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Chapter Eighteen
Olivia
Theremustbealake somewhere close by. It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve arrived here, and so much has happened that I can’t remember whether I passed one on my journey to this hell. Unless there are fruits available, which there aren’t, I haven’t passed a single fruit tree, I’ll need to find a lake soon to quench my thirst. I haven’t eaten breakfast and already lost enough fluid during my night’s rest. Last night had been spent contemplating my plans. It had been a restless night accompanied by cold sweats. And drinking water before escaping was the last thing on my mind until I’d run far enough to exhaust myself.
Inside my nostrils burn. The pain shoots all the way up between my eyes, cramping my brain. I wiggle my eyes, but they’re heavy and stinging from the salty sweat settling there. It’s like my throat is gaping wide, exposed to a constant gush of wind. Swallowing is a task. If Chance were here, he could direct us to some water. He’s great with direction and commands. As for me, I’m hopeless. Everywhere looks the same to me. Just trees, dying leaves, bugs, and mud. I can’t tell if I’ve moved from the same spot, and it’s making the earth spin. It’s like I’m getting smaller and smaller, being sucked into the ground.
If I can manage to remain still and listen, I could hear the trickling of water, coming from somewhere. There’s got to be some lake or stream close by. But my brain pounds from the fear of lingering in one spot too long. I don’t know how long it’ll take them to know I’m missing, but they’re bound to figure it out soon enough. I already feel like I’ve not gotten far; I don’t want to be stuck on my own out here. But if I don’t get some water soon, I might die.
It’s ridiculous how hard I must try to be silent and simply listen. Every leaf fall or wings of a flapping bird, mating calls of animals, any sound at all fries my nerves and sets off a deafening alarm in my head. Bracing myself against a tree, I try to settle my shaky breath and close my eyes. Images of being struck in the heart or opening my eyes to see the beast standing before me buzzes through my mind. But desperation allows me to force my eyes shut, to count my breaths until I hear what sounds like water.
I don’t know if I’m delusional because in my excitement, the sound fades. Convinced it’s real, I prick my ears and hold my breath. That doesn’t help. Here comes my loud, thumping heart again. Oh, blast! Oh, wait! There it is. There it is! The faint trickling reappears, and I follow the sound.
Coming up on the tiny stream is like being kissed by angels. I fall to my knees and scoop up the water in the cup of my hands. In my glee, I barely hear the footsteps approaching me until I open my eyes. Instinctively, I jump up, shooting backward like an arrow being launched through the air. But when my eyes settle on the smiling figures before me, I wonder whether this is my chance to be saved.
“Don’t be scared. We’re not gonna hurt you, are we?” one of them says as I dash around the trees. They’re all males, and none of them are dressed impressively enough to be regarded as one of the beast’s men.
“Y-y-ou don’t know who I am?” I ask.
The men look amongst themselves before a few of them laugh. “Why? Are ye someone important or something? Did ye get lost in the woods?” he asks, taking in the state of my ripped and muddied dress.
I breathe a tremored sigh. “Oh, thank goodness.” I grab my tightening chest and gasp against the pain. “I’ve been kidnapped, and I’m trying to escape. Please. You must help me,” I plead. “Do any of you have horses, perhaps? Would you consider lending me a horse or giving me a ride far away from this place?” I ask. My hope lies in their hands. I grip my dress, silently begging them to say yes. If they do, I’ll be long gone before the beast and his men even know where to look.
They all look at each other again and smile. “Sure, gorgeous.” One man takes off his brown parish cloth hat, revealing slick dark hair pasted atop his head. He rests the hat against his chest in respect. “We’ve tied our horses that way.” He points deeper into the woods. “We just stopped here to fill up our canteens, didn’t we?” he asks the others.
“Aye,” they agree, lifting their water flasks.
“Ah.” I nod. “If we hurry, they can’t catch us. Especially during the night,” I say, lifting my long dress, slightly, to aid a quicker gait through the mud.
“All right, all right. We won’t be long.” They grin, kneeling to fill their flasks as I shift on my legs and jump from anything shuffling behind the trees.
“All right, that’ll be it then,” someone else says. “Follow us.”
I almost run forward, holding back my sobs of gratitude. My escape is so near I can taste it. As we walk, I catch a few of the men looking at my shin and ankles. My skin flushes and when they lick their lips, my mind grows wary. But right now, they’re my only hope out of here, so I’d rather err on the side of trust.
“So, your horses weren’t thirsty?” I ask.
“Who’d ye think drank all the water?” One man smiles at me.
I give him a shaky smile in return. The deeper we get into the forest, the more suspicious I become. But my fears are soon alleviated by the sound of a horse neighing.
“All right, all right. We’re comin’, you old mug!” the man at the front yells.
Thank goodness. Angelic songs pour into my mind, and the horses, tied to trees, seem to glow as if there’s a giant halo around them. I hurry forward.
“Oh, thank you. Thank you. Thank you!” I yell before I’m pulled backward against a hard body. Stink tobacco wafts off the breath of the person holding me. The stench chokes me as he leans his lips against my cheek.
“Just a minute,” he says. My arse collides with something I now recognize, thanks to the beast, as this man’s hard member. It pokes me through his soiled brown pants, and I yelp, backing away from it. But his hand tightens around my upper arm, squeezing into the bone. “We’d be delighted to help you,” he says. “At a cost, of course.”
I nod, trying not to inhale his breath as I open my mouth to speak. But it’s impossible. I’m afraid my breath now smells like his. “If you take me to my destination, I promise there will be a hefty sum waiting for you,” I lie. Lying isn’t something I like to do often but in a matter of life and death, I’ll take my chances. My only objective is to get out of here safely.
The man laughs, and his breath slaps me harder in the face like a windstorm. His calloused finger moves my frizzed-out hair to the side. He sniffs my skin and sighs as the other men stare at me, licking their lips. “We’re not interested in money, are we?” he asks. “What are ye willing to do for our help?” He grunts as he wraps his arms around my body and presses his rough lips into my neck.
The other men rub themselves before undoing their pants. No way. Absolutely no way. I’d rather die. I kick against him, struggling against his hold when the other men close in on me.
“No!” I scream, reaching behind me and grabbing his thing. I squeeze it with all my might, digging my nails into his skin, and he throws me to the ground.
Crawling through the legs of one of the approaching men, I manage to dodge the five of them. A victory short lived, as one of my legs is grabbed, and I’m pulled against the tiny stones and leaves in the mud. Apart from my Papa, I really hate men. If they’re not as obnoxious as what’s his face, Heath, back in Colderidge, they’re scalawags like the beast and these twats. In trying to escape one devil and his imps, I run into another entourage of demons. Evil lives everywhere. Well, they’re going to have to kill me before I ever let either of them have their way with me.
