Her vision was blurry at first, but it began to clear as she blinked. She was in a room full of rusty objects. The smell of mold and mildew hung in the air. She didn't care to identify anything, because she was being held back. Something was binding her neck holding her upright so she couldn't move. Her skin was covered in a sheen of sweat as she began to instantly freak out. She could feel something sharp penetrating the skin of her neck and her instant reaction was to feel. Her neck was circled with a rusty, metal device and razors were protruding from it and cutting into her flesh. Painted on her arm was a black X on her wrist above her many scars and a new one that was freshly sewn shut. A small, blunt knife hung off of a small necklace around her neck. She screamed and cried out for help, thrashing, cutting into her skin, trying to get herself out of the situation when she heard something click and a television to her right showed white noise, followed by a demented looking puppet.
She instantly knew she was in a Jigsaw trap.
"Hello, Sharee." It said in a low voice, it's mouth moving to match the words. "I want to play a game. Up until now, you've felt neglected by your father as he pays attention to women more than he does to you. You've slit your wrists to watch the blood flow, hoping that he'll notice you. Today, you'll find out how fatal blood loss can be. The device that binds you is a one of a kind. Around your throat are a series of blades that will slowly inch their way into your skin, while the key to free yourself is hidden. To find it, you must use the knife around your neck. You have fourty-five seconds to unlock the device, and then you'll know the feeling of true blood loss. Remember, X marks the spot."
The television shut off and she heard something ticking. "Oh God." She said as she pulled the knife off of the necklace she wore. She'd have to cut into her wrist with a blunt knife to retrieve a key? Was it really worth it? Of course it was. She was only eighteen after all. She had lots to live for. The pressure began to build inside her as the clock ticked and time flew by. She now had thirty-two seconds and counting down. She held the knife to her wrist and pushed as hard as she could as she slid it across her skin. The skin broke and blood began dripping down her arm. She screamed as loud as she could to try and drown out the pain. She had slit her wrists before, but it never hurt like this. She could feel the neck device close in on her throat, causing blood to run in rivers down her chest and back. She ran the knife across her wrist again and again, trying to create an opening to search for the key.
She finally saw something silver glint under her skin and she threw the knife down onto the floor and used her fingers to dig into her flesh. A hoarse sound ripped her vocal cords to shreds as pain flared throughout her arm. Her fingers pushed under her skin and finally gripped the key. It was hard to remove because it was slippery with blood, but she managed to pull it out. Blood was dripping on the floor, making a splattering sound as it poured out of her wrist. The neck device moved again, chocking off her air supply and the razors digging in more. There were seven seconds left on the clock as she stuck the key into the rusty padlock of the device, but she was having trouble because of the blood.
Six. The padlock snapped open, but it was hard to remove from the device. Sharee instantly began to freak out and jiggled the lock, trying to force it free.
Four. It finally came off, and she pulled the blades from her flesh, screaming throughout the entire thing. It was excruciatingly painful, but she finally managed to pull herself free and fell to the floor just seconds before the device snapped closed where her neck would have been. Her wrist was still dripping blood as she laid in a puddle of red.
A door opened, reavealing the puppet she saw on the television on a tricycle. The pedels creaked as it slowly rode into the room. "Congratulations, Sharee." It said. "You have survived. You are free to go. Most people are so ungrateful to be alive, but not you. Not anymore." Then, it backed out of the room, leaving the door open for her to leave. Sharee forced herself to get up and run, nearly slipping from the blood on the floor. She ran through an old hallway, ignoring her surroundings and searching for a door. When she found one, she pushed it open and was nearlly blinded from the sunlight. She tried to cry out for help, but she had lost her ability to speak as her legs and body shut down on her. The last thing she saw before she passed out was people running in her direction.
"Hello, Sharee." A man sat in front of her at an interrogation table. Sharee Morris's wrist was wrapped in white, fresh gauze, as was her neck. She was feeling drained from blood loss, but she hadn't been home to rest. A stranger had taken her to the hospital and police had picked her up from the there to get her statement. "I'm Detective Mark Hoffman. Your statement will be recorded for investigation. Can you tell me what happened?" He was in his mid-thirties with dark hair and a large build, wearing a suit and tie that Sharee guessed was brand new.
She, however, looked like shit. Her blonde hair was matted and had blood in spots here and there. She hadn't showered in almost twenty-four hours, her clothes were covered in dried blood, her throat was raw and she felt like she would pass out from sleep deprovation at any minute. "I had just came home from a friend's house." Her voice was hoarse from screaming. "I came in the door and went to get a shower, but when I went to the bathroom, something was waiting for me in there." She shuddered at the memory of someone attacking her. "I woke up in that room with that thing around my neck..." She trailed off, not wanting to tell anymore of the story. "Please," she whispered. "I just want to go home."
"Alright." Detective Hoffman said. "I'll have an officer drive you home."
"Thank you." She said, standing and preparing to walk out of the interrogation room.
The drive home was short, but it felt like it was a million years long. Her thoughts were racing about what had happened. Why would someone do that to her? How could anyone possibly know about her wrists when she hid it from everyone? When they got to her house, she thanked the officer for driving her home and walked to her front door. She watched the officer drive away before she unlocked her door.
Sharee let herself inside, glad that her house key was still in her pocket. She instantly felt safe in the comfort of her own home as she prepared to flop down on her bed. Walking into the kitchen, she saw a note on the counter. "Gone out on a date. Don't wait up. Dinner is in the fridge. -Dad." She rolled her eyes after she read it. Sharee didn't feel like eating anything. Her throat throbbed as did her wrist. The only thing she wanted to do was take a pain pill and go to sleep. Warily, she walked to her room, ready for anyone to pop out at her at any given moment. She gasped as she opened the door to her room. Detective Hoffman was sitting on her bed. "Sharee, do not be afraid. I want to make an offer to you."