An Unbreakable Heart

III.

Besides the one occurrence, there wasn't a soul in sight. Maybe there were more towns? I was getting ready to disappear back into the woods when footsteps were coming from behind me. Turning around, I began to speak, "I'm new to town, and I was..."

I was cut off with the force of a punch, and the town disappeared.

***

I woke up with a headache and a nasty taste in my mouth. This is new. It took me a moment to remember the moments leading up to now, it also cost me, worsening my already bad headache. It was a dimly lit room, the small traces of light seemed to come from the cracks under the door, along with the crack on the left side of the curtain.

Chills ran up my spine and spread to the back of my head, and my arms were starting to grow numb due to the position they were in. Not to mention, the ropes were starting to burn my wrists. I was seated in a chair, but I wasn't tied to it. How considerate.

I got up and walked over to the window as quietly as possible. I certainly don't want to cause him to come in if I can help it. I used my shoulder to push the curtain slightly to the right. It was too high to jump. No doubt about that. Dammit! I almost said it out loud but was able to keep it in my head.

But now there was a bit more light, the floor on the other side was littered with liquor bottles and empty packs of cigarettes. Footsteps were heard and the light beneath the door was starting to fade. I turned around and pulled the curtain back to the same place it was in before rushing back to the chair. The cold, rusty chair.

I imagined a clock ticking, at first it ticked like normal, then it ticked in the rhythm of my heart. It sounded like a ticking bomb. Only the bomb's ticking would be slower. And I know what a bomb does. I don't know, who I'm with, or what they're planning. I think I'd prefer the bomb. It would be messy, sure, but maybe it would be a better fate.

The door never opened.

I spent that time, which felt like forever, exploring the depths of my newfound anxieties. It was a while before I'd acknowledged the door wasn't going to open.

At least, at that moment, it was sealed.

Once I was about to get back up, to do some more exploring in the tiny room, footsteps were once again in front of the door. This time accompanied by a voice.

"Yes, I'm sure it's her. She looks exactly as you described." the voice said.

A pause.

"Well, do you want to talk to her yourself to make sure?"

Not close friends, or super close? It was a bit hard to tell, even though the voice sounded harsh, almost like he was inconvenienced. But I could never be sure.

"Listen, when are you going to be here? I'm going to be pissed if she's still here when my wife gets back."

Definitely not friends.

"I'll let her go."

A pause.

"What can you do about it? There are different laws here, so yours don't apply. I know people too, so just remember that. I can make sure only one gets caught and it won't be me."

What was going on? Who was on the phone? They had to know me somehow, to tell the man the voice belonged to, what I looked like. But have they just been stalking me, or did I know them too?

"No. Only if it comes to it. Two days is the deadline. After that, I give no promises."

The door opened, and he came in. There was a black sock-looking mask over his head. Smart, protecting his identity. Only it sucked for me, cause now I wouldn't be able to describe him. Which of course was the point, but still.