Stalking Kasey

Ch. 9 It'll Get Easier

Five days.

It's been five days.

He uncuffed me on the second night, but my wrist still burned, my skin still rubbed red and raw. He'd watched me as I tried every possible exit out of the cabin, smiled when I slumped onto the couch in defeat. He tried to cook me meals, but I wouldn't eat them. I knew it was stupid. I knew I needed the strength, but I couldn't stomach it. I couldn't bear eating something crafted by the hands of a murderer.

I sat on the floor, back against the bed, staring at the wall.

That was how I spent most of my days.

I never paid attention to the television. I couldn't focus on a book. I couldn't focus on anything, not with him there at my back like a dark shadow. There was only so far in this tiny cabin I could go, so I stayed here, in this bedroom, and he roamed the kitchen and sat on the couch and sometimes he brought a book in here and read on the bed, but I didn't look at him, didn't give him any attention.

I just stared at the wall and counted the days, counted the hours, counted the minutes, the seconds.

...46...47...48...49...

"Kasey."

...50...51...52...

"Would you like to go outside?"

I looked up at him, and he smiled that soft nerdy smile that had pulled me in what felt like forever ago.

He came towards me and held out his hand, but I hesitated.

"I'm not tricking you." He read my thoughts on my face. "You can come outside if you promise not to run."

I got to my feet, and he grabbed my hand and I let him pull me after him to the door. He stood directly in front of the keypad so I couldn't see what he punched in and then the door clicked and he pushed it open.

I sucked in the fresh air, barely noticing when his hands moved to my arms, his fingers tight around my skin. I stepped out, barefoot on the grass, and the warm air swept across my bare legs and even the shorts and t-shirt he'd bought for me felt too warm. I closed my eyes against the sun and listened to the sounds of the birds in the trees and the animals scuffling through the underbrush, and I smiled.

It was peace.

Until he spoke.

"You see, it doesn't have to be bad."

And my eyes snapped open, my lips pressing tight together, and I answered him by twisting towards him and kneeing him in the groin. He gasped and stumbled and I ripped out of his arms and ran.

"Kasey!" He shouted, but I didn't stop.

I could hear him crashing after me, hear him getting closer. My breath bit at my chest and my sides ached and my legs felt weaker and weaker, but I did not slow. I did not stop.

I ran for my life.

But I was getting so tired and I could feel the burn in my calves, and the days of not eating came back to bite me, hard. I stumbled and my legs slowed against my wishes, and every step took every last bit of strength in my body.

I wasn't going to make it.

I had to make it.

I grit my teeth and pushed faster just as a weight slammed into my back and tackled me to the ground. I shrieked and my knees and palms scraped against the hard dirt and then his hands were on my shoulders, flipping me around and slamming me down on my back.

"Dammit, Kasey!" Chase snapped.

I pushed at his weight, but he wrapped his fingers tight around my lower arms and yanked me up.