I glance down at my bruised knuckles; it doesn’t feel good anymore though.
Before the kidnapping, I didn’t realize how addictive technology can be. But shove me in a room the size of shoe with no phone, TV, or computer for a week and its apparent just how reliant I’ve become – and how fucking bored I am. I mean, can’t they at least give me a book to read? A puzzle? Hell, I’ll even settle for ten minutes with the day’s Wordle.
But am I bored enough that I actually look forward to my daily visits from my kidnappers? Shamefully, yes.
I’m in the middle of my normal routine of staring at the wall, when I hear the metal clogs of the door unlocking, drawing my attention. I reach up, unwrapping the leggings they'd found for me from my hair.Yeah, I’d gotten bored enough to try that legging curling technique from the internet. I honestly don’t know if I even did it right or what my hair looks like now that the leggings are out, but whatever.
Thing Dickhead comes in, allowing the door to shut behind him before leaning against the wall; his arms cross over his chest and his eyes fixate on me. He shakes his head at me. “Fallon, put on some fucking pants.”
Just because he ordered me to, I flip him off before I take my sweet fucking time shimmying into the tight fabric. I don't miss the way his eyes take in every movement, every piece of exposed flesh.
“Time for a little walky walk, yeah?” I am practically vibrating with the urge to get out of these four godforsaken walls. “How’s the nose by the way?” My head tilts to the side with my nose scrunched as I think about how badly that must have hurt.
The muscles of his neck flex and I can almost hear his teeth grind. Yep, still mad about the nose. “Why in the world would I let you out of here with how you have been acting?”
“Well, Dad, maybe I wouldn’t be so difficult if I could get a little sunshine. Kind of like kids and recess.” I smile sweetly before letting all traces of happiness and humor drop from my face. “Or maybe I will keep being difficult because you fucking kidnapped me and have kept me in a glorified box for god knows how long, and a little revenge is deserved.”
He considers me for several moments before standing straight, apparently having worked through whatever inner villain monologue was going on behind that mask. He opens the door and I know that I just blew my chance. Yet again letting my attitude and lack of control get in the way.
Just as I am about to sit back down on the bed his smooth voice sounds in the hall. “You coming?”
I jump up, catching him in just a few strides and we walk down the way-too-familiar hallway. Just when we get to the end where they usually turn me around, he presses his palm to a pad and his eye to a scanner. Apparently their tech is so good he doesn't even have to take off his mask, because the large metal door swings open, revealing a staircase.
This is the part where the dumb captive in the movie tries to make a break for it, but not this girl. Oh no, I can see Thing Dickhead watching me from the corner of his eye, so instead I gesture for him to walk up ahead of me, remaining one step behind him in a show of submission.
He pauses before we get to the top of the stairs and tells me to wait here. Pulling out his phone he makes a call and, of course, I hear the wordblindfoldas he walks up to the top. Not two minutes later, Thing One hands him a scrap of fabric, nods at me, and leaves again. Turning to me, he beckons me forward, making quick work of the blindfold before I get a chance to peer down the hall and into whatever building we’re in. It must be important to them if they don’t want me to see details. Which is smart, because I low-key spend way too much time on Zillow looking at homes, and I have a great memory for details. Not that they would know any of this.Right?
He grips my arm and roughly guides me forward. I stumble several times, as if I am walking through several doorways with some kind of lip covering the change in flooring material. I hear a door to the outside open, different from the others because I can hear the suction of the insulation lining the door and feel the crisp chill of the air.
I’m in a short-sleeved shirt, but there is no way I will either give him the satisfaction of hearing me complain – nor a reason to remove me from the sunlight that I can feel on my skin.
His grip shifts as he guides me to the left and I stumble as my feet leave the hard ground and start treading on crunchy grass. His grip keeps me from falling as he tugs me closer to him. Just when I think that this entire walk will be in darkness for me, he tugs me to a halt and I can feel his fingers fumbling with the knot in the blindfold. His close proximity causes me to inhale his scent. He smells like mint and something woodsy; probably that stick shoved up his ass.
I suddenly find myself squinting at the brightness of the sun. My eyes are watering from its intensity after being kept away from any natural light for so long. It feels so amazing. I sigh as I take in my surroundings. There are hedges on all sides like we are in some kind of pathway. When my eyes land on the man in the mask, I see he’s unmoving while watching every move I make.
When I start to walk he matches my pace, still saying nothing. I run my hand along the hedge beside me; the leaves are sharper than they look as they graze my palm. My shoes crunch on the grass that has yet to give way to the softness of spring. The cold, wet dew soaks through the fabric, freezing my toes but I bite back any complaints because I know this asshole will just lock me back up if I say anything. When we get to a dead end, I glance around to see that we could turn either way but would still be surrounded by hedges.
“Is this some kind of maze?” My voice is more curious than afraid at this point.
“Something like that.” His response gives me as little detail as possible.Jackass.
“Soooooo, any chance you will tell me what you all really want from me?” I try to keep my face neutral as we turn left and follow the path at a leisurely pace.
“We already told you. We want the truth.”
“Do you, though? Because I gave you that and yet I’m still here.”
“You know Helix and that information might help us take down the culprit.” His voice is calm but firm, making me wonder if this might be a good opportunity to try to talk my way out of this.
“Did you ever think of trying a different approach? Like, ‘Hey this lady might know something, and she is a decent person. Let’s just ask her if she knows anything or if she could help us,’beforekidnapping me?” I spare him a glance as we’re forced to turn to the right.
He doesn’t respond, so I focus on the smell of fresh cut grass, the feeling of spring, soaking up the sunshine. We round another corner and I see that at the end of this path it splits into a three-way fork. A plan is churning in my mind, and my palms start to slick as I run through my options in my head.
Just as I accept that he’s not going to respond, he tugs me to a stop, turning me to face him before dropping his hand to his side. We are less than a foot apart and his eyes are pinned on me as his head tilts ever so slightly to the side. “Do you know–”
Without warning, my knee slams into his balls. Anoomphleaves him as he doubles over, cupping his wounded manhood. I waste no time in sprinting away, using my head start to my advantage. I sprint down the fork to the right, my heart pounding with the thrill of getting away and getting another solid hit on that asshole. If he catches me, there will be hell to pay.
My arms are pumping at my sides as I take another corner at full speed and slide to a stop, coming face to face with a dead end. Rather than give up, I wheel around and head back in the other direction. There is a corner ahead that has another path connected that I can’t see down. When I get to that corner to take the turn, grass sliding under my shoes, I am snatched into an immobilizing hold.
