen, I had a chance to know, to feel, a glimpse of what true love really is… really was. What Michael and I had was special.
I began to feel a burning inside of me. It started deep in the pit of my stomach and emanated throughout my veins. It was a feeling that I’d never felt before, a feeling that made me want to fight, for Michael, for me; a feeling that made me just a little bit stronger. Maybe it was his love, and the love that I had for him, that was giving me strength. I wanted to help him more than myself. I would have gladly traded places with him if I could. He was so much more a better person than I was.
“Come here, you,” he said, breaking my thoughts. He wrapped his arms tightly around me pulling me over to my back. He lay next to me, resting on his side and holding himself up on his elbow. His fingers carefully traced the lines of my face.
“You’re so beautiful, Liz,” he said leaning down and pressing his lips on mine. His mouth was eager kissing me like he’d never kissed me before. There was electricity between us - a current flowing through each of our beings – connecting us, even in a dream. How I longed to stay here with him. I didn’t care if I ever went back to the real world. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer.
He pulled back and hesitated. There was a deep sadness in his eyes, and I knew that our time was quickly coming to an end. I carefully studied his face… his perfect, beautiful face, and then he smiled. My heart melted, and he stole my breath away.
“How can you do that?” I questioned, looking at him and shaking my head.
“Do what?” he asked quizzically with one eyebrow lifted.
“Be so damn charming. Even in my dreams your charms overwhelm me.” He laughed loudly, and it made me smile. But it also made my heart ache at the same time. I looked into his eyes and knew that I’d never love anything more than I loved him.
“Hey… What’s the matter?” he asked softly. He also knew me too well.
“I just wish this was real.”
“It’s as real as you want it to be, Liz. And right here, right now, there is nothing more real to me than holding you in my arms, loving you,” he answered with a grin.
I hoped to lock this memory away forever in my subconscious, and take a mental picture - never to forget it. He leaned over and gently caressed my face, pressing his soft lips against mine. He was intoxicating and addicting, but before we got carried away, Michael sat back and stared at me. He lifted his eyebrows, breathed in deeply and smiled.
“It’s time,” he said slowly getting up to his feet and holding his hand out to me. I placed my hand in his and he pulled me to my feet. He grabbed me and pulled me into him, hugging me like he never wanted to let me go. I felt his lips press on my forehead.
The beautiful blue sky above was steadily changing to a dark gray. I suddenly felt a chill shoot straight down to my bones. The wind began to pick up and within seconds, it was whipping wildly around us. My pulse raced, and I knew our time was drawing to an end. A throbbing pain shot through my head. I wrapped my arms tighter around Michael, and pressed myself against him.
“Liz,” he said softly.
I didn’t answer. I was too stuck in my mind, trying to block out whatever was coming.
“Elizabeth!” he cried out, carefully shaking my shoulders. I looked into his wide, desperate eyes. “Are you with me, Liz?”
I nodded. I was trembling, not only from the cold, but from the terror that awaited me.
The sky was steadily becoming a darker gray. The winds whipped around us devastating the once beautiful scenery, tearing it into a black nothingness.
“You won’t be alone, Liz. Remember, I will be with you,” he promised. His words were slow and sure. “And, remember what I told you. What you need to do. You need to stay focused. Alright?” he yelled over the roaring winds.
I nodded again and felt him press his lips against mine.
The wind suddenly became like a cyclone, tearing my grasp from him.
“No!” I cried. “Michael!” I tried to hold on but I was slipping away.
“I love you Liz!” he yelled. “Remember! Please remember!”
My dream was quickly fading.
“I love you, Michael!” I screamed.
Fear tore through every part of me, as I was thrust backward into a dark abyss, which swallowed me whole. I suddenly became lost in its darkness.
Chapter 7
I unwillingly woke to my reality. My eyes ached as I tried to open them, and it hurt to focus. I knew I’d just entered my worst, most frightening nightmare. But I was awake. The stench of rotting flesh, feces and trash reeked heavily in my nostrils, intensifying the nauseous feeling I was already having.
My head throbbed, and everything ached and trembled from the intense cold. I felt dry blood on my face as I squinted to see my surroundings.
I was lying on an old dirty cot. I couldn’t move. My hands and ankles were bound, and my mouth was taped shut. I looked up over my head. My hands were secured to an old metal-framed bedpost with duct tape… exactly as Michael had said.
My eyes were swollen and still blurry. I tried hard to focus, and then I saw it… a small rusty piece of metal sticking out, in the back, right, corner of the post. It was again… just as he’d said. I felt the pounding of my heart against my chest.
I quickly scanned the room, but it was empty. I seemed to be alone. The place looked like a small dilapidated shack, thrown together with scraps of plywood; a third the size of my cottage. Thick globs of sealant were in every crack and crevice; a horrible attempt to keep out the cold.
Two propane lanterns illuminated the room, and an old TV rested in one of the corners plugged into a generator. In front of the TV sat an old, torn and tattered easy-chair. A moose head was mounted unevenly on the wall; its sad eyes were staring, empathizing with the next victim. Me.
The kitchen was a small meg-shift counter-top with a sink and a hotplate. A conglomeration of moldy food on paper plates overflowed from a huge black trash bag. Countless empty bags of Doritos, beer cans, and dirty clothes were strewn everywhere.
I was stuck in the middle of a horror flick where I was the star… the victim. But there were no cameras, no stunt people, no body doubles, no stand-ins, and no director to yell “cut”!
The sound of a toilet flushing alerted me that I wasn’t alone. Oh God…it must be him! I noticed the only closed door at the left side of the shack. It had to be the bathroom.
A petrifying sound, raspy and low, started humming the song, like the one on my answering machine - “I Got You Babe”. It was him.
My heart raced and tears of panic began to well behind my already swollen lids. My breaths became quick and shallow.
I wanted to pretend like I was still unconscious, but there was no way I could. I was already to the point of hyperventilating. My mouth was taped shut and my only air source was through my nose, and the membranes in my nose were swollen, making it already difficult to breathe.
My emotions started to get the bes
t of me. I fought with myself to gain control over my mind. I needed to slow my breathing so I wouldn’t pass out. But just as I started to get a hold of myself, the bathroom door flew open.
A dark figure staggered out, staring at his pants, attempting to zip them up.
I couldn’t shut my eyes or pretend. It was too late. He glanced over to me and I glared back at his utterly disgusting face. He grinned, a very dark and evil grin… the kind of grin that the Grinch had before he stole Christmas. Pure and unadulterated evil.
“Well, well… look who’s finally decided to join the party,” he slurred. His eyes were dark and droopy. He sounded like my mother when she’d had way too much to drink. His left eye and cheek were badly bruised and swollen. I must have done that to him during the struggle. At least I managed to afflict some pain to that bastard. He shuffled towards me.
“Hey darlin’… how do ya like your new love nest? Nice and cozy ain’t it?” He laughed holding his arms out to me, flashing his plaque-infested, rotted teeth. A wave of nausea hit me like a flood. I wanted to puke, but my mouth was taped shut and I’d have to swallow it.
If there ever was a hell…I was more than certain that this was it. I tried hard not to think of the terror that was about to befall me. I was completely helpless. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t scream. I tried to mentally prepare myself for whatever was coming, but there was no way to prepare for this. Instead, I fought desperately to seek my happy place.
He sat at the edge of the cot and stared at me. The stench of his breath was overwhelming.
“Don’t be afraid, darlin’. I ain’t gonna hurt ya,” he said rubbing his calloused hand across my cheek. I jerked my head away from him. I didn’t want that murdering, asshole touching me.
“Aw, come on now. I told ya, I ain’t gonna hurt ya,” he said sarcastically. “That is…unless you want me to.” His voice and eyes hardened. Then he laughed a wicked laugh, the kind that sent chills down my spine. I stayed frozen. He leaned toward me, and I winced. His fingers brushed against my forehead as he picked up a lock of my hair, leaned in towards me, and sniffed it.