Beastlord Horror Picture Show

four

SKY

I watched in horror was Kim slumps against the wall, the drug coursing through her, sedating her. The only strength I had was being taken from me before my very eyes. My only companion, diminished to an incoherent mess.

Tucking my face into my knees, I prayed. If any God could just hear me, deliver me from this hell. But then I felt his rough hands grasp my upper arms shaking me, rattling my very bones. Tears spilled over onto my cheeks but then I felt a sting in my neck. It didn't hurt for long; very quickly, the pain was replaced with sweet relief.

Everything was blurry; my head felt clouded, heavy. Just barely I was able to make out a moving form, body contorting on the ground.

"Kim?" My voice croaked, my mouth feeling as if it were stuffed with cotton. "What?"

"Sky? Can you hear me?" Her voice pierced the veil, and I honed onto it, trying to find a firm grip on reality.

"What are you doing?" I murmured, eyes slipping closed again.

"I'm trying to reach that. It looks like it might be a knife. Do you see it?" I tried to look, and saw her tilting her head in one direction. But I couldn't see anything but more of the same darkness.

"I don't know," I uneasily replied.

"Snap out of it, Sky. We have to get out of here." She was stretching her leg out again, reaching across the floor for the weapon that would free us. Was freedom still even a possibility? What chance did we stand down here, all alone, in this dank, dark place.

"It's closer to you, I think," she told me. "See if you can reach it."

My eyes searched through the dark, finally landing on the shining metal. It had fallen out of his pocket. The vague memory came back to me, and I had the wonderful sense that my prayers had been answered. Thank God that our kidnapper was an idiot.

Slowly gaining back more of my senses, I stretched my legs out, following Kim's example. I could've cried with frustration, but I didn't think I had any tears left. I was too short. I was always too short. My legs would never reach the knife.

"It's closer to you," Kim urgently repeated. "Your foot is just a few inches away."

I wiggled my foot, trying to bring the knife forward with the tip of my heel. I did this a few times, until I could see the tip of the knife coming closer. The tip grazed my skin. I took my heel off, my fingers grabbing the knife. I reached down for the knife, trying to set myself free. I noticed as I held the cold metallic, that it wasn't a knife. At least, not a big one as I'd hoped.

It was a pocket knife, not good enough to kill him with but good enough to let ourselves free. Using my feet, I kicked the knife over to Kim. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion as I watched her maneuver the knife into her tied up hands.Eagerly, she began to use the knife, hastily cutting into the ropes. The knife moved up and down the rope, until there was a snap. Kim was freed. There was small gasp and I realize it came from me.

She looked around the room, standing up. She ran towards my side. "The knife won't work on metal. We need to find a key for these shackles. I'm getting you out."

"No!" I waved her away as she inched closer to me. "Kim, you need to get out of here! You need to run and get help."

"If I go, he'll kill you," she said. I shook my head and though I thought I didn't have anymore tears, I began to cry at the thought of Kim dying. At least this way, if she went, then she'd live. The two of us couldn't make it out alive.

But one of us could.

Kim.

"Kim, you need to go before he comes back," I said. "Stop wasting time!" I tried to get my voice to steady, to get her to realize it was final. This wasn't up for discussion. She needed to listen to me. There was a moment where she stood there, waiting.

I could sense the wheels turning in her head. Kim was a writer and a good one too. I could see her picturing the different scenarios, imagining how her character might save the day. Finally, she nodded her head. "I'm coming back, Sky. I'm coming back, I promise."

She ran out the room.

And all that was left was darkness.