Peyton shuddered in the darkness. She wanted to take a deep breath but she was afraid. Afraid of the sound it might make, afraid it might be as loud as her heart pounding inside her chest. She couldn't afford to be heard, afford to make a mistake. It was a critical now or never point and her very life depended on her next few moves…

Sometimes, you just have enough. One person can only tolerate, endure but so much before they reached their breaking point and Peyton Sawyer had certainly reached hers. Over a month in captivity. Living filthy like an animal in closed, cramped, darkened quarters. Barely eating, sometimes spending days at a time without human contact or conversation. And the only thing worse was when he was around. She hated him. Peyton hated him like she never imagined she could hate another. The cruel taunts and insults as he launched virtual mental warfare. The senseless beatings. The way his hands frequently took over her body as if it were his to pleasure, as if she actually enjoyed his touch. But mostly there was the fear, fear of the unknown. Every day she sat with bated breath never knowing where his plan was going and what would happen next. It was enough to drive a person mad and Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer had long passed the point of normal human sanity.

She'd had enough. She couldn't take it one more week or day or hour or minute or second. She had to get out, she had to get away from him. She had to run for her life if there would ever be any chance of freedom. So she had thought it over and hastily set a plan into action.

"Open the door, Peyton. It's behind the door. Open the door."

The voice came from no one except a whisper in her head but she still didn't know what it meant. He often left to go to work, or so he said. Derek would disappear for hours at a time, leaving her all alone. So many times she had done the obvious and tried to bolt from the front door. But she couldn't. It was impossible to budge, as if he locked it somehow from the outside. He made sure when he was gone, she had nothing. There was the small room and another small room that connected that housed a toilet and sink. When he was gone, the "bathroom" door was securely pressed against a wall that she could not see behind. And as she lay in bed, contemplating the moves that would set her free, one eye popped open. The voice, whoever it was from, suddenly began to make sense. Somehow, someway, she knew the answers were hidden behind that mysterious door.

Her eyes nervously blinked. She felt like she was pinned beneath a piece of iron but it was worse. It was Derek. He had taken to sleeping next to her, insisting on cuddling and spooning, his muscular, tanned arm fastened securely around her frightened, trembling body. At that moment, she had had more than enough and she knew she had to leave. It was a risky move to say the least but one surely worth making. Taking a deep breath and silently mumbling a prayer, she turned slowly, gently easing from the embrace that controlled her even in sleep.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" he grumbled, eyes barely open.

"To the bathroom."

Where else could she go, she thought as she waited for a reply. There was none. Instead he went right back to sleep and she eased away, tipping quietly to the only other room. Closing her eyes, she prayed to her mom, to Ellie, to God, even that annoying Angel of Death. She prayed to anyone who might be listening that the door would budge. Coughing loudly in the darkness, she went for it, terrified that it would not move at all or that if it did, a horrible creaking sound would awake and enrage Derek. But neither happened. As quiet as a church mouse, the door moved towards her with ease. Peyton wanted to break down crying with relief alone but before she could, something else got her attention. She couldn't believe it. She had never seen it before and she couldn't imagine what had made her even think about the bathroom door but whatever it was, she was beyond grateful. There near the top of the wall was a window.

It wasn't a big window, more like a vent looking narrow opening covered by a slab of glass. One would look at it and assume a human being couldn't fit through it but Peyton took a quick mental measure with her eyes. It wasn't impossible. Hard as hell? Maybe but definitely not impossible. And it was worth a shot. But how the hell would she get up there? Without a stepping stool, it appeared unimaginable but she had some height on her. Standing on the tips of her toes, Peyton reached with all she had. With a good enough jump, she could probably make it. But it had to be one hell of a jump. Not a series to get her momentum right…it had to be absolutely perfect on the first take.

Her eyes darted about and her stomach churned along with a pounding heart. There was no more time to contemplate. She'd already been gone long enough by Derek standards. He could get up and come after her in a matter of minutes. With everything to lose and the fear of the world inside her, Peyton channeled everything she had ever wanted, loved, feared, or hated. She went for it, taking a leap of faith straight forward. Her green eyes were clenched closed and for a moment it was like her heart stopped. She was half expecting to miss and land with a resounding thud. The suspicious noise would clue in Derek in a mirco second and he would be in her face with a million questions.

Finally Peyton opened her eyes. She looked around and let out a little gasp. She hadn't missed. She was hanging by a moment, hanging by the tips of her fingers but she was there, just barely on a tiny strip of a ledge that gave not much room for error or anything else.

"Okay. Okay, breathe, Sawyer. You've got this", she tried to give herself a pep talk.

She was losing her grip fast but sheer determination alone kept her hanging. She pulled herself up and with one hand the glass was open. She could feel the cool night air already flowing in. It was the tiniest of spaces but it was all that stood between her and freedom. Going for it, Peyton pushed with all her might as her body began to fit through the opening. The space was tight, so fixed that the sides squeezed roughly against her body. Adrenaline wouldn't let her feel the pain as she kept going. Then it happened.

Peyton Sawyer wasn't exactly known for having hips but what little she did have were now stuck between a hard place and an even tighter place. Trying not to grunt, she pushed and pulled all to no avail. There was nowhere to go. Her body wasn't budging and she was on the verge of losing control. Then she heard it.

"Peyton…"

His voice was still rough with sleep. He was probably turning over, missing her, noticing she was still gone. He'd maybe call one more time, then Derek would be up. Peyton couldn't risk that.

"Come on", she begged herself.

With one final thrust, she felt a rib cracking on her right side but that was okay. A few seconds later, Peyton was out. Pain and tears and fear and all, she was outside. She lay on green grass damp from a summer rain. Peyton was free.

"Peyton! Peyton, what the hell is taking so long?"

Then she heard him up, his feet on the floor. Favoring her sore right side, she made a run for it. She was on the side of the basement of what looked like an old abandoned house. There was no full moon to light the way, she could only guide herself by instinct and what she had remembered that one day he had let her outside. But Peyton didn't care. In a full out sprint, she ran through the woods, sticks and rocks pricking at her bare feet. She ran until she couldn't run anymore stopping when she was fairly confident she had enough distance on Derek. It was dark anyway, how would he be able to find her. She had avoided running in a straight path but the physical pain was killing her. She needed a rest, a break. It would be okay, all she had to do was just be quiet…

Peyton took that deep breath. She couldn't remember a time being that scared and considering the circumstances of her life in the weeks before, that was saying a lot. Clutching herself, she desperately looked around. There was nothing but woods. How far would she have to go? Was there even civilization in sight? Or was she simply running in circles deeper into the thicket? Whatever it was, she knew she couldn't stay where she was forever. Eventually she'd have to go, keep running and get farther away from him. She had no choice, the sooner the better.

Soft dirt and fallen leaves rustled loudly beneath her toes. She tried her best not to whimper in pain. Every few minutes she would stop and cling to a tree. The pauses were necessary although she would have been better off to keep moving. Still she couldn't help it. It hurt too bad and she was disoriented. Bending over to catch her breath, she heard a sound. It was coming from close by but Peyton knew she wasn't moving. But she wasn't alone.

"Peyton…"

Her mouth fell open. It was like one of those bad horror movies when no matter what the character did, no matter the head start, the monster always caught up. Squeezing her eyes shut, she contemplated running or staying still. Wherever he was, he was gaining on her.

The footsteps were coming closer. Peyton held her breath. Then it stopped or at least seemed to taper off in the other direction. She waited for a few minutes before tip toeing off. Then she picked up some speed. Running for her life, she took off only to run smack dab into something hard enough to send her flying on her butt. She shook off the wind being temporarily knocked out of her before she opened her eyes. On the ground were ten bare and tanned toes. Looking up she saw the jeans and finally the familiar white wife beater.

"Nooooooooooooo!"

She tried to get up and run anyway but was immediately cut down with a sharp blow to the jaw. Peyton screamed in pain, landing on her injured side.

"Fucking cunt!"

"Derek, please!"

But it was too late. He saw her holding her right side and he gave the rib a kick so hard it knocked her out for a few seconds.

"What the fuck is this shit? Huh?"

"No! Please!"

Her cries went unheard. Derek was beyond furious. Grabbing a handful of blonde hair, he began dragging her like a rag doll through the woods, screaming unmentionable obscenities the whole time. She made no sound as tears spilled. Somehow he had found her and before she knew it, they were back in the house where he slammed her against the wall.

"Stupid bitch!" he began to shake her so violently it felt like her brain had been scrambled.

"Derek…" she stumbled forward, dizzy as she spat up blood.

"I knew this shit would happen!" he began to pace, angrily ranting and raving. "Look at you! You ungrateful whore! I do everything for you! Look how you repay me!"

"Nooo…"

"Shut up! You think that crying game is gonna work now? Whatever, Peyton! I knew you would try to run! Big mistake and I mean that. You see, you have no idea where the hell we are and I know this place like the back of my hand! You think I wouldn't be able to find you? I will always find you! Understand? Know what? Peyton, I swear I didn't want it to come to this but you practically begged for it. I have been pretty lenient with you but now you really need to be punished!"

"No!" she begged.

"No need in pleading now. What? Are you sorry? Yeah, right. It's just an act. You're so fake, Peyton. Well, it's time to teach you a lesson. I'm gonna show you something that'll never make you run from me again."

She tried to brace herself for the physical impact but nothing could anticipate his blows. The punches came in rapid succession from every which direction. When she could catch her breath, he gave her kicks that literally took the breath from her body. And when she was down, screaming and crying, writhing in unspeakable pain, waiting for the vicious reprimand to end, she exhaled when at finally his fury seemingly ceased.

Peyton heard another noise as he moved about behind her. It hurt way too much to turn her head but from the corner of the eye that wasn't swollen shut, she could see him taking off his belt.

"No…no, please…"

Too late.

"You act like a bad girl and I'll treat you like one."

One by one, each cruel stroke of leather landed hard against the tender flesh of her back, breaking the skin causing bloody welts to form. He beat her until she began to lose consciousness, only stopping until she moved or cried before staring the horrific cycle all over again.

"Enough!" she finally begged, choking on her tears. "Please! Enough!"

It was all she could do to even talk and finally he stopped.

"Don't ever try that shit again", he warned with a sneer, giving her one last kick.

Then it was over. She had lost the gamble for freedom and with the loss came horrendous consequences. She had come so close but the end failure had been miserable. And she was left to fear what could only come next. The moment was fleeting as her eyes closed. Peyton tried to hang on, fearing that if she gave up for a second and closed her eyes completely, they might never open again. But it was too much. The fear and the pain. She was hanging on the best she could.