Author's Notes
Hi all, been away for a bit, but just needed a break. I've just been tired, but I'll be continuing to update when I have time! Also Colton Myers is going to have an appearance like Anson Mount.
35
I lied awake in bed staring at the ceiling listening to everything around me. I could hear Charlie snoring and that was it. I was sure Luda Mae was asleep and Thomas too. I hadn't really seen him all day. I could smother her right now. But even that felt like it wouldn't be convincing. No one in this house could die without it leading back to me. Charlie must have some sense that I plan to retaliate which is why he's pushing for Thomas and I to marry. I covered my face with my hands trying to hold myself together. But the world around me had darkened and I knew that whatever happens next, it'll end with either me escaping or me dying.
When the sun was up, I was awoken by a booming laughter. I gasped some and sat up now wondering what on earth was going on now.
"Tati come on down for breakfast now!" I heard Luda Mae reply. I slid on some sweat pants and a sweater and quietly left my room. I could hear distant noises of others I was not familiar with. Once I got to the bottom of the stairs I could see Charlie with a sweaty face in the living room with three people: two blonde women and a brunette man with round glasses. Charlie looked at me with a humorous laugh, his police uniform was splattered with blood.
"Looks like I hit the jack pot huh!" he said and I just looked at him and then two the three people on their knees, face wet with tears and blood. I didn't even care. I just turned and moved into the kitchen with a shake of my head. Luda May was setting down what looked like bowls of broth soup. She looked up at me and smiled softly wiping her hands on her apron.
"Morning, baby. How are you doing?" she asked. I just nodded and sat down quietly.
"New meat." I responded glancing toward the door of the basement.
"Yeah. Four actually. Charlie had Thomas put the mean looking one in the barn for now." she said and sat down across from me. I just nodded and ate my soup in silence.
"Thomas come up yet?" I asked. Luda Mae shook her head.
"No who knows what that boy is doing there." she said. The soup tasted bland and I ate around the piece of unknown solids in it.
"Tati! Tati come here!" Charlie yelled. I groaned and shut my eyes.
"No!" I called out just wanting to eat. I sounded like an annoyed teen fed up with her over bearing parent. Luda Mae raised her head.
"Charlie's we're having breakfast!" she hollered.
"DAMNIT TATIANNA GET OUT HERE!" he snapped quickly like a whip. I rolled my eyes and got up and moved out into the living room again. The three people were still on their knees with their hands behind their heads.
"What?" I asked him and he looked at me with a glare.
"Don't get disrespectful now! We need something to tie these three. Go get some ropes from the barn to tie them with. Hurry now and don't talk to the prisoner inside!" he demanded. I looked at the three people who were shaking and shivering. The cold must have been violent this morning. I just turned and hurried out to meet the cold weather. I had to take my time moving for I didn't want to upset my stomach from eating earlier.
Once I got to the barn, I creaked open the door and with the morning sky's light seeping through some of the cracks in the ceiling, I could see. Hanging off to the right, was a man. I took note of him. His toes barely touched the ground, but he was in black boots, blue jeans and a blue and black flannel shirt which was cut open and I could see the white tank beneath it. He had shoulder length salt and pepper hair with a beard. His face was red with blood and I noticed a thick brown coat with that white fur around the collar on the table a few feet from him.
He was looking down so I could assume Thomas was just going to let him freeze. I looked off to the side of his body to see the meat lockers. The lockers that once held my brother inside. I took even breaths and just turned trying to keep a clear head but I was totally failing. I moved tools around different tables trying to find the ropes.
"Hey you there." I heard the grizzly low drawl of the other person in here. I continued to ignore him and continued to look around for the ropes. "Hey, girl…" I paused and leaned up and glanced over noticing the man looking right at me with foggy grey eyes. He didn't say anything else and I didn't plan on saying anything to him.
"You're one of them." he concluded and I just stared at him for a moment, noticing the deep anger in his tone. 'I was one of them' I wanted to say, but I knew that made no difference. I just turned to continue to look around for the ropes. "Hey can you just… get me down from here?"
"Why? We're all going to end up inside a bowl by the end of this anyways." I replied.
"What?" he asked sounding genuinely confused.
"You're hung up like an animal… figure it out." I said pushing some chairs over and continued to look, all the while my heart is pounding in my chest and my stomach now has knots in it.
The man looked around at his cuffed hands on the hook and then looked at me.
"Oh my god." he said. Yeah God won't save you now. I placed one hand on the table and another on my stomach finally hunching over and letting out silent cry of pain. I bawled covering my mouth feeling more and more of the pain inside me growing. I panted gently knowing I didn't have a lot of time before Charlie would come looking… or Thomas. I sat up and wiped my face looking around noticing some rusty cuffs hanging off the side of the table the man's jacket was. I moved over to the table and lifted them up, but they were so rusted they broke already. I then noticed a familiar pin. It was the pin that I've seen Thomas use to unlock the chains on his victims that hung from the meat hooks.
"I'm Sgt. Colton… Colton Myers. What's your name?" the man asked. I sniffled some and looked up at him.
"Doesn't really matter now does it?" I asked. He nodded slowly.
"If it doesn't matter, why not tell me?" he asked. I stared at him for a moment before shaking my head gently.
"Tatianna." I replied. He stared at me for a brief moment.
"Tatianna…a-a beautiful name-"
"Don't." I cut him off shaking my head at him. He was a fool to think I could be swayed like that. "One thing I learned around here is you don't play with your food." I replied and his body stiffened some as he looked around.
"Alright… what'll it take to get you to let me out of here so I can save my friends?" he asked quickly. I scoffed gently.
"No one escapes here… No matter how hard anyone tries no one ever escapes. They always win." I replied.
"They win because they have fear on their side… that guy in there, that sheriff is as human as you, me and anyone else he's killed." he said and I winced and looked at him noticing he was breathing a bit faster than when a few minutes ago. I noticed his hand were shaking as well and I just walked over to him staring up at him for a moment and he just looked down at me. I looked down at his body noticing the flat stomach and the tone muscles under his sleeves. I just turned and moved back to the table and grabbed the coat. I then moved to lift is around his shoulder's, but with his arms off it would slide right off. So I just lifted my hands over his head and he just stared at me as I placed the wool neck line right over his head.
His eyes flexed some, our scents rolling off each other. I had to slightly stand on my tiptoes to get it over his head. That's all I could do to keep him warm. He was like a freezing animal that I couldn't let freeze to death. Once I stood back on my feet I stared up at him once more, his grey eyes were strong, that much I could see.
"Thank you." he said.
"There's only three of them. The sheriff, an old woman, his mother, and him." I replied honestly. "If I let you go, there is no guarantee you and your friends will make it out alive." He winced some. The doors began to creak open and I merely took a few steps back. Colton looked over toward them and his body stiffened and he looked at me quickly with something I had never seen in a long time… strength. He wasn't afraid of the hulking figure entering. Thomas approached me and I just glanced up at him as he looked down at me with what looked at disdain. When he looked at Colton it grew and he just moved over to the man who glared with each step taken. He then began to take hold of his face and move it left to right before running his hands over his forehead smearing the blood off him. I knew what this meant. He thought I was favoring Colton's face.
Although a handsome man, I knew that this would stir the fear in Thomas that I may like Colton which would result in Thomas cutting off his face and wearing it to get in my good graces again.
"Thomas his face is far too ugly and hideous. He doesn't deserve to have you wear his skin on your face." I replied. Both Colton and Thomas looked at me: Colton with shock and disgust and Thomas with softening eyes as if going "really"? I knew my words were the only thing stopping him from doing so. I just nodded and Thomas moved over to me raising his hands to cup my face. Now some of Colton's blood was on me and the strung-up man watched completely thrown off by our interaction. "Charlie sent you in after me didn't he?"
Thomas just stared at me for a moment letting his hand gently slide over my neck and down to my chest. His hand was inches from cupping my breast.
"Damnit Tati, Tommy where are ya'll at with the rope!" he called out. This distracted Thomas enough for me to take his hands in mine.
"Let's get this rope so the old man can stop complaining and can eat breakfast." I said. Thomas nodded and moved over toward one of the lockers, his back to me. As he rummaged through it, I grabbed the pin and moved up to Colton, raising my hands and silently curling them into his cold ones. He was only confused for a slight second before feeling the metal in my hands and he opened his hands and I moved the pin into his fingers. He looked almost confused but I backed away and Thomas came back over with some ropes in his hand. I nodded up at him as he placed them in my hands. He then motioned for me to go.
I nodded glancing at Colton before turning and moving over to the door. For a moment I didn't know why I did what I just did, but then again, I did. I may be winging my escape at this point, but I figure maybe if this Sgt. Colton could make a big enough distraction maybe I could escape. I guess now we will just have to see.