Chapter 21

The door slammed as Clarissa rushed out of the car and into the shabby looking apartment complex. Very aware that the ten-floored building had a very non-functional elevator, she took the stairs two at a time, Flynn right at her heels. It was well past ten minutes so she knew Sydney had to be in her apartment, waiting already. Pushing the people crowding the staircase aside, they frantically ran up the stairs not minding the weird look people threw their way. She couldn’t tell the exact moment the feeling of impending doom crept onto her, latching onto her with its suckers. Her heart plunged into her stomach robbing her of breath for a second or two. Her head swarm, the stairs swirled. Her steps faltered and she staggered backwards. Flynn’s hands shot out to break her fall but she caught herself just In time.‘Are you alright?’ A concerned Flynn asked, grasping her elbow.‘I’m okay. I’m okay. Just a bit lightheaded. I’m okay.’ She assured. ‘I can’t seem to shake off the feelin

Last Updated : 2022-09-09

Chapter 22

It was December and it was drizzling. She didn’t run to find shelter because the rain had always settled her spirits. She hailed a yellow cab and it screeched to a stop right in front of her. Behind her, Flynn watched in his car, as she walked into the cab and it zoomed off, with him right on their tail. Her mind was racing with unlikely thoughts and her heart was beating too slow to be considered normal. It was something that always signaled the onset of a panic attack. She didn’t want that, she wanted to keep a straight head. So, she focused on her breathing. In, out. In, out. In, out. She did that till her head stopped feeling like it held more thoughts than the body mass of the heaviest man on earth and a semblance of normalcy engulfed her. She reached for her phone again. Still nothing from Sydney. Heaving a loud sigh, she turned to stare out the window. The buildings raced by in a blur. The skies had turned dark already, courtesy of the awful winter. The drizzling rain ha

Last Updated : 2022-10-02

Chapter 23

While the old couple sat in front of the TV - the lady knitting as the man tuned his radio- a news anchor broadcast the news of another missing young lady and advised the public to report any suspicious activity in their vicinity to the police. ‘We should probably call in that break in we witnessed yesterday Rupert.’ The old lady with her croaky voice said to the Old man without pausing her knitting. ‘The gunshot too. It could be nothing worth checking out, you know huh?’ Rupert argued. ‘Stop arguing and get the phone because now, I have the strongest urge to call it in.’ Without spitting another word, he walked to the telephone hanging on the wall by the bookshelf and called 911 to report what they had witnessed the day before. ******************** For Clarissa, the world had suddenly come to a standstill. It didn’t help matters that even after a day had past, they were yet to hear from Syd. There was nothing worse than a missing body. The sheriff, Sheriff Emmett, had already

Last Updated : 2022-10-08

Chapter 24

She felt something gnawing at her toes, a quick nibble here and there. As she cracked her eyes open, her first observation was how dim wherever she was. her skull throbbed painfully and when she tried to move her hands, she realized that they were bound behind her. And, she was sprawled face down with her legs spread too wide, and her right ankle twisted to an unusual angle. When she tried to move that ankle, pain shot up her leg. She heard the scurrying feet of rodents across what sounded like metal. Metal.That was when she felt the cold seeping into her skin from the flimsy clothing she had on. With her mind still processing information in 2G, she drew herself up with her left leg acting as her primary support. She blinked a couple of times to let her eyes adjust to the darkness of the room. Her hair lay matted to the side of her head and her whole body ached like hell. How had she ended up in this Godforsaken place?Just then, it all came rushing back to her.Claire drugging he

Last Updated : 2022-10-12

Chapter 25

Silence…Nerve wracking silence filled the shed. Counting numbers had become her way of passing time. Outside, the macaws had stopped cawing and the trees stood eerily still. A shudder ran down her body. She had to get away from here. She had this gnawing doubt that no one knew where she was and if they managed to locate her, it might already be too late. And it in no way helped matters that Barry acted in a very volatile manner. Something might get him triggered and who knew what he would do. And Flynn…She wondered if he had already put two and two together. She wished she had taken Marley’s advice and invested in some of those security devices or taken those self-defense classes he had suggested. The neon light casted shadows on the bales of hay making them look bigger than they were. Marley and Serena…She wondered where they wanted to have their wedding. She might not even be alive to attend. The thought of that made her eyes burn. Somehow in the space of a few days, th

Last Updated : 2023-03-13

Epilogue

The wind whipped her hair into her eyes.Her skirt wrapped round her legs and she clutched the lilies in her grasp tighter, wishing she didn’t have to place them on his grave. The weeks leading to his funeral, she had locked herself up, refusing contact with anyone. She didn’t even speak his name anymore.She wouldn’t even let her mind think of what they had. They were all memories too sacred and painful to be remembered.Her eyes roamed across the headstone searching, pinning for answers. Why did it have to be him? Wiping the lone tear that had slipped down her cheek, she muttered ‘Traitor.’ The damn tears never knew when to stop, she thought. The flowers fell to the grave with a plop and she crunched down to arrange them.Cincinnati, she mused, would make a nice place for a new start.With that thought, she backed away from Flynn’s grave and made her way to the Chevrolet she’d rented. It was going to be a whole era for her, hopefully.…If the darkness doesn’t follow