Piper shuddered and said nothing.
It seemed hours before the moment came that she had been waiting for. Dan
went to get more wood.
She came up off the ground in a stumbling rush running in the other
direction, seeking the cover of the forest and the mountainside.
And, that was the beginning of a deadly game of hide and seeks.
She hid herself under the brush of a low hanging tree. Breathing was difficult not so much from the high altitude as from the fear of him finding her. She could hear him calling, and the hacking from the knife whilst he was cutting down branches of bushes and trees.
"You will not get away from you little bitch. Do you really think your lover boy is going to come up her and find you? Not on your life I will make sure he will never find you." The sound of him coming closer almost caused Piper to gasp in horror, but she contained her self and kept her self-silent. She had to formulate a plan to get herself out of here.
She could hear him come closer and she pushed herself back in to the bush. Her hands freezing cold wrapped it-self around one of the many rocks that littered the mountain floor. She was going to use it a weapon if need be. Suddenly she had an idea. It worked in the movie, so why not for her. She lifted her self as high as she could without Dan seeing her. And hurled the stone in the opposite direction. It made enough noise that Dan turned the other way. At first, he did not move and Piper was afraid her little plan would not work. However, after a few seconds of hesitation, Dan walked towards where she had thrown the rock.
Piper sighed a breath of relief but stayed put for a few more seconds making sure that Dan had really walked away. When she was sure Dan was no longer near she pulled her self up and made her way out of the bush. Her muscle screaming in protest. She couldn't see Dan anywhere so she made a mad dash for the path leading down the mountain. No sooner had she taken a few steps and her head was jerked back and she landed on the ground with a thud. For a few seconds she had no idea what had happened and thought maybe her hair had been caught on a branch or something.
However, that notion was put out of he head fairly soon when she heard Dan's voice right next to her ear. "Did you really think I would fall for the oldest trick in the book, How dumb do you think I am my dear" he snarled and pulled her to her feet. " Dan why don't you just let me go, I wont tell anyone what has happened here, just let me go back down" she pleaded with him. "Oh yeah and how are going to explain the bruises you have all over you"? He asked her. "I'll just tell them the horse threw me." She said hoping Dan was going to let her go. And for a brief moment, it looked like he did.
"Hmm nope that is not going to work, you see I don't trust as far as I can throw you Piper. But that is your own fault if you would just have done as I had asked you there would not have been a problem. But no perfect Piper had to have it her way. Well do you see what you have driven me too? You know this is your entire fault? Don't you?" Piper thought it wise to keep her mouth closed for the time being. Dan was in another world all-together. In addition, she knew there was no reasoning with him anymore. All she knew was that she had to get away from him. With her life in tact if anyway possible.
It was getting late again and Piper knew she going to spend another night on the mountain she was hungry but more then that she was thirsty. She had not spoken to Dan for several hours and he had acted as if she was not even around. He just kept putting logs on the fire making it bigger and bigger. Piper was not going to object, as long as he was making it bigger the chance that someone would see it was greater. " Dan I am thirsty could I have drink of water.. Please?" Dan looked up as if now only remembering she was there. "Get up!" He growled at her. Piper looked up not understanding why she had to get up the canteen was right next to him all he had to do was hand it to her. "I said get up" Dan repeated. Reluctantly Piper got to her feet her muscles again screaming in protest. Dan grabbed her arm roughly. "You know Piper we could have had a great life, we could have done so many things. But you had to go and ruin it, you had to go and pine away for a man who didn't even want you anymore, Why Piper why?" Piper was getting more and more scared by the second. Why had not she just kept her mouth shut? Why had she had to ask for that damn drink of water?
"Dan where are you taken me?" She asked him. While
trying to dig her heel in to the soft ground.
Dan did not even seem to notice that she was resisting and kept without mercy Pulling her arm. Still seemingly in his own world. Muttering words left and
right. Non of which Piper could make any sense of. "Dan please you are
hurting me" Piper tried again but no avail. Dan kept dragging her along.
When they reached the side of the river Dan looked down and then turned to
Piper and looked at her with an evil grin on his face. "You wanted some
water?" He asked her. "You where thirsty?" he kept taunting her while walking
closer and closer to the edge of the river which had about a fifty foot drop
to the water. Piper closed her eyes and prayed someone to come and find
her, for someone to hear her pleas. However, she knew nobody would come. For
nobody knew they where up here but phoebe and Cole and when they had left the
range, her and Dan had seemed fine. So no, reason for her sister to think that
there might be something wrong. Dan turned to her once more.
"Now my little pet we are going to find out how well you can swim" He
started. Piper fought him with all she was worth but it seemed that weak
little Dan had become some super human or something no matter what she tried
to do she couldn't keep him away. "Dan please you don't want to do this?" she
begged with him when she knew fighting was no longer going to work. "Please
think of your career, they are going to find out what happened up here?" she
went on hoping she could scare him into letting her go.
" But how? Piper" he said. Tightening the grip on her arm. "You gave me the
perfect excuse earlier on. I will just go down the mountain as the bereft
husband, and tell them your horse had thrown you and you fell in the river, I
tried to save you, you see but I just could not get a good enough grip on you.
And you just slipped out of my grasp. Oh god, I really tried to save you. I
really did but I couldn't" he smiled at her.
"Just think how that is going to work in the press. The husband who tried
everything to save his wife! The husband who lost against Mother Nature! They
are going to eat it up. Of course, I am going to be the mournful widow for a
little while. I cant just go out and live a normal life but what is a year
in, if I can have the rest of my live to do what I want, when I want it, and
with whom I want it, and that all with the money my dear departed wife left
me". Dan was now laughing aloud. Suddenly he turned silent and looked at
her.
"It did not have to be this way Piper; I really did love you. But you made it
impossible to keep loving you after we found out Leo was still alive, I will
never forgive you for that!" he then pulled her closer and kissed her
violently on the lips. It took all Pipers' willpower not to throw up in his
face as she felt the bitter taste of the bile in the back of her throat.
Again she tried to plead with him for her life, but she could see in his eyes
that no matter what she would say or do her end was near. She made one more
desperate attempted to get away from him by kicking him in the knee. But with
out shoes it had a minimal effect. She only succeeded in getting him angrier
with her. He forcefully lifted her in the air and was holding her high above
the ground advancing to the edge. Piper looked down and she knew within
minutes she was going to be swept away by the raptors of the cold river to
never be heard from again. She closed her eyes and waited for the cold water
to hit her body. She felt Dan's hands let go and she screamed the lungs out
her body. However, the cold splash she had been waiting for never happened. And
she fell to the ground. For a few seconds she thought Dan had changed his
mind. Then she heard the grunts. Confused she turned around to see what
it was. And when she turned around. She knew her prayers had been answered.
With a shock, Piper felt her self pulled back to the present. She looked around and saw that she had walked to the edge of the river again. She remembered it all now the whole thing in detail. She heard a noise, turned around, and saw Leo standing on the edge of the tree's looking at her with a worried look. "Piper are you okay?" he asked her walking slowly towards. "Leo..you .you?" Piper stammered. Leo walked all the way up to her and sat next to her not touching her not knowing what state she was in. "Are you okay hunny" he asked softly.
Piper again looked at him. "You where here that night.where you?" she asked him. Leo looked over at the river and at first did not say anything. "Leo?" Slowly Leo looked over at her. A hint of anger in his eyes. "Yes I was here." He said Again turning his eyes towards the river. "But ..how.. why..?" Piper started. She had so many questions running around in her mind that she did not know which one to ask him first.
Leo turned his look back to her. "I don't know how I knew Piper, I just knew you where in trouble and that I needed to come up this mountain. I knew you and Dan where here because phoebe had told me you guys where here. I wasn't planning to come up on the mountain at all. I was going to leave the two of you alone. But somewhere during the night I heard you calling for me. It was like the wind or something carried your voice. I cannot explain it. All I knew was that I had to come and find you. Something was telling me you where hurt." He said as he took her hand.
"When I walked up here and saw him holding you above his head ready to throw you down I thought my heart would stop. I tried so hard to get up here faster but I kept slipping on the rocks. My God, Piper, I thought I was going to be to late." Leo said emotions clearly visible in his face. Piper had not said anything. She just listened to him. His hands still in hers. Their fingers intertwined. "When I finally got up here I called his name but it seemed that he couldn't hear me, like he was possessed or something I don't know Piper all I knew was that I had to get you out of his hand before he would drop you." He said looking in her eyes. "I couldn't lose you again".
"You never lost me Leo " Piper said softly. "What happened next Leo, please tell me?" "All I knew to do was to get him to let go of you was to cut him down at the knees. Even then, I was not sure he was going to throw you. I was so scared. However, it seemed that you had turned your self when you heard me screaming his name. When I charged him you where struggling. I knew I could take him. We rolled around the floor for a while. He kept saying you where his and that if he could not have you then neither was anyone. He tried to get back at you. I had to stop him Piper..I had to." Leo again turned his face away from her. He did not want her to him like this.
Piper took her hand, placed it on his cheek, and turned him back towards her. "You had no choice Leo, he was going to kill me if he had gotten to me and you know that!" she told him. "I wanted him dead Piper, don't you understand that. I saw all your bruises and your feet, you where barely wearing anything, I wanted him dead Piper, there is no way around that" when he fell over the side I could have held on to him I might even have been able to pull him back up. I just.." "No, Leo don't say that, you did all you could. I remember everything. You tried to save him. I saw you." Piper shouted. "It does not change a thing Piper, I knew I could have. However, when he looked at me and said he was going to get you eventually.. I let go Piper.I just let him go" he said and buried his head in his hands.
Piper had tears running down her cheeks as well. "Leo I don't know what picture you have in your head, but I saw you hanging over the edge of this clip holding on to him for dear life. He was the one that let go of you. Knowing that if anyone found out you where out here and knew what had happened you would be the one in trouble. Moreover, me not remembering did just that didn't I "Piper said in shock
Leo's head comes up with a jerk. "No don't even say that, you know that is not true" "Yes Leo it is. But now I do remember and we are going to make sure that every one knows. I just don't understand why anyone would think that you had anything to do with this?" Piper said. "I was the one that brought you down from the mountain bruises all over me, bruises that could not have been made from falling of a horse. The Sheriff put one plus one together, but said he couldn't arrest me without a body and without a statement from you he couldn't prove anything." He told her. "And it helps that he is your friend" Piper smiled at him. Leo gave her lopsided smile as well.
"What are we to do from here" Piper asked him. "You have to go down to the mountain and tell the sheriff your story, the whole story Piper!" he said looking her in the eye. " I don't want you lying for me," he added. " I am going to tell him just what I remember, Leo" she said with a smile. Leo got up and extended his hand to her to help her up of the ground. Piper gave a little smile. "Leo I think I twisted my ankle .. Could you pick me up please?" she asked him.
Leo walked over and started to pick her up. "Are you sure about this?" he asked her. Piper placed her head on his shoulder " I trust you with my life Leo" she whispered.
The end
She hid herself under the brush of a low hanging tree. Breathing was difficult not so much from the high altitude as from the fear of him finding her. She could hear him calling, and the hacking from the knife whilst he was cutting down branches of bushes and trees.
"You will not get away from you little bitch. Do you really think your lover boy is going to come up her and find you? Not on your life I will make sure he will never find you." The sound of him coming closer almost caused Piper to gasp in horror, but she contained her self and kept her self-silent. She had to formulate a plan to get herself out of here.
She could hear him come closer and she pushed herself back in to the bush. Her hands freezing cold wrapped it-self around one of the many rocks that littered the mountain floor. She was going to use it a weapon if need be. Suddenly she had an idea. It worked in the movie, so why not for her. She lifted her self as high as she could without Dan seeing her. And hurled the stone in the opposite direction. It made enough noise that Dan turned the other way. At first, he did not move and Piper was afraid her little plan would not work. However, after a few seconds of hesitation, Dan walked towards where she had thrown the rock.
Piper sighed a breath of relief but stayed put for a few more seconds making sure that Dan had really walked away. When she was sure Dan was no longer near she pulled her self up and made her way out of the bush. Her muscle screaming in protest. She couldn't see Dan anywhere so she made a mad dash for the path leading down the mountain. No sooner had she taken a few steps and her head was jerked back and she landed on the ground with a thud. For a few seconds she had no idea what had happened and thought maybe her hair had been caught on a branch or something.
However, that notion was put out of he head fairly soon when she heard Dan's voice right next to her ear. "Did you really think I would fall for the oldest trick in the book, How dumb do you think I am my dear" he snarled and pulled her to her feet. " Dan why don't you just let me go, I wont tell anyone what has happened here, just let me go back down" she pleaded with him. "Oh yeah and how are going to explain the bruises you have all over you"? He asked her. "I'll just tell them the horse threw me." She said hoping Dan was going to let her go. And for a brief moment, it looked like he did.
"Hmm nope that is not going to work, you see I don't trust as far as I can throw you Piper. But that is your own fault if you would just have done as I had asked you there would not have been a problem. But no perfect Piper had to have it her way. Well do you see what you have driven me too? You know this is your entire fault? Don't you?" Piper thought it wise to keep her mouth closed for the time being. Dan was in another world all-together. In addition, she knew there was no reasoning with him anymore. All she knew was that she had to get away from him. With her life in tact if anyway possible.
It was getting late again and Piper knew she going to spend another night on the mountain she was hungry but more then that she was thirsty. She had not spoken to Dan for several hours and he had acted as if she was not even around. He just kept putting logs on the fire making it bigger and bigger. Piper was not going to object, as long as he was making it bigger the chance that someone would see it was greater. " Dan I am thirsty could I have drink of water.. Please?" Dan looked up as if now only remembering she was there. "Get up!" He growled at her. Piper looked up not understanding why she had to get up the canteen was right next to him all he had to do was hand it to her. "I said get up" Dan repeated. Reluctantly Piper got to her feet her muscles again screaming in protest. Dan grabbed her arm roughly. "You know Piper we could have had a great life, we could have done so many things. But you had to go and ruin it, you had to go and pine away for a man who didn't even want you anymore, Why Piper why?" Piper was getting more and more scared by the second. Why had not she just kept her mouth shut? Why had she had to ask for that damn drink of water?
"Dan where are you taken me?" She asked him. While
trying to dig her heel in to the soft ground.
Dan did not even seem to notice that she was resisting and kept without mercy Pulling her arm. Still seemingly in his own world. Muttering words left and
right. Non of which Piper could make any sense of. "Dan please you are
hurting me" Piper tried again but no avail. Dan kept dragging her along.
When they reached the side of the river Dan looked down and then turned to
Piper and looked at her with an evil grin on his face. "You wanted some
water?" He asked her. "You where thirsty?" he kept taunting her while walking
closer and closer to the edge of the river which had about a fifty foot drop
to the water. Piper closed her eyes and prayed someone to come and find
her, for someone to hear her pleas. However, she knew nobody would come. For
nobody knew they where up here but phoebe and Cole and when they had left the
range, her and Dan had seemed fine. So no, reason for her sister to think that
there might be something wrong. Dan turned to her once more.
"Now my little pet we are going to find out how well you can swim" He
started. Piper fought him with all she was worth but it seemed that weak
little Dan had become some super human or something no matter what she tried
to do she couldn't keep him away. "Dan please you don't want to do this?" she
begged with him when she knew fighting was no longer going to work. "Please
think of your career, they are going to find out what happened up here?" she
went on hoping she could scare him into letting her go.
" But how? Piper" he said. Tightening the grip on her arm. "You gave me the
perfect excuse earlier on. I will just go down the mountain as the bereft
husband, and tell them your horse had thrown you and you fell in the river, I
tried to save you, you see but I just could not get a good enough grip on you.
And you just slipped out of my grasp. Oh god, I really tried to save you. I
really did but I couldn't" he smiled at her.
"Just think how that is going to work in the press. The husband who tried
everything to save his wife! The husband who lost against Mother Nature! They
are going to eat it up. Of course, I am going to be the mournful widow for a
little while. I cant just go out and live a normal life but what is a year
in, if I can have the rest of my live to do what I want, when I want it, and
with whom I want it, and that all with the money my dear departed wife left
me". Dan was now laughing aloud. Suddenly he turned silent and looked at
her.
"It did not have to be this way Piper; I really did love you. But you made it
impossible to keep loving you after we found out Leo was still alive, I will
never forgive you for that!" he then pulled her closer and kissed her
violently on the lips. It took all Pipers' willpower not to throw up in his
face as she felt the bitter taste of the bile in the back of her throat.
Again she tried to plead with him for her life, but she could see in his eyes
that no matter what she would say or do her end was near. She made one more
desperate attempted to get away from him by kicking him in the knee. But with
out shoes it had a minimal effect. She only succeeded in getting him angrier
with her. He forcefully lifted her in the air and was holding her high above
the ground advancing to the edge. Piper looked down and she knew within
minutes she was going to be swept away by the raptors of the cold river to
never be heard from again. She closed her eyes and waited for the cold water
to hit her body. She felt Dan's hands let go and she screamed the lungs out
her body. However, the cold splash she had been waiting for never happened. And
she fell to the ground. For a few seconds she thought Dan had changed his
mind. Then she heard the grunts. Confused she turned around to see what
it was. And when she turned around. She knew her prayers had been answered.
With a shock, Piper felt her self pulled back to the present. She looked around and saw that she had walked to the edge of the river again. She remembered it all now the whole thing in detail. She heard a noise, turned around, and saw Leo standing on the edge of the tree's looking at her with a worried look. "Piper are you okay?" he asked her walking slowly towards. "Leo..you .you?" Piper stammered. Leo walked all the way up to her and sat next to her not touching her not knowing what state she was in. "Are you okay hunny" he asked softly.
Piper again looked at him. "You where here that night.where you?" she asked him. Leo looked over at the river and at first did not say anything. "Leo?" Slowly Leo looked over at her. A hint of anger in his eyes. "Yes I was here." He said Again turning his eyes towards the river. "But ..how.. why..?" Piper started. She had so many questions running around in her mind that she did not know which one to ask him first.
Leo turned his look back to her. "I don't know how I knew Piper, I just knew you where in trouble and that I needed to come up this mountain. I knew you and Dan where here because phoebe had told me you guys where here. I wasn't planning to come up on the mountain at all. I was going to leave the two of you alone. But somewhere during the night I heard you calling for me. It was like the wind or something carried your voice. I cannot explain it. All I knew was that I had to come and find you. Something was telling me you where hurt." He said as he took her hand.
"When I walked up here and saw him holding you above his head ready to throw you down I thought my heart would stop. I tried so hard to get up here faster but I kept slipping on the rocks. My God, Piper, I thought I was going to be to late." Leo said emotions clearly visible in his face. Piper had not said anything. She just listened to him. His hands still in hers. Their fingers intertwined. "When I finally got up here I called his name but it seemed that he couldn't hear me, like he was possessed or something I don't know Piper all I knew was that I had to get you out of his hand before he would drop you." He said looking in her eyes. "I couldn't lose you again".
"You never lost me Leo " Piper said softly. "What happened next Leo, please tell me?" "All I knew to do was to get him to let go of you was to cut him down at the knees. Even then, I was not sure he was going to throw you. I was so scared. However, it seemed that you had turned your self when you heard me screaming his name. When I charged him you where struggling. I knew I could take him. We rolled around the floor for a while. He kept saying you where his and that if he could not have you then neither was anyone. He tried to get back at you. I had to stop him Piper..I had to." Leo again turned his face away from her. He did not want her to him like this.
Piper took her hand, placed it on his cheek, and turned him back towards her. "You had no choice Leo, he was going to kill me if he had gotten to me and you know that!" she told him. "I wanted him dead Piper, don't you understand that. I saw all your bruises and your feet, you where barely wearing anything, I wanted him dead Piper, there is no way around that" when he fell over the side I could have held on to him I might even have been able to pull him back up. I just.." "No, Leo don't say that, you did all you could. I remember everything. You tried to save him. I saw you." Piper shouted. "It does not change a thing Piper, I knew I could have. However, when he looked at me and said he was going to get you eventually.. I let go Piper.I just let him go" he said and buried his head in his hands.
Piper had tears running down her cheeks as well. "Leo I don't know what picture you have in your head, but I saw you hanging over the edge of this clip holding on to him for dear life. He was the one that let go of you. Knowing that if anyone found out you where out here and knew what had happened you would be the one in trouble. Moreover, me not remembering did just that didn't I "Piper said in shock
Leo's head comes up with a jerk. "No don't even say that, you know that is not true" "Yes Leo it is. But now I do remember and we are going to make sure that every one knows. I just don't understand why anyone would think that you had anything to do with this?" Piper said. "I was the one that brought you down from the mountain bruises all over me, bruises that could not have been made from falling of a horse. The Sheriff put one plus one together, but said he couldn't arrest me without a body and without a statement from you he couldn't prove anything." He told her. "And it helps that he is your friend" Piper smiled at him. Leo gave her lopsided smile as well.
"What are we to do from here" Piper asked him. "You have to go down to the mountain and tell the sheriff your story, the whole story Piper!" he said looking her in the eye. " I don't want you lying for me," he added. " I am going to tell him just what I remember, Leo" she said with a smile. Leo got up and extended his hand to her to help her up of the ground. Piper gave a little smile. "Leo I think I twisted my ankle .. Could you pick me up please?" she asked him.
Leo walked over and started to pick her up. "Are you sure about this?" he asked her. Piper placed her head on his shoulder " I trust you with my life Leo" she whispered.
The end