The Kidnapping

At what point do we stop trying? Do we ever stop or do we just continue on that roller coaster ride until it stops for us? Sometimes, like now, I am not so sure. I feel like I cannot give up, but there is a part of me that believes it would be easier to just give into death. Let it wash over me and take me to the next life. And this sorrowful, painful existence would come to an end. Surely the next life will be better. Surely it cannot be worse.
Maybe it’s a little of that Irish blood determination that will not allow me to give up or give in. Maybe that determination is what got me here in this situation in the first place. Well, no, I am not going to blame myself. I did not do this to myself. He did this to me. I am here because of him. Not because of something I did or failed to do. Let me at least stick to the truth of it. Whatever happens was not my choice or my doing.
I can hear him out there. I don’t know what he is doing. Not that I care, but whatever is keeping him occupied out there keeps him away from me in here. But my time alone is nearing an end. He’s been gone for a little while now. The cuckoo clock chimed that it’s 6:00. I wonder if tonight he will end this.
I am so tired. I am really so very tired. I miss my husband. Oh, my sweet Jeremy. He is frantic, I am sure. I’ve been gone for some time now. He’s probably got every policeman searching. He’s probably rallied up his brothers, and the neighbors to help the search. I do miss him; his laughter, his eyes. He has the sweetest blue eyes. I would give my left arm to look into those eyes right now. He is my anchor. I am afraid now, though, even he can’t save me.
I have to try to change positions somewhat. My shoulders are aching so much. My legs are so stiff that if he did untie me, I wouldn’t be able to stand up without falling. This floor is making this so unbearable. But I guess that is the point. I am sure my comfort level is not a concern of his. But what is his concern, exactly, I do not know. I don’t know why I am here or what he is going to do next. I do know that I can still get out of this, at this point, with the prospect that I can lead a full, happy life. But everything is hinging on what he will do, or won’t do. And that is completely unknown to me.
I wish I could at least see. I’ve been in the dark, behind this blindfold, since I woke lying down in the van. I have no idea what he looks like or where I am. Although, I do suspect where I am. I remember once travelling to my brother’s house in South Carolina before his divorce. As soon as I crossed over the bridge that would take me to the islands, I would smell it. It is distinct; the marsh of the low country. I could imagine when I crossed that bridge, that a person could be raised there and smell that smell, and know he was home; even if he was blindfolded. That’s what I smell now.
I keep playing those moments over in my head to see if I can pinpoint where it went wrong. But does it even matter where it went wrong? It doesn’t. All that matters now is what I am going to do to get out of this. I must get out of this; out of here. I can change my life. I can change what my expectations are. I can become a…
He came through the door. I looked in his direction, startled, and I started to say, “Wha?”, and he grabbed my face in his hand. “Not one word”. I could hear a rattling near my face and heavy breathing. “I also suggest you don’t move” he said to me. “Watch”, he said to whatever was in front of my face and next to him. And then, it growled. Not frantic, not barking, but a low and steady growl. I could feel its breath on my face. “He’s hungry. Don’t tempt him by moving. He will think you are prey”.
And then, he chuckled. A little giggle. And he walked out the door.

Part 1-The Kidnapping

I opened my eyes to bright sunlight streaming in through the blinds. Jeremy was adjusting his tie and smiling down at me.
“Good Morning, darling”, he said as he leaned over and gave me a light kiss.
“Morning. Do you have to go right now? Can’t you lay with me a little longer?” I let my hand travel down the front of his shirt to his belt, but he moved away, smiling. “I will have to get a rain-check on that. Can’t be late today. You getting up?”
“Yeah. I have to be at work by ten, so I better get going.” I said as I glanced at the clock. It was 7:35. That left me a good 45 minutes to get my walk in and get back here. “You’ll be home by seven tonight? Maybe we can go out?”
“Sure. Sounds good” he said. “But I have to go. See you tonight”
“Ok. Have a good day”. I tip toed and kissed him and he swatted my butt. “Don’t forget the rain-check.”
I brushed my teeth, threw my hair in a pony tail, and then got dressed. I fixed myself a small bowl of cereal and then walked out the door and looked up at the sky. Strange. Had a feeling of rain, but there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Well, at least I probably won’t get rained on. I put my keys and my phone in my front pocket and I was off.
I turned down Scaleybark, and went straight for my first mile. It was a pretty easy route; albeit shorter than the usual one. This was reserved for my hurry-up-and-get-back walks when my time was limited. At the end of Scaleybark, and in front of the library, I made my first turn. The library was closed, but the outside pole lights were still timed on. They should be going off any minute, I thought.
Keeping my pace of a 15 minute mile, I continued down the road to my turn on Woodlawn. I could feel my leg muscles really waking up now. I loved that adrenaline rush. Made me feel like I could power walk all day. By the time I got to Woodlawn I was really working up a sweat. I will be home in 15 minutes.
I wonder what we should do for our anniversary coming up. I really wanted to take a cruise, but I think he had visions of a city escape. I don’t mind obliging him, really. After nine years of marriage, I think I can let him decide. He really wasn’t demanding of anything. No real reason not to go to the city. It does sound like fun anyway. After all, I have never been to New York. I’ll tell him tonight.
Back on Scaleybark, just about in front of the house, I look up at the sky again. Still no clouds, but I better remember to grab the umbrella. I’m usually not wrong about the weather.
When I got in front of the house, I saw that the front door was open about halfway. I first wondered what he forgot. My second thought was why he left the door open. It was unlike him to do that. So I walked up and opened the door the rest of the way and called out to him. Gasping from the walk, I waited for a reply. He didn’t answer and with trepidation, I stood in the doorway. I felt that impending rain feeling again, like something was coming. My heart rate was not slowing as panic was setting in my nerves. I probably stood there for a full minute waiting to either see Jeremy, hear him; anything. Nothing. Maybe I was being robbed. Maybe the thief was still in the house. Well, I guess that was a little ridiculous. I mean, I haven’t been gone 45 minutes and the sun is shining. My neighbors are heading out for work or getting kids out for school. There are too many people with the potential to see something. He was probably upstairs getting something out of his office and simply cannot hear me. I was starting to feel foolish standing in the doorway of my own home, debating on entering. I could feel the sweat running down my face and my back. I need to get in the shower. I need to get to work. I finally relented and walked in.
I turned and closed the door and engaged the bolt. Then in a collision of my senses, I saw him. He must have been more than 6 foot 5 because he was standing in the doorway to the living room and his head was close to the frame. He must have been behind the wall when I first approached the door. The foreboding storm was not a storm, it was him. I flinched in consternation and began to shake. I could feel my heart racing back up again to an alarming pace. It felt like it was going to beat out of my chest. Unable to hold onto my keys any longer, they dropped from my hand. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I pulled my hands up to my chest in an attempt at protection. My legs were getting weak and my vision began to blur. I began to sway.
“Hi there” he said. He smiled and tilted his head with the expression of someone who just got caught doing something they shouldn’t and are trying to pass it off. That broke me of my reverie.
I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t find my voice. But I was able to gain control of my leg muscles again. My mind started to clear from the fog of apprehension that had taken over my senses. In my mind I calculated the chance of me being able to unbolt the lock that I just engaged before he got to me. That chance was in the negative. He couldn’t be more than six feet from me. I could try to take the stairs. Running the possibilities through my mind took maybe 10 seconds, at best. He took a step towards me.
No need to ask who he was or what he wanted. I didn’t think he was going to provide me with an honest answer for the first and provide me with an answer I did not like for the second. He was seedy looking and the smile was creepy. He wasn’t there for our stereo system. Or maybe he was, but he changed his mind. And he kept that smile on.
I had to do something. He would reach me in two steps. I didn’t waste one more precious second. I took to the stairs, two at a time. Considering his size was a bit bulky, he was definitely agile. He reached me by the fourth step, grabbing at my foot. I came crashing down on the stairs and flipped myself over as I fell. With my other leg, I kicked him as hard as I could to flip him back so he would lose his balance. He didn’t. He grabbed my other leg and pulled it down, then knelt in between them. Oh, my God. No.
“No. No.” I was finally able to find my voice.
He said, “Well, yes. But not right now. As fun as this is, that will have to wait til later”.
I barely heard him. Trying to free myself from his powerful grip, he grabbed my pony tail and pulled hard. He was pulling my hair out by the roots. Pain shot through my head and it felt like it was going to explode.
I saw his eyes. I swear I’ve seen them before. Looking into them is when I found my voice. I drew in my breath as hard as I could and I let out a scream that should have woken any neighbor from the deepest sleep. But I will never know if it did because at that moment, he took his free hand and close fisted me across my jaw. I heard a crack, and then I heard nothing. I slipped into blackness; farther and farther down as I slipped away from my senses, away from my home, and away from Jeremy.
The last thing I realized as I slipped into that blackness was that Jeremy’s car wasn’t even in the driveway.
RP