Episode| XVIII-REVERENCE
Her body moved slowly, painfully, as though every inch of her was protesting.
Her feet ached, sharp pulses of pain shooting up her legs with each small movement.
Mentally, she cursed herself, knowing better than to have attempted this stunt.
She should have told the truth. Instead, she kept her mouth shut, trying to save Honey—and now she was paying for it.
Being held captive in the dark, in the cold, was the least of her problems now.
There was a soft whoosh of air, and the door creaked open.
The shuffle of air through the space sent a cold shiver crawling up her spine, wrapping tightly around her as though it had hands of its own.
Then, the door thudded shut with a dull, final sound, the impact reverberating through her bones.
Christie shuddered, her body involuntarily reacting to the tension in the air.
She squirmed on the cold floor, her body desperate to move, to escape the tension wrapping around her. Her throat burned with thirst, but even that was insignificant compared to the weight of her fear. She was ready to give in.
A snicker broke the silence—low, unfamiliar, and cold. It sent a wave of dread crashing through her. She hadn't heard this laugh before. She knew then, this wasn't going to end well. The silence that followed was too oppressive, too thick. It suffocated her hope.
She heard his foot slide across the cement, the sound sending another wave of panic through her.
She jerked back instinctively, her back slamming against the cold bricks behind her.
A cough erupted from her chest, and she squirmed, trying to suppress the pain.
It was too much—her body had reached its limit.
Her captor knelt down, the air between them suddenly shifting. He removed the tie from her wrists, his touch methodical, almost gentle. The same with her ankles. He rubbed her bare feet, the sensation sending shooting pain through her legs, causing her to jerk in response.
Her hands trembled as she reached for her wrists, rubbing them lightly. The last thing to come off was the blindfold. She blinked several times, her vision blurry at first, the darkness slowly giving way to light. She couldn't see clearly, but she didn't need to.
She knew who was with her.
He held her in his arms, lifting her off the ground with ease, and without a word, he carried her out of the container. The door creaked open, and the smell of rain mixed with the hickory smoke that lingered in the air, hitting her senses.