Take a Breath (Take 1) (32 page)

   “We have to leave now Ana.  You don’t
need anyone else but me anymore, let it ring.”  

    I wipe my eyes and
take a few deep breathes.  Tony is watching my every move growing
more and more impatient to leave, I have no other choice.  No
matter what I don’t want Matthew hurt in anyway.  I must leave
with him and quietly so that no one else can or will get hurt.  I
have to face my possible death head on.  I nod my head, try to
squeeze Tony’s hand for reassurance and I smile at him weakly.  

    He
beams back at me, “I knew you would come round Ana.  You need to
get away from all the monsters out there.  I’ll keep you safe with
me.”  

    I almost choke, monsters?  The only monster around me
is the one staring at me right now, in Jake’s kitchen. 

We
make our way outside to the car and sure enough the squad car is there,
but no Joe to be seen anywhere.  What has he done?  He opens
the door to the explorer for me and I climb up.  At this moment
I’m trying everything in my willpower not to completely lose it. 
I squeeze my hands together to try and keep control of my
emotions.  Tony gets in and starts the engine.  

   “You know
I’ve been dreaming about this for a very long time Ana.  You don’t
know how happy you are making me feel right now, knowing you are by my
side.  I will look after you, I promise. I will make you mine; In
fact I think we need to start a family real soon, just so we can really
cement our relationship.”          Oh my god he’s delusional.  How
can he think I want him like this?  How can he think that after
all he’s done that I will go with him willingly?  He pulls away
quickly and soon we are heading in an unknown direction to an old
farm.  Could it get any worse?  

   “Ana, you’re very quiet; say
something as I don’t know how you’re feeling?  You do want this
don’t you because I don’t know what I’d do if you say no to me?”  

    Oh god, please, “Tony, you are right to take me away.  I have been
hurt in the past and I need someone just like you to protect me. 
I’m sure you can do the job well for me.”  I try to smile at him
but I feel too miserable and angry at him for doing this.  He
reaches over and squeezes my hand again and beams at me.     “I knew
you would see sense Ana.  Everyone tries to take you away from me,
but I have you now.  I’ll take special care of you.  I
promise you this.” 

Once
we’re on the I-495 heading south I start to contemplate how I am going
to escape this.  I have no one to help me and no one knows where
to find me.  Do I try to jump out of the car when we stop at a set
of lights?  Do I try to see if I can flag someone down somehow
without being noticed by Tony?  My head is awash with decisions
and possible outcomes of my decisions.  Whatever choice I make
could mean life or death.  I decide it’s best to go with the flow
and see if an opportunity arises that can get me out of this mess I’m
now in.  Maybe once we’re there I can gain his trust enough to
escape and run to the nearest house or person I can find.  We get
on to the I-95 south towards Powhite Parkway.  Lord only knows now
where I’m going.

The
journey seems to go on forever and ever and the more we move away the
more the panic sets in.  

   “My flower what is the matter?  Are
you afraid of me?”  

    I jump at the sudden sound of his voice and
try to calm things.  “I’m just nervous Tony.  I don’t know
what to expect.  I’ve never had someone want to take care of me
the way that you do.  Do you love me Tony?”  He looks over
briefly and then grabs my hand.  

   “Ana, I have loved you since the
very first day I met you.  I have tried to be patient and wait for
you to come to me, but it obviously seemed necessary in the end for me
to come to you.  All your life you have had men abuse you and
treat you with disrespect, and you deserve better than that Ana. 
This is the start of our life together and I know you probably don’t
love me as much as I do you, but in time I think you could learn to
love me and I will be a good husband to you and a great father to our
children.  I promise that to you Ana.  All you have to do is
promise me that you’ll try, and then the rest is up to me.  Will
you try for me Ana?”  

    It is then I realise that I have to attempt
to push my fear away somehow and try to make an Oscar winning
performance for Tony.  If this is what it takes to survive, then
this is what I have to do.  Survival instincts kick away the fear
as I try to relax.  “I will Tony.  I promise.”  I smile
sweetly at him and his face lights up.  For a moment he has the
most angelic look about him.  It is so hard to imagine what has
seemed to be the most charming, gentle person is actually a real fucked
up monster underneath.

Chapter 26 

After
what seems to be an age, we get off the I-95 south and veer towards the
VA-76 south.  If the situation wasn’t so frightening this place
here seems to be beautiful.  There are lots of greenery on the
trees which are gently swaying in the breeze.  It does seem like
an ideal spot to live and bring up lots of children.         “We’re
almost there Ana.  I think you’ll love it.”  

    My intrigued
piqued, “Is this place we’re going to yours Tony?”  We pull into a
driveway that continues for a while, until a house starts to emerge in
the distance up the hill.  The house looks picturesque in
white.  A moderate size, it looks like it may have about 4
bedrooms and is surrounded by acres upon acres of land.  

   “This is
ours now Ana.  I inherited it from my father when he died just
over a year ago.  I have dreamed of bringing the one here to start
a family with but I never seem to meet the right one, until I met
you.  All the women around just seem to be after one thing. 
It makes me sick how they are, but you and your innocence.  Your
soul just seems to breathe it from every pore.  It makes people
want to look after you, but sometimes the wrong people like to take
advantage of that and I can’t let my delicate flower be crushed by men
like that.”  

    He looks like he is getting angry now and I have to
try and calm the situation, especially now that he has stopped driving
and put the car in park.  I gently put my hand on his knee. 
“Tony, it’s ok, we’re here now.  I would really like for you to
show me around the house.  Please?”  I smile my best winning
smile and he visibly relaxes at my touch.  

   “Let’s go then
Ana.  I have been waiting a long time for this.”  

    I get out
of the car and he comes running over by my side. I don’t know if it’s
because he wants to be close to me or he’s afraid I’m going to run
off.  How can I run off when he has a gun and I have
nothing?  We climb the three stairs towards the porch that has a
table and chairs towards the left, and to the right another two rocking
chairs.  The scene looks like something out of the Walton’s. 
Tony gets the key out from his pocket and unlocks the door. 

We
walk in and the house smells unlived in but not off putting.  The
stairs are in front and there is a door to the right that leads to the
living room, and the kitchen is down the hall at the end of the
house.  It looks cosy but modern with a three seater and two
seater white leather sofas in the middle of the room, and a dining
table and chairs separated at the window.  A display cabinet
reveals some pictures, the biggest one there in the middle was of me
and Tony at the Christmas party last year.  We are smiling like a
happy couple in it, with his arm wrapped around me.  I pick it
up.  

   “This is my favourite photo Ana.  You look beautiful but
then you always do.  

    I place it down and smile.  “It does
look lovely Tony.”  I remember that night all too well. 

The
drinks were flowing and Jessie and I were dancing away, when Tom
decides to cut in and dance with me.  It made me so uncomfortable
knowing full well he wanted to gyrate himself on my booty that Jake
noticed and decided to rescue me.  At the time I welcomed it and
we began to dance, but just as we were starting the music changed and
on came Rihanna’s 'Russian Roulette,' one of the most sensual, seductive
songs I’ve ever heard of, despite its meaning behind it.  To say
the dancing between us was uncomfortable was an understatement.  I
was conscious the whole time about how he felt, his body so close to
me, and just like the song I wondered if Jake could see my heart
beating through my chest.  It was kind of ironic really.  We
felt we had to lock arms and slow dance.  The proximity of his
body pressed against mine was way too much of a distraction.  I
remember looking up into his eyes and feeling the monstrous shoulders
that my small hands were hard to wrap around. I didn’t realise I had
done it, but I squeezed one ever so lightly and Jake had inadvertently
pressed his hand into the crevice of my back.  This then lead to a
gasp escaping my lips, which I couldn’t control.  The song and the
alcohol were all too much to bear and with that Jake let go of me and
made an excuse to leave.  I was so horny that night I even
seriously considered sleeping with someone just to release the tension
between my legs, it was just all too much.  The one and only big
problem was that I only wanted Jake.  The rest of the night they
say is history, but we certainly kept apart from each other the
remainder of the evening. 

I
glanced at a photo of a man and a woman who looked close to their 60’s,
both white hair and happy smiling faces.  

   “That’s my mom and
dad.  They’re not here anymore, but this was theirs and they left
it to me so I can raise some grandchildren for them.  I intend to
fulfil their wishes Ana.”  

    He comes closer to me and embraces
me.  My heart starts its full scale war in my chest.  Please
don’t tell me he wants to start making babies right now?  He’ll
want to touch me at some point and I’m afraid I may vomit just from the
thought.  He inhales the scent of my hair.  Oh god, please
no.  

   “Ana, you smell so beautiful.”  

    He strokes my hair and
traces a finger down my shoulder towards my back.  I start to
tremble.  

   “Don’t worry Ana, I’m patient.  I have waited this
long, I can wait a little longer for when you’re ready.”  

    I look
into his eyes and thank him.  I don’t know why I do but it seemed
necessary.  How do you tame a complete psychotic maniac?  

   “It
is hard though Ana.  I am a man after all and you are the most
beautiful woman I have ever met.  Try not to think too long about
it, my English rose.”  

    He smells my hair again and I
shudder.  Oh fuck, now what do I do?  “Show me the rest of
the house, please Tony.”  He happy obliges, but I mainly want to
see it all so I can study my bearings, find where if anywhere all the
rooms lead to etc.  I just want out. 

He
shows me 4 bedrooms all round about the same size, two with double beds
and two with single beds.  The master bedroom has an en-suite full
bathroom.       “This is where we will be sleeping.”  

    I cringe at
the thought of Tony lying next to me, breathing all over me expecting
sex.  I really need to get out.  One of the rooms looks like
a child’s room painted in yellow, it looks rather beautiful with the
last remaining hours of the sun shining through.  It has two white
metal framed single beds and a big teddy bear propped up on yet another
rocking chair.  

   “This could be the nursing room.  I could
just picture you here breastfeeding our children.”  

    This is just
too much.  I don’t think I can take much more.  “Tony, it was
a long drive.  I really need to use the bathroom.”  He smiles
and leads the way,          “Shall I make us something to eat whilst you freshen
up?”  

    If it gets you away from me, then yes.  “Please
Tony.  I’m starving.”  He laughs a little and starts his way
down the stairs.  Is he really leaving me alone up here? 
Should I take a run for the stairs once he’s in the kitchen?  No,
I can’t do that as I noticed the steps creaked as we came up. 
He’ll know before I get to the bottom that I’m not up here
anymore.  I have to see if I can climb out the window.  It
seems to be the only way. 

I
get to the main bathroom and lock the door.  I turn the faucet on
to make some noise, whilst I try to hitch up the small window.  It
is a little stiff, but it manages to give a little, just enough for me
to crawl through.  I notice there is a climbing plant to my left
and I try to reach for it, so I make my way down.  I push my foot
up to the window sill and I lift with one hand, whilst grabbing the
plant with the other.  I lose my footing a bit and swing
out.  I bash into the plant which I didn’t realise had thorns
sticking out, and could feel them piercing my skin.  I resist the
urge to scream as it cuts into me all over.  I take a few deep
breaths, clinging for dear life and carefully make my way down. 
The pain is awful as each thorn cuts through a leg or an arm.  I
grit through the pain, knowing that I have to do this in order to
survive.  I manage to get down and finally look at myself. 
My dress is torn and I have blood everywhere from the thorny bush, but
I’m alive.  I look around trying to take in my surroundings. 
There is a lot of open space but about 100 yards away from the house
there is a forest full of trees.  Would I be able to make it there
without being seen?  I don’t know but I have come this far, so I
have to keep going.