Day Seven - February 7th 1998
Maida wouldn’t have just left, would she? I can't get the thought out of my head. I get out of bed and sit by the window, looking out at the snow filled yard below. It glistens in the early morning sunlight. It’s so pretty, deceivingly so, the trees stand bare except for the white covering their branches. I remember back when I was a kid, how much fun I’d had here, running around out there, climbing the trees. I remember climbing the tallest tree, getting up to the highest branch and getting screamed at by my mother. The view had been worth it and I’d been so proud of myself. I’d liked to pretend I was an explorer, out to find lost treasure. What the treasure was, I can’t remember. My mother had told me to grow up. I remember the snowball fights me and my brother had, making snow angels, trying and failing to build an igloo. Later on, this place seemed to turn into something more sinister, but it hadn’t always been that way.
I leave my room and go downstairs, asking anybody I see if they've seen Maida yet. Nobody has heard from her, I'd really hoped she’d come back during the night. I feel uneasy, I walk back upstairs and go into her room again. I don’t know why Maida would leave now, she seemed adamant about solving this thing, we were a team. I look around the room, lifting up the pillows, looking under the bed, but still find nothing. Wouldn’t Maida have left me a note or something if she were leaving? Wouldn’t she have told me that morning? Why did she lend me her car? None of it made sense. None of it felt right. I check around the room one last time but find nothing. I leave the room and walk down the hallway, I see my mother trudging down the stairs in front of me, I slow up and stay quiet, I don’t want to deal with her right now. I creep down the hallway until she’s out of sight and go back to my room and think. We’d searched everywhere, so if she wasn’t here, where could she be? I pick up the phone, thinking I could call the hospital, talk to Ed and ask if she’s back home but there’s no dial tone. I hang up, defeated. Maybe she’s in town? She might have figured something out and didn’t feel safe here anymore, she hadn’t been able to call because the phone’s not working. She must be in town.
I get up and leave the room, saying goodbye to Agnes before exiting the house. I walk over to Maida’s car, still parked where I left it last night. I unlock the door and stand before the driver’s seat, not ready to drive again. I still don’t know how I’m going to explain to her that I dented her car. I sit down, close the door and put the key in the ignition. I turn the key, the car sputters but won’t start. I try again, nothing. I see Luke outside my window and open the door.
“Hey! Could you please help me?”
“Hey there.” He walks over and leans against the car. “You need some help?”
“I can’t get the thing started.”
He motions for me to get out of the car and sits in the driver’s seat. He turns the key and it does the same thing.
“Hmmm, I think you’re out of gas.” He taps on the gauge in the dashboard.
“What?”
“Yeah, you mustn’t have realised. You'll have to go into town and get some, we need the stuff here for the generator.”
“Really?” I groan.
“Where were you going?”
“Into town.”
“Well, that’s no problem then, two birds, one stone. I’m going that way shortly, I’ll give you a lift, if you’d like?”
“Yes, that would be great! Thank you.”
“I’ll meet you back here in about ten minutes?”
I nod my head. “Thanks.”
I go back inside the house and grab some extra cash for fuel. When I get back outside Luke is loading up an old F100.
“Ready?” He asks.
“Yep. Good to go.” I answer.
He opens the passenger side door for me, I thank him and get in. I put my seatbelt on and wait for him to get in and start the engine.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“So, where did you want me to drop you off? I can sort out the fuel for you if you give me the cash.”
“Wherever. How long are you going to be in town?”
“A couple of hours probably, can drop you back home if you won’t be that long.”
“I’m not sure how long I’ll be. I’m going to see if Maida’s in town.”
“Maida? The girl you were looking for last night?”
“Yeah, it was weird that she didn’t tell me where she was going.”
“How long have you been friends?”
“I met her last week.”
“Well, you don’t know her then, do you? She doesn’t owe you an explanation.”
“I guess so, it just seems unlike her, that’s all.”
“Some people just have no manners.”
We both chat for a few minutes about nothing interesting, mainly the weather. He’s a really friendly guy when you get talking to him. He seemed so cold when I first met him near the lake. I guess first impressions can be deceiving. Suddenly a deer jumps out onto the road, Luke slams on the brakes. We slide on the icy road. I look down and see his feet. My blood runs cold.
Military boots, the left one is slashed at the toes. Just like the boots in the video.
I try to remain calm and say nothing. My mind goes blank, I can’t think of anything to say and I can’t remember what we’d been talking about. I feel hot and cold. I try really hard to pretend nothing has changed. I look up and Luke’s staring at me, I smile. He doesn’t smile back, he knows something’s up.
“You okay? You look a little weird.” He says.
“Just car sick, stopping so suddenly.” I reply.
He keeps talking and I zone out. We’re not far from town now, I’m sure I can wait it out. I pretend I’m interested in the conversation, nodding enthusiastically, probably looking completely unhinged. I glance down at the boot again.
“Why do you keep looking at my feet?” Luke laughs.
“What? Oh, I was just wondering about the cut in your boot.” I say.
“Door on the garden shed, have to kick it shut, eats into the boots.”
“Oh, yeah? Why don’t you fix it?”
“More important things to fix at your old house, wrecks every pair of boots I get though.”
Luke stops at a stop sign and waits for another car to drive by. Now’s my chance. I grab the door handle discreetly and pull but it’s locked. I look at to the bottom of the passenger’s side window, the lock button is gone, the thread that would’ve held it on is cut. I can’t get out.
“I thought you might figure this out. I locked you in.”
“Let me out, please.”
“I don’t think so Elena.” He does a u-turn and we start driving back to the house.
“Please, really, I don’t know anything.”
“Don’t lie. I watched the cameras and could see you piecing things together. You and your little friend.”
“Did you leave the note? What did you do to Maida?”
“She’s fine.” He laughs. “You wouldn’t believe it, she comes up to me yesterday, accuses me of killing your father. She’d recognised my boots from that damn video.”
“How do you know about the video?”
“I followed you both a few times, watched you both watching the tape. Can’t believe you just left it behind. I had no idea there was another copy of it around. Stupid me, didn’t realise that I was still in it when I edited it.”
He’s speeding down the road, we’re getting close to home. I don’t know what to do, I think about winding down the window and jumping out, but the winder is missing. Can I break the window, would that help? Could I hit him with something? Knock him out? I start to hyperventilate. This is a nightmare. My breathing is shallow, I’m gasping for air. Luke hits me in the arm and tells me to be quiet. I see the gates now. If we go to the house I might be able to call for help. I hope that’s where we’re going. We reach the gates and he drives through, he continues down the long winding driveway, but instead of turning right towards the house he goes in the opposite direction. My heart sinks. He slows the car down to deal with the rough trail ahead of us. I realise where we’re going, towards the maintenance shed at the front of the property. I’ve haven't come down here in years. In a last ditch attempt I grab the steering wheel and pull it towards me. I aim for the trees, seeing it as my only chance of escape. Luke holds the wheel steady, he reaches around and hits me in the face. My head snaps back and hits the seat behind me. He finally stops the car and opens his door, he tries to pull me out by the hair, which falls out in his hand.
“Ew, what the hell?” He looks down at the clump of hair in his hand. I push myself back into the passengers side door. He tries to grab me and I kick at him, kicking him in the nose, he steps back and covers his nose with his hand, blood starts to poor down his face. I’m happy to get some payback. I feel the rush of adrenaline, I push myself forward while he’s distracted and jump out of the truck, I begin to run for the trees but feel someone grab at me, he gets my arm and pulls me back. I slip out of his grip and keep running, feeling nothing but air behind me. I look behind me and he's out of sight. I hope he’s given up, but I know better. I reach the trees and crouch down, twigs snapping loudly underneath my feet. I stop and hide behind a tree, I peek out and see the truck but no Luke. Where did he go? I lean against the tree, my back pushed up against the bark. I look around, listening intently, trying to concentrate on the sounds surrounding me. I seem to be completely alone. I don't know which direction leads to the house or the road from here. It looks safe to keep moving forward. I look at the trees that go up the hill in front of me, I can either go back or I'll have to go up. There’s little cover, if Luke’s around he’ll see me. Beyond climbing a tree and waiting it out, it seems like my only option. I hear a sound behind me and turn.
“Nice try, Elena.” Luke holds a crowbar above me and swings it down, I hear the whoosh of air before it cracks against my skull, and I drop.