PANDORA

by Rebecca Hamilton

  ***

  After several hours had passed, the sun began to sink and the air turned cooler. My stomach growled loudly and my tongue felt like sandpaper. I need to find something to eat and drink; otherwise, I might not make it much further.

  Without warning, a crack of lightning streaked across the sky followed by a rumbled of thunder.

  My heart skipped a beat. Shelter! I need to find shelter ASAP!

  A moment later, a large drop of rain smacked my cheek and dripped down the side of my face. Then, as if someone turned on a faucet, the skies opened and the rain came down in buckets.

  I pressed my body up against a tree and held out my cupped hands. Bringing them to my mouth, I drank greedily. After my thirst had been quenched, I closed my eyes and sank down to the damp ground. Wrapping my arms around my legs, I dropped my head and tried to allow my body to relax.

  That’s when I heard a terrifying click and an evil laugh. “Hands up, Abriana.”

  Chapter Nine

  Alexa

  I ran my hands through my hair and pulled. “What do you mean she escaped?”

  Easton paused.

  “HELLO?” I snapped. “What the hell happened?”

  “Well . . . She threw something through the window and jumped out of it. It was crazy,” explained Easton.

  “Easton,” I said in a syrupy sweet voice. “I thought we talked about the importance of keeping her in the house!”

  “I know. I’m sorry, Lex,” he apologized. “But don’t worry. She’s here now and she won’t be going anywhere any time soon.”

  “Are you sure?” I added with a little bit too much venom in my voice. Calm it, Lex! You can’t risk losing him. “I mean, are you sure you don’t need any help? I’m coming back this weekend, but I could make it sooner, if you needed me to?”

  “No, I got it.” He paused. “We’re going to let her go this weekend, right?”

  A smile crept up on the corners of my lips. “Of course.” More like of course NOT!

  He exhaled a sigh of relief.

  “I miss you,” I said, trying to distract him from the situation. “I can’t wait to see you again.”

  His voice, full of emotion, cracked as he replied, “I miss you too, Lex.”

  ***

  After carefully placing the phone back under the bathtub and securing the access panel, I stood up and looked in the bathroom mirror.

  Frowning, I applied another layer of lip gloss and pressed my lips together. Who’s the pretty one now, Abriana?

  “Lexi?” called my mother from outside of the bathroom door. “Are you okay?”

  I rolled my eyes and pretended to sniffle. “Yeah, I’m fine.” Insert dramatic pause, I thought with a sarcastic grin. “Just thinking about her.”

  After making various sad faces in the mirror, I found one that worked. Taking a deep breath, I plastered it on my face and opened the door.

  “Oh, honey,” cried my mother wrapping her arms around me. “It’s okay. We’ll find her. I promise!”

  Burying my head into her shoulder, I continued the fake sniffling. “What can we do? When I’m not doing something to help find her, I feel worthless.”

  “I’m going to put up more signs today. Would you like to help?” asked my mother.

  I nodded. “Of course.”

  My mother pulled back and gave me a sad smile. “I’m just going get my purse and I’ll be ready.”

  I made my way down the stairs and toward the front door.

  Knock, knock, knock.

  Ugh! What now? With every passing day, more people came by to drop off casseroles, flowers, and to ask what they could do to help.

  Running my hands through my hair, I sighed and tried to look distraught as I opened the door. I should win an Emmy for this . . .

  My eyes widened as Detective Lock’s stern face appeared on the other side of the door.

  “Alexa, are your parents home?”

  “Yeah, ah, just, just a second.” I turned around. “Mom, Dad! Detective Locke is here!”

  My heart raced as my parents raced down the stairs.

  “What is it?” asked my mother hopefully. “Has there been an update?”

  My father’s face turned ashen.

  “Why don’t we have a seat,” the detective said with a grim expression on his face.

  My mother and father sat on the sofa and held hands. I sat next to them on the arm of the loveseat.

  “Did you find her?” my father asked in a quavering voice with tears in his eyes.

  Detective Lock clasped his fingers and exhaled a long, slow breath. “We’ve found a body.”

  My jaw dropped open as a scream of anguish escaped from my mother’s lips.

  What the hell? Did Easton lie to me? Did he kill her and dump her body after she tried to run away?

  Goose bumps prickled the back of my neck and my mouth went dry.

  “I need your signature to authorize the release of your daughter’s dental records,” said the detective.

  My mother collapsed into my father’s arms as sobs shook her body. “No, no, no! It’s not her! It’s not our baby!”

  Unable to gain my composure, I slapped my hand over my mouth and sat in stunned silence.

  “Why can’t we just see the body and tell you it’s not her?” asked my father.

  Detective Lock ran his thumb over his lower lip. “The body is no longer,” he paused, “recognizable.”

  My mother sobbed uncontrollably into my father’s chest.

  “It has been burned beyond recognition,” he continued. “But, we’re confident with dental records that we can identify if it is Abriana’s body or not.”

  “Give me the paper,” demanded my father. “The sooner I sign this, the sooner you’ll be able to tell that the body you have does NOT belong to our daughter.”

  After collecting my father’s signature, Detective Lock stood and nodded. “We will be in touch as soon.”

  As Detective Lock stood and headed toward the door, a million thoughts raced through my mind. Could it really be her? Was Easton lying to me on the phone earlier? Did he really kill her? A wicked smile spread across my face as I pictured Abriana’s cold dead body. Shaking my head, I mentally erased the picture and closed my eyes. No, no way. He wouldn’t have the guts to do it . . . Right?

  Chapter Ten

  Abriana

  Easton paced nervously back and forth across the worn hardwood planks. Tapping the handgun on his thigh, he muttered, “Why did I get into this?”

  He sat down on a wooden rocking chair, got up, and began pacing again.

  “I’m going to go to jail,” he said with knitted eyebrows and a frown on his face. “That’s it. My future is gone. The rest of my life is going to be spent in a jail cell.”

  More pacing. More tapping.

  He sank to his knees and placed his hands over his eyes. “Why did I ever listen to her in the first place? I mean, who pulls this kind of mess on someone?”

  Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz.

  “Now isn’t a good time,” he snapped when he answered the phone.

  “Did I do WHAT?” he shouted.

  He paused. “What if I did? Then what would you do? Then you wouldn’t be able to play your stupid little games anymore!”

  Suddenly, he went silent and his face turned red with rage.

  “You did WHAT,” he growled.

  “NEVER threaten me again! Do you hear me?” Then, without hesitation, he chucked the phone across the room and stomped in the opposite direction.

  A minute later, he came back with the gun tucked in his pants and two open beers.

  “I’ll never understand you women,” he said, shaking his head. “Here,” he said, handing me an ice-cold beer. “Drink this.”

  I shook my head.

  “It will help you forget about your knee,” he responded gruffly.

  Looking down, the bleeding had finally stopped, but the gash left by the rock looked raw and angry.

  “Fine,” I
replied and reached for the beer. The glass bottle clanged against the handcuffs Easton had secured to my wrists. I guess I won’t be getting out of these any time soon. At least he let me keep the blindfold off . . .

  I took a sip and let the chilly liquid slide down my throat. Closing my eyes, I tried to ignore the painful throbbing sensation in my knee.

  “I’m sorry you got hurt,” said Easton in a quiet voice.

  I could feel his eyes burning into me, but I refused to look him in the face.

  “You didn’t have to point a gun at me.”

  Easton shrugged. “You tried to run away, again. What was I supposed to do?”

  Deciding not to push it, I let the subject drop. Instead, I drank my beer quietly and scanned the room. When my eyes landed on my blindfold in the corner, I shivered. I wonder why he didn’t make me put it back on?

  “I’m going to make some dinner,” said Easton. He frowned and rubbed his strong jaw line with his thumb. “You better come with me.”

  I stood up and followed him into the kitchen.

  “Here,” he pulled out two chairs, “put your leg up and I’ll clean your knee and get you some ice.”

  An uneasy feeling crept threw my body. The cut hurt, but the thought of him tending to my wounds made me nauseous. Why does he want to clean my cut anyways? I thought about my favorite movie as a little girl, The Princess Bride. Maybe he wants me better before he kills me? The thought caused goose bumps to prickle up along the back of my neck.

  Opening up the cabinet, he pulled out a first aid kit, yellow with age. Easton scrunched up his nose as he flipped open the cover. He pulled out some antibiotic cream and gauze. Next, he grabbed several paper towels and wet half of them.

  “I need to clean it first,” he said as he turned around. “It might sting.”

  I nodded as he picked up my leg and sat in the other chair. He gently dabbed the wet paper towel against the wound.

  Hot pain flashed across the open cut. Wincing, I raked my teeth across my lower lip and tried not to scream.

  “Almost done,” reassured Easton as his striking gray eyes narrowed in on mine. They reminded me of the sky right before a torrential downpour. After drying the area with another paper towel, he applied the antibiotic cream and covered the cut with gauze. “I don’t see any tape, but if you keep your leg up, the gauze should stick for now.”

  I nodded as Easton stood up and carefully picked up my leg. He eased it back on to the other chair and went to the refrigerator. As he rummaged in the freezer, I studied his body. His arms were perfectly cut and although I couldn’t see his chest or stomach, I could almost bet that the muscles rippled into perfect formation. Too bad he’s a complete psychopath!

  Easton turned around and handed me a frozen bag of peas. “Sorry, this is all I’ve got.”

  “It’s fine,” I said. For the first time since he had taken me, I felt at ease.

  His hand lingered as he handed me the bag of frozen vegetables. Averting my eyes, I dropped his gaze and eased the peas on my knee. The makeshift icepack helped sooth the cut and swelling. I wanted desperately to thank him, but caught myself before uttering the words. Oh no! What if I’m developing Stockholm Syndrome?

  A few moments later, a sharp pain shot across my knee and anger quickly replaced any feelings of gratitude.

  Easton watched me wince. “Wait,” he said. “You need a towel.” He pulled a small white towel that had been hanging on a cabinet handle and placed it on my knee.

  “Thanks,” I said as I set the frozen peas down on the towel.

  Easton went back to the fridge and pulled out a stack of cheese slices and a stick of butter. “I’m going to make grilled cheese. Want one?”

  I wanted to tell him to piss off, but the beer had already made my head feel a little fuzzy and I was starving. “Sure.”

  Easton grabbed a loaf of bread off the counter and a plastic knife out of one of the drawers. My stomach growled as he carefully coated each piece of bread in butter and then meticulously placed the cheese on top.

  Finally, he grabbed a pan from the drawer under the stove. He turned the burner on and sprayed it with some cooking spray.

  While he waited for the pan to heat up, he turned around and looked at me. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

  Honestly, everything hurt. My knee, my shoulder, my wrists. Instead of admitting my weaknesses, I just shrugged.

  “Want another beer?” he asked.

  “Yeah.”

  Easton took the empty bottle in my hands and replaced it with a full one.

  Without another word, he went back to the stove and inspected the pan. A few minutes later, he plopped the sandwiches in the pan and took a step back.

  The smell of the buttered bread and melting cheese made my mouth water. I should have run away after this, I thought to myself. At least I would have had a full stomach and some energy.

  What felt like an eternity passed. Finally, Easton pulled the sandwiches out of the pan and put them on a plate.

  The aroma of the food consumed my senses and I actually got a little dizzy when he set the plate down on my lap. Confused, I looked up. “Don’t you want one?”

  “Yeah, I’m going to make two more. I figured you must be hungry. You haven’t eaten hardly anything in days.”

  Why is he being so nice to me?

  Trying not to think about it, I set my beer on the counter and picked up my sandwich with cuffed hands. The first bite practically caused me to swoon. “Mmmmm,” I murmured.

  Easton turned around with a slight smile on his face and a raised eyebrow. “You know you didn’t need to wait this long to eat.”

  I kept my mouth shut as angry thoughts bombarded my mind. You didn’t need to kidnap me, drug me, or cut me either, but you still did all of that!

  Taking another bite, I tried to focus on pacing myself. If Easton hadn’t been watching, I probably would have shoved the entire grilled cheese in my mouth at once.

  After a few more minutes, his sandwiches were done and he sat down next to me with a glass of water.

  “Did they taste all right?” he asked with a mouthful of bread and cheese.

  “Yeah, they were good. Thanks.” Ugh! I hate thanking him!

  He finished his dinner in silence, although I caught him staring at me a few times. He shoved the last bite in his mouth, and then grabbed my plate.

  “Time for bed. Do you want to clean up first?” asked Easton.

  “That would be nice,” I replied.

  He picked up the peas and threw them back in the freezer before he helped me up. His strong hands supported the majority of my weight as I limped to the bathroom.

  Easton pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked my handcuffs. “Take as much time as you need,” he said. “I’ll wait for you out here.”

  I closed the door and sunk to the floor. Unshed tears welled up in my eyes and threatened to spring free. Easton’s change in demeanor worried me. Feelings of empathy swirled in my heart. He’s being so nice to me and he hasn’t tried to grab me lately . . . Wait a minute! Shouldn’t he be pissed off that I tried to run away? Whoever had called him on the phone had made him really angry. Was it the person who cut me?

  My body trembled as I picked myself up off the floor. I hobbled over to the shower and turned on the tap.

  The enormity of the night’s events crashed down on me as the water stung my fresh cuts and bruises. As the water washed away many of the physical signs of my escape, my mental state worsened. That’s when the reality hit me like a ton of bricks. If I don’t escape soon . . . I’m going to die here.

  Chapter Eleven

  Alexa

  My parents didn’t move for a long time after Detective Lock left. They just sat and stared at the wall. They never would have acted like this if I went missing! But heaven forbid their precious Abriana is gone for a few days and the world has to stop! Ugh . . .

  Finally, they left the living room and went to bed without saying anything to me. Typical.
They only care about her! Why is everyone in this household so selfish?

  Sighing, I walked up the stairs and admired my long lean legs. These are what got Easton to do my bidding in the first place . . . Well, my legs and five hundred dollars. Some people are so desperate!

  As I made my way to the bathroom to wash up, my mind drifted to Detective Lock. I could have sworn he stared at me a minute too long. He doesn’t suspect me? Does he? I have an airtight alibi.

  I checked the burner phone. No texts or voicemails.

  Shaking my head, I put everything back in its hiding place and grabbed my toothbrush. As I brushed my teeth with mint-flavored toothpaste, the thought of Easton killing Abriana floated through my mind. No way. There’s no way. He wouldn’t have the balls to do it! And if he did, he would have already called me crying like a baby.

  The corners of my lips turned up as I caught my reflection in the mirror. I might not be as pretty as you, Abriana. But don’t worry, soon you’ll be a distant memory and I’ll be the one everyone is talking about!

  ***

  I woke up to the doorbell ringing. Stretching my hands over my head, I yawned and rolled over. Whoever it is, can wait . . .

  A moment later, my mother shouted for my father. “Victor! Detective Lock is here!”

  I heard my father’s footsteps rushing down the stairs and toward the front door.

  Although the conversation was muffled, I heard my mother shout, “Oh thank you, Heavenly Father! Estoy tan agradecido!”

  My father joined in, “I knew it wasn’t her! Our baby is alive! She’s still out there!”

  Footsteps pounded up the stairs. “Alexa! Alexa! It isn’t Abriana’s body!”

  Rolling my eyes, I jumped out of bed and met her on the landing. “Thank you, Lord! I knew it wasn’t her! God is good!”

  She pulled me in for a big embrace. “I love you, mi hija dulce!”

  “Love you too, mamÁ .”

  When she let go, the smile on her face faded. “You look so pale. Why don’t you go back to bed and try to get some sleep?”

  I bit my lip and looked down at my bright pink toenails.