Disclaimer: I don't own anything apart from the random people that I have made up and the plotline.
A/N: Thanks for the reviews! 4 within the first day I post a fan fiction, that must be a record. : )
Silence ensued. Her head throbbed where he had hit her, and she tried to press a hand to her temple to ease the pain, but her hands remained firmly behind her back. The ache of her head took her a while to realise that thickly cut rope bound her wrists together, burning them. Struggling to get herself into a more comfortable position, for her legs were splayed awkwardly and her back was twisted, adding to the pain, she fell sideways, hitting her head hard on the wooden floor. For a moment she thought she was going to black out again, but blinking hard, she managed to stop herself, and instead concentrated on seeing something in the dark room. As her eyes adjusted to the night, she saw the outline of a bed, a closet – not her bedroom. His? She sat back up carefully, and then let out a startled cry as something moved across the room.
"You'd better not scream." He said warningly, his voice tinged with steel. "I don't like it when you scream." As suddenly as he had appeared, his voice softened, took on the caring note that she so recognised. "It hurts me to see you afraid."
He's crazy, she thought in shock, tears forming behind her eyelids. He's gone mad. "Please…" She whispered, begging, realising even as she spoke that her hoarse, shaking voice just made her sound pathetic. He let out a harsh laugh and moved towards her. She tried to back away, only connecting skin with wall. "Why are you doing this?" She steadied her voice as best she could, but the fear still filtered out. "What do you want?"
"I want you, Lizzie." He knelt down in front of her. "You hurt me, you know. You broke my heart. But I don't hate you. I could never hate you. I'll always love you, and I'm going to make sure that we will stay together. Forever."
He stood up and flicked a switch. Dim light appeared through a dusty bulb in the ceiling lamp. She gasped at the familiar face, so thin, gaunt… and his eyes. Crazed. Had she done that?
Through the window, she saw a car pass, the beams shining brightly into the room. Suddenly so terrified she couldn't think straight, she let out a scream, praying someone, anyone would hear her, wake her up from this nightmare.
His face closed over and he stepped back to her. "I don't like to hurt you." He told her coldly. "But that doesn't mean I won't. So shut up if you know what's best for you."
Trying to control herself, Lizzie closed her mouth, blinking away the tears. "What's happened to you?" She whispered. "Why – when did this happen?"
"Pay attention!" He yelled at her. "I told you. When you broke my heart."
She shook her head. "No. I know you. And that would never have made you do this. Something else has happened. Hasn't it?"
He struck her hard, and her neck snapped back, striking her head against the wall. Semi-conscious, she heard him walk away, but his soft words still travelled back to her.
"You all ruined my life, and I'm going to get it back, no matter what anyone says."
"Honey?" Jo knocked gently on her daughter's bedroom door. "You're going to be late for class." Receiving no answer, she smiled, knowing that Lizzie would still be buried deep under the covers, and pushed the door open. The bed was neatly made, blinds up, clothes still strewn across the bed and floor. Frowning, Jo glanced at her watch. Lizzie must have left early, she decided – though it was quite unlike the eighteen-year-old, she might have had an earlier class that Jo hadn't known about. Closing the door, she made her way down the stairs just as the doorbell rang. It was one of Lizzie's friends off her course – Terra Millen, a pretty redhead who only lived a few doors down with her boyfriend.
"Oh, hey, Mrs McGuire." Terra said cheerfully. "Lizzie not ready yet again?"
Jo frowned. "Lizzie's not here." She returned. "I thought she had an early lecture or something."
Terra shook her head. "Nope, only one now – although I still call this early! Stayed out all night again, huh?"
Concerned, Jo inclined her head slightly in a nod. Normally Lizzie let her know if she wasn't going to be returning home from work – even if she was an adult now, Lizzie had always understood her mother's worries for her. "I guess, although she hasn't called or anything." Jo glanced at the answer machine. No red light blinking.
Terra shrugged. "Try her cell."
Jo laughed. "Of course! It's a good job you're here, Terra."
"Well, I do try." The eighteen-year-old replied modestly, grinning as she stepped into the house and closed the door behind her. Jo speed-dialled Lizzie's cell phone number and then hung up instantly.
"It's turned off." She said disappointedly.
"Now that's weird." Terra grinned. "Lizzie never turns her cell off. Well, I'd better get to class. She's probably gonna turn up there half an hour late as usual – crashed out at a friends or something. See you, Mrs McGuire."
"Bye, Terra." Jo said distractedly. Despite Lizzie's friend's calmness over the matter, her daughter had never crashed at a friend's without letting her mother know before, and always kept her cell phone on. Breathing heavily, Jo closed her eyes and leant against the wall, trying to block out the awful thoughts going through her head.