Legacy

Chapter 6: Gone

He didn't come down this morning. At least, I assume it's morning. The light in the basement is always on, so I'm never quite sure.

One of the many ways he torments me. I got three cards last night. First Michael burned me with an iron, right across the back of my shoulder. Then he hit me until I was spitting out blood. And to top everything off, he severed my pinky toe. But he was nice enough to let me pick which one. I chose the one on the foot shackled to the wall. Then he cauterized the wound with the iron.

The last thing I remember is his back as he left me lying there.

I'm in and out of sleep. Over and over. I wake up. I drink some water. I close my eyes. He should be back soon. My water bottle is completely empty. And it's been that way for awhile.

There is no movement. Nothing to watch. Not a clock. Not a flickering light. Not even a spider to scurry across the floor.

At this point, I would welcome anything. Any distraction from the hollow silence of the basement. But I'm too exhausted to talk to myself.

How long has it been? Has it only been half a day since Michael last came down here? Is he ever coming back?

No.

He's gone. He's left me here to slowly rot away. This is his final torture method.

Gone.

Gone.

Gone.

Then I hear movement upstairs. The sound of feet.

I've heard it a thousand times in my dreams over the years, and even more in the past few days. The sound of footsteps down the basement stairs. Not just the heavy clop of Michael's footsteps. But there's another pair of feet along with them.

No. Two pairs of feet...

No... I must be hallucinating from the beating Michael has given me. I can only see out of one eye because the other is swollen shut and my head is pounding nonstop.

My only thought is of keeping warm. The basement has been growing colder every night. The blanket offers little warmth from the cold raging on outside. When night comes, I wish Michael would come down, just so I can have a few more minutes of warmth.

I think I hear voices...

"Oh my god... Call a bus... get this door open..."

...But I can't tell if they're real or just in my head.

I roll over in my bed just in time to hear banging and clattering against the cell door. The movement aggravates the cuts and burns Michael refused to patch up.

My voice cracks from dehydration as I call out "Who's there?" I clear my throat as the banging continues. "What's going on?"

The door crashes to the ground, making me flinch as I feel the very ground shake. I reach up to rub my good eye as several people come rushing in.

"Ma'am are you alright?" It's a woman. She kneels beside me and pushes some hair out of my face.

I look up at her and all I see is a blur. "How..." I swallow, even though my mouth is bone dry. "How did you find me?" I manage to croak as I feel someone else take hold of the chain around my ankle and yell for some bolt-cutters.

"Luck," the woman says, her eyes examining my swollen face. "And a little boy. He helped us find you."

I feel heat in my eyes and I desperately want to cry, but my body just can't spare the water to do it.

"My baby's alive?" I breathe, clutching my chest as if my heart will jump right out and bounce around the room. "He- he's safe?"

"Yes," the woman says, taking my hand. "And now you are too."

And suddenly, this lady- this angel- is the most beautiful thing in the world. The light coming from the fixtures behind her make a beautiful halo around her neat bun of shiny black hair.

The shackle snaps and I can feel it being removed from my ankle. The next thing I feel is a blanket being wrapped around my shoulders. I attempt to limp across the floor, but by the time we reach the stairs I practically have to be carried up for what I'm sure will be the last time.

"Ma'am, my name is Detective Carter," the lady says to me. "What is your name?"

I blink slowly as I breathe, "My name is September..." My legs almost give out from under me. "September Walker."

Then the door opens and I'm almost blinded by the snow covering the ground. One of the officers picks me up and carries me to the closest police car. Detective Carter opens the passenger door and I'm placed in the warm front seat.

The officers don't give me time to shiver. The Detective climbs into the drivers seat and turns the heater up to a full blast before looking over at me. "Ambulance will be here soon." She says, passing me a bottle of water. "Can you answer some questions for me?"

I take the water and nod before downing almost the whole thing.

"Can you describe the man who did this to you?" she asks, taking out a notepad.

I nod and tell her everything. There isn't a single detail I leave out. From his name, to his pale blue eyes, to the dark hair with bits of grey, all the way down to the scar on the back of his right shoulder. The one mark I ever left on him.

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"Just last night. He didn't come down this morning." I take another sip of water, my hands trembling. "He usually does. We've been-" I stop myself. "He's been wanting another baby."

"Another baby..." she repeats to herself as she scribbles a note in her pad. "Did he say anything about where he might be going?" This woman is very quick and to-the-point.

I shake my head. "No. I thought he left me for dead." I answer, pulling the blanket tight around my body.

Detective Carter sighs, shaking her head. "Must have gotten wind of us being on his trail. Your boy. Robin? He was found by some hunters a few months ago. Scared out of his mind. But those men got him safely to the station." She shakes her head. "I'm sure you will want to see your son, but I have to say, we need more information on the man who took you. Anything you can give us."

I blink and realize that I forgot to mention, "He's a killer."

The detective pauses and meets my eyes, her face schooled into perfect scrutiny. "A killer too?"

"I wasn't his first victim." I say hurriedly. "I don't even think I was his first girl."

"Tell me more. Whatever you can remember," she urges as I hear the ambulance in the distance, flashing lights blinking through the trees.

"I think he abducted a girl named Courtney Meinzer."