The Chase

Chapter 8

"What did you call me?" Her playful smile turned into a terrifying sneer.

"Did I stutter?" I told her, as fiercely as I could muster. My insides were rattling— for fear or anger— I do not know. All I know is that she's too much. What she's done is too much that I can no longer ignore or dismiss as one of her impulsive decisions.

We stared down each other. Neither was backing down on this power play. I searched for her eyes and I could not fathom what's behind it, it's chilling me to the core and I suddenly regretted looking. But I can't turn away now, I have to keep my stance— I can't let her overpower me. The longer I look into those deep round orbs, the more it registered to me what it really is— fear.

My heart instantly thawed. Is it normal to feel sorry for your captor? No. I know it isn't. But that's what I felt. I wanted to kick myself for feeling this way, but it's Rhian. Even if she's gone completely insane, she's still my Rhian, and my heart can't ignore that fact the same way that my mind could. I wanted to wrap her in my arms and tell her that it's all gonna be okay, but I can't, and I know that this is not okay. This is far from okay.

"What did you do?" I finally said, not showing any hint of sympathy.

"I just claimed what's mine," she smirked— hiding the fact that her voice was shaking.

"Take me home. Now."

"This is home, G. I'm your home, remember?" she said, the tone so saccharine that it makes me want to vomit. I want to vomit because I can't believe what I'm feeling.

How the hell is my heart agreeing with her? She's right, I've said it a hundred times before— she is my home. She was my home.

Under any normal circumstances, I would wholeheartedly agree with her, profess my love even. But this isn't normal, this is a far cry from normalcy.

"You're fucking crazy! I am no longer yours!" I told her vehemently. As soon as I said it, I regretted it. That was a wrong move. I shouldn't have said that.

She snapped and swiftly took out a pocket knife and pointed at my jugular— her expression was crazier than ever. "You. Are. Mine. You hear that? You're mine. If I can't have you, no one else will," she seethed.

She lost it— again. This isn't Rhian anymore, the Rhian I know completely shut down and is now taken over by her disease. I lost her several times before because of this, but she comes back— she always comes back. I've lost her again and again, but not like this.

I am utterly terrified. Cold sweat ran down my forehead, my jaws started chattering, and my tears fell before I even had the chance to stop it. I wanted to spite her, I wanted to strangle her, but I know this isn't her anymore.  It's her disease that I want to curse, it's her disease and and all the people who caused her this is the one I truly wanna kill— if only I could. What she's doing now is beyond her control, and it's not something I could blame her for.

"Rhian, put that knife down," I said calmly.

"NO!" she growled. She slapped me hard that my vision blurred from the impact, I felt disoriented as twinkling white lights started to cloud my vision. "I'm crazy, huh? Here's crazy for you," she continued, giving me another hard slap— my cheeks bursting into flames as it forms red welts.

"HEEEELP! HEEEELP! HEEEEELP!" I screamed. She covered my mouth and laughed at me. "Scream all you want, no one's gonna hear you," she sneered and pressed the knife harder. The sharp edge of the knife almost lacerated my skin. Almost. To whoever I'm crying out help for, I have no idea, because the first person I could think of to save me is right here next to me— the same person who's putting my life in danger.