Married To A Stranger (Wattys2021 Eligibility Award) (AMAZON PUBLISHED)

Chapter 17

I'm not sure how long I was passed out for but when I came to, I noticed my hands and feet were tied up on a bed. The room I was in was dark and cold and it sounded as if there was water dripping somewhere in the room. I couldn't hear anything, I couldn't see anything, but I knew I was afraid. I was afraid that this time, I might not make it out alive. And then I heard footsteps approaching, but it sounded like more than one. A door opened in the distance with a screeching sound as if it was old, and then I smelled his cologne. Mark, I heard his footsteps slowly approaching me and I knew he was close because his cologne was now invading my senses. The other footsteps also approached me, it was soft and subtle and I knew it was Kelly.

"You're finally awake," Kelly said to me.

Mark brushed some of the hair that was in my face out of the way and caressed my cheek. I just laid there, terrified. Kelly walked away, then I heard the sound of a switch and then a light came on. I had to place my hands over my eyes to shield them. The walls were old and dry. I scanned the room and noticed a chair in the far right corner close to the door. Kelly was standing behind it. I realized the bed I was on was positioned to be in use center of the room on the wall. Scanning further, it became clear to me. The only way I'm getting out of here is through the door because there are no windows.

"Exactly," Mark said to me while forcing my head around to look at him. I looked into his eyes.

"The only way you're getting out is through that door," Mark pointed to it. Kelly walked over to the bed and looked down at me. She started caressing Mark's back and I felt disgusted.

"What's going on Kelly?" I finally found my voice.

"Why am I here?" "Why are you and Mark here?" I said at once. Mark got off the bed and went for the chair. I pushed myself up in a sitting position and noticed I was still wearing the romper from, wait how many days have passed? Mark placed the chair close to the bed and sat.

"Thought your memories are back?" Kelly said to me while she sat beside me.

"What are you talking about?" I asked. I'm confused even more because she knows that my memories came back the day; we met Justin at the supermarket.

"If your memories are back, you should be able to remember Mark from your past," "You and I met a few times in the past as well when you were a journalist," she said to me.

"A very prominent one too," "Full of drive and integrity," she looked up at me with anger in her eyes.

"You didn't answer my questions from earlier," I said to her. I could feel the tears welling up and I had to be willing myself not to start crying, to stay strong.

"Why are you here and why Mark and I are here?" she repeated.

"That you're going to have to figure out on your own" She smiled.

"Fuck the mind games," "What's going on?" I began shouting.

"The hostility and shouting won't help Karla," Mark said to me.

"Nobody's going to hear you," he continued.

"Justin's going to know I'm missing," I said to them both.

"Oh, you're missing alright," "It's been two days, though you died or something when you didn't wake up after we brought you here," she told me. I noticed some bruises on her face as if she got hit.

"Yeah, had to make it look realistic," she touched her face.

"They'll know something doesn't seem right," "Justin's smart," I told her.

She got off the bed and walked towards Mark and kissed him. Mark then got up and walked over to me while Kelly came out of the room. I shifted on the bed trying to create as much distance between Mark and me. He grabbed the rope that was tied around my hands and yanked me to the edge of the bed and slapped me across the face.