The shadow cast from a large mahogany wardrobe stretched over the hardwood floors, reaching it’s twisted black claws toward the rolltop desk across the room. On either side of the bed sat a bedside table made of the same dark wood. Light from the lamp glinted off the bronze knob of the one closest to me.
I almost reached out for it, curious what secrets lay inside. My fingers hovered over the metal knob shaped like a string of ivy, afraid of what I might find. In this circumstance, ignorance might be bliss. Especially considering I was barely managing to keep my stomach from lurching up into my chest.
Instead, I turned my attention to the wingback chair tucked next to a small bookshelf in the corner. The chair was the same deep red as the canopy and easily big enough for someone to hide behind. That wasn’t what caused me to hold my breath.
The walls were closing in on me again, because no matter where I looked, I couldn’t find a door. Just endless rows of dark wood paneling that blended into the floor. The wooden slats completely surrounded the room, pulsing in and out as the swirling grains morphed into faces laughing at my turmoil.
Other than the three large windows letting moonlight bounce off the bronze tiled roof, there seemed to be no exit. There wasn’t even anywhere to hide.
I might be able to fit under the chair, but what then? If someone did come in, where could I go?
My eyes landed on an open door to the right, where I could see the outline of a four claw tub in the dark. Bathrooms were a good place to hide. For prey and predator alike.
Hugging my waist, I shrank back and eyed the closest window. Was it worth the risk to dash out into the open?
That’s how people got cornered. The first time Ralph caught me alone in my room, I learned just how useful my trusty bat was. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as I thought? Some stranger could’ve stumbled across the alley and rescued me. For all I knew, I was completely safe.
Or something could reach out from under the bed and grab my foot.
I glanced down at the dark space by my heel and shuffled slightly. Nothing came out after me. Maybe I really was alone? The window just on the other side of the bed called to me. It could be a trap, but if I waited, I might not get another chance.
Before I could talk myself out of it, I dashed over to the window. The room remained quiet and still. That didn’t make me feel any better.
I couldn’t see into the dark corners of the room. Couldn’t search the space for hidden dangers. All I could do was flatten my back against the wall and stare at the moonlight glinting on the floor beside me.
If I stepped in it to look out the pane of glass, I’d lose my shadowy blanket and become just as visible as the lamp shining brightly. Like a beacon in the dark, I may as well scream, ‘Come get me. I’m right here.’
Careful to keep my bare feet out of the beam of silvery light, I peeked through the window.
“You won’t find any safety out there, Pet.”
I sprang back as a lamp clicked on, bringing a pair of ice-blue eyes into view.His eyes.
“Besides, it’s locked.” He shifted slightly and smirked as I tried to press further into the wall. “It would be a shame if you killed yourself before we got a chance to play.”
I didn’t want to find out what his idea of play was. Unfortunately, I could now see how high up we were. Even if I could crawl out the window, I wouldn’t survive the fall.
Not only that, but wherever I was, it was nowhere near Worthington.
The horizon was filled with miles and miles of water shining under the moon. A vast ocean, with no other land in sight, beyond the shoreline I could see in the distance.
I wanted to step closer to the window and search. Fear wouldn’t let me. If I moved, my captor might pounce.
“Are you scared, Pet?” It felt like my knees would give out when he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his thighs. “Do you want to know what I’m going to do to you?”
No, no I didn’t.
At that moment, all I wanted to do was convince my legs to move. The fact that my lungs were still working was nothing short of a miracle.
His head tipped, causing the lamp beside him to cast shadows on the angular features of his face. “You all ask the same things. Why am I here? What do you want from me? Are you going to hurt me?”
My eyes snapped up to his.
Hurt. I didn’t like that word.
Hurt could be interpreted so many ways.
Knowing he’d done this before brought back those true crime images. Dead faces staring at the camera, as the life they once had became just another statistic.
