Chapter 18
You wake up on the frigid, hard ground.
You have no idea where you are. You only know that you are cold, but warmer than you were when you were standing outside your car.
You blink a few times, trying to focus. You’re someplace dark, but there’s a flickering light coming from about six feet away—a fire.
That must be what’s providing the warmth.
And then you realize where you are:
Inside a cave.
How did you get here? You only remember that terrifying creature rushing towards you, his claws drawn. Then the next thing you knew, you were opening your eyes in this place.
The creature must have brought you here as his prisoner.
You struggle into a sitting position, rubbing your head, which feels sore. You’re dimly aware of a noise coming from behind you. A grunting sound.
It turns out you’re not alone in this cave.
You whirl around, expecting to come face-to-face with that monster. But the monster isn’t here. Instead, you find a man bound and gagged on the ground about ten feet away from you. He has wild hair and a bushy beard. He looks strangely familiar…
Wait. Is that the hitchhiker you saw on your way here? The one you didn’t pick up, because you didn’t want to be late to the dinner party?
Yes! It is!
Apparently, the furry yeti monster has taken both you and the hitchhiker as his prisoners.
You’re not sure what his plan is, but you wouldn’t be surprised if you end up being his dinner.
But the strange (well, strangest) part is that only the hitchhiker has been physically restrained.
His wrists and ankles are bound with rope, while yours have been left free.
The monster probably thinks that you won’t be a threat to him because you’re a woman. What a sexist monster.
The hitchhiker grunts more loudly, trying to get your attention. Your legs still feel too weak to stand, so you crawl across the cold floor to where he’s lying. He has a cloth tied around his mouth that serves as a gag. You pull it down so that he can speak to you.
“Thank God!” he gasps. “When you were just lying there, I thought for sure you were… well, you know.”
You rub your sore scalp, wondering if that’s why the monster didn’t tie you up. Maybe he, too, thought that you were dead.
“You’ve got to untie me,” the hitchhiker says urgently. “He took off about 15 minutes ago, but he could be back at any time. We’ve got to get out of here. Now.”
“Right,” you say, but then you hesitate.
“Come on,” the hitchhiker urges you. “We don’t have much time. If he gets back here, he’ll kill us both for sure.”
He’s right. You’re both stuck in the cave of a terrifying yeti monster, who could probably kill you both with one hand tied behind his back. Your only chance to survive is to get the hell out of here.
Yet…
There’s something about this situation that seems off. Why is only the hitchhiker tied up? It doesn’t make sense.
But you can’t just leave him here, can you? That would be even worse than when you drove by him on the road. You’re certainly not heartless.
To untie the hitchhiker, turn to Chapter 19 (page 45)
To keep the rope in place, turn to Chapter 20 (page 48)