First off we would like to say a huge thank you to all of you who are reading and to those of you that have reviewed. Of course huge hugs go to teamalltwilight and toocute24 for all the help they give us!
Monday will always be the day we post! We've had a few people ask so I just wanted to let you all know. This is where the chapters start to get larger. Hope you all enjoy them!
"I have to work after school today," I said to Charlie from the doorway. I learned long ago to stay at least an arm's length away whenever possible.
Unfortunately, I seemed to have caught my dad on a bad day. It was Friday, and I was due at school in twenty minutes. Normally I would happily walk the few miles to the school, but like usual, the rain continued to pour down with no end in sight.
"I fucking hate your voice! It's likes nails on a chalkboard to me," Charlie said, throwing his empty beer can at me.
I didn't bother trying to block the can as it hit my leg weakly. I guess he hadn't been drinking for very long this morning. I groaned under my breath and checked my watch once more. If I left now I could make it before first period started.
"I can walk," I sighed. "But will you be able to pick me up?" I asked.
"You are such a stupid, nagging fucking bitch! Just like your waste of a mother. I hate you. You can walk your fat ass around. There's somewhere else I need to be," he said, standing up.
I felt the blood drain from my face at the mention of my deceased mother. She was a respectable human being, unlike the piece of shit that was standing in front of me.
"Do you see the pouring ass rain outside?" I asked, raising my voice and pointing a shaky finger to the window.
As soon as the swear word that left my mouth, I knew what was coming. Charlie was fast in his old age, and he flew at me like a speeding bullet. Before I had time to react, his hand was slamming across my face. The force of the hit put me into the wall.
"Speak to me like that again and I will knock your fucking teeth out!" he yelled in my face. "I wish you would just fall off the face of the earth!"
I immediately held up my hands in the universal sign of surrender. I could take the verbal abuse that Charlie spat out, but the hitting...I hated it. At times I didn't feel like I was strong enough to go on and endure it day after day, night after night. Sometimes I wished for death, feeling that it would be easier. Even suicide had crossed my mind a time or two, but I felt like that would be too easy. Instead, I chose to remain where I was and hope. I truly wanted a better life, and I was hoping to get it one day.
"God, I fucking hate you!" he spat. "Keep up with that attitude and you can walk everywhere, which is what your fat ass needs right about now."
I nodded my head but said nothing more. At least he was giving me a ride. I picked up my bag and put on my jacket, making sure to keep my hood up before I walked outside to Charlie's car. Charlie liked to drive his police cruiser around the clock, so he didn't even own a separate car. I was pretty sure he just liked to feel important. He probably shouldn't even be driving, but he truly hadn't had that much to drink this morning. I just had to hope that he wouldn't hurt anyone but himself if something happened.
~~~~~…..~~~~~
After school, I had to high tail it to my job at the grocery store. I ran through the streets, avoiding the puddles when it was possible. I was able to pace myself and make it to work on time without getting docked any of my hours for being late. With no transportation to my job, running was my only option. Plus, working at the local grocery store had many benefits. I was kept in the back stocking shelves, and that was just how I liked it. Being in the back meant that I had minimal contact with customers. I wasn't afraid of people by any means; I just wasn't a people person. I didn't like when people were rude; they reminded me of Charlie, and I certainly didn't want to wait on people that barked orders at me. I had enough of that at home. I didn't want to deal with it at work as well. Working gave me the extra cash that I needed. As soon as I was old enough to do any kind of work, I was on my own when it came to getting feminine products, clothes, and other necessities like that.
Even with a heavier rain fall than I had planned on, I made it to work in time and was able to complete my full shift. Unfortunately, after this morning's spat with Charlie, I wasn't feeling very well. My stomach was in knots, and while I figured it was because of being hit this morning, I also felt like it was something more. I was probably overly tired. I hadn't been sleeping well, and I had this horrible feeling that someone was watching me. The feeling of being watched never left me, and it was really starting to freak me out. As I continued on with my shift, I would occasionally look out the window, only there was nothing there to see besides the rain. I didn't understand the feeling I was having, but I knew it needed to stop.
Charlie wasn't in the parking lot when my shift ended, but I really wasn't surprised. He had given me a ride this morning, which was much more than I could have hoped for. Luckily, the rain had turned into a light drizzle, so walking home wouldn't be much of a problem.
"Hey, Tinker Bell, is your ride here yet?"
I jumped and looked back to see Marshall, a fellow stocker, watching me carefully as I scanned the parking lot one last time.
"My friend said she might be able to pick me up today, but it looks like she wasn't able to make it," I explained, blushing and looking away quickly.
I hated lying, but I found that the lies came more quickly and easier than ever before.
"Want me to give you a ride home?" he asked, pulling out his keys. "Or you can use my phone to call your dad if you'd like."
I quickly began shaking my head while pulling up the hood on my jacket, hoping for a quick escape.
"I'll be fine," I promised. "I don't live far from here, anyway."
With that, I turned and began to quickly walk home. I was a block away from my house when the rain picked up. As soon as the house was in sight, I hauled ass to the front door. I wanted to scream at Charlie for not bothering to pick me up, but I knew that wouldn't accomplish anything. Instead, I glared at his cruiser parked in the driveway as I quickly unlocked the door and entered the house. I shook off the rain from my coat and hung it where it belonged. I brought my bag to the kitchen and headed for the cupboards to see what we had to eat. I doubted Charlie had fed himself yet, so I needed to get started on dinner before he decided to make his presence known.
A throat clearing made me gasp and turn around, my hand clutching at my heart. I expected to see Charlie standing behind me, waiting to strike. He always did have a perverse sense of humor when it came to catching me off guard. I wasn't prepared, however, to see a stranger sitting where Charlie normally sat at our kitchen table.
The man had strange colored hair, with dark green eyes that seemed to stare right through me. I couldn't tell how tall he was since he was sitting down, but judging from the long legs, I knew he would tower over me. He was an attractive man, no doubt about that, and he looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties. But, what was he doing in my house?
"Who the fuck are you?" I asked, willing myself to breathe deeper.
"Don't swear, Bella, it makes you ugly," the man said calmly, giving me a slight smirk.
I swallowed loudly and began edging around the table, hoping to make it to the front door.
"Who are you?" I asked again softly, trying to remain somewhat polite.
I took another step back as the strange man stood up, pushing his chair back in.
"You need to come with me," he said, flashing a badge.
From the quick glance that I got of the badge, I recognized the State of Washington's logo on the front, but why would an officer from Washington State want me to go with him?
"Why?"
"So I can keep you safe," he said as if I should have known.
I swallowed once more before whispering, "Why?"
"Do you like living here?" he asked, moving closer to me.
"This is my home. Charlie?" I yelled as I hastily walked into the living room.
"Like he would protect you," the man said with a chuckle.
"You need to leave," I demanded.
"You need to come with me," he countered, grabbing me by the arm and walking me toward the front door.
"I'm not going anywhere with you!" I exclaimed, trying to desperately free my arm from his clutches.
"You are, and you are going to come with me willingly," he snapped.
"Like hell I am. HELP!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.
He was quick to cover my mouth and held me tight to his body.
"Shut up or I will kill you," he said into my ear.
Tears began to leak from the corners of my eyes, and I struggled to get him to loosen his grip from my mouth. I didn't want to die.
"We are going to walk out to the car and you are not going to say a word," he commanded, still holding on to me tightly and yet his voice never rose in anger.
Knowing that I had few options at this point, I did as he said and went quietly with him as he led us out to his car. He kept one arm wrapped tightly across my chest, while his other hand kept my mouth covered. I could barely walk because my body was shaking so badly. As he placed me gently in the passenger seat of the car, I began to beg.
"Please don't kill me," I whispered, tears running down my face.
"I'm not going to kill you," he replied, catching my falling tears with his thumbs and brushing them away. "I just needed you to come with me without a fight."
With that, he closed the door quietly and made his way to the other side of the car. My hands immediately found the door handle and pulled. I wasn't surprised to find that the child lock on the door had been set. I wouldn't be able to open it from the inside.
I gasped as the door on his side of the car opened. I whipped my head around to face him and try to get myself out of this situation.
"I won't say anything, I promise. Please, just let me go," I begged as he pulled out a pair of handcuffs.
I wept openly as he took my wrist and handcuffed me to the shifter between us.
"Why are you doing this?" I whispered, my tears making tracks down my face.
I flinched away as he brought his hand up once more to wipe away the offending tears. We both stared at one another for what felt like minutes before he slowly brought his hand down to rest on the steering wheel.
"That reason right there is why I'm doing this," he said quietly, starting the car.
Not knowing what to say, I turned my head towards the window and looked back at the house that I had grown up in. Would I ever even see it again? We drove for what seemed like forever as I tried to calm myself down. The man didn't try and talk to me, and I returned the favor. He would occasionally glance my way, but I made it a point not to turn around or acknowledge him. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the glass. Sometime later, my eyes popped open as we pulled off onto a dirt road. Both of us were shaking in our seats as we traversed the bumpy road. I had stopped crying, but I was still petrified that I was about to meet my end.
I couldn't make out anything in the dark, and with the cloud cover and the night, it was impossible to see anything that wasn't two feet in front of your face. It didn't stop me from looking out the window desperately, though. As the car slowed down, we pulled up to a cabin that only had one light on, illuminating the porch. It was like something from my worst nightmare. My heart began to beat erratically once again, and my breathing was labored. He was going to kill me.
"There's no need to be afraid," he said quietly as he put the car into park.
I let out a terrified squeak as he un-cuffed the cuff that was attached to the shifter, leaving the other attached to me. He looked up at me once more before getting out of the car and walking over to help me out.
Not even forming a plan, I acted on pure instinct. The second he opened up the car door, I pushed it into him with my body and began to run. I had no idea where to go, but going away from the cabin seemed like my best bet.
"Help!" I screamed. "Somebody help me!"
I screamed once more before I felt another body collide with my own, and big, warm hands wrap around me like a vice.
"You are in so much trouble," he said harshly, digging his fingers into my arms.
I screamed once more at the top of my lungs, but all I was met with was his sinister laugh.
"Yell as much as you want. There is no one out here to hear you," he taunted.
Hearing that just made my tears start up again as I struggled futilely against his hold. He managed to unlock the front door without letting go of me, and then he pushed me inside roughly.
"I will do anything; just don't kill me, please!" I begged yet again.
I was beginning to see that there would be no end in sight for me. This man was faster and stronger than I was, and he had the added advantage of knowing his surroundings and where we were. There was nothing left for me to do except give in to him if I wanted to make it out of here alive.
"You want to live?" he asked, staring down at me.
I fell to the ground in a heap and sobbed.
"Yes!"
I heard his boots stomp over to where I was, and gasped in pain as he lifted my head by grabbing a fistful of my hair.
"Fine. Repeat after me. You are all I have."
"What?" I asked shakily, not understanding.
"Say it!" he demanded, shaking me.
"You…you are all I have," I said as I cried.
"You are all I need," he whispered menacingly.
"You are all I need," I repeated.
"You are my life now, Edward."
I was crying too hard to speak. My eyes closed as his hands continued to pull my hair harder. I had no choice. The only thing that made me feel slightly better was that I knew the name of my captor.
"You are my life now, Edward," I whispered.
"Again!" he demanded. "Say it again."
"Y-You are my life now, Edward," I whispered.
He made me say that particular phrase more times than I could count, and each time one of those vile phrases came out of my mouth, I felt my spirit crumble while his smile would get bigger and bigger, as if he loved the words I was saying to him.
Why would he be all I would have? I didn't have him, I was stuck with him. He kidnapped me. He was holding me against my will. What kind of sane person would do that?
You are all I need. How do I need my captor?
You are my life now, Edward. With my emotional state of mind right now, I couldn't even concentrate on that one. Was he trying to tell me something?
"Sit," he ordered as he pushed me onto a worn sofa.
I hadn't even had a chance to look at my surroundings, instead focusing solely on the man in front of me.
"Why are you doing this? Who are you?" I asked again.
"Say it again," he demanded as I hiccupped. "All of it this time."
"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life now, Edward," I whispered, as his smile grew.
"Good girl."
I continued to sniffle, looking at the man who still had that strange, scary smile plastered on his lips. He, Edward - if that was his name, looked truly frightening in that moment and all I could do was cry harder at the turn my life had taken in just a few short hours.
"You shouldn't cry," he admonished me lightly, moving to sit next to me on the sofa.
"And why shouldn't I?" I mocked. "You've taken me from my home. From my father!"
Thinking about Charlie was the wrong thing to do, though, because I burst into another set of body wracking sobs. I felt so guilty. Living with Charlie was hell, and I used to beg and pray to any god that would listen, to help me escape from his abuse - no matter what cost. I didn't care if it meant living or dying, I just wanted to escape.
Now that I had, I was completely confused. I was almost…thankful to this strange man for taking me against my will, for rescuing me from the hands of my father...but then I was angry. I was angry for feeling gratefulness for this man, because he did take me against my will. He kidnapped me! I was supposed to be blinded by hate and fear. Not crying because I was grateful to him. How much more fucked up could this situation get?
Edward rose at that moment and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I have taken you from him," he agreed easily with a bite of anger in his voice. "But that man was no father. A father does not treat his little girl the way he treated you. I don't expect you to understand it right now, but in time, you will see. You'll see that I saved you from a terrible fate."
"Is that what you tell yourself when you wake up every morning?" I seethed. "That you are simply saving all the poor, pitiful girls of the world that they don't know any better?"
I moved to stand up, but before I could even place both feet firmly on the ground, Edward was once again towering over me.
"I don't expect you to understand, Little Girl," he snapped, "but I do expect you to show me respect. And talking back is not showing me that. You have a lot to learn and a short amount of time in which to do it in, so I suggest you pay close attention and take heed of what I tell you."
Startled by his sudden proximity, I fell back against the cushion and looked up at him in fear.
"What do you want from me?" I whispered.
"Say it," he demanded.
My brows furrowed in confusion as Edward let out an aggravated sigh.
"Say. It," he gritted. "Christ, you are supposed to be smart."
"I don't know what you want me to say," I whispered, tears falling once more.
"You are all I have," he reminded me, running his fingers through my hair.
"You are all I have," I said, not blinking, not wanting to lose the eye contact with him in case he made any sudden movements.
"You are all I….?" he questioned, waiting for me to pick up where he left off.
"You are all I…" I trailed off, biting my lip in nervousness.
I forgot. Three simple statements and I couldn't even remember what they were, even though he had drilled them into my head over and over again for the last hour.
"Need!" he yelled. "You are all I need."
Another sob tore from my throat as I quickly tried to rectify my mistake.
"Need!" I yelled, pushing myself back further into the cushion. "You are all I need."
"What else?" he asked, his calm voice back in place.
"You are my life now, Edward," I said, too afraid to even move.
"Perfect, Bella," he praised, smiling widely. "Remember those sentences, and repeat them in your head at all opportunities. They will be your lifeline."
My lifeline? What was that supposed to mean? I swallowed audibly and nodded my head. Agreeing with him seemed to be my safest bet.
"Are you Edward?" I asked suddenly.
I snapped my mouth closed and felt the blood rush to my face. My body tensed and I immediately prepared myself for a slap, or some other kind of physical violence. To my surprise though, that didn't happen. His hand met my face, but not in the threatening way I was expecting. Instead, he chuckled as he used his knuckles to graze across my cheek bone.
"Yes, I'm Edward," he said. "And you're exhausted. Let's get some sleep and we'll talk more in the morning."
His hands moved to mine as he helped pull me to my feet. As I stood up, my bladder made itself painfully known, and I looked around the dark room for any signs of a bathroom. Then again, we were in the middle of nowhere. Would there be an outhouse? Oh, please don't let there be an outhouse, I silently prayed.
"Um, Edward?" I asked timidly. "Where's the bathroom?"
Edward looked at me for a few seconds, his eyes traveling down to my crossed legs and back up to the desperate look on my face.
"I really need to go," I said, hoping to move him along to point me in the right direction.
"Then perhaps you should have worded your needs differently," he said, moving me back to the sofa.
I sat down once more and winced at the pain that shot through my abdomen. If he was going to play games with me then he was going to have a soiled sofa cushion in a minute.
"Please point me in the direction of a washing facility where I might relieve my needs," I snapped, mocking him.
Edward's eyes narrowed and he leaned over me, putting his nose an inch from my own. My eyes were wide as I tensed; waiting to see what he would do next. I glanced to my left as I saw his hand rise and jumped in surprise when I felt his fingers flick the corner of my mouth. It had a sharp sting to it, but a second later it was gone.
Did he just flick me?
"Watch your attitude, Little Girl," he warned. "If you need to use the bathroom, you ask me for permission to go. You will not be going anywhere, even the restroom, without me by your side…understood?"
"Permission?" I squeaked.
Edward nodded and helped me up once more, for what I hoped would be the last time tonight. As we stood there, I could hear owls hooting in the darkness and the sound of leaves rustling from the trees outside. But right now, none of that mattered. All that mattered was getting to a toilet before I exploded all over myself.
"Will you please show me where the restroom is?" I asked, looking up at him and trying to gauge his reaction.
My hope fell as Edward crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head at me. That wasn't what he was looking for.
I tried again.
"May I please use the restroom?" I asked, my voice straining to be polite at this point.
Edward smiled then and I released the breath I was holding in relief.
"Yes you may," he replied, grabbing my arm at the top and leading me out of the room we were in and down a little hallway.
I tried tugging my arm out from his grasp only to have his fingers tighten, digging painfully into my skin. He stopped suddenly, and with his free arm reached through the dark and flipped a switch, lighting up the small hallway and a bathroom. I almost cried in relief as he let go of my arm and I hurriedly brushed past him into the doorway. I moved to close the door behind me only to have Edward's foot blocking the path.
"No, Bella," he scolded, "you keep this door open so I can see you."
"You want to watch me pee?" I asked in complete shock. "That's sick."
Edward down right laughed at that and my face immediately flamed red.
"I don't particularly want to watch you pee," he said, still laughing. "But, I will watch you do everything until I fully trust you not to make a run for it."
I looked from him to the toilet sitting in the corner. Could I hold it 'til morning? Or at least until he fell asleep?
"Go to the bathroom, Bella," he sighed.
I nodded my head and silently went to the toilet. Keeping my eyes trained on his the entire time, I carefully pulled down my pants and panties, trying to show as little skin as possible. However, once I was seated, I found that I couldn't make myself go. Our eyes stayed locked with each other's, and I was relieved when his didn't leave mine to look anywhere else on me, but my blush was back in full force.
"I can't do it," I whispered.
"You better. You won't get another chance until morning. And if you pee the bed, I'll make you lay in it," he threatened.
After a few more seconds of an intense staring contest, I closed my eyes and thought about the bathroom back home. With a shut door. To my surprise it worked, and I kept my eyes shut tightly until I finished. After cleaning myself up, I maneuvered carefully once again so that Edward didn't get any more of a show.
Once my hands were washed, I was back to looking at him, waiting to see what to do next. The way his lips curled in a slight smirk made me wary, and I couldn't help but to take a step backwards.
"Let's go to bed," he said, holding out his hand.
My automatic response was to take another step back.
"Together?" I asked shakily.
"I won't even let you go to the bathroom alone," Edward laughed. "You really think I'm going to let you sleep alone?"
I shrugged and walked back towards him, ignoring the hand that was still in front of me. To my frustration, Edward simply grabbed my arm once more, rougher than I deemed necessary. I forced myself to breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth as he opened up another door, flipping on yet another light. Only this time, the room in front of us was a bedroom. There was a king-sized bed sitting in the middle of the room with a round carpet lying on the ground in front of it. There were also two dressers - one on each side of the bed - which looked as if they were hand made. They were beautiful.
"If you look in the closet there is a black duffel bag," Edward said, walking to the bed and sitting down on the edge. "Get it and bring it to me."
Biting my tongue so I didn't say something that would wind up putting me six feet in the ground, I went to the only closed door in the room and opened it. My eyes immediately found the bag he was talking about. Grabbing it by its strap, I walked back to Edward and deposited the bag at his feet. Before I could move away, Edward surprised me by grabbing my arm again and standing up. His eyes were narrowed and his grip tightened.
"Say it," he demanded.
I opened my mouth but no sound came out. Clearing my throat I tried again.
"You are all I have," I whispered, praying that was what he wanted to hear.
"Say all of it. Start over," he said.
"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life now, Edward," I recited perfectly.
The smile he gave me relieved me of my tension and I relaxed, knowing that at this moment he was happy with me.
"Such a good, smart, beautiful girl," he praised, brushing some of my hair behind my ear.
Not knowing what to say to that, I chose to remain silent, hoping that his touches remained on "friendly" terms.
"When someone gives you a compliment, Bella, the polite thing would be to thank them," Edward chastised.
I swallowed nervously and wet my dry lips.
"Thank you, Edward," I replied.
"Good girl," he smiled.
I held my breath as he continued to look at me until he finally turned back to the duffel bag where he rummaged around for a minute. He apparently found what he was looking for, as he turned back to me holding out a pale blue dress.
I looked at it curiously, not knowing what he wanted me to do with a dress at this time of night.
"Put this on and climb into bed," he said, putting the dress in my hands.
He must have seen the confusion on my face because he exhaled sharply and lifted my hands into the air for me. I gasped in surprise and struggled against him as he rid me of my shirt, leaving me in only my white bra. He quickly, yet gently, pulled the dress over my head, making sure to pull it down as far as it would go until it reached my knees.
"It's a nightgown," he explained. "Now, do I need to take off your pants for you, too, or do you think you can manage it?"
I moved my hair out from beneath the nightgown and scowled at him, lifting the material slightly so I could reach the button on my jeans. I stepped out of my shoes and carefully toed off the jeans, blushing brightly. Why didn't he at least look away and pretend to give me some privacy?
"Why are you staring?" I asked, bending down and picking up my jeans.
Instead of answering, Edward pointed to the bed while unbuttoning his jeans. Letting out a squeak of surprise I quickly stumbled to the bed, making sure not to look in his direction.
"You're not sleeping in here, are you?" I asked him, pushing myself onto the bed.
There was no way I was sharing a bed with that man. I would sleep on the cold hard floor before that happened.
"What do you think?" he asked, moving to the other side of the bed and pulling down the covers.
I couldn't take it anymore. A fresh set of tears leaked from the corners of my eyes as I looked down at the bedspread. I flinched again as Edward's thumb came under my chin to lift my face so that we were at eye level.
"I'm not going anywhere," he promised, "and neither are you."
I ripped my chin from his fingers but said nothing.
"Say it again."
I shook my head and willed myself to stay strong. I was not giving into his neanderthal ways.
"I won't ask you again," Edward growled.
"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life now, Edward," I whispered brokenly.
"I love that you think of me as your life," he said as I covered my face with my hands.
"I'm not saying it because I want to," I said, crying harder.
"You wouldn't say it if you didn't want to, Baby," he said as I scrambled to get out of the bed. I was over this crazy shit! Just as my hand made it to the door handle, his arms wrapped around me. "Let go of me!" I yelled. "I want to go home!"
"Why do you want to go home? Do you like to be beaten?" he asked, molding my body to his.
"I can't breathe," I gasped.
"Answer me! Do you like to be beaten?"
"No!" I said, crying even harder.
He had my arms locked to my sides and he was breathing heavily on the back of my neck. When he spoke again, his mouth was right at my ear.
"Why wouldn't you want to be with me? I would never beat you. I only want what's best for you. You said yourself that I'm all you will ever need," he said as he finally loosened his grip.
"You made me say it," I said, shaking my head in denial.
"You wouldn't say it if you didn't want to," he repeated, pulling me back to the bed. "It's time for bed."
"I don't want to sleep next to you," I said as I started to fight him again.
"Say it."
"No!"
"Say it!"
"No!"
Edward managed to sit himself on the edge of the bed and pulled me between his legs. My arms and body were leaning towards the door as I struggled to get out of his hold. In a way it was good that he didn't let go of me, because otherwise I would have crashed straight into the floor...but I had to fight him…I didn't have a choice. I knew I wasn't going to win against him, but I also knew I would die trying. To my surprise and anger, Edward didn't fight back. He only kept his grip firmly around my waist as he let me struggle against him. He knew as well as I did that there was no chance of me escaping him but he let me try anyway. I don't know how long I fought against him, but eventually all I had left in me were tears of anger. My fight was gone, my body too exhausted to continue on. Once more he said it was time for bed, and all I could do was lay limply across his lap.
"Say it, Baby," he whispered in my ear as he lay me down in the bed.
"You are all I have. You are all I need. You are my life now, Edward," I said as I closed my eyes. "May I go to sleep now?"
"Yes," he said as I felt his hand on my leg.
I felt cold metal against the skin around my ankle, and when he let me go I tried to move my leg, realizing that he had cuffed me to the bed frame. Whoever he was, he was crazy, but I needed some sleep. Tomorrow - I promised myself - I would come up with a plan to get away.