Fallen chapter two

 

         Chapter Two 

 

      The first thing that I noticed was the putrid taste of bile in my mouth, the second thing I noticed was that I was lying on the ground. I couldn’t remember how I got here or why my head was pounding like someone had used it for a trampoline. With a sudden rush of nausea I remembered what had happened with Oscar and the stranger with the white teeth, my run in the forest and the wild man that had struck me on the back of my head. That would explain the bouncing head ache that I had but what was I doing on the ground and why wasn’t I dead? With my head pounding like it was I couldn’t concentrate for long. I didn’t want to just lay here so I tried to sit up, that’s when I noticed the chains around my hands and feet. I had a wild thought about Oscar catching me but he would have just killed me and been done with it. I couldn’t think why anyone would just chain me to the floor. As I was contemplating my current situation I heard a muffled sigh behind me. I instinctively screamed and whirled around to face my capturer. I was astounded to see the man sitting at a small writing desk. Not only was he not a wild man but he was gorgeous, clean cut and shaven. He wasn’t model beautiful but he was very good looking. I automatically relaxed which surprised me; I should be terrified. I was in a shack, that was probably the right word, and he had me chained up, why was I relaxed and not afraid of him?

    With a grunt the very good looking but terrifying man stood up and came towards me with a small cup in his ruff hands. I tried to scoot away from him but the chains were very heavy to my weak condition. So I resigned myself to holding my chin up as high as I could. The terrifying, good looking man looked at me with a strange mixture of amusement and confusion on his face.

    “Are you thirsty?” I couldn’t believe my ears, he was wondering if I was thirsty? But I controlled my emotions fast and, just like a 13 year old, stuck up my nose and turned my head. I didn’t want any kindness from my capturer; he should be ignoring me and letting me starve, not offering me water.

   I heard him snort, like he had just teased me about my new hair cut and asked again, “Are you thirsty or not because I’m only going to ask you once from now on?” He was grinning at me when I tried to sneak a peek at his face; he of course caught me. I tried to consider what he was saying logically; I could take the water and concede to being his prisoner or I could starve to death. I really didn’t want to do either, I didn’t want to be dead and I equally didn’t want to be a prisoner. He made an annoyed sound and I made my decision. I slowly turned my head toward him, with my head still held high, and took the water, spilling some of it on the floor.

 “See? Isn’t that better,” he crowed as I gulped the contents down in one drink, just now realizing just how thirsty I was. I tried to regain the last of my dignity with a sharp head turn but the moment was lost when I winced and let out a little cry as an agonizing shot of pain ripped through my head.

   “Head still hurt? Here let me take a look at that,” he said as he reached for my head, concern thick in his soothing voice. Just as he touched my head I remembered how I got that pain and pulled away from his cool hands.

   “Don’t touch me,” I shouted and forced my body to move the heavy chains. The little bit of water did my body good and I could feel a little bit of strength return to my limp arms.

   “Don’t come near me you monster! Why have you brought me here, what do you want? I don’t have very much money but you can have it!” I was going for forceful and strong but the words came out as weak and pleading.

    “Don’t be like that, I saved your life if I correct.” He was trying to soothe my fears.

    “If you are my savior then why am I chained up?” I shot at him. Thinking about his intentions and his answer made traitor tears swim in my eyes, ruining my proclamation.

    “I didn’t want you to run away when you woke up,” he was staring at me with the strangest look. Almost as if he cared what happened to me, like we were old friends that hadn’t seen each other in a long time and he just found out that I had cancer. I couldn’t fathom why such a strange man like this had taken me or why he cared but all I knew was that I was still chained up and he had hit me in the back of the head.

    “Why do you care?” I whispered

    “I don’t know,” he whispered as well and I thought I also saw a little bit of color touch his cheeks.

    He stood up then and walked away to another room, the bathroom I think, since I could see the bedroom to my left and the kitchen to my right from where I sat huddled on the floor against a wall. The room where I sat must have been the living room but the furniture was sparse; just one small shaggy brown couch and the writing desk. I could see some papers on the desk but couldn’t see what was on them. The kitchen was just as plain, no decorations, just a small two person table and two chairs and the dishes in the cupboards. Hopefully he would take a long time in the bathroom; so I took this time to try to stand. What a mistake that was. I didn’t even get half way up when my strength failed me and I crashed to the floor. I could hear his quiet laughter from the bathroom; I couldn’t believe the audacity of that man. Laughing at me, giving me water, trying to check my head; once again I couldn’t think of a reason why he would care. I settled myself to scooting across the floor, I didn’t get very far. The chains were really heavy and my attempt to stand drained me, I didn’t want to fall asleep but really what other choice did I have and I was really tired. I didn’t want to stay awake and have to talk to my capturer again, seeing the strange emotions cross his face as he looked at me. So, I laid myself as close to the wall as possible and settled into a ball. I didn’t expect to fall asleep but soon enough I was drifting off in to a deep unnerving sleep. 

   I was running through the forest again but this time I could see Oscar and the stranger with the white teeth in the Durango close on my heels. For some reason they weren’t catching up but I wasn’t pulling ahead either. I didn’t know where I was going and the total darkness of the forest was pressing on my skin as if it were alive. I could feel my body giving up on me and hear Oscar yelling that this is what I deserved and that I should just give up and let him kill me. I didn’t want to give up and I most certainly didn’t want to die. Not like this, a coward just giving up because I was tired. As I came to that conclusion I could see an oddly pretty blue light up ahead through the trees. I was finally making some head way; I wouldn’t die like this not tonight. As I approached the sparkling blue light a man appeared in the light; his arms held wide in an inviting embrace. I couldn’t see who it was until I was touching his hands but when I realized that this man, my savior from Oscar, was also the man who held me prisoner. Complete with chains on my feet and hands. I automatically pulled back but it was too late he had his arms around my and was pulling me towards him. I opened my mouth to scream but the man suddenly pressed his soft lips to mine and then I didn’t want to scream.  

      I awoke once again in the shack but this time I was unchained and on the bed. I sat carefully; I didn’t want to give myself another head ache. What a strange dream! I was disturbed by the fact that my dream self would kiss the man that held us prisoner; I mean he was very good looking. What was I thinking, who cares if he is good looking I should be terrified of him but instead of being terrified I was calm and relaxed. I looked around the small bed room then and noticed that there was a small window on the wall next to the wall with the door. I eased myself off of the bed, the springs creaking just a little. Just because I was calm and relaxed now didn’t mean I shouldn’t try to escape; what if this was just a front for what he was planning to do to me later. I had to get out of here. Hopefully he would right that off as me rolling over. Tiptoeing over to the window I tried to ease the window up but it wouldn’t budge; how annoying. I pulled harder but the stupid thing wouldn’t move.

   “I nailed those down years ago,” he said in to the silence.

 I yelped like a little dog and spun around to face him. “Why would you do that? Doesn’t isn’t it get hot in here.”

 “I wasn’t trying to escape, I was hot,” I tried to lie but he could see the anguish in my face.

   “If you really want to go back to the man that was trying to kill you, then you are free to go. I won’t stop you but I can offer you something better, something beyond this world that you would not believe!” He was huffing with the sudden exclamation and my thoughts lingered on the fact that he might be insane along with being a woman-napper. 

 “I think your crazy,” the statement was just that, a statement not an accusation. I didn’t really want to go back to Oscar but I didn’t really want to stay with this crazy, terrifying, good looking man either. I didn’t really have any other options though. My mother lived with her dead beat boyfriend, who I couldn’t stand and my father lived with my crazy grandparents that hated me. I didn’t have very many friends and the ones that I did have didn’t have the means to take me in. So my options were either go back to Oscar and probably die after he tortured me. Not a very appealing thought; or I could stay with the crazy stranger that had knocked me out with a blow to the head after grabbing me in the forest.

    With my decision made I asked the crazy person, “What are you talking about?”

     His smile was phenomenal. I couldn’t believe the utter defenselessness of the look he gave me. “My name is Cooper. And your name is Kennley.”

 I could feel the stunned expression on my face. How the hell did he know my name? Who the hell was this man? He met my stunned expression with an amused almost mocking expression of his own.

     Still smiling a little, adding a little mock hurt to touch his eyes he asked, “You don’t remember me?”

    “Why should I remember you? I think I would remember seeing a good looking crazy person in Cougar?” I blazed red as I let that slip I thought that he was good looking. I turned my head in an attempt to hide my chagrin but he grabbed my chin and turned me so I had to face him but I still adverted his gaze; staring up at the ceiling.

      “You probably wouldn’t remember,” he said a little hurt and I felt ashamed for hurting him by not remembering where we had met, “I introduced myself to you at your last job, at the Museum in Vancouver.” Then with a sudden wave of a memory from three years ago, the last time I had a steady job, I could see his face as he asked ridiculous questions that any sixth grader would know. I had thought at the time that he was just being cute and flirty but then his questions grew more specific and detailed. At the time I thought he might be from the corporate office, making sure the tour guides knew their stuff. He didn’t stay long; abruptly turning around and swiftly walking away, thanking me for my time. I hadn’t thought anything of it because I was the best tour guide the museum had until Oscar came along and ruined everything. I had thought Oscar was a gift from the Gods; he was the love of my life. We had a very short date life and engagement; just 6 months. Everyone had said that it was too fast, warning me about Oscar’s temper and aggressive attitude towards them. At the time I had laughed it off, telling my friends that he was just jealous of all the time I was spending at work. Now, though I knew different. I had had to quit my job because I was running out of excuses for all of the bruises and missed days. I quieted my friends concerns with laughter and teasing but I could tell that they didn’t believe me. I had warned them to stay out of my business and back off; which they had.      

     “You’re the secret shopper, who had asked me all those ridiculous questions about apes and dinosaurs. I thought you worked for the museum, checking on the tour guides,” I didn’t know what else to say. So he wasn’t a secret shopper and I had wasted my time and information on a guy who didn’t even want the tour. For some reason that really bugged me; I loved my job and I took it very seriously. Then with a wave of nausea that didn’t stay in my stomach, I realized that the day he had come for his fake tour was the day I had met Oscar. I turned my body away from Cooper, leaning over the bed I heaved what little bit I had in my stomach on to the floor. Cooper held back my hair and put a steadying arm around my waist to keep me from falling off the bed. I shook away his hands as I sat back up on the bed, wiping my mouth with my shirt. I hadn’t noticed the tears sliding down my burning cheeks; remembering that day, thinking that if he hadn’t wasted my time I would have been with a tour group and had no time to deal with the strangler that stared my way, looking for help I had assumed. Maybe Oscar would have just left thinking that standing around in a museum was a waste of his oh so precious time.

     “How dare you!?” I was suddenly raging mad at Cooper for wasting my time; giving my time to Cooper just gave me the chance to have more time to find Oscar.

      “Why did you waste my time? Did you know that that happened to be the day that I met Oscar?!” I was off of the bed by now, pacing up and down the small room.

      “I did know that, but I wasn’t wasting your time. I just didn’t know how to talk to you. You had a very strong personality back then and you intimidated me a little,” he was looking down at his hands; fidgeting with them.

      “Oh right, like you would want to talk to me?”

     He suddenly jumped off the bed and grabbed my shoulders, spinning him around to look at him, “I hate to see what he has done to you? Of course I would want to talk to you! You’re beautiful, strong, talented, powerful, and you didn’t mind answering those sixth grade questions!” He looked down and dropped his arms; stepping away from me looking like he had just said too much and he had. What did he mean powerful?

        

 

Reviews

[Brandon]

Now the story is starting to get really interesting! I'm seriously wondering who this Cooper guy is and what his intentions with Kennley are...Another great achievement! On to the next one!

[MandarinOranges]

You do an excellent job of keeping the reader intrigued. I noticed a few spelling and grammar mistakes, but no biggy. Overall, a well told story.

[Ron B]

Wow! No drop off in the intensity or the mystery. Excellent writing and I love the characters, except, of course, for Oscar.

[ShadowWolf]

A very good scene! The characters are developing very clearly.

[emmajoy]

Oh Christie, this really is a great story! You have the characters by the neck and, you're taking them forward so smoothly and with great imagination. I'm going to go on reading for as long as I can this evening then, read more tomorrow. I want, I NEED to know what happens..