CHAPTER 3

5th August 2019.

It only took him a few hours before dawn to set everything right for this occasion. The impulse to get the job done now was getting stronger by the minute but he had to hold back and savor each moment with her. He placed her on the metallic table and took a look at her wound, the bullet was still in her flesh that he knew as he picked the bullet casings off the ground and found no bullet, that to him was a notion of no exit wound. The cloth wrapped around her wounded shoulder was soaked in her blood. It dropped onto the ground and he proceeded to go for his surgical instruments. With the tweezers, he reached into the flesh making the wound bleed even more. He wished she was awake to feel the pain, to hear her screams but that wouldn't be happening any time soon.

With a clank, the metallic bullet hit the receiver. All that was left was to stop the bleeding and close the gap.

A cotton wool swab coated in alcohol was swept over the gaping wound, if she was awake that would've stung. It was now time to stitch the wound. He examined it to ensure that it wasn't bleeding. Sure enough, the wound seemed safe enough to close up. He reached for the staple gun and closed it as quickly as he could.

He started at her limp body, "Rae", he said softly, slowly stroking her cheek. The remorse for her flooded his mind and clouded his judgment. No longer could he feel the rage that was dug deep into his veins.

" I wish things were different, I wish this was you just sleeping in our room enjoying your dreams. Fate has a sick way of playing people, it brought us together but not as anyone would want. Maybe in another life, maybe in another life you and I can be together like in a cheesy romantic movie or novel."

A kiss on her cheek made him realize he still had a soft spot for her.

Her hair felt soft and silky against his calloused

hand and smelt like lavender. Conflicted with his affection for her he began to contemplate if this was truly the right thing to do. Was this the right way to place judgment on someone as innocent as her? Was he doing the right things?

Flashbacks of laughter under the sun made him snap out of his trance. A newfound determination was anew in his wake. Just as the mist evaporates when the sun comes out so does his demeanor.

He turned away from her and chuckled, "Rachael, you have a funny way of having control over me, even when you're unconscious. I despise every last bit of you for that, yet I tend to find my spirit drawn to you. I can't help but wonder, do I have the same effect on you? Do I possess the power you weld? I guess we might never know. I promise you this though, I won't let any ounce of your blood go to waste. You will feel every pain I felt when you hurt me. I promise you this." Satisfied with his revenge speech and the emotion of anger flowing in him he retreated to the showers and waited his turn.

***

"Rae, get up. This is no time to give up."

"Rae, get up!"

The silence crept around her as she tried to comprehend what was transpiring.

"Get up! Don't you dare give up on me young lady!"

There's that voice again. She knew that voice but couldn't paint a picture as to who it might be. It was the silence here that made her feel comfortable, the silence drew her peace. It was something she longed for the past six months, silence. She felt as though she was in a void. A void of peace.

"Rae!" That voice again. How is it that it manages to disturb her peaceful void? She wanted nothing more than to let it leave her alone.

"Your mother and brother need you!" She gasped, how can she be so selfish? She hadn't thought about them in the slightest. What made her think she could live without them?

"Chipmunk, you need to get up!"

Her heart squeezed at the realization that it was him.

"Dad, where are you?!"

"Chipmunk you need to get up!"

"Dad I can't get up, I'm too weak. I can't do this without you, I need you!" Tears built up in her eyes as she screamed into the void. Then again the silence. It remained so for what felt like an eternity.

"You're not weak, you're my daughter and I know you can do this. Your mother needs to know you're okay. You're not alone, I'll always be by your side."

A drop of liquid, other than the silence she could hear something. Drops. She could hear her steady breaths, a twitch of her finger, a flutter of her eyelids.

Heaven or hell? She didn't know. The darkness slowly crept away. Gradually she opened her eyes, not tempering with the searing headache, she propped her head up and noticed it was dark. Either blind or in another void, she didn't know but remembered to take note of her surrounding the minute she saw fit to do so. All she knew was that she was breathing and grateful for that. The voice in the void seemed to have stopped, was she dreaming? She thought to herself.

She tried to move her hands but they were limp, finally noticed that she was in a sitting position with what felt like tough material around her chest and legs, it was probably rope. Her sore muscles and aching body indicated that she had been in that position for a long Time. "How long was I in that void?" She whispered to no one in particular.

The material around her was soo tight that budging would not help.

"Where am I?" She asked. "Who did this?" As if a switch was turned on, the memories of the night came to her. Running away from the silhouette, twisting her ankle, and then HIM. Her breath hitched. How could she be so fucking stupid, the answer to all her problems where right in front of her. Every step she took he was able to take ten because he knew. Everything she planned was revealed to him all along. It's true when they say 'the devil you know is better than the angel you don't, he was right in front of her this whole time. She broke the first rule of survival, do not trust anyone, and she did. She mentally smacked herself, fucking stupid, she thought to herself.

Then suddenly light blinded her, and she hissed from the sudden light. After adjusting her eyes to the light, it made a buzzing noise above her, she scanned the area like any good detective would, not that she was one. She was right about the rope and chair and the fact that she wasn't dead. The room was ill-lit and murky. A grey comfortless room with roaches skittering across the ground, her stomach churned from the nauseating smell of mold and... Blood, she'd know that smell from miles away. "Breath" she whispered to herself as she continued to survey the room. A metallic operating table was placed right in front of her and a surgical tray with all the shiny instruments was neatly placed on it. "What hell is this? Where am I?" She closed her eyes and began to think, what would he want from her? What was he trying to do? How long has she been here? "Deep breathes Rae. Deep breaths", she drew in a deep whiff. Escape, she needed to get away and quick. Her eyes landed on what looked like a knife. She moved inch by inch closer to the table, with every movement her chair made a teeth-shattering screeching sound. If only she could reach it and cut her way out. Suddenly the door flew open and someone walked in, the blurry figure lurking behind the curtains, he circled her like a predator would stalk its prey. Everything stood silent the only sound was her ragged breathing from the effortless escape plan. He stood still "I see you're finally awake"

"Unfortunately" she uttered under her breath.

" Tried to escape yet?"

"Was working on it, till you interrupted me."

"Let me guess you tried to grab the knife, so you can cut your way out." Fuck you for knowing me so well. " One point for knowing me so well." He chuckled.

He was looking right at her, she knew for a fact as she could feel his eyes on her.

"Rae, when are you ever going to give up?"

"Never." She stood her ground and meant what she said, she was never going to concise to his tricks. Never.

The lights turned off around her leaving one directly on her spot as a spotlight would. This was what he did, put you in a vulnerable position and leave you trembling in fear. Not today.

"You seem determined, stronger even. Not like our first encounter." She scoffed loud enough for him to hear.

"I love lions."

"Excuse me," his statement caught her by surprise, "what does that have to do with me."

His feet began to shuffle, circling her.

"Lions, fascinating creatures. The lion waits for its prey as the lioness gets it for him. I'm not one to enjoy the display of meat, but the chase. I love my victims running and fighting."

A narcissistic maniac, that's what he was. Never in her entire life would she think that he was behind all of it.

"You know I love games."

He stopped moving, "Particularly, hide and seek. You seemed to enjoy it." He got closer, slowly creeping through the curtains, unblinking and not moving a muscle. His arms crossed before his chest barely rising and falling. His usual scruffy jet-black hair, now slickly combed back, matched his black tee and black denim jeans. Of course, he had on a pair of black vans for shoes.

It was him but his eyes were a different color something changed, everything changed, and his whole demeanor radiated darkness. Evil...

He did nothing except stare. She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by the raise of his hand. Rude.

Upon close inspection he looked nothing like the person she knew at heart, he was different.

" Before you call me by that vile name, I should have you know that my name is... Damian Hawk."

Damian, a name that suited that handsome devil standing before her.

"Why are you doing this?" She finally croaked.

" I'll tell you eventually, right now get comfortable and make yourself at home." He says whilst walking towards her.

"I don't plan to stay long, people will realize I'm missing and they'll find me."

"Oh no honey, they will find you. Your corpse to be exact. By the time they know of this location you'd already be dead, and me of course, long gone."

She flinched as he reached out to touch her wound.

" You just had to run away." A wicked smirk played on his devilish lips as he said it.

" You're sick." She said with pure disgust, but he didn't seem affected.

" I guess I am." The wicked grin grew.

" I'll see you later, like I said make yourself at home."

Finally walking out, Rae released a shaky breath and began to plot her escape. Which she was hoping would be soon.