Always (Sequel to 'Maybe', a Thomas Brodie-Sangster fanfiction)

Chapter 16

It seems like a dream. No, a nightmare. And I can't wake up. The numerous attempts at pinching myself awake all fail. My vision is fading in and out, the barrel of the silver gun still pointed at me. Haley and the driver are talking, but I can't distinguish their words from the screams of fear in my head. Exhaustion taking over, I black out.

I open my crusted eyes, and see blackness. I scream, but only a muffled sound comes out. A cloth of some sort is tied around my mouth. My legs lay straight out in front of me, bound tightly together by my ankles. My hands are tied behind my back. I wiggle my hands around in the restraint, and feel hard concrete underneath me. I must be in a basement some where.

I slide to my left, completely relying on my upper body, until my shoulder makes contact with a hard surface. A wall. I take a few breaths, then slide to my right, using this same method of movement. Instead of a wall, I bump into what feels like the leg of a table. I hear the movement of metal tools clang above me as the table shook. Hopefully there is something that I can use to get my hands and feet untied.

I try to stand. I bend my knees, and push myself up against the wall, to hopefully stand myself up. I make it half way, when my knees give out and I slide back down, my butt hitting the ground with a thud. I try again, with no success.

I catch my breath, when a surge of determination pulses through my body. I need to get out of here. With all of my might and strength, I try one last time, and I shoot up the wall into a standing position. My knees throb with pain, but I made it.

I hop and turn a few times around, so that my hands that are tied behind my back can access the tools on the table. I lean back, and begin moving my fingers across the table. I try to feel for a sharp blade, when a pain sparks in my finger. I cautiously move my finger back to the area in which I felt the pricker of pain, strain coursing through my back as I lean back, the farthest I ever knew my body could stretch. My finger touches the metal. I move it up and down, feeling the unique patten of the blade. This is a knife.

I maneuver my hands until I feel the wooden handle, then pick it up. I straighten up my back, relief coursing through me. I carefully turn the knife so that the blade touches the restraint and begin sawing through it, little movements at a time. My fingers and wrists ache with pain, but I continue.

About 10 minutes in to cutting, I hear distant sounds. Voices. I pause, focusing on the noise. No more sounds. I continue cutting through the restraint, when I hear footsteps. They are getting louder.

Sweat rolls down my forehead. I bite my lip. Don't be here for me, I plead in my head.

I see a faint trace of light, like one from a flashlight. Then, as I sit on the ground, I see long slender legs illuminated by the light, moving across the room. There's no doubt in my mind that it is Haley. I don't dare to look up.

She walks to the far end of the room, and stops by a door. She opens it up, and I see the shadow of another person, their head cradled in their knees. My heart skips a bit. She kidnapped someone else?!

Haley picks up the person by their arm, dragging them across the ground, and they whimper in desperation. Her arm swings down in a fast motion and makes contact with the persons' face, and they silence. She heaves the unconscious person away, and my only source of light fades out with them. Complete darkness returns. I wait for a few minutes, then continue cutting my hands free.

Finally, my hands snap away from each other. I stretch out my back and shoulders. I then grab the knife and start cutting the, now confirmed, rope from my ankles.

I'm able to do this more diligently, as my hands can now move freely. The rope snaps away and my legs are now free. I stretch out my body from the uncomfortable position, and proceed to stand up. I remove the cloth from my mouth.

I shuffle around in the darkness, trying to look for a light switch of some sort. I walk around, when I feel a string brush against my forehead. Hoping that it activates a light bulb, I pull it. A light flickers on above it, and I can finally see. I squint my eyes, but not for very long, since the light is dimming a bit.

I can make out some of the surroundings. Dusty, concrete floor, low ceiling. I see a dead rat not too far from me. And I see stairs to my left, just on the brink of darkness. That's probably where Haley took the person. Beyond that, darkness returns.

I turn to my right, and see the table. Various tools sit on top. They look like dentistry tools. A shiver races up my spine. I look for anything else I might need if I encounter Haley, but it's no use. I already have a butchers knife.

I walk towards the landing of the wooden stairs, the knife gripped firmly behind my back. It's now or never. I carefully step on the first stair, then the second. I quietly make my way up the steps, my heart beating furiously. There has to be police searching for me. Maybe I don't have to draw any blood. All I have to do is make my way outside, then find a police station or something.

The light dimming ever so slightly, I make my way to the top step, barely making out the outline of the door. I touch the doorknob, and slowly twist it. A creak sounds, and I squeeze my eyes shut, fearing that Haley will yank open the door and blow my brains out.

Instead, nothing happens. I wipe sweat from my forehead and continue. Lights creeps in through the crack of the door, and I see something that sends shivers racing down my body. A girl, presumably the one that Haley was taking away earlier, is strapped into a chair, and Haley is holding a bowl of something. She scoops out what looks like oatmeal and smothers it on the girls face. The girl lets out a loud cry. "Does little baby Bella like that?" Haley says sarcastically.

My heart drops, and I want to scream. That girl is Bella, Thomas's ex girlfriend from England. Bella coughs and oatmeal pieces land on Haley.

"Get the hell away from me you psychopath!" Bella exclaims.

Haley turns red and sets the bowl down, then cleans the food off of herself.

"Bad baby! Let me show you what happens when children misbehave!" Haley barks.

She turns around and grabs something off of a table. It's a wooden paddle. Bella thrashes in her chair. Haley walks over to Bella, then tests the paddle on the wall. It makes a loud smack.

She raises the paddle high in the air, then brings it down. I close my eyes, an a loud smack erupts. Bella screams in pain. I move my hand over my mouth, silent tears falling from my eyes.

I want to intervene, but then we'd both be trapped. I have to wait until Haley is distracted so I can get help. I helplessly wait by the door, tears falling down my face, as the anguished screams of pain fill my mind.