Disclaimer: I own a boat full of nothing. :)
A/N: Hmm, maybe there will be more than four chapters left. We'll see. It all depends how it writes down on paper. I outlined the ending of the story, but I'm not sure how it will go. Just... thanks for the reviews and please, please, please... enjoy!
Jeff would be lying if he said he wasn't scared shitless as he stared at Coral Moore's mother. He found it odd that she looked so much like her and yet so much like Shannon. They had different mothers, after all. She had the same face shape, same shape of her eyes, same lips… unnerving, really. And the way she was standing there with an innocent smile frightened the younger Hardy brother even more.
"Where is she?" He couldn't even say her name. Jeff was afraid if he said it, he'd lose his temper.
"Jeffrey? Why do you look so bewildered?"
"How do you know my name?" Even though he knew how, he wanted to catch her in a lie. Give her a reason for him to try to get out of there. With the pit bull in the other room and the quiet by eeriness that surrounded him, he knew he couldn't get out on his own free-will. It would take work.
Felicia continued to give him that Coral-like smile, as if she didn't know a thing in the world. Also staring at her, he couldn't believe this woman was an addict or at least, an ex-addict. She looked somewhat childlike, also very much like Coral in that respect. She couldn't be taller than five-two. Her features were young although she looked a mess.
"Jeffrey, I've known your name for months, darling."
Bile almost rose up from his stomach, but he forced it back down. Maybe if he played around long enough, he would work his way out of there too. "How?"
"Oh Jeffrey, look! The tea is ready." She clapped her hands together excitedly and walked a waddle toward the filthy stove, taking the kettle off and filling a grimy-looking cup to nearly the brim. From there, she waddled back toward the refrigerator and took out milk which much to his surprise was fresh looking. Finally, she poured some sugar in and turned back around. "Here, Jeffrey. Drink up. You need your strength."
The cup remained in her palm while Jeff stared her deeply in the eye. "Look, Felicia, stop fuckin' around with me. Where is the little bitch?"
"Oh no," Felicia crowed in a strange voice and Jeff learned that the drugs may not have affected her physically but they sure did seem to reflect on her mentally. "No… no. You do not say that, Jeffrey. Don't you see? Your anger causes you pain. It's your actions that caused this, dear. That is why I needed to break her free. You put her in chains and left her without food… you can't do that, dear. She needs power to live… you gave her power, she felt strong… but you knocked her down. You made her feel terrible and now… you must pay."
This fucking woman is out of her mind! Jeff couldn't help but think as he inched backward, trying to get a better understanding of his surroundings. Maybe there was another way out. With the pit bull resting in the hallway that led to the door, Jeff couldn't help but feel more and more suffocated. Soon enough, he knew she would be back for him. His family would be gone if they weren't already… Beth. He froze in place thinking about her, remembering the terror and the agony in her screams. And Matt and Shannon… the last thing he had said to them wasn't good. They were fighting… if only he could take it all back. If only he knew what the girl had planned.
He'd take everything back.
"You're fucking crazy! You both are!" Jeff backed away from Felicia, careful to keep his voice at an indoor level so the sleeping dog to his right wouldn't wake up and make an early dinner out of him. "Leave me the fuck alone!"
"Jeffrey, it's too late for that. You were bad, now you pay."
Something silver caught his eye as she inched toward him. Beside the tea, there were knives. He didn't know if they were sharp or not, but it was better than nothing. "You know, Felicia, I think you're right. I need some tea."
The evil look in her eyes disappeared quickly. "Oh! You do? Great, dear! Let me get that for you!"
But Jeff was quicker and he walked in front, smiling at the obviously senile woman. "It's okay. I'm a big boy." He waited until Felicia looked away and then pulled out a knife and hid it behind his back. Slowly then, he pretended to take a sip of the tea. At least he wasn't stupid there. Jeff knew there was some kind of sedative in the drink after seeing her put in a powder that was much to thin to be sugar.
"Is it good, dear?"
"Very good," Jeff lied with a smile. "Do you mind if I go outside to smoke a cigarette, Felicia?" He didn't want to have to use the knife if it wasn't necessary. He gave her an apologetic smile. "It's a terrible addiction, but I can't seem to get rid of it."
"You can smoke in her." Her careful eyes showed she was catching onto him. "Why don't you rest by the table and I'll go get some of mine? I have Newport's."
Yes! Jeff thought as she walked out of the room and her shadow went down the hall. Quickly, he stood and inched his way toward the door all the way to his right. When he arrived, he turned the lock and was met with a shock that he never expected. It wasn't a door… at least, it wasn't anymore. In place of what was once an exit to the house was now bricks.
"Jeffrey?" He cursed under his breath. "I told you to smoke in the kitchen."
He flipped around, showing the knife. "Back up! Now!"
Felicia laughed. "Oh, Jeffrey. Will you ever learn?"
"WHERE IS THE EXIT TO THIS PLACE, LADY? TELL ME!"
Felicia continued to howl her child-like giggles but then simply said, "Baxter! Here boy. I have a toy for you…" The sound of a growling pit bull sent chills up Jeff's spine, but he reminded himself he was a wrestler and he had taken on bigger and stronger individuals and also knew plenty of holds to get him out of this mess.
Pointing the knife at Felicia, he shouted, "Move out of my way!"
The woman did as she was told and the pit came into the room, teeth barred, fur up on the back of its neck. With a gulp of air, Jeff took off for the kitchen, hearing the skidding of the dog's feet from behind him. He made it into the room he awoke in just in time before the dog hauled itself at the door. Behind it, Jeff sighed quietly. He was safe… if only for now. But he was also stuck in the room and without a way out… how could he save his family? … If they weren't dead already…
The thought nearly gutted him. What time was it? Without any windows and with his back still killing him, he couldn't find out the time, let alone break free. There weren't any air vents in the room and he was sure if he walked back through that door, he'd be a dog's dinner.
"What am I going to do?"
Jeff paced through the room for nearly a half hour, taking deep breath after deep breath. All he saw was Beth's face in his mind, the confusion on Matt's, and the complete look of shock on Shannon's. His family was gone. He was alone in a house with a crazy girl's mother who had the same intentions of her.
Suddenly, his foot came over a loose floorboard panel that caught his attention. He stepped back down on it and noticed it squeaked again. With instant hope, he pulled it up and stood back in shock, under it was a pathway of some sort. Perhaps Felicia didn't know he would find it, or she didn't know it even existed, but before she could come find it, he climbed through the pathway and closed the board above it with a smile.
"I'm coming," he whispered quietly. "Please don't let me be too late."
Hehehehehehehe. Anyway, read and review!
