1.8 Nightmare

This chapter is Rated R for Violence and characters in peril, and bad language.

Author’s note:  Ok, so the weather in beautiful sunny Evensdale County didn’t cooperate with giving me a nasty storm.  I even downloaded the mod Tempest, but my dumb ass couldn’t figure how to get it to work.  *sigh* So I decided to try other means.  I made my own rain, and I thought it looked pretty good, until I load them on here, and I think it looks like….well…yeah.  You know what it looks like.  I had to darken the pictures manually so the sky was dark, and add my own fake rain.  It looks alright, but you get the point.  As it often goes with my life, I found a really great tutorial AFTER I finish the chapter and do all that work, and I’m too lazy to go into the game and get new screen shots, so it stays how it is.

Credits:

Mechanics of Emotions: Fear  HERE

Chair with rope HERE

A night of terror poses HERE

Drip, Drip, Drip. I heard from somewhere in the room as I opened my eyes seeing only darkness.  I can’t see!  I thought with a panic trying to stand up but something held me down.  I wiggled my fingers, my shoulders crying out in pain from being forced behind my back.  My fingers brushed up against something rough.  Rope.  I was tied down.

Everything came back in a rush, making me feel like I was going to be sick.  I licked my dry lips and tried to pick at the ropes with what little movement I had with my hands.  The rope’s dug into the sensitive skin of my wrists, they were already raw and bleeding, like I had already been struggling against them even while unconscious.

The last thing I remembered was someone grabbing me outside and dragging me away before I could scream.  By the ache in my skull I guessed he hit me to keep me quiet.  My head felt warm and wet, even though I couldn’t touch my head with my fingers, I guessed I was bleeding.

More awake now, I began to pick at the robes once again.

“You aren’t going to get free you know.” A voice said dryly from somewhere straight ahead.

I froze, my blood running cold and my veins.

A single bulb overhead turned on, and the man speaking was revealed.  The man with the camera.  I wasn’t surprised.

“Why?” I asked my voice coming out in a moan.  “Who are you?”

“I was hired, I’m sure you can figure out by who I refer too.” He grinned his hazel eyes looked crazy and shined wickedly in the flickering dim light.

“Michael.” I said quietly.  “Of course, he would find me.”

“I found you.” He yelled, his voice echoing in the small space.  “That’s what I was hired to do.  You did a pretty good job hiding yourself little lady.  You left no paper trail, but the lady you bought a bus ticket from remembered seeing a pretty blond-haired girl who bought a ticket to North Carolina.  From there it wasn’t hard to track you down.”

“You’re crazy.” I spat trying to kick him with my feet that were untied.

I narrowly missed his shin by an inch, the chair I was tied too rocked backwards, the legs hitting the concrete floor.  For a minute I thought I was going to tip backwards.

I glared with him with hatred.  “I don’t suppose I can talk you into letting me go?” I asked.

“Do I look like a fool to you?” He leaned in close, I could feel his hot breath on my face.  I gagged from the smell of coffee and cigarettes.

“Honestly?” I asked “Yes.  You do look like a fool, and a psycho.  I can see tracking me down, but holding me hostage in some shed, yeah that’s the definition of a psycho.” I spat trying to kick him again.

He moved quickly, his muddy hazel eyes bore into mine, suddenly his fist was flying towards my face.  I closed my eyes, and felt his fist connect with my face.  The chair rocked backwards, I had the brief moment of feeling like I was going to fall over, then the chair righted itself and I passed out.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I was counting the till before the start of my shift when I heard a knock at the front door of the diner I worked at.  I looked up, seeing a familiar face.  I smiled.

“We aren’t open yet.” I apologized smiling and pointing at the closed sign.  “We’ll be open in an hour.  Sorry about that.” I smiled in apology and started to turn around.

“Grace, just let me in for a cup of coffee, I’ll leave you a good tip.”  He grinned wickedly, his dark eyes full of laughter.  “Come on, nobody will know, I promise.” He said when he saw my hesitation.

“How do you know my name?” I asked.  I wasn’t wearing a name tag.  But he had been in before and had probably heard another one of the wait staff call me by name.

“I know everything about you Grace.” He smiled his dark eyes unreadable.

“Alright, you can come in, but for one cup of coffee, then I need to finish opening up the restaurant.”

I fixed him a quick cup of coffee, and started wiping down the counters.  He was making me uncomfortable with the way he stared at me.  I was used to getting hit on at the restaurant, it went with the territory, but coming from him, it felt….different, and I wasn’t sure I felt comfortable.  Maybe it was his expensive suit, he was obviously a very wealthy man.  What would a man like that want in a small town girl like me?

“Come here Grace.” He said watching me while I worked.  I put down the rag and stood beside him and leaned against the counter.

“Is there anything else I can do for you?” I asked feeling uncomfortable, there was something off about him, something I couldn’t put a finger on.  The way he stared at me reminded me of my little sisters cat, the way it stared intently at its prey as it moved almost silently through the grass.  I was the unsuspecting mouse, and I didn’t like that feeling. 

“Yes, you can go out with me Friday night.” He smiled, even though it didn’t quite reach the corners of his eyes.  His dark eyes were flat, like a sharks. 

“Oh, I work Friday night, Sorry.” I apologized feeling nervous.  I hated when I got asked out at work.  Made me feel like my tips were dependent on my answer. 

“I’ll buy the place and give you the day off.” He said with a small smile.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me, Grace.”

“Who are you again?” I asked.

“Michael Harris.  I’m kind of big shot around town, I really don’t think you should be saying no to me.” He smiled smugly.

He leaned forward like he was going to kiss me, I froze like a deer in the headlights.  He laughed quietly as he brushed past me to lay a crisp hundred-dollar bill on the table.  Then turned and walked toward the door. 

I watched him go feeling relieved, for reasons I couldn’t explain.  Once he reached the door he turned around again.  “So, I’ll pick you up at 8 then.”  Then he left.

I stood there a minute after he left.  What a pompous asshole, I thought a little annoyed at how self-assured he was.  I didn’t like guys like that, the ones who thought money and privilege were all that mattered and they could get anything they wanted because they wished it to be so.  But if I was honest with myself I was intrigued by him as well.  He was different from most guys, and carried himself well.  I would go on the date, after all. What’s the worst that could happen?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Oh Grace, if only you knew what was good for you.  You had it so good with me.  Such an ungrateful little bitch!” I heard as I came too, my head aching, and eyes burning with tears.  I must have been crying while I was unconscious.  As he stood over me, I expected to feel frightened, I wasn’t.  I felt nothing but hate and pity.

“Funny I just had a dream about you, Michael.” I spat wishing my hands weren’t tied so I could claw at him and rip his face to shreds.  “I should have never agreed to go out with you Michael.  I knew right from the beginning that you were a psycho!” I stared at him hatefully.  I was beyond caring.  If Michael was going to kill me, and I had no doubts he was capable of it, I was going to go out fighting, and since my wrists were tied behind my back with heavy twine, my weapon was my words.  If I was going to die tonight, I was going to go out letting Michael know, how much I despised him!

“You dumb bitch! You were nothing before I met you. Nothing.” He roared, his eyes full of madness.  “You were just some dumb bitch from a small town. You think you’re special Grace? You’re pathetic.  I was the best thing that ever happened to you.”

“You think so huh, funny how looking back on it all I have a different feeling about it all.  On our wedding day Michael I debated on jumping off a cliff to get away from you.  I knew right then and there marrying you was a mistake.” I stared at him with fire burning in my eyes.

“You are my wife. I own you.”

I pretended to yawn even though my heart was pumping fast.  I wanted to make him angry enough where he would do something stupid.  “You’re a man who likes to hit his wife cause he’s nothing but a giant pussy!” I yelled. Then spit on his shoes.

His eyes went wild with anger and for a moment I actually afraid, more so then I’ve ever been in my life.

“You worthless whore!” He yelled.  “Classless slut.”  He was on me in a second, One hand twisted up in my hair as he fumbled at the ropes with the other hand.  He pulled me roughly to my feet.   He yanked my head back as I tried to bite him, my neck felt like it was going to snap from his rough movements.

I brought my knee up in one sudden movement and kneed him in the balls, and ran….

I almost made it to the door when the heel on my shoes broke and I stumbled, regaining my balance quickly, but it wasn’t fast enough.  Michael tackled me around my waist, and I hit the floor, my face skidding against the concrete floor sending ripples of agony through my entire being.  I kicked at him like a bucking bronco, but he grabbed one ankle and twisted it painfully.  I heard a snap, and pain shot up the entire length of my leg.

I fought like a hell cat.  I kicked at him with my other leg as he dragged me towards the door.  I scratched at the concrete floor while I was dragged, my fingers sore and bloody.  It did nothing to help.  Once we reached the doors, Michael pulled me roughly to my feet, I almost passed out from the sudden and quick change of movement.

“I hate you.” I managed to say as little black dots clouded my vision from the pain.

The wind and rain were extreme as we walked outside.  I felt like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, and I wished a house would fall out of the sky, and land on Michael.  He held onto my upper arm with a vice grip, his other hand squeezing my neck and shoulder to keep me walking toward the waiting car.

The wind howled, snatching up the sound of my scream, not that I expected anyone to be around to hear me with the hurricane.  The warehouse district Michael brought me too, was deserted.  Clearly he had waited for this hurricane to make his move.

The sky was dark, and the wind blew sideways.  Palm trees bent in the wind their leaves almost touching the ground.  The rain that pelted me felt like razors slashing across my skin.

I stomped on Michael’s foot with all my strength and twisted out of his grasp, and punched him with everything I had.  I ran, and he caught me.  My hurt foot and leg hampering me once again.

“Dumb bitch!” He swore and threw me down on the ground.  I hit my head on the side of the car, my vision dimmed for a moment.  I held my sore ribs and stared up at my husband with hate.

“Only a pussy would hit a woman!” I said staring at him, the hate fueling my rage, as the rain and wind whipped around us fiercely.  “Is that what you are Michael? A pussy?  Can’t get a woman to stay with you cause you beat her?” I coughed tasting blood on my lips.

“If you knew what was good for you Gracie, you wouldn’t be such a smart mouthed little bitch” He said standing over me laughing even as the wind whipped around us in a deafening crescendo.

I groaned tasting blood once more. “Fuck you.” I managed to get out.

I didn’t move, I couldn’t move as he raised his foot and brought it down over my head.  Mercifully I blacked out.

I was half unconscious when I felt him lift my body like I weighed nothing more than a child.  I was thrown roughly into the trunk, my head hitting the latch.  I blacked out again and didn’t waken, even as the car started and drove out of the empty parking lot.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *