I can't believe he just left me…Just tied me to a chair and walked out the door! What the hell happens now? He walked out the door and down the hall. Didn't hear a thing after that.
And now I sit here, twisting my hands in so much useless futility. I can hardly move, I can't call for help and I just can't figure it out.
There was nothing out of place downstairs. The door was locked as always. How on earth did he get in? What could he want in the house that's on the second floor? The bedroom looks fine and there's not much jewelry he could sell.
He grabbed me right off the bat as I shut the door to the closet. He was waiting for me?! That can't be right. How could he be waiting for me?
ENOUGH!!
Have to calm myself down…shut my eyes, take deep breaths. He hasn't left the house which means he'll be back soon enough. Put my mind on something else and clear it. Cause when he does come back I need a way to get off this chair if I'm going to have a chance.
I focus on the sun setting outside the window and go back to Atlantic City. To the massage and body wrap I had with my friends in the spa. To dinner at the Hard Rock. To bumping into coworkers on the boardwalk. To walking on the beach in the light snow as it fell. To sticking my toes in the ocean that felt warmer than the sand. To the Brooks & Dunn concert where I'd never felt more alive. The crisp cool air on the ferry ride home. And back to the song I was humming when it came to a startling end.
I'm brought back to reality by the feeling of a hand on my face. I blink myself back into reality as my captor tips my chin up so we can look each other in the eyes. I'd hoped for a little more time but I steel myself as I hear his voice.
"You've been here awhile now and you've got a ways to go yet. How bout a break?"
I moan in surprise and he must see it in my eyes because he looks at me and nods his head.
"A break from the chair anyway. I can see from your shoulders that you need a change. So we're going to stretch you out on the bed here and see if that helps."
As he starts to untie from the chair I stretch my neck out and wonder just why he's being so nice to me. And just what he means when he said I have a ways to go yet.
The ropes holding my chest to the seat back are quickly loosened and he drops them beside the bed as he bends over to undo my feet from the chair leg with a small knife. He pulls me to a standing position and undoes the rope around my upper arms.
He's surprisingly gentle when he picks me up and then sits me on my bed propping me against my headboard. I bend over to my knees stretching my arms up and out behind me while he picks up the rope he left on the floor. When I'm done I sit back against the headboard and wait.
"Feel a little better?"
I nod and watch as he takes the rope and wraps it around my knees a few times before tying it off. He then undoes the rope around my ankles and slips my boots off. I moan in relief at having them finally gone and flex out each foot to combat the numbness that had been spiking through. Once I'm done he surprises me by giving a gentle rub of both feet
Before he wraps the rope around them again.
He moves up and reaches behind me to undo my wrists and brings them around in front of me. He holds onto one arm while slipping my jacket off my shoulder and does the same with the other arm while he slips the jacket off completely.
"You look kind of hot. Thought it might help."
The look on my face must betray my thoughts because he looks away from me quickly while he places my arms in front of me and grabs hold of the rope once more.
I'm as confused as ever while he crosses my wrists and wraps the rope around them in such a way that I'm unable to twist them at all. Then he pulls them above my head and back to the headboard that he ties them to.
"You'd be more comfy if you laid down a bit I think."
Since I'm left with no other choice I scoot down just a bit and lay my head down on the mattress. He lifts my head and places a pillow underneath and goes down to the footboard where he ties my ankles leaving just a bit of slack.
"Its gonna be a long night for you, so try and get some sleep for a bit before we go."
GO?
Go where? I don't give a damn how nice he is, I'm not going anywhere without a fight.
But right now I'm a bit stuck as he drapes a blanket over me and brushes my hair away from my face. He switches on my bedside lamp and then turns off the ceiling light and closes the door most of the way. Momentary panic has me struggling against the ropes in futility before the dim light and tiredness my body feels has me drifting into an uneasy sleep...
My sleep takes me back to the beginning almost. Walking up to my bedroom with the luggage from my Atlantic City trip. Though in the dream I feel as though something is about to happen I carry on with my routine. Unpacking and dropping laundry in my hamper and placing my travel items in their closet before I get out of these clothes and into something to lounge around the house...
He grabs me at the closet. A quick arm around me right under my breasts and the quick insert of a rag in my mouth means I can't scream as he kicks my legs out and gets me on the floor. The tape is over my mouth before I can spit out the rag and my kicking does no good as he flips me on my stomach and whips my arms around behind me tying together.
My panic rises as he leaves one hand hard in my back to turn around and tie my ankles together. I try turning myself over as he gets off me but he's back in a flash with more rope. Sitting me up as he wraps it just under my breasts as I still squirm and try to get away from him.
I seize my chance when he goes into my bedroom leaving me sitting in the hall. I crab walk down the hall to my office as quick as I can the way I'm tied and make it to my desk before the noise in the bedroom stops and he comes to get me. I'm using the desk to pull myself off when he stops me with words I don't really hear and lifts me over his shoulder going back to my room.
Thrown into the chair I freeze as he ties my waist and then my chest to it leaving my arms trapped into the small of my back. My heart is beating faster than ever as he tilts my chin and covers my lower face in more tape.
It's then he says the first words, which I really understand.
"Feeling comfy?"
I kick him in the knee with my boots making him yelp in pain and causing him to tape my boots to the chair leg, when…
"Jess!"
My eyes flash open, my heart and chest heaving just as hard as they were when I was being tied into the chair and gasp in fear as I see my kidnapper's face above me, his hand softly stroking my face.
"Hey now, relax its just a dream. Only a dream."
Maybe it was, but this sure isn't. Since there's little I can do about it at the moment I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths as unties my feet from the foot board and helps me to sit up leaving my arms above me.
Sitting me all the way back he tugs at the tape and pulls it off my mouth as I close my eyes from the sting. He then helps with the wad of cloth and rubs my back as I bend over from the coughing jag that being free of it causes. When I'm done he leans me back and takes a cool cloth to wipe down my face.
"Here, have a little water."
I nod gratefully and take a few sips as he holds the glass.
"What is it you want?"
"I already have what I want."
"Look, whatever you want in the house is yours. I don't have much, but just leave. Please leave."
"We're both going to be leaving as soon as you freshen up a bit."
"Why? I don't understand what you want with me."
"That's a little melodramatic don't you think Jess?"
"Melodramatic?"
"I thought you were a quick thinker when you headed for the office earlier"
"What does that mean?"
"Well I just figured you for better lines."
"Better lines."
He reaches up to my hands and undoes the rope that holds them there and brings them down in front of me. He unties my knees and my ankles and helps me sit on the side of the bed.
"I'm going to break the rules just a little, and leave you like this so you can freshen up more easily. Don't make me regret it."
"What rules?"
"Very funny. Are you sure you shouldn't have been an actress?"
"I don't believe this. Have you lost your mind? Did you ever have one?"
"Alright, fine I'll play along. Just trust me alright? You'll be just a little more comfortable than what the rules say. OK?
"Whatever."
I cannot believe the conversation we just had. Like I'm supposed to know what the hell he's talking about.
He stands me up and walks me to the bathroom door. When we get there he it slightly and I freshen up in private and stretch out for what I'm about to do next. I hear a soft knock.
"Ready?"
"Yes, I'm ready."
I'm ready. He opens the doorway and I move to the frame bringing my knee into his stomach. As he bends over I gave one more kick knocking him back on the floor and take off running.
He curses and yells while I make a line for the stairs moving as quickly as I can. Once I get there, I swing my leg onto the banister and pull myself up as he makes it into the hallway. I let go of the rail and push off the edge sliding all the way down to the bottom just as I had when I was young.
I don't look behind me but let myself down rolling onto the floor. I could see him running down the steps while I use the wall to get back up. I run through the den into the kitchen trying to make it to the back door as he gets closer to catching me.
I flip the bolt to the side heaving the door open. Gripping the storm door handle I turn it down and get one foot outside as I feel his hand grip my other foot.
Falling to the ground I used my free leg to try and kick his hand off of me.
"Get OFF!"
His grip is like a vise and he uses it to pull me back inside the kitchen. I grab the frame of the door and keep on kicking at his hand.
"Stop it, Jess!
"Let go of me!"
"You've lost."
He's right, I've lost my grip on the frame and I'm pulled back inside as he takes hold of my other leg. I shift on the floor still trying to get out as he pulls rope around and starts tying my legs again.
I'm out of breath as he drags me closer and I turn away from his face when he grabs my still tied wrists. He grips them tightly as he undoes the rope and twists one arm bringing me onto my stomach. He ties my wrist tightly behind me and I wince as he bends my legs back and ties them off to my wrists.
"Dammit that hurts!"
"That's what you get for trying to escape."
"You made your choice and I made mine."
"So you did. And the last choice of the day is mine"
"Whaa--?" My question is cut off by a wad of towel being shoved into my mouth. I gasp again as he pulls my head back to tie it off behind my neck.
My head drops to the floor as he releases his grip on me and I hear him walk away as I try to twist over off my stomach. He looks amazingly angry when he walks back into the kitchen and over to me. With more rope in his hand, I groan as he pushes me back down on my stomach and weaves the new rope under my arms and threads it under my chest.
He uses more rope to go over my shoulders, threading it like a V through the rope he's just tied. Bringing it close to my neck on both sides he shoves me over onto my side. He yanks hard on the rope as it goes between my breasts and back up and over to my back again.
Once that's tied off he undoes my ankles from my wrists and ties them to the harness he's created. He pulls the rope as taut as he can before tying it down drawing my feet almost into the small of my back.
I can't stop the tears from falling when he pulls my head up and draws a white bandage in front of eyes. He wraps its around my head several times and then covers it again with some kind of tape that goes all the way around for good measure.
The last thing I feel is being lifted up and onto the floor of a vehicle. With the slam of a door and the jerk of brakes we roll out of my driveway to God knows where as I wonder just how angry I've made my captor.