Obsessed (9 page)

I stole a look at myself in the mirror. My face was pale and it seemed somewhat thinner than I remembered. But that could be my imagination. I had a deep purple bruise just below my left cheekbone. It had to be at least a few days old.
How long have I been with these people?
The question was beginning to haunt me.

Adrenaline hit me like a ton of bricks. There was no time to stand in front of the mirror and think about the mystery in all of this. It was time to
do
something.

My focus shifted to the window at the left of the shower. It was small, but not too small for me to fit through. But where did it lead? My worst nightmare might be realized if I attempt to sneak through there. For all I know, it will drop me right next to them. If they caught me trying to escape, it may very well be a fatal mistake.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Hurry up!” Jackie yelled from the other side of the door.
Shit!
She was keeping close tabs on me. Any hope of her getting distracted or giving me some space was apparently not going to happen.

“Okay, I’m getting in,” I assured her.

I spun on my heel to face the shower and quickly turned the knob above the faucet all the way to the left. There was an awful clunk behind the wall as the pipes rattled in response to the force of the water. I was up against a ticking clock. Realistically, I could probably get away with seven or eight minutes in the shower before Jackie started to hassle me. Maybe I could stretch it to ten before she decided to come in. That would be enough time to get through the window and have a decent head start before they came looking for me. But I would have to go
now
.

I peered through the window, trying to see as much of the outside world as I could. The glass was dingy and scum-covered. It was difficult to see much farther than the length of a car in either direction. But everything
appeared
quiet. The ground was covered sparsely with gravel. My feet would take some damage, but I wouldn’t feel it until I was long gone. Though blurry to my eye, the surrounding area seemed to be wooded. It would be isolated, and not likely to offer much in the way of outside help, but it would give me plenty of places to hide.

Steam started to fill the room. Little droplets condensed above my brow. I wasn’t sure if they were from the moist air or due to my own nervous sweat. It was now or never.

I steadied myself and took one more look at the bathroom door. I could only leave to chance the fact that she might decide to come in at any moment. As quietly as I could manage, I began to try to slide the window up. There was no screen covering the outside, so the only obstacle between me and an all-out run to safety was this stubborn frame of glass.

It barely budged. I exerted more force against it, praying that wouldn’t suddenly lurch upward and create a ruckus. The damn thing looked to have been painted shut at some point, and probably hadn’t been opened for years.

My fingers were going white from the exertion.
Why the hell did this have to be so hard? Couldn’t I catch a break?
I crouched down and began to use my palms to leverage it open. Finally, it gave way. There was a terrible crack and the sound of splintering wood pierced the air. I froze.

Seconds dragged by as I stood waiting for Jackie to burst through the door. I stared intently at the handle waiting for its fateful turn. Someone
had
to have heard that. But nobody came. I exhaled as some of the tension drained from my shoulders. The window was now up about six inches.

I turned back to the task at hand. The window now moved more freely in its frame. This was my chance. I pushed it all the way to the top and had one leg dangling outside before I could think about it. There was about a five foot drop to the ground below.

I lowered myself slowly. My strength had certainly been sapped from my time here. The drugs, and abuse, and only God knows what else had taken its toll. The sensitive tips of my toes met the dirt outside. The fresh air gave me a desperately needed boost of energy.

To the left, and toward what I could only assume was the front of the building, was a long, dirt road. There was an old truck, beaten and worn, parked close to me. Behind it, were several motorcycles. It was a sea of oiled leather and shining chrome. They seemed to stare back at me, ominous and intimidating.

In the other direction was an expanse of wilderness. The property was littered with motorcycle parts, old tools, and an assortment of other rusty things. It backed right into the forest. That would have to be the way out. The fear of entering a harsh natural environment paled in comparison to the idea of remaining here and waiting for whatever fate was in store. Even naked and weakened, I was willing to take my chances.

The faint scent of cigarette smoke curled its way into my nostrils. Initially, I pushed it to the back of my mind. I was focused on the terrain around me. But then, it registered. Someone was nearby.

Then, I noticed the muffled sound of voices in the close vicinity. Men’s voices.
Oh my God.
They were just around the corner and getting
closer
.

The slight murmur shifted to clearly audible conversation and laughing. My head spun back to the left. They were just around the corner. They were probably walking to the bikes. If they were, they would surely see me. By the sound of it, they weren’t more than ten seconds away.

Panic washed over me. Between me and the safety of the trees was a clearing that covered about fifty yards. It seemed impossibly far away, but tantalizingly close at the same time. Could I make it before they rounded the corner? Bare footed and having to navigate a litany of what was sure to be broken glass and rusty scrap metal? Could I do it without making any noise?

My brain was making these computations and weighing the risk versus reward prospects without so much as my divided attention. Flight was definitely the right option, but to where, was the question.

As if guided by an unseen hand, I made my decision. And back into the bathroom I went. Head first, lifting myself back in through the window with a power and swiftness that I would have sworn to you I never possessed.

Nose, before ass, before ankles, I fell down to the bathroom floor with a deafening crash. In my minds eye, I could see my captors shift their attention. There was no questioning this time whether anyone heard me. I
knew
they had.

With one last burst, I jumped to my feet and slammed the window shut. It was all I could have asked for that it went down without the same fight it took to slide it up. Then, I clambered backward into the tub, ripping the ratty shower curtain away from its hooks as I fell. I landed with another thud on the slick tub bottom. The water, which I had turned to the hottest setting, scalded my skin. I suppressed a yelp as I scrambled back away from it.

I heard the door fly open and crash into the wall behind it. The door knob, no doubt, leaving a sizable divot in the wall.

“What the fuck…” screeched Jackie as she blasted her way into the room.

She yanked the shower curtain back and looked down on me with exasperation. “What was
that
?” she asked accusingly.

“I…I fell.”

“What do mean? How did you fall?”

“I guess I got lightheaded and...and...I don’t know. It must be from all the sedatives you’ve been giving me,” I said. I prayed she wouldn’t notice the dirt I tracked on to the floor or see any disturbance with the window.

She shook her head. I heard the front door open and the men’s voices were suddenly near. She called out to them. “Everything’s good. College girl just fell down. Got a little boo boo.”

There was more laughing from out front. They lingered for a moment, probably to grab more beer, then headed back outside.

“Shower’s over, bitch,” said Jackie. “Get your ass up and come out here.” She slammed the door, again leaving me alone.

I let my head drop and was thankful for avoiding a near catastrophe. I got to my feet and inspected myself for damage. Nothing worse than what I had coming in.

I switched the water to a more agreeable temperature and quickly rinsed myself. The escape attempt had an odd effect on me. It gave me hope. It made me angry. I was going to get the hell out of here one way or another.

Stepping out of the shower, I didn’t even look for a towel. I knew there would be none. I ripped the shower curtain the rest of the way from where it was left hanging from the bar and used it to wipe away as much of the water as I could. But that wasn’t my concern. What I really was focused on was my next option.

It became clear that I was going to have deal with Jackie first before I got out of here. I searched the room for anything I could use as a weapon. There was nothing beneath the sink. The cupboards were empty. Likewise for the drawers. I thought about the shower rod, but I couldn’t get it out of the fixtures. Nonetheless, the idea of chasing Jackie around this dump with a long, metal spear brought a smile to my lips.

Then I saw it. My true last hope. I knocked the toilet paper roll to the floor and pulled the top off of the toilet tank. The porcelain piece was cold and heavy. But it wasn’t so heavy that it was unwieldy. In fact, I felt dangerous with it in my hands. I was gonna crack that bitch and get the hell out of here.

***

My confidence may have been false, or short-lived, but either way, I was sick of being their victim. With my big toe, I slowly swung the bathroom door inward. I leaned close to the wall and peered around the corner into the empty hallway.
Where did she go?

Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion. My senses heightened. I could hear shuffling somewhere down the hall. She had to be back in that room. I took a breath and pressed forward. There was nobody else inside, or at least that’s what I told myself. If I was going to do this, I could only focus on her. I walked with strong footsteps toward the room.

When I stopped outside the bedroom, I heard her pause as well.

“Well, are you comin’ in or not?” she asked. “It’s not gonna do you any good to put it off. Now come on in so I can get you dressed.” Her back was to me. She hadn’t looked up from sorting out the clothes.

I gripped the top of the tank tightly in my hands and gritted my teeth as I walked up behind her.

“Come around. I wanna see if this fits.”

I didn’t move.

“Damnit, don’t make me get one of the boys to come in here and get you ready,” she spun to look at me. “Because you’re really not gonna like tha-”

I swung the heavy porcelain with all of my might. It connected squarely with her left temple and broke in half. She reeled back against the bed, a small line of blood dripped from somewhere near her eye. She looked up at me dazed...stunned.

Her mouth formed an “O” but no sound came out. Her eyes met mine then darted to the door behind me. She was losing her feeble grip on consciousness. With the piece still in my hand, I hit her again. And again. Her eyes fluttered closed. She lay in a heap on the floor, finally out, snorting in shallow, haggard breaths. A shiver ran down my spine and a tear formed in my eye as I felt, for the first time, the true horror of my situation.

Everything was silent. I’m not sure what kind of noise we made, but it apparently hadn’t been enough to rouse the guys outside. I hadn’t thought this through. Getting Jackie out of the way was as far as I had planned it out. Now what? I tossed the busted ceramic to the floor and gathered my courage. Knocking her out had taken away a significant amount of my fearlessness.

An eerie feeling swept over me. I felt like a wounded animal might feel like, when it is trying to avoid a predator. On pointed toes, I carefully moved into the front room. There was no time to sit around and debate the best strategy. Jackie wasn’t dead, after all, and she would surely come to in the next few minutes.

The front door was ajar. They were on the other side. Each time the old wooden porch creaked under their shifting weight, I held my breath. The prospect of being so near to them made my blood run cold. But I had to get a better idea of what I was dealing with. I had to get a look through that small opening.