I opened a drawer and saw it in a drawer organizer, right next to his toothbrush.
“Hey, Rae, did you find the toothpaste?” Caleb called from the front room. I could hear him laughing still, and it sounded like it was because Duke had the zoomies.
“Yup! I—”
Suddenly, lightning struck and all the lights in the house went off. I froze.No. This can’t be happening.I dropped to the floor and scooted back until my back hit the wall. I tried to scream, to call for Caleb, but nothing came out. My chest felt tight, and it hurt to breathe.
I heard footsteps running down the hall and into the bedroom. They sounded just as loud as the thunder.
Oh no, Ethan is here.I was wedged into the corner of the bathroom wall and the cabinets. I was cornered and had nowhere to go, and nothing to protect myself with.
I heard a voice. It was a man’s voice.Oh my gosh, he’s here. He found me.
The footsteps stopped and the voice said something, but I couldn’t make it out. It didn’t really matter what he said to me. The actions always hurt more.
Lightning lit up the bathroom and the silhouette of the source of the footsteps was right in front of me.He found me.
I pushed harder against the wall and kicked my foot at him as he backed up and sat across from me. Was he taunting me? He spoke again and I felt like I was going to be sick. There was a weird tapping sound as he spoke. Then a moment later, I heard a thump, then he spoke again, right before a flash of lightning filled the room. I wished my eyes could adjust enough for me to see before the darkness swallowed me whole again.
Why was he not moving towards me?I wish he would just get whatever he had planned over with.
Thunder shook the wall my back was against and I tried to not react, to not show my fear, but he knew. He said something to me and a wave of nausea came over me again. I felt like I was going to throw up, but if I did, I would be vulnerable and he could use that to his advantage. I tried to calm myself, but it felt like my throat was closing up. I started to gasp for air and felt like I was choking.
He said something and moved towards me. I jumped. I was still cornered.
He touched my arm and the wave of anxiety only grew as I wondered what he was waiting for.
I had to fight. My arms felt like they were made of lead, but I had to try. He tried to speak to me again, but I couldn’t focus on his words. I just had to fight. I felt his hands on my leg, then my arms, and I tried to scream again, but nothing came out. I pushed and hit, but he was too strong. I knew I had scratched him, but it hadn’t stopped him.
“Rae! Sunshine! It’s me!” I heard Caleb’s voice.
“Caleb, help!” I cried.
“Rae, honey...” Suddenly, I felt arms wrap around me and hold me close. They didn’t squeeze, but instead they just held me. “Sunshine, it’s me. You’re safe. I promise. It’s me. I got you.”
“Caleb?” My voice squeaked when I said his name.
“Yeah, honey. It’s me, Ranger.” He ran his fingers through my hair in an attempt to comfort me.
I grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer than he already was. I buried my face against his chest and tried to match my breathing to his. Caleb kept whispering things I couldn’t quite make out, but the sound of his voice was enough to keep me anchored.
Little by little, the world stopped spinning. My hands were still trembling, but his warmth didn’t leave. For the first time since the lights went out, I felt a flicker of safety.
