First off, thanks to the awesome people who reviewed, you rock! And second
of all, sorry for the long absence. So this chapter is nice and long!
Enjoy!
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Ronnie held his hands up, the base of the lamp thumping heavily to the ground. "What the hell do I have to do to prove to you, I'm not going to hurt you?" He sighed and stepped forward and began to tug at the rope around her ankles.
"So, you had nothing to do with any of this?" she asked, leaning back against balled fist.
Ronnie shook his head. "I was trying to help you. I wish you'd realize that I'm not going to hurt you." He tossed the rope onto the edge of the bed and quickly retreated to the wall. He glanced down at Larry's limp body. "We need to get out of here, call the police, and maybe paramedics."
Lizzie stared at him and slowly nodded her head. She swung her legs off the bed and gingerly tested each one. Being bent and tired up for so long had stiffened her muscles. She slowly struggled to stand up. Ronnie stepped forward offering his arm. Lizzie swung her arms, pushing him away. "I don't need help."
Ronnie sighed. "Lizzie..."
"No, just stay away," she barked.
She pretended not to notice the look of sadness that flickered across his face. She stepped gingerly around Larry's flaccid figure. She almost expected him at any moment to leap up and claps around her legs in a final attempt to finish the job. She finally made it across the room and her hands clenched tightly around the phone. She lifted the receiver to her ear then glanced grimly up at Ronnie. "There's no dial tone." She couldn't bring herself to say the line was dead while she could still see Larry's form and the memory still vivid in her mind.
"I've got to get back. I've got to find Gordo and Miranda. They have to be all right," Lizzie murmured, walking out the door. She glanced down the hallways, both looked identical.
Suddenly, Lizzie felt a hand on her shoulder. She went to jerked away from Ronnie again, but his hand clamped down on her shoulder, harder than before.
"Let me go," she exclaimed, tying once again to unsuccessfully pull away.
"I can't do that," he growled, twisting her arm behind her back.
Lizzie whimpered, mentally screaming at herself for her stupidity. "I thought you weren't going to hurt me."
"You're so naïve, Lizzie," he hissed, pulled her arm up higher behind her back. He twisted her around and shoved her ahead of him down the stair well.
"Larry was the one who was behind all of this not you!"
"Do you honestly think that Larry would contrive something this complicated? He didn't have the guts to do it. Just like you don't have the guts to see when something is right in front of your pretty little face."
He was leading her down a stairwell, his voice echoing off the bare walls. Lizzie struggled against him. The steps wound down and if she fell, she wouldn't have far to tumble.
"I was the one taking pictures, I was the one who beat up your precious Gordo, and when it came time for it, I had to go after Larry."
"It doesn't make sense. Why would you do something like this?" she cried, his fingers tightened around her wrist.
"Have you ever heard of second chances, Lizzie? No? No one seems to hear about second chances. My old teacher's didn't when I tried to make up work I'd missed. My old school didn't, they expelled me after a fight. Then I saw you. The wonderful Lizzie of Hillridge. I thought, if someone is going to forgive me, it's going to be this girl." He shoved her forward and out a door. "But I was still wrong! Not even the perfect Lizzie could have discovered what second chances were!"
"Where did Larry come in?" Lizzie asked, her bare feet scraping over the asphalt ground of the black parking lot. She realized with horror that he was dragging her towards the lone car parked under a light.
"Larry was supposed to do the stuff I couldn't. But when he started to feel bad, when he started to chicken out, I had to step in," Ronnie snapped, slamming her body against the car.
Lizzie winced from the impact and cradled her stomach with her free arm. "He was trying to warn me, that day he took me to his house, wasn't he?"
"Unfortunately he was," a twisted grin took over his face. "But I quickly convinced him otherwise."
Lizzie felt eth cool metal of the car pressing against her dress and through the material. Her arm had quickly faded to numb, she felt nothing.
"Get into the car," he ordered, reaching forward and swinging open the door.
"No," Lizzie protested, trying to move away. Ronnie's grip only tightened. "Do you think this is going to get you second chances? Beating up people and kidnapping? This is what got you into this trouble in the first place, it won't get you out now."
He cackled, a long, low, rumbling laugh that sent chills through her body. "I've gotten all I want. She's right here."
"Larry's going to wake up and tell! Miranda and Gordo too! My parents, what about them? They'll never stop looking for me!" she insisted shrilly, finally pulling free from his grasp.
She felt the fierce stinging of his hand across her face before she realized what had happened. She let out a cry and cupped her face in her hands. Ronnie's grip tightened around her upper arm again as he attempted to shove her inside the car.
Lizzie swung with her left arm, taking Ronnie by surprises as much as she took herself. Her forearm connected with the side of his jaw, his head snapped to the side. Grabbing the front of her dress, Lizzie pulled it off the ground and began to run. Her feet pounded the pavement. "Help me! Somebody please!" she screamed.
Ronnie abruptly slammed into her side, shoving her to the ground. She heard the clunk of something hard and metal hit the ground. She screamed again. Her only hope was that someone would hear. Ronnie clamped a hand over her mouth, then pressed his other hand to her throat. "Stupid bitch," he muttered, applying pressure with both hands.
Lizzie tired to dig his fingers away, she tried to gasp for breath. Ronnie leaned forward, holding her to the ground.
She lashed out with her leg, it connected sharply with his groin. Ronnie let out a soft sound but his grip loosened. Lizzie kicked again and again, each time her foot connected. She was finally able to pull free. She glanced wildly around and saw what had fallen. A crow bar. Her fingers locked around and she quickly pulled it up, holding it defensively in front of her. "Somebody help!" she screamed.
Ronnie looked up, his face a mocking mask of pain. "They're all dancing Lizzie. Do you really think they're going to hear you?"
She took a step back, spacing her hands farther apart for a better hit.
"Face it, Lizzie. You don't have the guts to do it. I've won," he taunted. "You're going to go down just like Miranda. She put up one hell of a fight though. Wasn't as nearly as satisfying as Gordo though, he went down quick."
That was all the ammunition Lizzie needed, Ronnie lunged for her. Lizzie pulled violently away, swinging the crowbar with all the strength she could muster. She felt the bar stop as it collided with his head. Her footing was lost from trying to pull away and felt herself falling backwards until her head slammed against the concrete. ***
Her head was pounding as she sat up. The overwhelming hospital smells of chemicals and cleaning products caused Lizzie to cover her eyes and fall back. She slowly began to realize she was in a bed, no longer in her beautiful gown, but a hospital gown.
"Hey, McGuire," a soft Latina voice called.
Lizzie turned her head towards the sound as a grin broke over her face. "Miranda!"
Her friend quickly walked forward and hugged her.
"You're all right," Lizzie smiled weakly. "I thought—he'd said..."
"Slow down," Miranda stated, gently patting her hand. "And before you ask, Gordo's all right too."
"Yeah, McGuire, you must have given him one hell of a fight because he forgot all about me and Miranda," Gordo's rich voice called coming into the room.
Lizzie tried not to smile at the sight of her two best friends, they looked undoubtedly better than she did, both were still wearing their dance clothes. "Did they get them?" she asked. "Larry and Ronnie? Are they okay? Are they under arrest?"
Gordo laughed softly, walking around to the other side of the bed, gently placing his hand on hers. "Don't get over excited, breathe. Yes, they got them both. They're at the hospital. I know Larry has one hell of a concussion, and I haven't heard anything about Ronnie."
Miranda smirked as she sat down in a chair beside the bed. "Your parents and Matt are here, they went down to get something to eat."
Lizzie nodded. "But what happened at the hotel? Who found me?"
Miranda and Gordo exchanged a look then Miranda sighed. "Ethan did, but only because Andie told him to look."
"Andie?" Lizzie exclaimed.
"Yeah, she said something might be up and that Larry had been acting really weird and when court was announced, and you didn't show, she couldn't find any of us and actually realized something really was wrong. She told Ms. Ungermeyer, who really couldn't do anything, but she did have the hotel staff start a search and she told Ethan what she thought was going on and he went outside and found you."
"Why did she tell Ethan?" Lizzie asked.
"That's because Ethan was her date," Gordo interjected. "Kate fixed them up to keep Andie happy, so Kate would still have her at her beck and call, but Andie would be too terrified of losing Ethan to disagree or do anything that Kate didn't want her to."
Lizzie slowly rubbed her head. "I can't believe all of this happened."
"Well, when you're feeling better the police want a signed statement," Miranda nodded. "We already gave them one. And, Larry already told the whole story, he confessed, so Ronnie won't really have a choice."
"Ronnie said he did it all because he wanted a second chance. And he manipulated Larry to do what he wanted. Doesn't he realize that when it comes to this there are no second chances?"
Gordo sat down on the edge of her bed and smiled gently at her. "Close your eyes, Lizzie, just go to sleep. It's all finally over. The nightmare had ended." *******The End**********
Did you like? Please review and tell me everything! This was such a great writing for me, there are so many wonderful people who reviewed steadily and faithfully, and you know who you are, and really each chapter is like dedicated to you. I really hope you enjoyed this one! So please, one final time for Lurking Shadows, REVIEW!
Ronnie held his hands up, the base of the lamp thumping heavily to the ground. "What the hell do I have to do to prove to you, I'm not going to hurt you?" He sighed and stepped forward and began to tug at the rope around her ankles.
"So, you had nothing to do with any of this?" she asked, leaning back against balled fist.
Ronnie shook his head. "I was trying to help you. I wish you'd realize that I'm not going to hurt you." He tossed the rope onto the edge of the bed and quickly retreated to the wall. He glanced down at Larry's limp body. "We need to get out of here, call the police, and maybe paramedics."
Lizzie stared at him and slowly nodded her head. She swung her legs off the bed and gingerly tested each one. Being bent and tired up for so long had stiffened her muscles. She slowly struggled to stand up. Ronnie stepped forward offering his arm. Lizzie swung her arms, pushing him away. "I don't need help."
Ronnie sighed. "Lizzie..."
"No, just stay away," she barked.
She pretended not to notice the look of sadness that flickered across his face. She stepped gingerly around Larry's flaccid figure. She almost expected him at any moment to leap up and claps around her legs in a final attempt to finish the job. She finally made it across the room and her hands clenched tightly around the phone. She lifted the receiver to her ear then glanced grimly up at Ronnie. "There's no dial tone." She couldn't bring herself to say the line was dead while she could still see Larry's form and the memory still vivid in her mind.
"I've got to get back. I've got to find Gordo and Miranda. They have to be all right," Lizzie murmured, walking out the door. She glanced down the hallways, both looked identical.
Suddenly, Lizzie felt a hand on her shoulder. She went to jerked away from Ronnie again, but his hand clamped down on her shoulder, harder than before.
"Let me go," she exclaimed, tying once again to unsuccessfully pull away.
"I can't do that," he growled, twisting her arm behind her back.
Lizzie whimpered, mentally screaming at herself for her stupidity. "I thought you weren't going to hurt me."
"You're so naïve, Lizzie," he hissed, pulled her arm up higher behind her back. He twisted her around and shoved her ahead of him down the stair well.
"Larry was the one who was behind all of this not you!"
"Do you honestly think that Larry would contrive something this complicated? He didn't have the guts to do it. Just like you don't have the guts to see when something is right in front of your pretty little face."
He was leading her down a stairwell, his voice echoing off the bare walls. Lizzie struggled against him. The steps wound down and if she fell, she wouldn't have far to tumble.
"I was the one taking pictures, I was the one who beat up your precious Gordo, and when it came time for it, I had to go after Larry."
"It doesn't make sense. Why would you do something like this?" she cried, his fingers tightened around her wrist.
"Have you ever heard of second chances, Lizzie? No? No one seems to hear about second chances. My old teacher's didn't when I tried to make up work I'd missed. My old school didn't, they expelled me after a fight. Then I saw you. The wonderful Lizzie of Hillridge. I thought, if someone is going to forgive me, it's going to be this girl." He shoved her forward and out a door. "But I was still wrong! Not even the perfect Lizzie could have discovered what second chances were!"
"Where did Larry come in?" Lizzie asked, her bare feet scraping over the asphalt ground of the black parking lot. She realized with horror that he was dragging her towards the lone car parked under a light.
"Larry was supposed to do the stuff I couldn't. But when he started to feel bad, when he started to chicken out, I had to step in," Ronnie snapped, slamming her body against the car.
Lizzie winced from the impact and cradled her stomach with her free arm. "He was trying to warn me, that day he took me to his house, wasn't he?"
"Unfortunately he was," a twisted grin took over his face. "But I quickly convinced him otherwise."
Lizzie felt eth cool metal of the car pressing against her dress and through the material. Her arm had quickly faded to numb, she felt nothing.
"Get into the car," he ordered, reaching forward and swinging open the door.
"No," Lizzie protested, trying to move away. Ronnie's grip only tightened. "Do you think this is going to get you second chances? Beating up people and kidnapping? This is what got you into this trouble in the first place, it won't get you out now."
He cackled, a long, low, rumbling laugh that sent chills through her body. "I've gotten all I want. She's right here."
"Larry's going to wake up and tell! Miranda and Gordo too! My parents, what about them? They'll never stop looking for me!" she insisted shrilly, finally pulling free from his grasp.
She felt the fierce stinging of his hand across her face before she realized what had happened. She let out a cry and cupped her face in her hands. Ronnie's grip tightened around her upper arm again as he attempted to shove her inside the car.
Lizzie swung with her left arm, taking Ronnie by surprises as much as she took herself. Her forearm connected with the side of his jaw, his head snapped to the side. Grabbing the front of her dress, Lizzie pulled it off the ground and began to run. Her feet pounded the pavement. "Help me! Somebody please!" she screamed.
Ronnie abruptly slammed into her side, shoving her to the ground. She heard the clunk of something hard and metal hit the ground. She screamed again. Her only hope was that someone would hear. Ronnie clamped a hand over her mouth, then pressed his other hand to her throat. "Stupid bitch," he muttered, applying pressure with both hands.
Lizzie tired to dig his fingers away, she tried to gasp for breath. Ronnie leaned forward, holding her to the ground.
She lashed out with her leg, it connected sharply with his groin. Ronnie let out a soft sound but his grip loosened. Lizzie kicked again and again, each time her foot connected. She was finally able to pull free. She glanced wildly around and saw what had fallen. A crow bar. Her fingers locked around and she quickly pulled it up, holding it defensively in front of her. "Somebody help!" she screamed.
Ronnie looked up, his face a mocking mask of pain. "They're all dancing Lizzie. Do you really think they're going to hear you?"
She took a step back, spacing her hands farther apart for a better hit.
"Face it, Lizzie. You don't have the guts to do it. I've won," he taunted. "You're going to go down just like Miranda. She put up one hell of a fight though. Wasn't as nearly as satisfying as Gordo though, he went down quick."
That was all the ammunition Lizzie needed, Ronnie lunged for her. Lizzie pulled violently away, swinging the crowbar with all the strength she could muster. She felt the bar stop as it collided with his head. Her footing was lost from trying to pull away and felt herself falling backwards until her head slammed against the concrete. ***
Her head was pounding as she sat up. The overwhelming hospital smells of chemicals and cleaning products caused Lizzie to cover her eyes and fall back. She slowly began to realize she was in a bed, no longer in her beautiful gown, but a hospital gown.
"Hey, McGuire," a soft Latina voice called.
Lizzie turned her head towards the sound as a grin broke over her face. "Miranda!"
Her friend quickly walked forward and hugged her.
"You're all right," Lizzie smiled weakly. "I thought—he'd said..."
"Slow down," Miranda stated, gently patting her hand. "And before you ask, Gordo's all right too."
"Yeah, McGuire, you must have given him one hell of a fight because he forgot all about me and Miranda," Gordo's rich voice called coming into the room.
Lizzie tried not to smile at the sight of her two best friends, they looked undoubtedly better than she did, both were still wearing their dance clothes. "Did they get them?" she asked. "Larry and Ronnie? Are they okay? Are they under arrest?"
Gordo laughed softly, walking around to the other side of the bed, gently placing his hand on hers. "Don't get over excited, breathe. Yes, they got them both. They're at the hospital. I know Larry has one hell of a concussion, and I haven't heard anything about Ronnie."
Miranda smirked as she sat down in a chair beside the bed. "Your parents and Matt are here, they went down to get something to eat."
Lizzie nodded. "But what happened at the hotel? Who found me?"
Miranda and Gordo exchanged a look then Miranda sighed. "Ethan did, but only because Andie told him to look."
"Andie?" Lizzie exclaimed.
"Yeah, she said something might be up and that Larry had been acting really weird and when court was announced, and you didn't show, she couldn't find any of us and actually realized something really was wrong. She told Ms. Ungermeyer, who really couldn't do anything, but she did have the hotel staff start a search and she told Ethan what she thought was going on and he went outside and found you."
"Why did she tell Ethan?" Lizzie asked.
"That's because Ethan was her date," Gordo interjected. "Kate fixed them up to keep Andie happy, so Kate would still have her at her beck and call, but Andie would be too terrified of losing Ethan to disagree or do anything that Kate didn't want her to."
Lizzie slowly rubbed her head. "I can't believe all of this happened."
"Well, when you're feeling better the police want a signed statement," Miranda nodded. "We already gave them one. And, Larry already told the whole story, he confessed, so Ronnie won't really have a choice."
"Ronnie said he did it all because he wanted a second chance. And he manipulated Larry to do what he wanted. Doesn't he realize that when it comes to this there are no second chances?"
Gordo sat down on the edge of her bed and smiled gently at her. "Close your eyes, Lizzie, just go to sleep. It's all finally over. The nightmare had ended." *******The End**********
Did you like? Please review and tell me everything! This was such a great writing for me, there are so many wonderful people who reviewed steadily and faithfully, and you know who you are, and really each chapter is like dedicated to you. I really hope you enjoyed this one! So please, one final time for Lurking Shadows, REVIEW!
