Chapter 39
She was gone again. Earlier, I’d heard the door open and close. and the sound of a car starting up and pulling away.
Eerie silence had fallen over the townhouse, leaving me alone with my fear, trying to control my thoughts from falling into all of the worst-case scenarios that could happen.
I needed to think positively.
That was hard to do tied to a bed in a basement, but I was trying my best.
Was Theo even looking for me? West? Charlie, for fuck’s sake?
Surely, they’d all realized I was gone by now. I should have been on set hours ago. Charlie would have realized something was wrong as soon as he woke up this morning.
And yet, here I was still.
Miserable and alone and held captive by a madwoman who apparently had some sort of schoolgirl grudge she’d been holding onto all these years. I’d been thinking about it for hours and I couldn’t come up with one enemy I could have unknowingly had. I was nice to everyone; despite everything I’d gone through. I was well-liked as far as I knew.
Apparently, I’d been very wrong. Someone had slipped through the cracks. Why wouldn’t she tell me her name? The frustration was growing in my chest with each moment that passed.
I fought off the tears, telling myself I needed to stay strong. I tried to hold my anger close, knowing that would serve me best right now. I needed to stay sharp, not succumb to misery and tears.
Fuck, I needed to do something. Anything. I couldn’t move much, but I could at least make noise now that she was gone.
I started by screaming at the top of my lungs, followed by stamping my feet on the floor. Then I scooted over to the wall and began banging the soles of my shoes against the wall, hoping like hell someone passing by might be alerted.
“Help!” I shouted at the top of my lungs. “Help!”
The front door burst open, startling me. I braced myself for another attack from the crazy bitch.
When I heard Theo and West calling my name, relief flooded my heart. “Help! Down here!” I screamed as loud as I could. “I’m down here!!”
The door to the basement flew open, flooding the space with light. All the tears I’d been holding back streamed down my face.