A Promise

Like what you see?

Cassie's POV

I was alone when I woke up. A hazy fog clouded my vision, blurring everything as an angry dryness ate at my eyes. Rubbing at my face, I tried to swipe the fog away, somehow thinking that if I pressed hard enough it would clear my vision and dissipate my pounding headache at the same time. It didn't. I blinked quickly, watching as the room slowly came into focus around me. Heavy curtains blocked out the windows, tiny slivers of light sneaking past the thick material. An alarm clock sat on the bedside table, 2:17 glowing in a soft red light. Slowly pulling myself up in the bed, I sucked in a sharp breath as soreness radiated up my knee. Aches ebbing in and out with every movement. I squinted in the darkness, every soft rustle of the thick duvet making me cringe. I remembered exactly where I was. What had happened. What he had done.

Even in the cozy warmth of the bed, I could still feel the freezing concrete under me. The dusty grime still stuck under my fingernails. His calloused hands through my leggings. Pulling back the covers, the medical wrap keeping my knee in place confirmed my memories. My heart sped up as I tried to formulate a plan through the buzzing pain in my head. Where was I? In a house, obviously. His house it seemed. But where was I? My eyes settled on the window over the bedside table.

Scooching to the edge of the bed, I pulled at the corner of the curtain, wincing as it wouldn't budge. I glanced at the door, soft clattering sounds from the other side of the house barely made their way through the solid wood. Swinging my legs off the edge of the bed, fresh soreness sprung into my knee. I sat there for a moment, by feet dangling off the edge of the bed, pins and needles slowly disappearing as I carefully wiggled my toes.

Then, with a deep breath, I eased my good foot onto the floor, gently sliding off the bed both to muffle the sounds of the floor creaking, but also testing my weight on the unstable joint. If I could get to my feet, I could reach the curtain enough to get it open. Finally getting both feet on the ground, I leaned against the bed, propping myself up against it to keep the pressure off my knee. The floor groaned in protest under the carpet, freezing me in my spot as the muffled noises from outside the bedroom paused. I held my breath, waiting for the thumping footsteps to start down the hall, but after a few seconds, the busy sounds restarted.

Sighing in relief, I hooked a finger around the thick fabric of the curtains and pulled them apart, the sliver of sunlight widening, but there was another problem. A set of blinds inside the curtains kept me from my view out the window. The slats pulled tight against each other to block out the sun. Curses ran through my head. I took a cautious step towards the window, just a few inches, as I tested out some weight on my bandaged leg. My knee ached in protest, but stayed locked. Chewing on my lip, I glanced from the door, to the window, and down to my knee. I had to try. Cautiously, I leaned forward onto my foot, the pins and needles in my sole pricking under my skin. I could see the cord for the blind tucked away at the edge of the frame as I peeked behind the curtain, just far enough that I needed to stretch for it. My heart raced in my chest, knowing that one wrong move, one loud sound and he'd know I was awake, but if I could just reach the cord. If I could get any idea about where I was, I might have any chance of escape from this masked psycho.

Every pound I put on my foot sent waves of aching pain through my knee. The muscles in my leg protesting as I put them to work before they had time to heal. My fingertips brushed against the cord, sending it swaying out of my reach. Just a little closer. Nudging my foot the tiniest bit closer to the window, I leaned over the bedside table and just managed to capture the cord between my fingers.

But before I could celebrate, the shaky strength in my knee disappeared as my leg buckled underneath me. I crumpled unceremoniously to the ground with a thud, sucking in a hissing gasp. And there it was. Silence, followed by heavy footsteps getting closer, only slightly muffled by the carpet. But even as I tried to get my feet under me, my leg refused to work. The doorknob rattled with the weight of his hand and the heavy wood swung open with a creak. His tall frame stood in the doorway. His silhouette the only familiar thing over the last 24 hours. I froze, a million thoughts racing through my head as I weighed my options against his reactions.