The drinks are flowing, and Jessie and I are dancing the night away when Tom decides to cut in and dance with me. He immediately makes me feel uncomfortable because I know damn well that he wants to gyrate against my backside—both on the dance floor and off. Luckily for me, Jake notices the expression on my face and decides to rescue me. I welcome it, and the two of us begin to dance instead. Just as we begin, however, the music changes, and Rihanna’s “Russian Roulette” starts to play. To this day, I believe that has to be one of the most sensual, seductive songs I have ever heard or danced to—despite the meaning behind it.
As we dance, it’s quite clear that we are both turned on and disturbed by both the song and our movements. To call what we are feeling “uncomfortable” would be a massive understatement. I am hyperaware of just how amazing it feels to have him so close to me every second of the dance. Just like the girl in the song, I wonder if Jake can see my heart beating through my chest. It is kind of ironic, really.
We lock our arms and dance slowly. The proximity of his body pressed against mine is way too much of a distraction. I can’t stop looking into his eyes and touching the monstrous shoulders that my small hands work so hard to wrap themselves around. Without doing so intentionally, I squeeze one shoulder ever-so-lightly, and Jake inadvertently presses his hand into the crevice of my back. This leads to a gasp escaping my lips despite my attempts at control.
The song and the alcohol are all too much to bear. Soon after my gasp, Jake lets go of me and makes an excuse to leave.
After he retreats, I am so horny that I seriously consider sleeping with someone just to release the tension between my legs. It was just all too much. The one and only problem is that I still only want Jake.
As I come back from my memory, I glance at a photo of a man and a woman who look close to their sixties. Both have white hair and happy, smiling faces.
“That’s my mom and dad. They’re not here anymore, but this was theirs, and they left it to me. They wanted me to raise some grandchildren for them. I intend to fulfill their wishes.” He comes closer to my body and embraces me. My heart starts its full-scale war in my chest. Please don’t tell me he wants to start making babies right now! He’ll want to touch me at some point, and I’m afraid I might vomit just from the thought.
He inhales the scent of my hair, making me stiffen. “You smell so beautiful.” He strokes my hair and traces a finger down my shoulder towards my back. I start to tremble.
“Don’t worry. I’m patient. I have waited this long. I can wait a little longer for when you’re ready.”
Looking into his soulless eyes, I smile my relief. “Thank you. It’s just a little sudden and overwhelming. I need a little time to adjust.” I don’t know why I said that, but it seems necessary. How does one tame a completely psychotic maniac?
“I know. It’s hard, though. I am a man after all, and you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. Try not to think too long about it, my English rose.” He smells my hair again, making me shudder.
Oh, fuck. Now what do I do?
I inhale a deep breath, smile, and turn to him. “Show me the rest of the house, please.”
He happily obliges, but I mainly want to see it all just so that I can get my bearings. I need to find out where all these rooms lead. My urge to escape is mounting rapidly.
He shows me four bedrooms which are all about the same size—two with double beds and two with single beds. As soon as we’re at the master bedroom, Tony touches my shoulder. “This is where we will be sleeping.” I cringe at the thought of Tony laying next to me, breathing all over me, and expecting sex. I really need to get out.
One of the rooms looks like a child’s room painted in yellow. It’s rather beautiful with the last remaining hours of the sun shining through. It has two white, metal framed single beds and a big teddy bear propped up on yet another rocking chair.
“This could be the nursery. I could just picture you here, breastfeeding our children.”
I close my eyes. This is just too much. I don’t think I can stomach much more. “It was a long drive. I really need to use the bathroom.”
He smiles and leads the way. “Should I go make us something to eat while you freshen up?”
If it gets you away from me, then yes.
“Please. I’m starving.”
He laughs a little and starts his way down the stairs. Is he really leaving me alone up here? Should I make a run for the stairs once he’s in the kitchen? No, I can’t do that; I noticed that the steps creaked when we came up. He would know before I got to the bottom that I wasn’t up here anymore. I have to see if I can climb out the window. It seems to be the only way.
I get to the master bathroom and lock the door. I switch the faucet on to make some noise while I try to lift the small window. It’s a little stiff, but I manage to get it open about halfway. It’s just enough for me to crawl through.
As I stick my head out, I notice there’s a climbing vine to my left. I reach out to see if I can grab a hold of it. To my amazement, it works. My heart suddenly soars, beating violently in my chest as the adrenaline kicks in. Can I do this? I have to try. I also have no time to waste.
With one boost of energy, I push my foot up onto the windowsill and pull myself up. I lift with one hand while grabbing the plant with the other. I lose my footing a bit and swing out, crashing into the plant. I take a sharp inhale of breath as the thorns from the plant pierce my skin. I resist the urge to scream as I feel the thorns cut into me. They are all over my legs, arms, and torso.
I take a few deep breaths, clinging for dear life as I carefully make my way down the trestle. The pain’s awful as each thorn cuts through my leg or my arm. I grit through the pain, knowing that I have to do this in order to survive.
I manage to get down and finally look at myself. My dress is torn, and I’m covered in blood from the thorny bush … but I’m alive. I’m alive and possibly free.
In my euphoria, I look around, trying to take in my surroundings. About a hundred yards away from the house is a forest full of trees. Will I be able to make it there without being seen? I really don’t know. I have come this far, so I have to keep going. If Tony catches me now, there’s no way of knowing what he will do.
With no time to lose, I make a run for it. The moment I start, I hear Tony shouting my name from the house. With my adrenaline spiking, it spurs me on further as my heart starts drumming in my ears. There’s no turning back.
The screams of my name are getting louder, and I realize he’s looking for me outside the house. It won’t be long before he spots me.
I don’t want to, but I turn around to see if I can catch a glimpse of him. I sigh with relief. I’m halfway there, and Tony can’t be seen as yet. If I can just get in the trees without being spotted, he won’t know where I am. I’m not sure what’s out there, but it has to be a much better prospect than Tony any day.
I get to the entrance of the trees when a loud voice shouts, “Ana!” making me jump out of my skin. Turning around, I see Tony standing by the house, gun in hand. Despite being quite far away, I can tell his face is contorted in anger. He lets off a shot, and I instinctively duck for cover. There’s no time to waste. If he catches me, he’ll kill me. That much I know for certain.