CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Anya
My eyes snap open, disoriented, heart pounding. Lana's muffled sobs echo through the darkness, cutting through my groggy mind like a knife. Fear grips me immediately. "Lana?" I whisper urgently, but she keeps crying, her breaths ragged and shallow. Panic rises in my chest, and I sit up. "Please, talk to me," I plead, voice shaking with a desperate urgency.
For a moment, her sobs subside, but when she speaks again, her words are heavy with despair. "I can’t do this," she chokes out, her voice barely above a whisper. "It’s too hard... I don’t know when he’ll come back. Maybe... maybe it would be better if I wasn’t here anymore."
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, and for a second, I can’t breathe. No . Dread fills my chest, cold and suffocating. "Lana!" I manage to say, louder than intended. "Don’t—don’t say that! You can’t think like that!" My voice wavers, but I push through, trying to steady it. "We’ll get through this, together. You have to stay strong. Please."
She sniffles, but her sobs don’t stop. "I’m not strong, Anya... I’m not. He’s going to come back. You know he will." Her voice cracks, and the hopelessness in it shatters me.
"You are strong," I tell her, trying to force every bit of belief I have into my words. "Lana, you’re one of the strongest women I know. That’s why we’re best friends. You can’t give up now."
But she doesn’t respond. Her sobs continue, and then she says the words that make my blood run cold. "He’s going to come back... He’s going to rape you again." The pain in her voice is like a physical wound.
My stomach twists violently and not because of my stab wounds, but I force myself to stay calm. "I know," I whisper, my throat tight. "I know he is." I can’t deny it. The truth of it is suffocating, looming over us like a storm cloud. "But I’ve been through this before, Lana. I survived Paul. I can survive this." My voice doesn’t falter, though my body trembles. "And if we want it to stop, we have to fight back."
Lana’s sobs soften into broken breaths. "No... no, we can’t," she says, barely above a whisper. "We can’t."
"We have to." I take a deep breath, holding back my own tears, forcing myself to stay grounded in the chaos. "If we don’t, he’ll just keep coming back. He’ll keep hurting us. And I refuse to let him win."
But Lana’s silence is crushing. The weight of everything we’ve been through presses down on me, and for a moment, I feel like I’m drowning in it. But I won’t let it consume me. Not now. Not when Lana needs me to be strong for both of us.
"Lana," I whisper, reaching for her in the darkness, "we’re still here. We’re still alive. That means we’ve got a chance. We’re not powerless. We can survive this. We can escape this nightmare. I promise you, we’ll find a way."
For a moment, it feels like the world is holding its breath.
She sniffles, her voice trembling, “N-no, w-we can’t...”
“Alana Michelle Caldwell!” I shout, using her full name with the kind of authority that only a best friend can muster. “You better pull yourself together and bring back my badass best friend! We don’t have time for this.”
For a moment, there’s nothing but silence. I hold my breath, praying my words reached her. Then, I hear it—the subtle shift in her voice, a spark of determination.
“Okay,” she says, the strength slowly building. “Okay... let’s fight back.”
Relief floods through me, and I flash a quick grin. “That’s the spirit! Now, come on, let’s shake this off and get back to work!”
To my surprise, Lana bursts out laughing. I shoot her a confused look, raising an eyebrow. “What?”
“I stay out too late...” she starts singing through her chuckles, a mischievous glint in her eye.
I blink. “What are you even talking about?”
She grins wider. “Got nothing in my brain...”
Then it hits me, the memory sliding into place like a puzzle piece. Our karaoke anthem from the cruise. I can’t help but smile as I join in.
“I go on too many dates... but I can't make them stay…”
In perfect sync, we belt out the chorus, louder and more defiant with each word. “‘Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play! And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate! Baby, I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake... I shake it off, I shake it off!”
For a brief moment, we’re not trapped, scared, or wounded. We’re just two friends singing at the top of our lungs, caught in a memory of simpler, happier days.
But the reality of our situation creeps back in, and we fall silent, our gazes locking once more.
“Lana, we need a plan.” I say, my voice urgent but steady.
She sighs, shaking her head. “I already tried fighting when he took us. And besides, you’re injured.”
“That’s because we didn’t expect it would be him, and we were drunk,” I remind her. “And for the record, I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine, Anya. He stabbed you… twice!” Lana argues, her eyes wide with concern.
I grit my teeth. “Lana, listen to me. I’m going to be okay. We can’t afford to lose hope. We’ll figure something out!” We have to.
Lana glances at her bound wrists and feet, raising them helplessly. “We’re still tied up, Anya. What are we supposed to do like this?”
I stare at her, refusing to let doubt cloud my thoughts. “We’ll find a way,” I say with conviction. "We’ve come too far to let him win."
Then I give her a sly smile.
"What's with that look?" Lana asks, puzzled.
"Girl, one good thing about spending two years around Paul is you pick up some useful tricks," I say with a smirk. Her confusion deepens, but I wink. "Just trust me, okay?" I take a deep breath and add, “I can get us out of here.”
Lana nods, and I scan the dim concrete room, searching for anything sharp or pointy. Both of us frantically search, but my eyes fall on the broken shard of glass that had pierced my side earlier. It’s lying just to the right of Lana, barely out of her reach.
"Lana," I nod towards the shard. "Get that."
She struggles with her bound hands, attempting to grab it, but her fingers can’t quite reach. Frustrated, she uses her toes, gripping the shard between them and pulling it closer. After a few attempts, she finally manages to grab it.
"Good, now slide it over to me," I instruct quietly.
She pushes the glass towards me, and I take it in my hand. Thanks to my double-jointed wrist, I’m able to twist and maneuver the sharp piece behind me, aiming for the ropes binding my wrists. However, the angle makes it nearly impossible to get a good cut. I grind my teeth, realizing I need leverage. Leaning back, I press against the wooden pillar behind me, using it to add pressure.
"Ahh, damn it!" I hiss as the glass grazes my skin, biting into my back.
"What's wrong?" Lana asks, her voice tight with concern.
"It's cutting into my back now," I grimace but keep going, determined to slice through the ropes.
Suddenly, we hear the front door upstairs open and shut, followed by heavy footsteps descending toward the basement.
"Shit, he's back," I whisper urgently.
Lana stiffens, her wide eyes betraying her attempt to stay calm. I feel the fear crawling up my spine too, but there’s no time for panic. I block it out, focusing on the task at hand. The footsteps are getting closer, each step sending my heart racing faster. My hands work at the rope as quickly as possible.
"Hurry up," Lana whispers, her voice trembling.
"I'm going as fast as I can!" I reply through clenched teeth, panic bubbling up inside me. The basement door creaks open just as I make the final cut. My hands snap free, but in my rush, the glass shard slips from my fingers, clattering onto the floor. Without thinking, I kick it away from me, hoping the noise isn't loud enough to give us away.
I freeze, holding my breath, Adam looms at the bottom of the steps, a wicked smirk twisting his lips. "Well, well, well, looks like Sleeping Beauty finally decided to wake up," he taunts.
"Fuck you, you pig!" Lana shoots back, her voice quaking with anger.
He simply chuckles, a dark glimmer in his eyes. "Oh, don’t worry, my dear, we’ll have plenty of time for that later," he says, his gaze locked on me with a smug satisfaction.
Crouching down in front of me, he leans forward, practically oozing condescension. "Hey, baby," he leers.
"I’m not your fucking baby!" I retort, my voice sharp as I spit in his face.
His smile vanishes instantly as he wipes the spit away with a rag from his pocket. Grabbing my jaw, he squeezes hard, his voice a low growl. "You are what I say you are!" he snarls before crashing his mouth against mine, forcing his tongue inside.
In a flash, I bite down on his tongue with all my strength, and he recoils, falling back and clutching his mouth. "You fucking bitch!" he yells, spitting blood and glaring at me, fury burning in his eyes. He slaps me hard across the face, and Lana gasps in shock. "Shut the fuck up!" he snaps at her before redirecting his rage back to me.
I can’t help but start laughing maniacally, while Lana looks at me with a mix of fear and confusion.
"You think this is funny?" Adam growls, raising his hand to strike me again.
My laughter only crescendos. "What’s wrong with you?" I shoot back, my smile wide and wicked, blood trickling down my chin. "You think you can break me?! You’re pathetic!"
"Anya, what the hell are you doing?!" Lana pleads, her eyes glistening with tears.
"You should listen to your friend, Anya," Adam interjects, his eyes glinting with malice.
"Paul already broke me, remember? You can’t break what’s already shattered!" I declare, my laughter echoing off the basement walls.
"Wanna bet!" Adam snarls, lunging at me. I jerk my arms apart, the frayed ropes finally giving way as I evade his kick. He stumbles toward Lana, who swiftly uses her bound legs to trip him, sending him sprawling to the concrete.
"Nice one," I murmur, scrambling to her side as I hastily start untying her ankles. But before I can free her completely, a rough grip seizes me by the waist, hurling me to the floor. Adam’s eyes blaze with rage as he pulls out a gun, aiming it squarely at my chest.
Desperation sharpens my focus. Remembering a move Adam had taught us, I grab his ankle and twist hard, nearly toppling him. "You think you can use my own moves against me? That’s cute," he sneers, seizing my collar and shoving me against the wall. His hands close around my throat, squeezing tighter with every word. "I fucking own you now, bitch!"
Air grows scarce, but Jacob's voice echoes in my mind, guiding me through the panic. *Calm your breathing. Focus.* With a sudden surge of strength, I drive my knee into Adam’s groin. He releases me with a guttural scream, doubling over and dropping the gun.
"Hold tight," I whisper urgently to Lana as I rush to free her wrists from their bindings. Just as I'm about to succeed, a vicious tug yanks my head back by the hair.
"Bastard!" I hiss through gritted teeth, instinctively grabbing Adam's wrist and thumb. I twist sharply while applying pressure to his elbow, managing to wrench myself free.
Finally free, Lana stands beside me, but Adam isn’t done yet. He crouches low and sweeps his leg under mine, knocking me off balance. My head smacks against the wooden post, blood dripping down into my left eye.
In a blur of pain and adrenaline, I see Lana grab a hammer from a nearby toolbox. With all her might, she swings it at Adam’s head. The impact sends him crashing into the post before he slumps to the ground.
"We need to hurry," I gasp, snatching the rope that once held Lana captive.
Adam groans in pain, but Lana doesn’t hesitate—she stomps right between his legs again for good measure. His scream is primal, filled with both rage and agony.
"Lana! Help me!" I call out as we hurriedly bind Adam's hands behind his back, securing them around the post.
Exhausted, we collapse onto the floor beside each other. Lana quickly examines my head wound, using the rag Adam had earlier to wipe away the blood clouding my vision.
"You’re one badass bitch," she chuckles weakly.
I manage a faint smile through the pain. "Right back at you."
Laughter rumbles through the cabin until Adam breaks free from his ropes and lunges at us. I instinctively shield Lana with my body, but he’s too fast and soon has me locked in a vice grip. My heart races as I struggle against him, fear coursing through my veins.
Suddenly, a deafening bang echoes through the cabin, drowning out our struggle. Adam's body slumps backward, a dark crimson stain spreading across his chest where a bullet has pierced him.
A cold voice pierces the silence, sending chills down my spine. "Don't even think about it, motherfucker." I turn to see Lana holding a gun, her fingers trembling around the handle. The smell of gunpowder hangs thick in the air as a heavy silence settles over the cabin.
I watch in horror as Adam collapses to the ground, blood pooling around him. But before I can process what just happened, a searing pain erupts in my side.
Gasping for breath, I stumble backward, my hand instinctively pressing against the wound. Blood seeps through my fingers, staining my clothes and the floor beneath me.
"Anya?" Lana's voice trembles as she realizes the gravity of the situation. Her face drains of color, and her hands shake as she rushes to my side. "Oh no... no, no, no."
My vision starts to blur as I fight to stay conscious. The pain radiates from my side, consuming me.
"Lana," I manage to gasp. "It's... it's okay."
"No, it's not!" she cries, her voice rising in hysteria as tears stream down her face. She kneels beside me and presses her hands against the wound, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. But it feels like too little, too late.
Darkness begins to creep in at the edges of my vision. The world spins around me, everything fading into a dull numbness.
Just as I cling to consciousness by a thin thread, the door bursts open with a deafening crash, and thunderous footsteps stomp into the cabin.
"Anya!" Jacob's voice shatters the haze, filled with desperation and terror.
I struggle to focus my blurry vision, barely able to make out his silhouette through the blinding pain. His face contorts in horror as he sees me slumped against the wall, blood gushing from my wound.
"No, no, no!" He cries, dropping to his knees beside me. His hands replace Lana's as he applies pressure to the gaping wound. "Anya, don't you dare close your eyes! Stay with me!"
"Jacob..." I rasp, trying to speak through the searing agony. I want to tell him how much I love him, how sorry I am for everything, but the words are drowned out by screams of pain.
"Anya, please!" His voice is frantic, pleading as he begs me to hold on. But despite my best efforts, the darkness pulls me under, wrapping around me like a suffocating blanket.
"Stay... with... me..." Jacob's anguished voice calls out desperately as I slip away. And then everything fades to nothingness, leaving only the echo of his desperate cries in my mind before even that is swallowed by silence.