Eros

Chapter 15- Wounds

Lynn opened her eyes, the light hurting her head and making her temples pound.

Where was she?

She tried sitting up but her arms were outstretched at her sides, her wrists tied down restricting her movement. Her vision came into view and she could see Kevin sitting near her side, strapped to a chair, his head hanging down.

"Kevin- Kevin!" She whispered, and he stirred.

"Kevin!" She struggled against her restraints, but they were too tight to wriggle out of.

"Lynn?" He mumbled, and looked up at her, revealing a split and bleeding lip and a black eye.

The room around them was a living room, a couch pushed all the way to the side to make room for the small bed she was strapped to. The roof had log support beams, and she knew she was in a cabin somewhere by the lake. One that was abandoned, as there was no personal decor and it seemed a layer of dust covered most of the furniture piled around them.

"How'd he find you?" Kevin asked, his voice hoarse.

"I went out looking for you..."

He shook his head and moaned, "why would you do that-" he looked up at her with worry, "where's Paul?"

"He's at the station, he's safe."

He relaxed back in his chair. At least their kid was safe.

"Kevin, we have to get out of here, where is Anthony?"

He spat out blood, "He's somewhere- said he needed to get his tools. That was after he dropped you off here- he gave you a good wound on that hard head of yours- I thought you were dead when he tied you down... why is he doing this?"

Lynn sighed and rested her head back down against the mattress.

"The short version? He dated my surrogate mother who dumped him to have me. She died of cancer, and now since I look just like her he's taken his fear of being rejected or left behind as a way to kill couples."

"Wow," Kevin stated, unable to say anything else, and sat in silence.

"We need to get out of here before he returns- can you loosen your ties at all?"

She watched him pull at the cords on each wrist but they were too secure.

"How are we getting out of here, Lynn?" His voice was soft and quiet, the fight gone from his earlier struggle with the Sheriff.

"I-" she looked around, but there was nothing nearby that was useful for her escape- the only thing closest to her was a cord on the table next to her for a small lamp... maybe if she could-

"Lynn."

Her heart skipped a beat and she turned to the man who had entered the room.

Anthony Hollar, her former boss, Sheriff, and role model in the force.

He dropped a large bag onto the ground and lifted a flap so that they could both peer into it- a small doe lay inside, its carcass open and bloody.

"Oh god-" Kevin gagged, and Lynn stared at Anthony, knowing he was looking for fear.

"I felt I needed a quick practice run before the real deal," he let the flap fall and nudged the bag to the side with his boot.

He approached her side and reached down, gripping her jaw hard so she couldn't move her face away. He turned her face side to side, up and down, peering into her eyes, as if taking stock of his prey, then let go.

"Do I look like Harriet?" Lynn asked, and he slapped her with the back of his hand.

"Do not say that slut's name."