by Verne, Lara
She must have sensed my stare because she turned to me and offered a friendly smile. “Hello there,”
“Hello,”
“You come here often?” she asked me.
“Sometimes,” I shrugged.
“My name is Paisley,” she introduced, holding out her hand. “And yours?”
“Jacob.”
“So Jacob, you want to get out of here?” she asked, her perfectly plucked eyebrows rising. “We can go back to my place and do a little something.”
An idea erupted from the back of my mind and a smile stretched across my face. “How about we go to my place?”
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE; LIZA
I woke up with a hazy feeling coming over me. I felt like I had slept for days, possibly even months. My head hung low, vaguely aching my neck. I slowly brought my head to face ahead and noticed I was still in the cellar. The hard belts were still wrapped around my wrists and I was still sitting in this cold metal chair.
Sighing, I laid my head back. Let’s face it; I was already dead. I guess I always knew what my fate would be but after waiting so long for my death to come, I have learned to accept it.
I must have stayed sitting there for a few minutes before I snapped my eyes open and glanced around the room. Days seemed to pass this way. I would wake, look around, and go back to sleep. Jacob would occasionally bring me food, touch my cheek, try to comfort me, but I was uncooperative. I refused to give that monster any satisfaction.
My eyes lazily drifted to a scalpel that sat on the steel table ahead of me. Eyeing it for a little longer than necessary, I realized that it had not always been there. If it had, I would have noticed. I kicked my foot out in attempt to bring the table closer to me but I was too weak. After a few more tries, I almost gave up. Then I remembered what would happen if I didn’t at least try to get out of here.
Becoming more confident with adrenaline running through my veins, I leaned forward as much as the restraints would let me and kicked my legs out, hooking my feet underneath the desk and tugging it closer. It moved an inch or so which I thought was great process so I did it again. And again. I kept pulling the desk closer until it was right in front of me and the scalpel was in plain sight.
Leaning forward, I attempted to grab the medical tool with my teeth, only to have it fall onto my lap. I shifted in my seat, causing the scalpel to slide to my left thigh. Then, I tried with all my might to reach for the scalpel with my left hand, which was difficult considering my wrists were tied down, but I managed. Once the tool was in my hand, I tried extra carefully to not let it drop as I rotated the sharp end to face the belts wrapped around my wrists. Trying to keep a steady hold of the tool, I sawed my way through the first belt.
My wrist instantly felt more relieved. I worked my way through the second belt and then the third. Finally, my left hand was free. Finishing off the job, I freed my right hand and then my waist. I shot up out of the chair, feeling a little dizzy at first. It had been a long time since I stood upright. Once I got a hold of myself, I rushed towards the door, only to find out that it was locked shut. Of course. What part of me thought that it would actually be unlocked?
Instead, I searched around the room for a weapon. So that when he came back, I would kill him and make a run for it. Before, the thought of killing someone would make me cringe. Now, I was all for it.
As I searched for a weapon, I came across a book that seemed to be old and weary. It was buried beneath a bunch of dirty washcloths. I reached for the book and opened it up, surprised to see that it was actually a photo album. The first picture I saw was a picture of a woman. She looked incredibly young like around my age but she was stunning.
She had pin-straight brown long locks that fell over her shoulders and down her back. Her bright blue eyes stared back at me with such intensity. Like she knew every secret that I had. Her skin was flawless. A porcelain face and rosy pink lips that spread across her face into a smile. She was no doubt, beautiful.
The next picture was a picture of the same girl. Only this time, she was standing next to a man. He seemed older by a few years but still young. His arms wrapped around her waist and he was looking at her as she looked at the camera. He was obviously in love. I flipped the page and there were more pictures of the two of them together. A closer look at the male and I saw that it was Jacob. He looked the same, physically but he looked different in his whole demeanor. He was more open and friendly like.
I flipped through the photo album quickly. There were pictures of the two at their wedding. There were a few pictures of the girl with a baby bump and then there were pictures of the couple and a little boy. They looked like the perfect family. This made me wonder what happened to the wife and kid.
I shut the photo album and placed it back where I found it. Continuing my search, I moved around the room. I almost stopped in my tracks when I walked past a small mirror that hung on the wall. I had not seen my reflection for a few days and looking at the mirror now, I looked just like the girl in the photo album. With the exception of the bags underneath my eyes and the new scrapes and bruises. I saw the resemblance between Jacob’s wife and I.
I thought back to Ellen McHannon, my classmate. Now that I think about it, she resembled Jacob’s wife as well. And all the other girls that were killed, they were all blue-eyed brunettes. Now it all made sense.
I don’t know what happened to his wife or his kid but whatever happened must have been tragic because he was taking girls who looked like his wife in hopes of having her back and recreating his son.
Just as the light bulb clicked in my head, I heard noises from the other side of the door. Rushing to find a weapon, I dived onto the floor and searched through a bunch of useless objects. My heart almost dropped when I saw a butcher knife in the corner of the room, wedged between the cracks of a table. I pulled at the handle of the knife, desperately wanting to get it out. My eyes snapped to the door just as it opened and there stood Jacob.
He glanced over to me for a second then at the chair I was once in. “Elizabeth,” he shook his head in disbelief, “How did you manage to get out?”
I pressed my back against the wall and swallowed a lump in my throat. “Jacob,” I croaked out. “I know what happened,”
He cocked his head to the side as he waltzed over to the table where all his medical tools were. I would have used one of those tools on him but none of them were good enough to inflict much damage. “What are you talking about, sweetheart?”
“You know what,” I spat out, “I know why you kidnapped me and Ellen and all those other girls. I know,”
“Do you?” he questioned, bringing his gaze to mine. “Why did I kidnap you, Elizabeth?”
“Your wife,” I said simply, “Something happened to her and your son.”
He narrowed his eyes slightly. Soon, his eyes were on the photo album that I had picked up earlier. He snapped his gaze back to mine and smiled, “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Elizabeth.”
“I don’t?” I questioned, “I saw the pictures, Jacob! I saw you with her! You looked so happy and in love and I don’t see that now. Something happened to her, what happened?”
“Quit talking, Abby!” he shouted, “I always hated that about you. Always talking. You never know when to shut up.”
I pressed my lips into a thin line. He had just called me Abby. “Abby?” I asked, “Was that her name?” He grew silent. His hands grazed over one of the sharper medical tools and he stood there, watching. He didn’t say a word, he didn’t even look at me. “Jacob, it’s okay. It’s okay to hurt. Everyone hurts from time to time.” I reached behind of me and tried to pull out the knife from the wood. Even if I felt the tiniest bit sympathetic for this guy, he killed a bunch of people.
He flickered his eyes over to mine. “What do you know about hurt? Your life is so perfect. You’ve got friends. You have a caring brother and you even have a boyfriend who loves you! I see it in his eyes.”
“You think my life is perfe
ct?” I questioned him, raising my voice. “My parents died when I was young. I had to grow up without parents! The only way to cope with it was to eat. I ate until I couldn’t eat anymore. And you know what I did after that? I kept eating. People bullied me because I was fat! I never told my ‘caring’ brother because he was always working! I barely saw him.” I explained briefly. “But you know what? I dealt with the pain because everyone hurts! I turned my life around and here I am today, still standing. I didn’t kill people because of what happened!”
His eyes grew cold and hard. “She was all I had. Without her, I was nothing. So I tried to bring her back.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his infamous switchblade. “But I’m sorry to say that you’re not the one.” Before I even had time to comprehend what was happening, he lunged forward.
With haste, I tugged on the butcher knife. He noticed this and slapped my cheek with the back of his hand. He grabbed a hold of my neck and pulled me up to my feet, pressing me against the wall. “I really wish I didn’t have to do this,” he said softly, “But I can’t set you free. I’m going to kill you and then bring you back to your family so they can see you in a peaceful state.”
I kicked my legs involuntarily. I could feel the breath slowly escaping my lungs. He was much stronger than I was. I had no idea why I had tried to take him on in the first place. Now, I was going to die without a fight. I slowly closed my eyes, accepting my fate. I just hoped, really hoped that he would get caught before he had the chance to find another girl. No one deserved this.
An ear wrenching sound filled my ears and I suddenly felt his grip around my neck loosen. I snapped my eyes open to see Jacob’s face twisted with confusion. His grasp became lighter and lighter until he finally let go. His body dropped to the ground as he howled in pain. I fell to the ground along with him, having enough time to realize what happened. Blood was oozing out of his calf even as he applied pressure.
My eyes snapped up to the entrance to see familiar tufts of blonde hair. I felt relieved to see Sean’s beautiful face after so much time. And knowing that I was safe brought warmth to my heart.
“Liza,”
“Sean!” I cried out. Tears were already forming in my eyes. “Oh my god, Sean!” I crawled over Jacob and rose to my feet, charging towards my boyfriend and wrapping my arms around his neck. “I thought I’d never see you again. Where are the cops?”
“They were working a little slow for my liking. Don‘t worry, I called them on my way here.” he smirked at me, pulling me closer to him. “I love you Liza. Don’t ever forget it.”
“Where’d you get the gun?”
“My dad,”
I shook my head in disbelief as I cupped his face in my hands. “I’m so glad you’re here, Sean. I love you too.”
“Isn’t that just sweet?” a low voice chuckled. I whipped around to see that Jacob was standing straight. He held a gun in his left hand as he stared at us with hatred. “You two are just so fucking adorable. Let me tell you something buddy. If I can’t have her, no one can.” Without much hesitation, he shot Sean.
Sean recoiled and fell to the floor. I looked down on him to see blood seeping through his shirt, “Sean!”
Jacob pulled his lips into a crooked smile, “Not so tough without your boyfriend, are you? If I have to die tonight, there is no way in hell I‘m going to leave you alive.” he spat, “I was going to give you a clean death but I guess it’ll just have to get a little messy.” He raised the gun to eye level and positioned his finger on the trigger.
“No one deserves this,” I croaked. This was where it ends. I wasn’t going to let him get away with this. He didn’t even deserve jail. He deserved death. “I’m really sorry about Abby but this is not how the story ends.”
He didn’t bother to answer.
Feeling a sudden burst of adrenaline, I charged towards him. He waited until I was closer to him to pull the trigger. Even then, by some God spoken miracle, I ducked. I grabbed onto his legs and pulled him to the ground with me. He let go of the gun, sending it flying to the other side of the room. I reached for the butcher knife again and with much luck, I pulled it out of the wood. “I would have given you a clean death but it looks like it’s going to be a little messy,” I resighted his words and brought the knife down on his chest.
I felt the bone crack as the knife broke through and stuck his organs. He let out a scowl as he took one of his final breaths. His eyes softened and for a second there, he looked almost delightful. He looked happy that he was finally dead. Like there was an alternate side of him that told him this was the right thing to do. Jacob forced a half smile as he let out his last words, “I love you, Elizabeth.” He took his last breath and the life left his body.
I pulled the knife out of his chest and threw it aside. I crawled over to Sean’s side and buried my head in the crook of his neck. “I killed him,” I whispered, “I can’t believe I killed him.” Tears were streaming down my cheeks now.
Sean tugged on the wig that was on top of my head and pulled it off. His eyes widened when he saw my haircut but a smile soon stretched across his face. “You’re still beautiful,” He ran his fingers through my hair and groaned, “I hear sirens, Liza. The police are coming.”
“Are you okay?” I asked him, looking into his eyes. “Are you hurt real badly?”
“Not real bad,” he smiled, “It hurts but I’m not dead. At least, not yet.”
I couldn’t help but smile as I wrapped my arms around his body. It was comforting to hear his heartbeat and feel his stomach move up and down in time with his breaths. “I love you,” I whispered until my eyes grew heavy and I slipped into the oblivion for the tenth time that day.
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR – LIZA
It had been a couple months since I killed Jacob. The cops arrived shortly and took Sean to the hospital where his wound was treated. I was also taken into the police office to answer questions about my survival and I even gave a speech at Ellen McHannon’s memorial service. Jeremy came back a few weeks after the incident and when he found out what happened, he freaked out. Now, I have gone back to curfews and Jeremy has been extra hard on me but that’s okay. It was glad to know that he’s trying everything in my power to keep me safe.
“Are you almost done?” Sean questioned me as he planted a soft gentle kiss on my cheek. He peered over my shoulder at the computer screen. “You’ve gotten extra boring ever since you started that book.”
“Would you shut up?” I playfully shoved him away from me. “This is a very important book to write. I’m supporting this whole movement.”
“Just because you were kidnapped for a few weeks?”
I shot him a dry look, “Sean. I faced crazy things during my time in that house. I am now a changed person and in a way, I thank Jacob for that.” I turned my attention back to my computer and continued to type.
“I’m just relieved that you’re alive.” He sighed, “There’s no way in a million years that you are ever going to leave me, right?”
“Well,” I pretended to think, “It depends. Are you friends still assholes?”
He raised his brows, “I think they have a change in heart! After the whole situation and everything. They have grown to love you.”
“I’ll try to believe that,” I scoffed.
“What’s up losers?” Katie’s voice filled the room as she walked in, plopping down on the couch, “Did I interrupt on something important here? Yeah? Good.”
Sean shook his head in disbelief. “Get out of here, Katie.”
“I’ll have you know that Liza would always choose me over you so don’t get too cocky,” she rolled her eyes as she placed her left leg over her right. “How’s the book coming along, Liza?”
“Just fine,” I stood from my seat, walking over to where Katie was sitting. Mid-way through my journey, I felt a ripping pain through my stomach. I clutched my abdomen and hurled forward.
“You okay?” Sean questioned.
“Yeah, uh…” I furrowed my
brows in confusion. “It was probably something I ate.”
“What’d you eat?”
“I don’t…” Another ripping pain surged through my stomach only this time, it felt more like a kick. “No,” I shook my head.
Sean sat up straight in his seat, “Babe, what’s wrong?”
I felt the kick once more and I shook my head in disbelief. “I can’t believe this.”
“What?” Katie asked, her brows furrowing, “Can you just tell us?”
“Guys,” I said softly, bringing my attention to them. “I think, I’m pregnant.”
Sean knitted her brows together as he sat forward, “No that’s impossible. We didn’t even…” his voice trailed off as he begun to realize.
