Chapter 31

27th December 2019

Renita's POV:

The front door was open. Maybe he didn't expect anyone to visit him in the middle of the forest. We tiptoed inside the house, carefully taking every step forward. We looked around frantically expecting anyone to leap over us at any moment but the house seemed almost empty and was damn silent. Not even the sound of any clock ticking was audible.

As I looked around there were no clocks hung anywhere. The walls were plain with just nails protruding out. I took a brief look at the almost blank kitchen. There were no drawers or any knives' holders. There were just a couple of plates stacked beside the sink with a fridge at the corner.

A door in front of us in the living room was latched and locked from outside. Then together we turned to our right to see four hallways stretching out from the living room. The last two were locked just like the door in front of us.

"I will search the first one, you search the second", Vasudev whispered into my ears.

"No! We are not splitting up. Wherever we go, we go together", I said as he shook his head.

"Grab something hard and move. Don't be scared. Be brave", he said as I grasped his hand again preventing him from moving forward. He removed it gently and patted my shoulder. "You, me, Cathy and Noel.. everyone are going to be fine. Don't waste time. If we go together we won't find them soon. Your search for Cathy and I will search for Noel, well! whoever we find first", with that he hurried towards the first hallway and I started making mine towards the second.

As I moved slowly glancing at every direction each second silently, my heartbeat started sounding like hammering even louder than my breath. As I took a few steps forward into the narrow hallway, the hallway split into a right and left. Confused which way to choose I turned into the right first making a mental note to check the left if Cathy was not here.

I walked forward in the dark corridor as my heart bet out of my chest in fright and nervousness. I suddenly noticed a room on my right side. Mustering as much as courage I could, I grabbed on to the big flower vase that stood outside the room. I sucked in a deep breath and kicked the door but it just rattled and didn't open as if something hard was kept behind it.

Then I tried pulling it back and it opened. To my dismay, there was nothing behind the door but just the plain wall. What the hell? I dropped the vase to the floor and made my way forward leaving the door ajar behind me. Whoever did this was definitely batshit crazy.

I kept moving on and there were no other rooms in that way when suddenly it again split into a left and a right. I stood dazed as I stared at both the ways. Whatthhaa??? Okay, let me choose right again so that I wouldn't get confused. I walked into the right as I regretted why I didn't bring my phone. The flashlight would have helped me in this dark. One more door with the same flower vase outside caught my eye. I pulled it open to see the wall again as before. Holy cow!

As I kept walking further into the hallway it again split into a left and a right. My head felt like it was going to explode right now. Why did they build this house like a maze? I again took the right as again a door with a flower vase outside stood which when opened showed a wall.

I already knew what I would see next, a left and a right! Like I guessed the split came again except that I noticed a faint glow of light from the right side. My heart started racing as I walked slowly towards the right. Then I stopped and peeped from behind the wall into the direction from where the light came as I froze at what I saw.

I was back in the empty living room again. Oh, my frickin Gawd! Seriously? I marched out of the hallway as I noticed that I have come out of the first hallway. So all the hallways are connected just like the maze? Great! Why didn't I meet Vasudev anywhere in between? Maybe he is also walking into random directions just like how I did.

I again strolled into the second hallway this time walking into the left side. Every door in the way had similar flower vases outside. I pushed all the vases I came across down to the floor so that I would know that I had crossed that way before.

As I went on walking into random directions I suddenly stumbled upon a door which didn't have a flower vase outside and also this door had a key stuck into its keyhole. I ambled towards it and pulled it open not expecting to find a room behind it. To my astonishment, this one led to a room but the room was pitch dark.

Suddenly panic took over me as I felt for switches on the wall frantically. My hands bumped onto the switch box before I slapped all the switches on in a hurry. Every light and the ceiling fan turned on in the room. I quickly looked around in fear as my eyes fell on Noel's limp body slumped over the corner of the empty room.

Shocked by what I saw I ran over to him and shook him calling his name. He didn't respond. His legs and wrists were tied together but loosely. I felt for pulses in his wrist and relaxed when I confirmed that he was alive.

I stood up and walked out of the room. Now my job was to find Cathy. Promising myself that Noel will be safe here until the police arrived, I exited the room and started moving forward with more confidence than before. As I kept walking further into random rights and lefts I grabbed a flower vase on my way for safety.

After a small walk from there, finally, the hallway ended with a large black wall that looked like it was made of iron, at the other end. I stood there confused wondering whether it was a dead-end and I have to turn back and walk into an alternate pathway.

I scanned the wall from top to bottom when I noticed a small keyhole in its left lower end. Followed by it, I also saw a single key lying on the floor in front of it. That's when I realized that its not a wall but a massive door. Excitement pulsated through me as I felt that it was where Cathy was locked up.

Startled by its appearance I picked up the key from the floor and stuck it into the keyhole. I twisted it four times before I heard the lock click open. I pulled the door with the maximum force I could summon looking at its giant appearance but it smoothly moved back displaying a mess inside the room.

As soon as I stepped in I was taken aback by seeing all the things that got burgled from our room being arranged here. As my eyes moved across the room swiftly it fell on an unconscious Cathy lying on the bed with torn clothes and blood smeared all over her and around her on the bedspread. Her hands were tied to the bedposts on either side of her and multiple cuts with dried up blood decorated her arms. But her legs were wide apart. Was she being raped?

I dropped the vase which crashed to the ground and covered my mouth in utter shock. Disturbed by the crashing sound Cathy woke up and looked around her before her eyes fell on me. It widened with pure disbelief and tears welled in her eyes just like mine. I ran over to her and pulled her into a hug as she winced in pain.

"Oh my god! Sorry, babe! What did that moron do to you? Why are you covered in blood?", I asked as my voice broke in between interrupted by my frantic sobs.

"Finally you found me Ren?", she sobbed. "He cut me in various places and left them open to bleed. Then he stabbed in my abdomen a few minutes back. We need to leave immediately Ren. Did you come with the cops? Is he caught already?", she asked in a small and weak voice though her eyes shined with expectation and relief.

"No, the cops are on their way to here. They should be here in another five minutes. We will leave immediately. I also found Noel in the other room. Don't worry! He is alive! If not him, we wouldn't have progressed this far and found you Cathy", I said as I started untying her wrist.

Her face darkened, "What?", she asked almost in a whisper.

"Yes Cathy, Noel found where Victor held you but before he could reach you Victor kidnapped him", I said expecting a grateful smile to spread across her face.

"Ren", her voice wavered in pure horror, "I thought you guys would have found already. Noel is Victor and Victor is Noel. They are not two separate people", she said.

I froze at what I heard as I turned to look at Cathy in a mixture of confusion and fright.

HAPPY READING!