Beauty and The Beasley

Chapter 13

The next day, Bree set out to visit Jimothy. He was this old lunatic she had met the very first day she came to Maine with her mother. It wasn't exactly a pleasant first meet and Bree was sure she would remember it for the rest of her life.

Her mother had sat in the passenger seat while Bree lounged in the back, sulking about why they hadn't moved to France instead, which was one of her favourite places on earth. The drive had been hours long and Bree was getting numb-butt. She constantly pleaded with her mother for a rest stop which Melinda reluctantly agreed.

They'd parked several kilometers away from the border in a forest like surrounding. It wasn't exactly the scary kind of forest Bree had seen in the movies - it looked welcoming. The trees were inhabited by birds that noisily chirped and flew from one nest to another. The sun was burning hot so they'd resorted to resting underneath a cable of trees.

Bree wasn't exactly happy that she was made to use the bathroom in the middle of a forest but it was all she could manage. Afterwards, she ventured deeper into the forest until their picnic site disappeared behind her. On and on she had gone, hoping to bump into a rabbit wearing a blue waistcoat that would lead her into a certain hole in the ground that also led to a certain place. . .

She kicked leaves and stones as she walked, listening to the humming birds above. Sunrays peeked in from above the tree branches like they did at home in Texas which made Bree feel a little homesick. She walked circles around a particular tree, rubbing her palm against the sturdy trunk and traced the millions of lines on it.

She stared at the trunk. Those lines weren't normal. It looked like someone had made several attempts to cut down the tree with a bread knife.

Bree suddenly felt all she hair on her neck stand on edge - someone was watching her. She felt her instincts go up in flames. She backed up quickly, maybe too quickly and stepped into a mushy hole. Something snapped like a tree branch broken in two then Bree felt ropes tighten against her ankle. In one swift second, she was swept off the ground, her secured leg dangling above her and her head hanging about 7ft off the ground.

Bree had let out a loud scream but it seemed her mother and the driver was too far away to hear or maybe she'd only screamed in her mind. She spun around slowly like those huge black tyres she used as swings. Warm liquid trickled down her secured leg and Bree didn't need to look to know that she was bleeding.

The sound of rustling leaves came from behind her and Bree was sure it was whoever had set the nasty trap. Suddenly, the ground beneath her began to swallow up the leaves around it until a hole appeared covered in leaves and mud. The ropes around her leg loosened and Bree let out a scream as she fell headfirst into the pit.

She could remember the loud buzz in her ear, the searing ache in her head and the itching pain from her injury. She turned to sit up and placed a hand on her temple. She was sure she'd heard metal bars slamming against the ground. She looked up, squinting to see as the world still danced around in a circle above.

Truly enough, the hole had been sealed by six heavy metal bars to make it look like an underground prison. Numbness spread through Bree as she leaned back to rest against the mud and leaf covered wall.

The throbbing in her head only intensified and her pulse seemed to get louder. A shadow loomed over her but she did not bother to look up.

"goodness gracious." Someone exclaimed from above. Their voice sounded like a cross between a little boy and a woman.

Slowly, the metal bars receeded and a small rope like ladder fell on Bree's lap.

"Grab onto that, kiddo." The voice called.