Dark Purpose - VIII

Part 1

VIII.

                The last thing Angela Darrows could remember before waking up in the dark room she now sat was bumping into a large man on the sidewalk after leaving the hotel. The one thing about concussions, that Angela knew from experience was that the brain tended to forget the moments leading up to the trauma. As if the film reel was clipped instead of kept intact, letting the movie play on. She felt her head swimming from the blow to the head she must have suffered and tried hard to made her eyes adjust to the low light. Her body lurched and she relived her stomach of its contents, another side effect of blacking out. The brain, worried the body had ingested some poison causing the dizziness went about expelling all that was floating in the stomach. Now those contents mixed with the dust and dirt on the floor adding a new smell to the room that was already damp with what smelled like urine and mold.

                Her eyes did manage to adjust somewhat to the low light around her, peeking in from cracks in the walls, and she got her bearings. She was tied to a wall arms raised above her head, that she could tell without the light, but she wasn’t alone. Another woman, thin and blonde, was across the room from her.

                “Hey. Hey you.” Angela hissed towards the woman. She moaned but didn’t make much other noise. She looked to be sedated, and heavily.

                “Wake up. How long have you been here?”

                “I…don’t…know.” the frail woman eked out in slurs.

                Aside from the woman they were alone. The man, that Angela assumed brought her here, wasn’t present.

                “I can’t fucking believe it. Snatched by the damn Butcher.”

                “What?” the frail woman squeaked.

                “It's alright. What’s your name?” Angela didn’t need the woman, who was quickly becoming more lucid, to get frantic. The man wasn’t in this room but that didn’t mean he wasn’t someplace else waiting to come in and silence them.

                “M…Misty.”

                “I’m Angela.” Angela used her “sweet” voice, something she used when she talked to children and other fragile folk out in the field. Her normal verbose tone might come off too harsh especially in this circumstance so she played it safe.

                “Angela?”

                “Yes, tell me about yourself Misty. What do you remember last?”

                “Umm, I don’t know.”

                “Just think, where were you before you woke up here.”

                As she spoke she fiddled with the restraints looking for a way to release herself from the wall. She was tied with a thin wire, maybe fishing line, which bit into her skin as she moved. That was then nailed into the wall by a tight loop that she couldn’t unhook. Though the wall behind her felt soft. The rain had come and gone a few times over the past week and this building with its many cracks and warped walls wasn’t secured from the elements. She felt the wall bow behind her back and felt it best to break herself off it.

                “I was at Sullivan’s, eating…”

                “Sullivan’s? Is it a nice place?” Angela leaned forward and slammed her back into the wall leaving an indent from each hit. She felt the wall start to buckle more and more and with it the nail started to give a little as the wall around it started to fracture.

                “My favorite place.” Misty spoke slowly and Angela could hear her voice catch in her throat. The woman was holding back tears.

                “What else?” Angela kept her talking but hoped that she wouldn’t cry. She needed the woman lucid enough to run once she got free but not enough to scream for help.

                “I was walking home, back to Alfons.”

                “Is that your husband?” Angela said. She swung her body back and forth making sure not to leave her arms too slack so that the fishing line cut deeper into her wrists. The nail was starting to wiggle free.

                Misty didn’t answer, she simply shook her head.

                “Are you alright? Did he do anything to you?”

                “Alfons? No, he’s good to me.”

                “No dear, the man who brought you here. Did he hurt you?”

                Misty shook her head again.

                “He said it wasn’t time for that yet.”

                Good. Angela thought. The Butcher hadn’t started cutting pieces off her yet, so they could escape if only she could get off the wall. With one more final pull, biting through the pan in her wrists she yanked the nail from the wall and freeing herself. She sighed and started to pull at the fishing line with her teeth.

                From outside the room though she started to hear footsteps and that caused Misty to finally break down crying.

                Angela tried to shush her but it was no use. The door to the room opened and in strode a large man obscured by the shadows he maneuvered in. Angela shot her arms back up to where they were on the wall before he walked in. She had to be smart about this and strike when it was feasible. The man moved fast like he was in a rush, he seemed flustered.

                “No, no, no. it’s too soon. It’s too soon.” The man murmured going from one wall to the next picking up items on a small table that was placed in a corner and putting them back down. He seemed to be struggling with his desire to carry out his plan. Angela used that chaos to act.

                In a flash she was up on her feet and bounding towards the large man. She jumped and with her whole body slammed into him knocking him through the wall into the hallway. He feel like a ton of bricks  and slid a few feet away on the ruined plaster. Catching her breath she ran towards the table retrieved the first sharp object she could find and ran to Misty.

                “Hold still.”

                Clasped between her bound hands Angela cut Misty’s restraints loose. The woman still in tears and breathing heavily let her arms fall but failed to stand and move. Angela, looking over her shoulder to the man who started to regain his faculties, kicked Misty to get her to stand.

                “Get up! Let’s go!” Angela kicked again. She had to drop the blade she had and grasp Misty by the arm and lift her up.

                “I can’t.”

                “We have to go! Now!” Angela screamed forcing the frail woman up to her feet. Leaving the blade behind she rushed out of the room holding tight as she could to Misty’s arm. The fishing line bit deeper and deeper as she ran. The halls were just as dark as the room she was in but that didn’t slow her down much. There had to be an exit.

                From whence they came a loud booming yell echoed down the halls. The man was up again and Angela could hear his heavy footsteps cascade towards them as they fled.

                “Shit, shit, shit.” She repeated turning her head from side to side as they passed doorway after doorway with no exit in sight.

                Where the fuck are we? Angela screamed in her own head getting more frustrated and scared the deeper they went into the building. Misty was more lucid and didn’t fight her as much but she still felt like a dead weight not willing to move as easily. Angela had to tug her along which only caused more blood to seep from her wrists. Each turn was a dead end and her anxiety was growing that maybe she’d have to go the other way back past the man to escape.

                He started to gain on them. Her head was on a swivel.

                “Thank god.” Angela sighed pushing Misty towards a door with light leaking out around the edges. It was shut but it started to budge on its rusted hinges.

                “Come on.” Angela said as she slammed her body into the door again and again.

                “He’s coming.” Misty whimpered.

                “Come on!” Angela screamed as she threw her body hard against the metal door. With a crash it slammed open and Angela fell out onto the pavement beyond. The cold wind howled between the buildings tossing Misty’s hair into her eyes.

                “Get up let’s…” Misty started to speak kneeling down lift up Angela when a large hand grabbed her from behind wrapping around her mouth pulling her back. Angela in a surge of adrenaline jumped up and sank her teeth deep into the man’s shoulder as he spun around. He dropped Misty who took the chance to run out into the alley. Angela released her grip on him and kicked him back into the darkness.

                “Run!” she screamed as she came up behind Misty. They came flying out of the alley into the street. Night had fallen a while ago and the sidewalks were nearly empty. Angela couldn’t tell where they were but they had to keep going. They had to get as far away as possible. Without looking back she grabbed Misty once again by the arm and dragged her forward. Lungs burning, legs wobbly, head swimming, she ran.

                Where are you sis? Angela thought burning the last of her energy running for her life.

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