Out From the Shadows

Prologue

A shiver racks through my body, the cold concrete floor being the culprit, combined with the damp air. My knees bent and tucked to my chest is fruitless to bring my body warmth, yet the numbness helps to cool the thoughts flying through my mind. If my captor gets his way, then I'll be leaving my family in an untimely fashion. My eyes start to water at the thought of leaving this world behind and soon my body convulses with each shaky breath that I take.

My crying must have caught the attention of my captor because I hear the echoes of boots on concrete from outside in the dim-lighted hallway nearing my door. My kidnapper has only visited once since the day I was taken and only to put a loaf of bread in my cell. My stomach rumbles with dire hunger. He is keeping me weak and tired, and it's working.

I try to blow air on my face to dry any left-over tears since my hands are bound behind my back to the lousy frame of a metal bed. I right my self and lift my chin to fake confidence and bravery. When the echoing in the hallway stops, I begin to tremble and losing all hope in looking strong.

I hear keys jangling and after two turns of the knob, unsuccessfully, the door to my prison opens with a nerve-racking click. The door opens slowly with soft creaking, like the person is expecting my retaliation when there is a chance to escape. The darkness in the room lifts a bit once the soft light from the hallway flows in.

He, or I think the person is a he, strides into the room and my hope sinks to the bottom of my stomach. Squinting my eyes to try to see him is futile, and so is escaping, it seems. He blends into the shadows, faceless and unrecognizable. I hadn't even seen him when he grabbed me in broad daylight, so I don't know why I expect to catch a glimpse of him now. While I was lost in my own thoughts, he has walked past the doorway and is up in my face. I hadn't realized this until I feel his warm breath on my face. The shock must have registered on my face because he pulls back a bit and reaches behind me.

"Please!" The scream escapes my mouth without a thought.

My sobbing picks up and so does my heart beat. I begin to squirm around like a fish out of water in hopes of making his job harder to complete. I didn't know until the fabric binding my hands falls away that he was trying to untie me from the bed post. With my hands freed, I start to crawl away from him and towards to door, all while heaving and stopping the flow of tears. Footsteps pound from behind me until they halt between me and freedom.

"Wh-Why?" I sob when I cease to continue crawling.

He squats down in front of me and I sit up with my knees slung to the side. I finally get my first glimpse of him when light catches the  front of his body. His shirt is the color of midnight and his pants are as dark as they come. His face is covered in some dark substance to hide his true identity. By the smell of it I can guess it's coal. I can only catch a brief sight of his hair because of the way he wears it up. Black. He tilts his head to the side, like he is pondering a question of his own. This hint of my captor will be drilled into my mind until the day I am free. That is if that day ever comes.

My face must have also shown my excitement of noticing this detail. He squares his face to mine and I settle my face to show no emotion. God, why can't I be as good as hiding emotions as my husband? He can play cards and never show any sign of emotion.

Another tear slides down my face and I dedicate it to my husband. I squeeze my eyes shut and wipe my mind clean of every horrible and frightening memory of being held captive. I want my last thoughts to be of my family. My eyes open and I stare straight at where his eyes should be.

"They will come for you, I can promise you that," I state as flatly as I can, hiding any emotion in my final words.

"I know."

Pain lances through my body, starting from where the knife handle sticks out from between my ribs. The person missed my heart by centimeters.

My brows crunch together in confusion and surprise. I am mostly surprised by the fact that my chest doesn't burn with fire and pain, but rather has been completely numb. I fall on my back and choke, trying to bring new air into my lungs, but failing because of the puncture the knife created. My sight starts to get dotty and blurry, but the one thing I can certainly make out is the form of a person. My killer. I start to inhale air but unable to exhale anything but blood. My breathing slows and mercifully, I black out.