The Escape

Chapter Ten

A/n: This is dedicate to _Smile_ for making the awesome book cover for The Escape. I love it :)

And off to the side is one that is also pretty cool by Schylight, who also made a cover for my other story: My Flight.

Thanks you guys both for the awesome covers!

                                                   Chapter Ten

          On the dirt floor of the grungy shack he keeps me in, my head pounds and my limbs are trembling with a mixture of fear and exhaustion. “Hmm…” he puts his hand to his chin as if in thought. “What shall your punishment be this time?” His eyes light up with fire as if a match was struck inside his head. “Come here Lacey, darling.” He says in that sickly sweet voice.

            I look up to meet his pseudo-friendly eyes and glare at him in defiance, not moving a muscle. My body was void of all feeling, and I was past the point of caring. I wanted to see him squirm. I smirk at him as a flash of emotions cross his face- first surprise and then anger.

            “I said come here, you bitch.” He says through clenched teeth, his voice cutting through me like needles. Staring up at him the corner of my mouth still quirked up in a smirk, I shrug my shoulders making him rear back in anger and his top lip curl up as if to snarl. In a few long strides, only a matter of seconds, he was in front of me yanking my hair to pull me too him. I let out and strangled scream…

            I rapidly sit up causing the room around me to spin as I gasp for breath. Disoriented, not yet realizing I’m on a couch rather than a dirt floor I glance at my surroundings. Relief floods through my body as I realize I’m at Eithen’s. I try to control my rapid heartbeat and ragged breathing by focusing on the clock on the wall above me, counting the ticks in an attempt to calm myself down. After a few minutes my breathing is back to normal, and I make my way to the kitchen to get a cup of water.

                        “Hey,” Eithen says when he walks through the door later that night after getting off work. “Wanna go to town with me tonight? We don’t have to if you’re not comfortable with it, but I figured we could go get some food and clothes for you while we’re in town. That way you don’t have to keep wearing that same outfit all the time and maybe some that fit you better, but it’s up to you.”

            “Uh, I don’t have any money…” I start to reply.

            “I know, don’t worry about it. It’s on me.”

            “Look, I don’t want to be a burden to you. You don’t have to do this. I don’t know how I’d pay you back. You’ve already done so much for me.”

            “Meh, I’m not too worried about it. You can worry about that later. Besides you probably want some of your own things don’t you? If you insist, you can pay me back later or something. We’ll work something out. Besides, you cleaned the apartment yesterday, so you can thank of this as my way of saying thank you.”

            I take a minute to think it over. I hate when people spend their money on me, and this guy doesn’t even know me. I always feel guilty like I need to get the cheapest thing, not to mention I don’t like owing people. I like taking care of things by myself; although, admittedly I could go for more than this one pair of clothes. Reluctantly I swallow my pride and agree, before I can change my mind.

            On the way to town, we sat in awkward silence for a little bit. Not knowing what to say, I fidgeted with my hands in my lap and stared out the window unsure of what to look at. He starts to reach for a knob on the radio, but pauses midway and looks in my direction.