"Love is merely a madness, and, I tell you, deserves as well a dark house and a whip as madmen do."
-William Shakespeare-
chapter 12
There is a limit up to which your body can take it. Some say there is no limit, your strength lies within you, and if you want, you can do anything. Well these lines were just utter bullshit to Ethan, why do you ask.
Well because there are no super humans, and it doesn't matter how strong the hero is or how brave he is, after having your face smashed in with a hammer, and having several wounds, anyone will loose their shit, and after all Ethan never took himself as a hero type either for obvious reasons.
But even in unconscious state he can feel the heat and the warmth of the fire nearby him. For some few seconds his mind tricked him into thinking that he was back home, in his bed. Not in this godforsaken forest!!
But your subconscious can only trick you for so long. Soon the uncomfortable position he was in made it difficult to breathe any longer for him.
Ethan's eyelids were heavy but somehow he got the strength to open them. But when he did open them, he saw nothing but white snow. And soon he realized that his face was lying on snow, he placed both his hands on the ground to support himself as he tried to get up
.
First attempt was a failure but then in second attempt he got the strength to lift his face from the ground. He tried to see his surroundings, but his hair was blocking the view; Ethan made a loud grunt noise when he tried to apply some pressure on his leg in order to get up.
He felt helpless. Ethan took the support from a tree which was just a few inches away; he dragged himself with his hands to sit with his back facing the tree. And after what seemed like a eternity to him, he was finally able to breathe properly. So he opened his eyes once more to scan the area.
It was nearly dark, but still some few sun rays danced at the top of dead leaves which were present far above the ground upon some very long trees. But those faint flickers of light dared not reach the ground, as if they were afraid to die in the dense forest. No sign of happiness anywhere, the sun was about to set. The temperature was falling again. Why did he had to pick this place for his honeymoon? why didn't he choose Bahamas like any other normal husband. Ethan can almost taste the bitter snap that his subconscious made at him by calling him 'normal'.
But the bundle of wood which was lit with fire provided Ethan some comfort. Wait fire? Who lit this camp fire?
This question was soon answered when a voice came across from the opposite direction from which he was sitting.
"So I see that you are awake, huh"
The person's face was still invisible due to the flames created by the fire between them. But even in his worst state he knew, that the mysterious voice belonged to Rachel.
"Yes, thanks for the help by the way." Ethan replies with a bit of sarcasm in his tone. As he was still pissed at her for not helping her get up when his whole body was lying on snow, and he couldn't even move his leg.
"Oh don't be mad now, you should feel lucky."
"And why is that?" Ethan was curious to hear her reply. What is so lucky about this situation?
"You should feel lucky because I didn't kill you in your sleep, I considered it though. In fact I very much wanted to do it too, but then again I am not a murderer."
A little bit taken back by her reply, Ethan opens his mouth to answer but soon finds no words to speak. So instead he lowers his head down and starts looking down at the ground.
Rachel was expecting a cruel reply or maybe a death threat too, but when Ethan doesn't say anything. The part which was still considering killing him dies, after all its Ethan she's thinking about. Her leg still hurt but the pain wasn't that bad now.
After Ethan fainted and she was still in her arms, he managed to fall down in a position in which no harm came to Rachel. After a few minutes of being trapped under Ethan's leg, she suddenly woke up. She got up collected some woods and started a fire, by the time she was done the sun was almost down which meant she only had two options. First was that she leave Ethan behind, and there was a strong possibility he could die. Or she stays, the first one was tempting but she didn't know which way she was supposed to go.
Since she didn't know which way the cabin was.
Finally Rachel got the courage to broke the silence and she asks
"What happened to your leg?"
Ethan sighed and he rubs his temples as he was suffering from a terrible headache before answering.
"I stabbed it with a pocket knife."
Rachel was confused but she didn't ask more questions. But she couldn't help make a joke out of it.
"Was it cursed? I meant your leg."
"Cursed? Come on really?"
"Hey don't blame me, who knows what evil wuju is going on here. I don't want to see you cutting off your own leg just like Ash."
"Ash?" the mention of another male name got Ethan a bit interested in the conversation.
"You know Ash from evil dead. The guy who chainsaws his hand and kills his own wife in a cabin."
Ethan let out a frustrated sigh. He was not in a mood to play right now.
"I am not going to cut my leg off. Okay!!"
"Jeez so touchy." Rachel didn't know why he was being so moody about it.
"And I am not going to kill you like Ash."
"And I am supposed to believe you. Since the last two days all you have done is hurt me in your own twisted ways."
"I am sorry."
"What did you just say?" Rachel couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"I said I am sorry. I shouldn't have done that, you didn't deserve any of that."
"I am sorry... is all I get? You tortured me and raped me. I don't know what you are planning in that little stupid evil head of yours. But there is no us anymore, I hate you Ethan; more than anything else in this whole world. Only one of us is going to get out of here alive, and I am pretty sure it's already you." She lost her temper. She can't be just okay with everything else that had happened with him and her.
"You don't hate me." Ethan said while trying to get up.
"And how do you know that." Rachel yelled at him with all her power.
"You may hate me now, but opinions changes." Ethan bit his lower lip when he finally managed to stand up, as the pain was unbearable.
"And on what principle your theory is based on?"
"You know why I think you will change your opinion about me..." he limped his way to the other side of the fire to get close to her.
He sat on his knees in right front of her, he brought his face awfully close to her face to look directly look in her eyes. While he spoke
"because honey two days ago when you told me that you cheated on me all I wanted to do was bash your head over and over with a wall until your body was dried off blood. But now I am a changed man, I don't want to kill you. I want us to be us again, and you know I am a determined man. I always get what I want, and right now that is you. So I suggest that you change that attitude towards me or else who knows I might just change my mind again."
Shocked beyond belief by Ethan's answer, Rachel just sat there with her whole body shaking with fear. This man was not a changed man; if possible she has never seen him more evil or sinister ever before.
One thing was very clear to Rachel now. She made a huge mistake by not killing him when she had the chance.
Ethan very well aware of his effect on Rachel by his speech sighed.
"Oh look now I scared you. Don't worry we have plenty of time to talk when we get back to cabin, come on stand up. It's almost night; we don't want to wander in this forest alone in dark now do we?"
A very scared Rachel shook her head.
"Now that's my perfect bride." Ethan pinches her nose as a sign of encouragement. He grabs her by waist and helps her stand up.
But how hard Rachel tried she couldn't feel anything but numbness, now he wants her to obey him. Or else he will kill her, is she even going to see her parents ever again? What if Ethan kidnaps her and takes her far away where he can do whatever he wishes to do with her. All these questions were making her dizzy.
Once she was standing up, Rachel still felt a little dizzy.
"Now come let's go back. The cabin is not far away maybe some few minute only. I wish I could carry you, but since I can't. you would have to follow my lead, can you do that?"
Even though she was at the verge of a nervous breakdown she knew better not to mess with Ethan. So in response she nods her head again.
"That's my good girl, god I love it when you are obedient. This way milady." Ethan didn't know why, but he felt so excited. Like he was riding a bicycle for the very first time. He gestured her to follow her and she did as she was told to.
After a few minutes the sun was down so it started to get dark. But before it was completely dark, they already made it to the cabin. The journey was quite short for both of them.
But they reached the cabin from the back side. No matter how both of them were tired or in case of Rachel, upset; both of them were glad to be out of that forest. Where they were forced to face darkness, wolfs and so many other things.
Rachel was still behind Ethan, being as obedient as she can be. Ethan, on the other hand couldn't be happier; his wide grin can give anyone a complex.
But soon he stops dead in his tracks and the wide grin was gone in a matter of few seconds.
He saw a snowmobile parked in front of the cabin. Which meant someone else beside him and Rachel was also here.
Rachel was behind him so she didn't see the snowmobile yet. But she also stops walking when she seen Ethan stopping. His whole body was tense; she could tell that by his muscles.
"Everything okay?" She asks him.
Ethan snaps out of his nightmare only to find out that he's not dreaming, and this is real. He turns around to face Rachel, and mouths the words 'I am really sorry for this.'
Before Rachel ask why he looks like he has seen a ghost or why he's saying sorry, Ethan grabs her by waist with one hand then puts his another free hand on her mouth tightly. With so much pressure that the she couldn't exhale air anymore. He removes his hand from her waist to grab her neck from behind. So the air passage is completely blocked, Rachel didn't know why this was happening? Or why was she seeing spots. But in a matter of few seconds she was surrounded by darkness. And she faints in Ethan's arms.