We were in a cabin, not much different from the one I had been held in before. It was a single room with a small kitchenette, a fireplace and a bed in the back corner. There were several animal heads on the wall and a couple of rifles above the mantel, hung like decorative items.
The whole place was neat as a pin, but smelled of body odour and rotting food. I gagged at the smell, but pushed past it, seeing Hailey trying and failing to open the solid wooden door that clearly led out of the building. She was crying and whimpering as she pulled at the handle with everything she had.
“Let me try.” I cried as I hurried over and grabbed the door handle. Hailey cowered back and watched. I wrenched at it as I studied it for locks. There was a key hole, but no key.
“Find the key Hailey!” I yelled as I started trying to kick the damned thing. It was solid though, and I knew pretty quickly there was no way I was knocking through it, especially as weak, and in as much pain as I was. Hailey was tearing the room apart looking for a key and I joined her, throwing open drawers and overturning furniture to find the damned thing.
Noise from below us had us both freezing in place. I glanced at Hailey, seeing her properly for the first time, in the daylight. She was pale and way too thin. Every inch of her was caked in blood and filth and her dress was in tatters. Her hair hung wildly around her face and she was pretty badly bruised and battered. I had to get her out before The Shadow came for us!
I looked around frantically and found a window on the back wall. It was so small, there was no way I was getting through, but Hailey could.
I hurried over to the fireplace and grabbed one of the rifles down, then used it to smash through the window. Luckily for me it was only a single pane and shattered instantly. I used the gun to clear the glass from the edges of the frame then grabbed a blanket from the bed. It was likely filthy and ridden, but it would protect Hailey’s bare skin from any remaining glass.
Heavy, slow steps up the wooden steps below alerted me to the urgency, and I had to force myself to keep breathing through the fear he was going to kill me when he got to me. I had to get Hailey out. Whatever he did to me, at least she’d be free.
“Hailey, come here!” I cried and she hurried over to me. I wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and bent down as much as I could to meet her eyes.
“You are going out through the window. I need you to run like crazy when you get out there, ok? Find a path and just follow it. You might have to walk really far, but just keep going, and hide if you hear anyone behind you. You understand sweetie? Just keep going and get some place safe.” I explained hurriedly.
She was still silently sobbing and she pointed to me, then to the window.
“I won’t fit through there, but it’s ok. Once you’re safe I’ll find the key and I’ll come after you, ok? Don’t worry about me. Just run, yeah? Can you do that for me?” She nodded, just as the door from the basement started to rattle and I knew we were out of time.
“Ok Honey. Time to go.” I picked her up and put her legs through the window first. I tried hard to keep her wrapped in the blanket, but lifting her was causing me blinding pain, spots appearing in my vision. The window was at my head height and my arms shook as I hoisted her top half up and through. I stood on tiptoes and looked out at where she had landed on her butt on the grass below.
“Go Hailey. Run and don’t stop. Find a road and follow it!” I commanded and was relieved when she stood, clinging to the blanket, and then set off running into the tree line ahead. She was moving fast and I felt confident she could get away if I could keep The Shadow from going right after her.
Determined to fight with everything in me to get the hell out of there too, I grabbed the rifle from where I had dropped it. I had no idea if it was loaded or how to use it if it was, but I knew I could get a good swing on it to hit him with. There wasn’t time for me to get out, but there was time to make damn sure I was ready to fight for my life, with every last ounce of energy I had.
There was deafening banging as The Shadow smashed against the door, trying to get out of the basement, and I knew it wouldn’t take much. All that was stopping him was one small piece of metal.
I ran to the kitchenette and opened the two drawers, finding knives in one. I grabbed two small ones and tucked them into the top of my jeans at the small of my back.
I began to move over to the rattling door, but paused to grab a can of bug spray which sat on the counter. It had a toxic warning on the side and I thought it may help me incapacitate him.
The door was opening further and further as he smashed at it from the other side, the thin metal latch that was holding it, straining over and over.
I hurried to the side of the door and held the bug spray in one hand, poised to spray, and the heavy
