The ladies room was surprisingly quiet, when I emerged from the cubicle a few minutes later, feeling greatly relieved. I hurried to wash my hands and was just turning to the hand dryer when a girl, maybe a little older than me emerged from a stall and stared at me hard. She was standing stock still, a few feet from me, dressed in jeans and a balck t-shirt, just staring. She didn't look like she fit in the bar, her hair piled wildly on top of her head and not a bit of makeup on her face. Whatever she was doing there, she really didn’t like me. I wondered if she was from school, and I tried hard to place her face, but I was sure I didn’t recognise her.
Feeling a little panicked and confused by the whole thing I hurriedly grabbed a few paper towels, dried my hands, and moved for the door, but she jumped forward and blocked my way, still not uttering a word.
“Can I help you?” I asked, trying to stay calm and polite.
“You’re her right?” She asked. “Olivia Byrd? The one who escaped a kidnapper? That’s you?” I was shocked that she knew who I was. There had been a ton of news stories on my return, and speculation on what happened to me, but no one actually knew because I hadn’t confirmed anything. Grant had worked hard to keep the details out of the press for me, and it had been a while since anyone stopped me in the street about it all.
“What does it matter to you?” I asked, trying to keep my voice from trembling.
“It matters to me….” She growled, sounding almost feral, all of a sudden. “....because you’re the reason my boyfriend is dead!” She screamed the last, and when her eyes returned to mine they were wild and filled with pain.
“Chris?” I gasped as realisation dawned on me.
“Yeah, Chris! The cops told us he died saving you! Who the hell even are you? You think your sorry ass was worth his life?” She raged. “You’re no one!”
“I know.” I whispered, all of my past guilt rushing back in a huge tidal wave. “I’m sorry. If I c-could change it…..if I could take his place so he c-could live, then I would.” I stuttered. My eyes were filled with tears and I had to fight like hell not to let them fall.
“You can’t though, can you? You cost us everything! He’s gone, and so many people needed him. I needed him! You have ruined the lives of so many people, you selfish little bitch!” She was screaming in my face now, her anger and bitterness clear to see, and destroying me with every lashing word she spewed. It wasn’t as though I could argue, because she wasn’t wrong, was she? I did cost Chris his life, and I cost every one who loved him, theirs too. I deserved this abuse, and so much more. I still had no idea how or why, but I was sure his death was all my fault.
Unable to take anymore of her pain, I turned away from her face and took a deep breath. I managed to whisper another ‘I’m sorry’, before I shoved past her and out of the ladies room with the force of a charging bull. I didn’t stop, or even slow to search out Matt. I just charged into the crowd, and then through it and out into the dark, freezing night.
I managed to make it around the corner of the bar and into a quieter area before I had to bend over and throw up, over and over until my throat felt completely raw. I was crying, tears streaming down my cheeks and my body was almost convulsing, the shaking was so violent.
“LIVY?” I heard Matt calling from the front of the bar, but I couldn’t reply as a memory hit me with the force of a wrecking ball.
“How old are you?” He asked. He was sitting with his back against the wall, opposite where I sat similarly. He had been with me for six days now, and he never stopped talking, no matter how much I ignored him, refusing to speak, or how many times The Shadow had hit him to shut him up.
The shadow didn’t seem to enjoy hurting Chris as much as he did me. He’d hit him a few times, then get bored and either turn on me, or storm off. The few times he’d turned on me, Chris had fought him hard, never winning, but always pissing The Shadow off so much that he stormed away. It had been a nice reprieve for me, from the usual beatings and torture. Better than that, The Shadow hadn’t once tried to touch me since Chris had been there.
Apparently Chris had been out with friends and got turned around. He had thought he was headed for the lodge where his hike started, but had actually roamed all of the way to wherever the heck we were. The Shadow had jumped him near the cabin, knocked him out, and dumped him down here.
Apart from the incessant talking and the way too upbeat attitude for what we faced, he seemed like a nice man. He was older than me, and had taken to calling me kiddo, since I refused to utter one word in response to him, for fear The Shadow would hear.
“I’m gonna guess you’re about sixteen? You look younger, but it’s in your eyes. I have a sister about your age, Renee, she’ll be seventeen next week.” He went on. “I will get home for her birthday. I have to get back to her, and to my girlfriend, Kara. I love that woman. I’m going to marry her one day.
“I will escape this, and you are coming with me, Kiddo.
