R&R

Chapter 4

Kate landed hard on her face just as the heavy steel door clanged shut. Her face hurt bad but she didn't dare move. Panic stricken she held her breath listening. The room was dark except for a thin silver sliver of moon light cast diagonally from the only window in the tiny room to the floor illuminating a bed corner.

She lay this way until the silence became deafening. Slowly and quietly she rolled onto her side and sat up straight. In front of her on the bed was the form of two large legs beneath the bed sheets where the moonlight stretched a ribbon across it.

Kate was experiencing the intense feeling of being trapped in a cave with a grizzly bear watching her from the shadows. If he was sleeping she could not tell, she did not hear snoring or even breathing. She leaned to one side and tucked a leg underneath her and preparing to stand up she held her breath. 1-2-3 she pushed off the ground and stood straight up.

A sharp exhalation of air in front of her almost made her scream but she managed to swallow it back with a tiny hiccup. Silence. In front of her the bed creaked as the large legs moved and vanished into the dark. She could hear him stand up.

Kate took a small step back and the man stepped forward bringing his body into the moonlight. She slowly took another step back and for almost a minute neither of them moved. Kate could feel his eyes studying her. Perhaps deciding what to do with her. Michael took another step forward and his brow cast shadows around his eyes which peered out from underneath stringy brown hair. Like the animal in the dark you didn't see before.

Kate stepped back twice keeping her eyes locked with his. Michael didn't move again for a long time and when he did he disappeared into the shadows once more. Kate backed up until her shoulders met hard brick wall.

Silence. Darkness. Then just above her head she heard him inhale. Her head jerked up and something tickled her forehead making her flinch. He exhaled above her as she felt large fingers brush against her shoulder on their way to take a lock of her hair in them. A another minute passed in which his fingers toyed with her hair then there was a soft but long intake of air right next to her ear. He was…smelling her hair? She remained still.

Another minute had passed in silence when something brushed against her middle startling her she took a small step to the side and there was a crinkling sound as she stepped on what sounded like a paper plate.

In one swift motion Michael's hand snatched away from her hair and Kate felt body lift off the ground as he lifted her by her shoulders and pinned her against the brick wall so her legs didn't even dangle. The straight jacket forbade the use of her arms and she whimpered helplessly as his hot breath pulsed over her face. His face was a centimeter from hers, he growled deep in his throat. Kate couldn't move, she was numb.

Suddenly through the silence the big steel door clanged and opened.

"Can't see a damn thing," said the voice of the small man in blue, "he won't have a fit or anything right?"

"As far as he sees it this is all a game or something." Ronnie's voice but sharply through the dark. Michael hadn't moved.

Someone turned on the light. Wide eyes stared down at her through stringy brown hair and for a moment Kate stopped breathing. Then his eyes softened but he maintained an expression of concentration as he stepped back lowered her to the floor.

"Aww Mikey," said Ronnie walking up on the two of them. "She stepped on your mask and tore it!" Kate looked down at her feet to find a red and black striped mask with slits for eye holes, torn across the mouth. "What a shame." Ronnie continued, egging Michael on.

"What you gonna do now boy?" said the small man in blue. "Pity pity."

"Come here Mikey," said Ronnie tugging on the straps over Kate's jacket, Michael turned around toward them. Ronnie started tugging Kate in the direction of the bed in the corner of the room. Kate purposely tripped over her own feet.

"No!" she exclaimed hitting the hard floor. Ronnie yanked her roughly to her feet.

"Oh no, little miss," he said picking her right up to throw her on the bed anyway. "I'm not dealing with you're clumsy bullshit any more tonight! Come here Mikey I'm gonna show you how to make her pay for damaging your personal things."

R&R