The Perfect Date *Completed*

Day 20 (cont'd)

Samantha's heart was beating so furiously she could practically hear it. She raced up the ladder to the all too familiar trap door and fumbled with the keys in her hands.

"Which bloody key is it?" she mumbled as her trembling fingers tried key after key. The trap door never budged and with each attempt she grew more and more nervous. Her hands shook so vigorously that the keys slipped suddenly and fell at her feet.

"Fuck," she cursed and glanced behind her. Jerry was looking at her as he got up supporting his hurt hand, his eyes burned with anger.

She quickly picked up the keys and tried the last one and the door finally opened. She pushed it up and climbed into the basement. For the first time she felt hope, she was almost free.

She wanted to close the trap door on him so that he couldn't come after her. Finally he would know how she felt, how torturing it was to stay in the same place with no way out. As she turned to close the trap door a hand grabbed her foot causing her to fall down. She cried in pain as her knees hit the floor. He was pulling her back down there.

"NO NO NO," her mind screamed.

She fought back with every ounce of energy she had left. She kicked at him with all her might and clawed at the basement floor as she crawled away from him. There was no way she was giving up now, this was the closest she had gotten to freedom.

"Get away from me!" she shouted as she kicked his hand. There was a whimper and then silence. Samantha scrambled unto her feet and ran up the stairs to the living room. Her heart was hammering against her rib cage, her pulse was so erratic, her fingers were almost numb. She couldn't believe how close she was to freedom.

The door was just a few steps away she reached it within seconds.

"Samantha, please don't leave me, " she heard him speak as her hand reached for the door knob. She couldn't help but turn around to look at him. She wanted to see his pathetic face before she left him for good. She was going to report him to the authorities as soon as she left. She'd never loathed anyone so passionately before, he was going to pay for keeping her here.

He was holding his hurt hand as he stood a few feet away looking at her. His gaze was pleading and he looked so pitiful with tears cascading down his cheeks. But there was something different about him, she could feel the heat emanating from his body, the hatred was so clear in his eyes.

She knew now more than ever that she had to escape or he would kill her.

"You don't deserve my company, or anyone else's for that matter," Samantha said through gritted teeth.

She watched the hope leave his face and his eyes widen in horror as her hand twisted the door knob. Once she opened the door, she would be free, the neighbours would hear her and he wouldn't be able to drag her back inside.

She twisted the knob and pulled at it but it didn't budge. It didn't make any sense, doors were meant to be locked on the outside not the other way around. How could she be so stupid, of course he would do something like this. And then she realised that she was trapped and bile rose to her throat, she wanted to vomit.

"Help!!! " she screamed at the top of her lungs but her cries for help were muffled as Jerry's hand swiftly covered her mouth. He kept his hand wrapped firmly around her mouth and his other arm around her waist tightly. She winced in pain as he squeezed her and pulled her away from the door.

Tears pooled around her eyes as she looked at the front door. She was so close, so damn close. She couldn't go back down there, she just couldn't!

His hand was obviously still hurting as he didn't use it while he held her waist. She managed to wiggle one hand out of his strong grasp and she squeezed his hurt hand. He jerked backwards and released her immediately.

"Bitch," he cursed under his breath as he looked at her.

Samantha had never felt more frightened of him before. His whole face was contorted in anger and he bit his lip until it bled. She watched it drip down his chin before she darted towards the window. She punched at it with all her might and screamed for help. It didn't break but a surge of hope ran through her veins when she saw one of the neighbours lights flicker on, maybe they heard her.

Suddenly she felt an intense sharp pain in her head as she was pulled backwards by her hair. She lost her footing and fell on her back, hitting her head in the process. She started panicking as he sat on top of her and she struggled vigorously to free herself from under him.

She looked around for any object to hurt him with but there was nothing within her reach. He locked her hands with his legs and wrapped his unhurt hand around her throat.

"How could you do this, Samantha? After everything I did for us, " he stuttered in between sobs. The tears were flowing freely down his face and dropping unto hers. She shook her head violently but it was of no use, his tears mixed with hers and all she could do was taste the salt in them.

His grip tightened and she started choking in response. He placed his other hand on top of her neck too and pressed even harder. Samantha squirmed under him, she couldn't breathe and she could feel her world closing in.

The more she struggled the harder it became for her to breathe. Black spots started to cloud her vision and then it finally dawned on her. She was going to die.

She was going to die without seeing her parents for the last time, without graduating med school, without seeing Ben ever again, or Candice or anyone else she loved. So many things she had wanted to do; travel, dance under the moonlight on the beach, get married, have kids, save peoples lives in the hospital. She would never be able to do any of these things and that broke her heart.

She was going to die without ever actually achieving something and that too at the hands of a man she hated so much. What had she done to deserve this? She would probably never know.

She could feel her last few breaths leaving her and she closed her eyes so that his face would not be last thing she would think of. She imagined herself in her living room at home with her parents and Ben. They were all having tea and laughing at each others jokes. The bright sun shone through the curtains making the living room a bright golden colour. This must be heaven she thought.

The last thing she heard was the sound of the door bell ring before everything went dark.

Helloo, what do you think? Is Samantha dead? Please vote, comment and follow if you like what you've read. Will update every week now that my exams and holidays are over. :) :)