Trapped With A Killer

Chapter Seven

The chirping of crickets was deafening. My eyes fluttered open, and the sun must have set some time ago because it was pitch black out. Groaning, I tried to sit up, but every second I came closer to full consciousness the pain in my head and back grew to become unbearable. I reached my hand back to touch where my head had struck the rock and winced as I felt the tender spot underneath hair that was matted with what must have been sticky blood.

My escape attempt had failed. Hours could've passed while I'd been lying here, and Wheaton would be up and searching for me, Ben too probably. I couldn't hope to make it back to the cabin while avoiding them in my condition.

Shit I thought as I jerked away from the unconsciousness that threatened to overwhelm me again.

When I was in middle school, I had gotten a head injury when I was knocked down while we were playing a game in gym class. I had woken up, surrounded by my classmates and gym teacher hovering over me. I remember the world had turned all fuzzy, and nausea overwhelmed me. I was rushed to the nurses office where I threw up all over the floor.

I was taken to the hospital and my mother met me there. I'll never forget how worried her face was and how her tears had soaked into my shirt. She cried about how I was all she had left, and that she couldn't bear to lose me too. The doctors assured her that I would be fine, and I consoled her the best I could. What I wouldn't give to have her blubbering over me right now. But I was alone among the crickets.

I tried to sit up several times, but each time I became overwhelmed with dizziness and pain. I still held the truck keys tightly in my fist, but a fat load of good they did me if I couldn't even get to it, let alone drive. After what must have been at least twenty minutes I saw a sight that chilled my blood. A flashlight beam scanned through the trees across the small ravine I'd fallen into and landed on me. I hissed in pain as the light halted on my slumped form.

"Ah, finally." I faintly heard Wheaton say as he crashed through the leaves and started to descend to where I laid. "Ben! She's over here!" Wheaton yelled off into the distance, and the loud shout sent agony shooting through my skull again. I winched, and Wheaton just laughed.

"You look pretty rough there, Reyna. Today just wasn't your lucky day, huh?"

"S-screw you," I whispered faintly, mind still groggy.

"I thought you were gonna rescue that whore in the basement? But it seems like all you're good for is lying down in the mud and dying. You stupid bitch. I knew you wouldn't just run off to try to find help. You were heading back to the cabin to play hero." Wheaton shot down and slammed his arm against my throat, pinning me to the boulder. "I'm gonna pay you back tenfold for this nice little bump you gave me. I'll show you just how good you've had it with me until now," he growled. I'd never seen him this angry before, and I felt my organs melt in terror within me as I struggled to take a breath. He might really kill me. But I wouldn't back down. I would not apologize. As if to test this resolve, he pulled out a handgun. The same one from the night he abducted me, as far as I could tell.

"This one is loaded by the way," he said, pressing the gun to my head and hauling me to my feet. I swayed dangerously, but he pulled me against his body and whispered. "Don't you get it? The only way you are leaving me is either as a corpse in a hidden grave or dumped like a piece of trash in the street." I gulped, and tried to hold back tears, wishing his words weren't as true as I feared they were. Then I heard the sound of crashing foliage off to the right before Ben emerged from the darkness.

"Jeez, what happened to her?" he asked gruffly, panting slightly.

"Must have tripped and fallen down this hill and hit her head. Serves her right. Hey Ben, I have an idea for some kind of punishment, but first I want you to help me out." My heartrate quicked at what they could mean.