Jude at undisclosed location…
I felt the moment my fever went up to a level that I knew needed medical attention because all of a sudden I was in pain—and not just from hunger. My face still felt bruised and I could tell that I had lost weight in the four and a half days I had been locked up because my pelvis bone was really starting to bother me where I laid on it in the chest. My eyes were bloodshot from lack of light and even the smallest glimmer of brightness caused pain to radiate across my forehead. I was beginning to have trouble breathing without gulping in air and my chest felt really heavy. The girl that sat periodically outside what I was beginning to call my 'doomsday' acted as if nothing out of the ordinary were transpiring—as if it were an everyday occurrence for her to watch someone else slowly disintegrating before her eyes. I was just thankful that the few times I did find myself out of the box that there were absolutely no mirrors present for me to look into. I have a feeling that I would have scared myself silly. The knot I had been working at for days had come loose, and I had just managed to pull it off my wrists when I heard Carrie begin to pace back and forth across the room nervously. "Where is she?" She kept mumbling to herself as I rubbed my wrists with a wince. Deep gashes marred the skin where the ropes had cut into it for days, and the pain that suddenly burned down my arm as the circulation resumed its flow made me wish desperately for Tylenol or better yet—morphine. I sniffed as Carrie grew more and more agitated. I had to get her to open the box, but I was also scared that once she did, I wouldn't have the strength anymore to fight. Positioning myself sideways enough that I could reach my ankles I began working meticulously at the knots that restrained my feet. The process was much faster with my hands free, and I managed to have myself loose within a good half hour. And still Carrie grew more irate. Her mumbling was beginning to make me nervous as her feet skirted around the box. I watched the shadows from her figure as she marched, marched, and then marched some more.
"Forgot you, did she?" I cried weakly from the box as she strolled by. Her footsteps stopped, and I heard her hruuumph as she started moving again.
"Shut up, Harrison!" She yelled before mumbling to herself again.
"Do you really think that she's going to give Tommy up to you? Are you that delusional? I mean, it is you stuck here right now while she cozies up with Quincy on the outside." I stated sympathetically as, without warning, she kicked the box hard causing my entire body to convulse. Damn! I flinched in utter pain as she kicked the box lighter this time before pacing again.
"I said Shut up!" She reiterated as I quirked my brow painfully. Note to self: Keep my day job. Never try hostage negotiation. As I felt yet another wave of pain radiate across my ribs, I realized something rather belatedly. I just didn't have it in me to get away by myself. A skittering sound at the edge of the box made me peer downward in dread as I saw a roach crawl suddenly across my bare feet, and I did the only sensible thing at the time, I yelled like a freaking banshee! No one could ever accuse me of not being a girl. I do not, I repeat, do not like bugs! Kicking my legs furiously, I wore myself out while cursing vulgarly until I felt the rodent get crushed against the side of the box. Shuddering in revulsion, I suddenly got very still as I realized Carrie wasn't pacing anymore. "Oh no..oh no…oh no…" I heard her sob to herself as a 'crash' outside revealed that we weren't alone anymore. I couldn't help it. I allowed myself to hope. A kick at the door made me tense up in anticipation as I heard Carrie run to the side of the room in order to, I assume, crouch behind the table.
"Open up! Police." I heard a man yell with a very bad English accent as I started kicking furiously at the box.
"Help!" I yelled as loudly as I could as Carrie dove for the box kicking it hard enough that the breath was knocked out of me. A scurrying outside the room made us both aware that my yell had been heard.
"Jude!" I heard a voice yell back hurriedly and tears started streaming down my face in relief as I recognized Tommy's voice. "Oh, God! Please come get me out!" I thought in desperate joy as I kicked again at the lid of the box. Somewhere from deep within me, I knew that I was draining my energy—that the fever that ravaged my body was growing worse, but Tommy was here and it didn't matter anymore. As Carrie grew still, making me nervous in her silence, a banging sound came blowing against the door, and I knew they were trying to break it down. A second later, it came crashing in, and I heard voices infiltrate the small space. From their confused tramping, I knew that Carrie had managed to hide herself somehow, and I banged at the lid of the box as hard as I could with the gashes that gouged my skin.
"I'm in here!" I tried shouting weakly as I heard footsteps approach the box cautiously. I could tell that the police had trouble with fluent English so I literally bawled as I heard Tommy's voice shoving aside the sound of the foreigners.
"Jude, the lock is bolted. We're going to get someone in to cut it. Are you okay, baby?" He asked in alarm at the sight of the small chest where I had been imprisoned. Even the term of endearment I had waited so long to hear barely penetrated the fog that had consumed my brain. Someone was here to save me. I could quit fighting now.
"Tom?" I asked so quietly I was afraid he wouldn't hear. A shifting of movement told me he had lain down beside the box as someone ran to find wire cutters to release the lock.
"God, Jude I'm here." He said softly as his hand ran smoothly over the side of the chest. "Are you okay?" He asked again, and I blinked at the question trying to get my brain to function enough to answer, but I suddenly found that I was very sleepy.
"I don't know, Tommy." I said despairingly as I took in the inside of my box for what I hoped was the very last time. Tom sighed deeply from the other side.
"I'm sorry, Jude." He said heavily as if the weight of the world sat in that single apology. I placed the palm of my hand against the wooden frame gently.
"Look at it this way, Tom. I'm probably considered crazy enough now to be perfect for you." I said jokingly, trying to lighten his mood as I broke into a spasmodic fit of coughing. He laughed as I heard someone else approach swiftly from the other side. Tommy mumbled something to someone as a rattling noise echoed throughout the space followed by a loud 'clank' and then a 'thud' as the lock popped off and fell unceremoniously to the ground. Pushing at the lid weakly, I tried helping as the lid lifted slowly, allowing time for me to adjust to the light a little at a time.
"Dear God!" I heard someone declare as I finally came into view for those sitting in the room. "We need medical attention in here stat!" The same person hollered as I tried lifting up without any success. Shielding my eyes with my hands, I saw as Sadie and my mom were escorted into the room, and I almost started sobbing again at the sight of them. Mom wept as she approached, clearly relieved that I was still alive. Frankly, so was I. Finally getting to my feet, I knew as soon as I managed it that I didn't have the strength to hold myself up. Falling forward, strong arms caught me and lifted me up in order to cradle me securely. That whole music montage of the song "Lean on me when you're not strong" played through my head as I looked up to see Tommy's loving face before a wild cackling noise made us suddenly aware that Carrie was still in the room. I watched in horror as the gun she had once had sitting on the table was now shaking violently in her outstretched hands.
"If I can't have you, Tom Quincy, no one will." She retorted as she lifted the barrel of the gun at my head and began to squeeze the trigger. As if in slow motion, my mother screamed, the police lunged, and Tommy threw me sideways just as the bullet flew through the air. A surprised 'oomph' and a few droplets of blood later, I knew Tommy had been hit protecting me. I watched the blood soak the arm of his shirt as I blacked out into oblivion.
