Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
For two days, my paranoia was at its peak, but I reserved myself to at least act like I was calm and collected when outside my room. Inside, I wasn’t so much. I might not be able to lock the door but I barricaded it at night. Thankfully, that specific “night terror” didn’t return. Still, I wasn’t taking any chances.
I knew I was being watched more than ever. I was still certain of it because I noticed a man—one of the security guards—had started to casually follow me around at a distance. Maybe it had something to do with the fact I had started to take walks outside more frequently, specifically around the perimeter. It should have been no surprise that they had cameras but I hadn’t bothered to look around, only pretended to stroll aimlessly across the property while secretly looking for any gaps or openings in the ivy-covered stone walls surrounding the buildings.
I noticed the man following me the day after I had called Jamie, caught him standing near the side door watching me walking across the yard.
I didn’t call anyone again, afraid now they might be listening inside my room. I stuck to texts only and sent them from inside the bathroom in case there were cameras in the bedroom too. I didn’t stay compliant or keep idle even after the call with Jamie and Aunt May. I almost slipped and called Tyler, hoping he would hear me out and let me go, but after talking with Leo—who was quick to convince me otherwise—and seeing the guard glare me down with his hand on the walkie at his belt, I knew there was no fucking way I could trust him to help me. This was his facility he wanted to keep me in, after all. If I went to him now, he would make things even more difficult.
So I tried to act like nothing was wrong. Besides the walks, I went to the garden, hung out with the girls in the sunroom even if I grew quiet and only listened. I forced myself not to take the meds, pretending to do so in front of Jackie before going to the bathroom and flushing them down.
It fucking sucked, but I knew I needed to be as clearheaded as possible when I got the hell out.
It was nearly midnight now on the second night as I slipped into the bathroom. I turned on the shower, took off my clothes and got in with my phone in hand. Keeping out of the water, I stuck close to the wall, letting it get steamy inside before popping up the text messenger. I’d searched the bathroom for anything suspicious and found nothing, but I still wasn’t taking any chances. So here I was feeling crazy but determined as fuck not to let them know a single thing I was up to.
I tapped on Lena’s name and pulled up our conversation, then started typing.
Guy is still watching me. Don’t think I’ll be able to sneak out without him noticing.
I hit send and waited.
A minute later, I received a response.
Figured as much. Any luck on a possible out?
I closed my eyes, thinking, then typed back . Maybe. But it’ll be risky.
Do what you have to. I’ll be there.
I stared at her text and could feel the sting of fresh tears. I blinked them away, knowing they did me no good.
I’d do anything to get out, to just get somewhere—anywhere—and hide.
She told me Jamie wanted to get me out the “correct” way, as in wait till I was released or see if I could come out for a temporary visit over the weekend. After I told Lena everything, we both agreed fuck that.
I got you , she had texted. Just find some way out and I’ll come get you.
We’d been texting back and forth ever since. Me updating her on what was going on, and her assuring me she was there and ready.
I didn’t care about the legal repercussions, at least not for myself. I would take the hit for Lena if I were caught. I’d make up some bullshit story if I had to.
We planned at night, while in the day, I tried not to pull my hair out.
Tomorrow , I texted.
You sure?
Yes. Wait for me at sundown.
Be careful .
I closed out the screen, then leaned my head back against the damp wall. I closed my eyes and could feel a tremor raking down my body.
Wish you were here, Em. I miss you.
I brushed the charm hanging around my neck. Carefully, I rubbed it with my fingers as if it were a talisman.
A sob choked in my throat, but I took a deep breath and beat it down.
The hairs at the back of my neck stood on end and I opened my eyes slowly. A small gasp filled my lungs.
He was there.
The shadow, the specter that followed me, was on the other side of the glass. Blurred somewhat by the shower’s glass door, he moved slowly to one side, his skull face smiling at me. He came to stand close to the glass, watching me.
I stood my ground, shaking.
Lip quivering, I carefully set my phone on a ledge away from the water, then slowly crept up to the glass, pressing my hand to it. I leaned my body in, forehead against the door.
I whispered his name, repeated it over and over. He didn’t move, didn’t so much as budge.
I knew it wasn’t him, it couldn’t be. But it was all I had.
We watched each other for a long moment. I pressed my body against the glass so he could see.
Slowly, I moved my hand down, across my abdomen, then down between my legs. I shuddered as I moved my fingers across my clit and then slipped them inside. I moved my hips, rubbing against the glass, pretending it was him who touched me. His fingers moved inside me, filled me. I saw his smile…his burning gaze.
My hand on the glass curled into a fist, my breath hitching as I could feel an orgasm beginning to tighten and rise in me. The phantom tipped his head back a little and whispered, That’s it, baby. Show me how badly you want me.
I showed him by stroking harder, standing on my tippy toes. My lips parted as I grew breathless, my eyes locked to his skull-like face.
That’s it…That’s it.
A low, husky laugh escaped him. My good, sweet girl.
The glass fogged up from my breath and his face became more obscured, more distorted. Still, I imagined his true face, and remembered how he felt inside me.
I came; a soft, desperate moan slipping past my teeth. I pressed my cheek against the glass, felt the water on my lips and licked it away, panting.
Oh, how you’ve missed this, haven’t you?
I shut my eyes tight, just letting the waves of my orgasm take me, letting the beautiful pressure sweep away all thought. For a brief, pure moment, I felt nothing but the pleasure and then numbness, and a slight calm. It grew almost quiet, save for the rush of water down the drain. Then it all came rushing back.
Poor, little rabbit. All alone.
My eyes shot open, and I turned my head. Emery’s phantom was gone.
I stared at the empty space. My throat tightened, that awful shaking returning, and another sob wracked me. This time, I let it slip as I slid down to the shower floor and hugged myself tight.
The next morning, I went through my routine as usual, as if it was any other day. I ate my breakfast, spat out the pill in the sink, then went down to the garden to “meditate”. By noon, I slipped over to the sunroom and sat with the others.
“Ugh, all I want to do lately is eat meat and tomatoes,” Adrien said. “I tried ice cream last night and threw it up.”
“At least your craving isn’t pickles and nothing else,” Jonsei laughed.
“Or blood,” Sasha included. She giggled when we looked at her, shocked. “Joking, jeez.”
They laughed, and their voices melded together, becoming a buzzing in my ears.
I couldn’t even laugh or talk with them. I was so damn tense. My eyes drifted over to the door, and I swore I saw a shadow standing just out of view.
I shifted in my seat, my skin hot, muscles tight. I wanted so badly to run out of the room and practically fly out the door. My eyes skimmed over to the windows, the sun just barely peeking out from the tops.
“Do you guys ever think of just leaving?”
The women grew quiet. I turned my eyes to them and realized I had said that out loud.
“Like what? Out for a girl’s night or something?” Maria asked.
“Oh! Yeah, in town, they have a karaoke bar!” Rebecca blurted, nearly jumping from her seat.
“Don’t think we are allowed to leave,” Maria mentioned.
“Why not? It would just be for a night,” Rebecca said.
The girls considered it and talked about some of the concerts they wished they wouldn’t miss in the spring, forgetting my question altogether.
I didn’t try to correct them.
The sun was sinking, and I only had a few more hours.
But I’d try to help them once I escape this place. Somehow. Thankfully, we had all exchanged numbers earlier on to keep in touch . Somehow, I would convince them.
The hour went by and eventually the girls dispersed. Rebecca lingered by me and I unwillingly smiled.
“Everything, all right, Eve?” she asked.
I pursed my lips. “Yeah,” I said, almost cracking. I got up from my seat to stand beside her. I glanced over to the door as she started for it, then grabbed her hand, stopping her. “Listen. I know this is going to sound crazy but…don’t take the Lulladex anymore, or the sleeping aid if you can help it.”
Her brows furrowed as she stared at me. “Why?”
“Just trust me. Tell the others, okay? Just try to get off it as much as you can.”
“Why—”
“I don’t think it’s safe.”
She frowned. “The doctors said we needed to. It helps us stay calm while they do their research. Since a lot of us have anxiety.”
“I know.” I let go of her hand. “But do you really know what they are researching?”
“Our pregnancy,” she said matter-of-factly.
“I know, but…why?”
“For the health of the baby. To help it grow and be as healthy as it can be. Since a lot of us…are kind of high risk, you know?”
“Sure, right,” I said, glancing at the door. “Just look out for each other, okay?”
She gave me an odd look, but I didn’t break. “Of course.” She went to turn for the door again. “See you tomorrow, then?”
I nodded, unable to voice my lie. If all went right, she wouldn’t. If I failed, I don’t think I’d be coming out of my room again. Whether by choice or by the people who ran this place.
I took an early dinner in my room, hardly eating more than a few bites. There, I waited. I pretended to read one of Jamie’s books, regretting that I would have to leave them behind since I’d look suspicious carrying my bag.
I counted down the minutes until the sun was nearly gone past the trees, then I snapped the book close and set it on my bed. I pulled on my sweater and put my phone in my pocket, then calmly made my way out to the hall.
“Out for your walk, Eve?” Jackie said, smiling, as I came upon her desk. “A little later than usual, isn’t it?”
The security guard hovered close by, but I refused to look at him. “Yeah, I wasn’t going to at first, then I changed my mind.”
Jackie’s cold eyes assessed me while her smile never faltered. “All right, well, take care, it gets cold out there the darker it gets.” She went into her desk drawer and took out a small flashlight. “Take this so you don’t trip.”
I took it, thanking her.
“Oh, and Leo wanted me to tell you he’ll be gone this weekend but if you need him for anything, you can leave him a message.”
“Great,” I said. I hadn’t bothered to see him in the last couple of days, telling him I needed time to think, and he had obliged. If he didn’t work for this place, maybe I would have felt sorry for not saying something to him before I left. But Leo was here to serve Tyler and this facility, so I couldn’t bring myself to trust him—or feel too sorry about it.
Still, I hesitated. “Actually, can I borrow a piece of paper and a pen? I want to leave a note for him.”
Jackie ripped a piece of paper from her notepad and handed me a pen. “See you in a little while, Eve.”
Yeah, right . I walked away from her desk and made for the stairs.
I knew the guard was stalking me from behind, keeping his distance. Still, I chose to ignore him. I practically skipped down the steps, making my way over to Leo’s office. Keeping my back to the guard, I pressed the paper to the wooden door and scribbled my note on it. Satisfied, I folded it up and flung it under the door along with the pen.
Without missing a beat, I made my way to the side door and went out. The cool evening air was crisp and fresh, almost on the verge of being too cold for just a sweater. Still, I relished in the chill. I stomped my way down toward the woods. I knew where I was going and I wasn’t going to pretend I was just taking a leisurely stroll. Then, I broke into a run and made straight for the outer stone wall that made up the perimeter. I curved along the path slightly until I saw my intended target. An old oak tree with a branch just low enough for me to climb up on, its end sawed off at one point to make room for the wall. Above it was another branch which happened to stretch over the other side.
I stopped a few feet away from the old oak and turned around to look behind me.
The guard was there just a few yards away.
We watched each other.
Before he could take a step toward me, I flung the flashlight at him, then I swung around and bolted for the tree.
He shouted as I reached the tree and grabbed on to the branch. I made the mistake of glancing over and saw him sprinting for me while talking into his walkie. Heart in my throat, I leaped onto the lower branch when he came upon me quicker than I expected. As I gripped the branch above, he grabbed my other arm, pulling hard, twisting the wrong way. Pain shot up my arm. I screamed and kicked at him, hitting his face.
As he stumbled, I scrambled up to the next branch, pain still searing up my arm, but adrenaline kept me from stopping. I wrenched myself over and clung to the branch as I pulled myself along it. I shimmied across until I made it to the top of the wall. By then, the guard was starting to climb after me.
“Come back,” he shouted. “If you don’t comply, we will be forced to put you under sedation.”
That only made me move faster. He shouted more threats at me and I didn’t listen. When I got over the wall, I looked down and knew my only chance was to let go. I looked over my shoulder and saw him already on the next branch, coming for me. Without a thought, I dropped.
I met the ground with a dull thud, thankful that there was a small pile of leaves to cushion my fall. I rolled to my side and then to my knees.
I stumbled forward, forcing my feet to move despite the pain in my arm and in my side where I’d hit the ground. I came upon the paved road behind the wall and started to take it down one direction, forcing myself into a jog, then a run, afraid the security guard would be on me.
As I got to a bend in the road, a truck came upon me, its lights nearly blinding me. I covered my face as it swerved around me, its horn blasting as it passed.
I heard the driver curse at me, but I kept running.
The sunlight was nearly gone as I came upon a long stretch in the road and I brought my pace back to a slow jog. Cars passed but not a single one was Lena’s.
Terror gripped me, certain that by now, Severfalls security would be out in their vehicles and already driving along the road to look for me. I almost made a conscious decision to move back into the woods on either side of me, to give me somewhere to hide, when a purple jeep with several stickers on its back came upon me. The passenger window slid down and I saw Lena’s face.
“Eve!” she said, her eyes wide. “Hurry, get in the back!”
I saw headlights coming from the facility and noticed the car was a black Mustang. Shit. I didn’t wait to see if it had a red stripe down its side. I wrenched open the back door and climbed inside. A man with dark curly hair and bright hazel eyes who I’d seen at Lena’s parties was in the driver seat and Lena snapped at him to floor it. Soon, we were going from zero to sixty in a matter of seconds.
I steered my gaze back to the road behind us and saw the lights had disappeared. I wanted to cry a little with relief.
“Holy shit, Eve, I can’t believe you did it,” Lena said. “I was scared you wouldn’t.”
“Me too,” I breathed out, wincing as I moved my bad arm.
“What’s up?” Lena asked, as she peered around. “Did you hurt your arm?”
“The asshole security guard did.”
“We’ll get it looked at.”
“Just get me as far from here as you can,” I demanded.
As the jeep raced down the road, I curled into myself, hugging my arm, unable to believe I’d actually done it, that I’d actually gotten out.
The dark woods flew past me as night drew in. It took miles for me to eventually calm as Lena turned on the music and tried to talk me down. When the shock wore off, I started the process of putting Severfalls past me mentally instead of just physically. The only brief thoughts I had were of the girls, feeling guilty for leaving them.
The last thought was of the note I’d slipped Leo.
You were wrong.