Forgive or Forget

Chapter 22

-Cheryl-

If I had seen a single fucking human being, I would have screamed my head off, knowing that I was already dead. As much as I wanted to scream regardless of not seeing any people, I didn't want to piss Todd off, hoping there was a chance of escape for me.

When we entered the home, I could see no furniture on the main floor of the outdated, beat-up house. I decide to ask Todd a question, hoping to hell that I don't piss him off. It's not just me that I'm trying to protect, which is the main reason for not fighting Todd. I must defend Reed and my baby.

"Why are you doing this, Todd?" I ask.

His laugh is as sinister as he answers my question. "This whole fucking thing is your fault. Everything was perfect with Reed and me until you came along. We used to go out every weekend and even during the week to find women to fuck. All of that changed when he met you. I want my friend back. We made a vow never to get tied down, to fuck as many chicks that would let us. You blew it."

He looked at me with hatred in his eyes. "I tried to see what he saw in you, but I just can't. We have always loved blonde-haired, blue-eyed babes. You have fucking mousy brown curly hair and shit brown eyes. I don't know what kind of power you hold over my friend, my brother, but it has got to stop. The only thing that will stop it is this."

Feeling overly brave, I ask Todd another question. "Why did you hurt Patty?"

He laughs wickedly. "That bitch should have died a long time ago. That's another thing that you fucked up. I obviously could not kill the girls that I picked up, so I would have my way with Reed's girls."

I push him because he seems to want to over-share. Were there more murders than Patty? "Why would you do that? What if they blamed Reed?"

Todd looks proud of himself. "That's the entire point. Reed was my scapegoat. If the police ever figured it out, they would go after Reed. Patty was my fuck up. She seriously pissed me off. I admit that I lost control of that one."

He chuckles to himself, and I feel like I am about to be sick.

"What do you mean?" I can't help but ask.

"The whole reason I brought Patty to your little "get to know our friends" cookout was to show Reed what he was missing. I wanted him to cancel the wedding and fuck Patty so that I could have my way with her. Fucking Reed only had eyes for you," he said in disgust.

He looks at me like I am the vilest human being on the face of this earth.

"How many girls did you, um, have your way with?" I know I'm pushing him, but I can't help myself.

Todd gets irritated. "None of your fucking business."

He grips my arm tighter, but I keep myself from responding to the pain that he is causing.

He opens a door and drags me into a dingy, musty-smelling basement. I start to feel sick again; it takes everything in me to keep down the bile rising into my throat.

I look around and see nothing but a dirty, disgusting mattress. As Todd throws me onto the mattress, I notice dark, rusty, brownish-red stains. "Todd, I'm going to be sick."

Todd shrugs."So be sick. I don't give a fuck."

I lose my stomach contents all over the floor next to the mattress.

"You're so fucking repulsive. I seriously don't see what Reed sees. You don't deserve to die the way my beauties did, but I don't want it to be quick. I want you to suffer the way I've been suffering the last three years." His hatred of me is apparent.

He turns and leaves me in this hell on earth with tears filling my eyes. I chastise myself. "Pull yourself together. You have got to find a way out of here."

I calm myself down and look around, taking in my surroundings. It's still daylight. There's a small window that seems just out of my reach. I decide that I need to get my hands in front of me, so I scooch my hands under my ass. When I clear my hips, my hands are now behind my knees. I take one leg at a time and move them under my hands. After severe maneuvering, my hands are still tied together but are now in front of me.

When I hear footsteps above me, I freeze but take a breath of relief when I hear a door open and shut, then silence. I look around to see if there's something that I can stand on. The only thing down here is this horrendous mattress. I walk over to the window and reach up. My fingers reach the ledge. I wonder if I can pull myself up. I decided to give it a try. While holding onto the ledge, I can walk up the wall.

I get so far and feel myself losing my grip on the ledge. I use my body as momentum and reach further up to grab the window handle. On pure adrenaline, my feet walk up the wall enough to place my forearm on the ledge. I support my body on my forearm while flipping the latch on the window. I push open the window and use both arms and legs to climb out of the open window.

Once outside, I look around to determine which way to run. I hear a car door shut, and I sneak up to the corner of the house that the sound came from and sneak a peek around the corner. I manage to see Todd entering the house. I take off, knowing that he would soon discover my escape.

I am a few houses away when I hear Todd's voice screaming. "CHERYL!! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?"

I had run across the street and down a back alley when I heard him screaming. Every time I hear him call my name, it feels like his voice is getting closer and closer to me, but I don't see him. I know now that I can't outrun him. I reach the back of a closed business and hide behind a large dumpster.

I feel like my heavy breathing and pounding heart have to be heard from a mile away, but I can't calm down. How long do I have till the monster discovers my hiding place? Moments? Hours? Oh, God. I hear footsteps slowly approaching, stopping now and then before they get closer and closer. I am holding my breath, staying as still as possible, praying he walks away from my hiding place. My life depends on it.

*****