Prey

Chapter 4- Secrets

Gasping as she nearly escaped a concussion after being thrown into the bedroom, Bridget brushed off her legs and stood to see the scene before her. A plain room sat before her with a small mattress in the corner. She moved towards it and threw her body to lean against the wall to find markings made from previous captives. She closed her eyes among one specific set of marks to find they had been claw marks. Dug deep into the cement wall. She threw her hand back at her chest as fearful thoughts rushed in her head on what may become of her. With her knees pushed tight against her chest, she began to cry. Fearful of never seeing true daylight again or the singing of her mother, even the scolding of her father. Upon her wrist, she clung tight to the phantom bracelet she knew she had there before she was taken. The remnants of the bracelet had been only a soft indent of a crimson puncture left behind by her wrist being thrust down as she had been attacked. But the thought of having something so close to her gave her hope.

She sat up and brushed the tears under her eyes as she then looked towards the door which became open. She then saw Vic with a plate of food and a bottle of water as he welcomed her with a warm smile. Setting the plate beside her, he sat at the edge of the bed before leaning against the wall.

"Seven."

"What?"

"Seven girls and boys that were here before you." he then traced the wall as she had, only backwards.

"Did they survive? Please tell me..."

"Most were naive and trying to be heroes...so no....all but one died."

"What happened to the one?"

He shrugged.

"It was a long time ago and the young girl was an infatuation for Harlan. He loved her strawberry hair and her green eyes, how her skin was ivory-"

"You speak as if you knew her-"

"I wasn't even alive."

"How long has he been doing this?"

"She was his first kidnapped victim. He got her at a bus station about twenty years ago. She was in high school and he kept a picture he took of her up until two victims ago..."

"That poor girl...she never went to the police."

Vic shrugged. "I suppose a lot could have been prevented if she had..."

"So how do you fit into all of this?"

Suddenly the door came open again before he could answer.

"Victor..." Harlan said as he had his arms crossed in front of him. "Do you think it's alright to sit and eat with murderers?"

"I didn't hurt anyone..."

"What did you say?"

"I said I didn't hurt anyone..." She repeated with her gaze gradually moving up towards him.

"Leave us alone son..." She looked to Vic with confusion. "You didn't know?" He chuckled. "Your little ally here is my step-son." He smiled as he saw the connection breaking between them as he tried to give an apology within a look as he was forced to walk away. She looked to the ground as her eyes filled with tears.

"Why are you doing this to me? Why would you move four states to get me?"

He moved down towards her, on his knee as the other foot was planted firmly upon the ground.

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" She shook her head.

"I'm scared...I don't know what I did..."

He moved closer to her, so she could feel his cigarette wreaking breath upon her nose and lips. He held her in place as she tried to fidget from the smell.

"Please..."

"What?" He paused. "Will you beg like she did?"

"Who?"

"Fiona?"

"My mom? What about-" She paused. "Twenty years...twenty..." He chuckled as he rose from his feet and she gained the horrifying realization.

"How?"

"She took the one thing from me....the one thing I've only given her-"

"No!" She shook her head.

"Yes Bridget...I'm your father..."

"I don't believe you...It can't be true. My father is Daniel Thomas....he's an EMT and-"

"No. Your mother and I loved each other until he tried to screw it up...She was pregnant before she left and knew it was a girl but...she left..."

"I thought she was a victim-"

"I had to...convince...her to stay on an occasion or two...but anything I did with her had been consensual..."

"Why didn't she go to the police?"

"I did nothing wrong. I locked her in a room where she could have left through the window-yet, she remained. Because she cared about me."

"But...I'm not twenty..."

"No...you are sixteen. I remember the day she told me, I bought her a bracelet that had a heart as the closing bracket." She gasped. She shook her head, wanting to believe any other alternative.

"She said my father gave it to me..."

"It was supposed to show the love I had for her...but it is incredibly valuable...made of real gold and diamonds."

"I guess your little mommy was a liar..."

"But why take ME?"

"Because after twenty years...the years I spent waiting for her...from the first moment I met her...I am going to get my revenge..."

*more explanation coming soon! Stay patient!