He doesn’t listen. Just keeps winding the rope around my wrists, then moves down to my ankles. I feel him crouch, feel the rope cutting into my skin as he ties my legs.
Then he’s tying me to the tree.
The bark digs into my back. The rope bites into my wrists and ankles. I can’t move. Can’t see. Can barely breathe.
When he stops touching me, the silence is worse than anything.
“Are you still there?” My voice cracks. “Don’t leave me here!”
I hear sticks rustling. Footsteps. Moving away.
“Hey!” I scream. “Don’t fucking leave me out here all alone! What the hell’s wrong with you!”
The footsteps fade.
Then nothing.
Just the sound of wind through the trees. The distant hoot of an owl. The rustle of leaves.
I’m alone.
Tied to a tree in the middle of nowhere, blind, helpless.
And he’s gone.
“Hey!” My voice echoes through the forest. “Hey, asshole!”
Nothing.
Tears burn behind my eyes, soak into the hoodie fabric. My wrists throb where the rope cuts in. My legs are shaking, barely supporting my weight.
How long is he going to leave me here?
What if he doesn’t come back?
What if something finds me first—an animal, a person, something worse like a serial killer?
I try to steady my breathing. Try to think. But all I can think is…
Is he leaving me here all night?
I’m going to piss myself.
Tied to a tree because I tried to save my brother.
Time stretches. Seconds feel like hours. My legs go numb. My shoulders scream from being held above my head.
I hear something in the distance. Footsteps again. Coming closer.
“I don’t even know your name.” My voice is hoarse.
It’s silent.
“He fucking left me out here,” I whisper to myself. “Unbelievable.”
Silence.
Time stretches. My heart stops racing. My breath relaxes. I slump against the tree and try to breathe through the thick fabric. It feels like hours pass when I hear rustling footsteps.
