Cain shouts, “You really think we would do that?”
“YES! You’re fucking crazy!” I shout back, feeling anger and fear washing over me. The tension in the room is palpable as we all stand there, caught up in the moment.
My heart is pounding with anticipation and nervousness. Finally, the ringing tone starts and I put the phone up to my ear, waiting anxiously for him to pick it up. When he finally does, his voice is gruff and impatient as he simply says, “What?” I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts, and mutter, “Nothing. Misdialed.”
He hangs up without another word.
Cain asks sternly, “Do you seriously think we would hurt your brother?”
In a panic-stricken voice, I respond with a resounding “Yes! Yes, I do! You’re a psycho!”
“Keep calling me names. I fucking dare you,” he threatens.
The room fills with tension. Nate’s voice echoes off the walls in frustration. “Stop it now, you two!” he shouts, his anger palpable.
My heart races as I feel the weight of his words. The situation’s intensity is almost too much to bear. I can see the looks of confusion and frustration on the faces of the trio, I know that I need to speak up before it’s too late. “No!” I find myself saying, my voice trembling with emotion. “What the hell am I doing? You three are psychos. You are controlling. I’m just a sex slave to you!” The words spill out of me, pouring forth like a torrent of emotion I can’t control. The air around me feels heavy and oppressive, as if the weight of my words has taken on a physical form. For a moment, there is only silence. I can feel the eyes of the others on me, their judgment almost too much to bear.
Cain suddenly snaps. “Psychos? Psychos?” he shouts, his face red with anger. “We are doing everything to keep you safe!” I feel intimidated and begin to back away slowly.
As I head towards the bathroom, I try to shut the door behind me, but Cain blocks my way by placing his foot there. My heart races as I realize that I am trapped. In a moment of desperation, I plead with him, “Leave me alone!” But I know deep down that it won’t be that easy.
Mike and Nate trail behind Cain, their expressions tense with concern. As Cain approaches me, his eyes narrow with malice. I instinctively back away until I feel the cool porcelain of the bathroom sink against my back. His forehead presses against mine and I can feel his hot breath on my face as he hisses menacingly. “Everything we’ve done for you–” he growls.
I interrupt him before he can say more, my frustration and fear boiling. “I never told you to kill anyone!” I shout, my voice echoing through the small bathroom.
Mike attempts to intervene and pull Cain away from me, but Cain brushes him off effortlessly. My body quivers with fear as I stand there, staring Cain in the eyes. “I can care for myself, I’m not afraid of you. So stop trying to intimidate me!” I manage to say, my voice shaking uncontrollably.
However, deep down, I know I am utterly terrified of him. His face contorts into a sinister expression. “You should be afraid of me,” he hisses, “because you belong to me.” He reaches out to grab me. Summoning all my strength, I push Cain away, my heart pounding with a mixture of fear and anger. His sudden lunge catches me off guard, his hands grasping my shoulders forcefully. In a moment of instinctual reaction, I draw back my hand and deliver a sharp slap across his face, the sound of the impact echoing in the room like a crack of thunder.
“Oh, shit,” Mike swears behind Cain.
Cain’s expression is unchanging as his nostrils flare and he snarls at me. I can see angry tears welling up in his eyes as he suddenly lifts me and tosses me over his shoulder. My entire body tenses up as I try to resist his grasp, but it’s futile. I punch at his back and scream at the top of my lungs, “PUT ME DOWN!”
In the background, Nate’s alarmed voice exclaims, “Cain, stop! What are you doing?”
Cain roughly places me in the back seat of his Jeep, his grip on my arm causing me to kick out in alarm. With a sneer, he jumps into the driver’s seat and starts the engine, his eyes glittering with malice. As we speed down the road, I demand to know where he’s taking me, my heart pounding. “You think you can take care of yourself?” he hisses, turning to fix me with a cold, calculating gaze. “We’ll see about that.”
With a burst of anger, I kick the back of the driver’s chair with all my might. “Let me out of here! I hate you!” I scream.
Without hesitation, he turns around and yells back, “What a fucking pity!” in a tone that conveys sarcasm.
We drive into the dense forest and my heart races with fear. Suddenly, he pulls the car to a stop in the middle of nowhere and my anxiety increases tenfold. Without warning, he flings open the car door and roughly grabs my arm, dragging me out of the vehicle. I struggle against his grasp, hitting at his hand with all my might as I hiss at him to let me go, but his grip only tightens. I feel a cold sense of dread wash over me as I realize how truly isolated we are.
I shout, my heart racing. “What? Are you going to kill me?!”
He looks at me with cold eyes and replies, “No. However, we both know other people want to. You want to survive? Try and do it out here. Let’s hope a stalker doesn’t find you.” His voice is low and menacing, sending shivers down my spine.
Cain jumps back into the Jeep. “You better start walking fast. The sun is going down,” he hisses, the engine roaring to life.
“You bastard. It’s a two-hour walk back to the house!” I exclaim, my voice echoing in the vast emptiness around me, leaving me alone in nowhere. I watch in disbelief as he drives off into the distance, leaving me stranded in the middle of nowhere.
I walk for what feels like forever. The cool air gives me goosebumps on my skin. I wrap my arms around myself for warmth. I am clad in a simple, white t-shirt, a pair of jeans, and sturdy boots. My pockets are empty. As I trudge deeper into the woods, I can’t help but curse Cain.
“I hate him. I hate him. I fucking hate him,” I repeat over and over.
I notice the clouds slowly but surely moving toward me. I mutter under my breath, “It better not rain.” I quickly search for a trail and follow it, one step at a time, eager to keep moving forward.
Cain’s words linger in my mind, haunting me with reality. Every shadow and unexplained noise leaves me on edge, wondering if I was being watched and if my every move was being monitored.
After the Dan incident, I still didn’t know who we were.
Suddenly, a twig snapping echoes through the trees in the distance. My heart races as I call out, “Hello!” but all I hear in return is the eerie silence of the forest.
The trees loom over me and every rustle of leaves sounds like footsteps behind me. Suddenly, I hear another twig snap and I freeze in terror. I turn around and shout out, “Who’s there?!” but there’s no response. My mind is playing tricks on me and I can’t shake off the feeling of being watched. The paranoia is taking over and I can’t help but wonder if I’ll ever make it out of the forest alive.
The first raindrops hit the ground. My eyes scan the horizon and that’s when I notice something move between the trees. My heart races as I try to make out what it could be. Suddenly, a figure emerges from a tree wearing a balaclava and all black. Without hesitation, I turn and sprint as fast as I can.
The sound of hurried footsteps echoes through the narrow path and I can feel them getting closer with each passing moment. I push myself harder, my muscles burning, but the footsteps behind me persist. The sound is so close I can almost feel the breath of my pursuer on the back of my neck. My chest heaves with each labored breath and my throat feels raw.
I stumble over a log and fall face-first on the ground. I try to get up, but I feel someone trying to grab my legs. I panic as I kick at them with all my might and scream for help. Somehow, I manage to break free and pull myself up. Tears stream down my face as I start running as fast as possible.
I was going to be killed or raped. I wasn’t going down without a fight.
Sprinting through the dense forest, I hear an unsettling sound of grunting coming from behind me. I quickly shift my gaze to the right and frantically dodge between the trees. Despite my fear, I manage to steal a glance behind me and realize that the figure is no longer in sight. I take a moment to catch my breath and hide behind a nearby tree. The rain is now pouring down heavily, creating a cacophony of sound as it hits the trees and the ground. The loud raindrops make it difficult for me to hear footsteps approaching, causing me fear and anticipation. My lungs feel like they are on fire. I sob, placing my head against the tree.
I gasp for air, and my thoughts race to Mike, Nate, and Cain. I can feel the panic rising within me as I realize just how much I need them. The fear of dying grips me tightly and I find myself breaking down into tears, desperately trying to stifle any sound that might give away my position.
