The Abduction of Stephanie

Chapter 35

“Daddy says you’re free.” Stephanie looks at Raven with a puzzled face as Raven begins to undo the restraints that are keeping Stephanie from the outside world. Raven looks different today. She has brand new glasses and her hair tied back into a ponytail, her arms are now covered in sleeves of tattoos and for some reason she is wearing a pair of high heeled shoes. Stephanie continues to stare at her thinking this is some kind of a trick. She feels that Raven is just waiting to kill her and the rifle at her side isn’t very reassuring that she won’t.

“Go on. Get out of here” says Raven. “Go before I change my mind.” Could this be happening? Was Stephanie finally free after months of suffering? She couldn’t even believe it. This has to be a dream. She remains speechless as Raven finishes removing the rest of the restraints. An uneasy feeling comes over her. She wants out of this basement but what is really waiting for her on the other side of that door? Most of her friends have been killed and she couldn’t possibly go on living that life without them. She could never return to that school or face the parents that made very little effort to rescue her and besides that the man she loves lives here in this house.

Raven slaps Stephanie hard across the cheek and says, “What are you waiting for? Go!” Stephanie has dreamed of this day for months now, dreamed of her release, dreamed of seeing her friends and family, dreamed of fresh air and smelling the flowers blooming in the spring but she can’t move. She should be running towards her freedom, happy to get out of here. She could go home and take a shower and play her piano, and just relax. Her release has come too late, it has come after she acquired feelings for her captor. She should wish she was never here but instead she is glad it happened, glad Ray abducted her because if it never would have happened she never would have fallen in love and if she had died before falling in love she never truly would have lived.

Raven picks up the rifle and points it at Stephanie who still isn’t moving. “Are you just going to stand there? I said you are free. Get out of here or I’m going to shoot you.” Stephanie just looks at Raven with a blank stare. “Why aren’t you leaving?” asks Raven. Stephanie drops her head and says, “Because I love him.” Raven can’t believe her ears. Stephanie is in love with Raven’s father.” She presses the rifle to Stephanie’s face and says, “You really are one sick bitch. I should shoot you just for that comment.”

Ray makes his way down the stairs and says “Drop the rifle Agnes” She rolls her eyes at her father and puts the gun down on the ground next to her. Ray approaches Stephanie, brushes her blonde locks from her face and tucks them behind her ear and gives her one last kiss. “You are free to go.” Tears begin to swell in Stephanie’s eyes, her heart racing, fearing what will come next in her life as for months this is the only life she’s ever known. “Ray if I go they will arrest you.” “That’s something I’ll have to deal with and the punishment I deserve.” Stephanie is saddened by his words; she wants him to be a part of her life, a part of her future.

“This is no life for you, locked up in a basement. You deserve to be free.” “But I don’t want to leave you Ray. “I love you.” “I know you do but this is the way it has to be. It’s better this way.” Stephanie doesn’t know what to say. She doesn’t want to leave him. The life with him is the only life she wants. “You must go says Ray” kissing her on the forehead.

Stephanie can now hear people coming down the stairs. “You see Miss Simpson I told you she was here,” says Raine, proud of herself for figuring out where her friends have been taken. Raine rushing down the stairs, Miss Simpson and Brianna following close behind her. Miss Simpson is holding a rifle similar to the one Raven has and says “Hold it right there. Let her go!”

Stephanie is not surprised that Miss Simpson would be the one to come to her rescue, Miss Simpson always had her back and is definitely her favorite teacher even if she picked on her every now and then, but then again she picked on all the popular students. She hated to see people being treated unfairly and often Stephanie and her friends would pick on others leading to ridicule from their beautiful English teacher.

Raven picks up her rifle and points it at Miss Simpson. “Drop the gun, Agnes. This isn’t who you are. You are a kind person who would never cause harm to anyone. You are not fooling anyone by being something you’re not.” Agnes takes in Miss Simpson’s words with a grain of salt and continues to point her weapon in her teacher’s direction.

Brianna stands back near the staircase chewing on her new acrylic fingernails and avoiding danger. She has never been the type to live for these kinds of situations. “Drop the gun Agnes,” says Miss Simpson again. “Ray tell your daughter to drop her weapon.”  Ray looks at his only daughter. “Do as she says. There is no use fighting anymore.” Only Agnes doesn’t listen to her father. She refuses to go to jail. She would rather die and she is determined to fight this until the very end.

Stephanie can see a bright light appearing in the television set across the room as Pythia makes her return again in the form of her friend Raine. “You must hurry Stephanie. Time is nearly up.” Stephanie is unsure what to do. She wants everyone to leave. She wants to be alone with her lover. They could all go about there business and she could stay here alone with him. She wouldn’t bother anyone here, locked up in this basement. She wouldn’t hurt anyone’s feelings or make anyone sad. She would be content and happy for as long as she lives, forever a slave to love.

Miss Simpson flips her curly brown hair and points the rifle back at Agnes. “Agnes you need to listen to me. Just put the gun down. The police are on their way.” Agnes is angered by this and fires towards Miss Simpson, only she misses and the bullet lodges itself into the wall behind her. Miss Simpson fires back at Agnes but Stephanie gets in the way. The bullet goes straight through her heart and she mutters the words “I love you Ray” as the darkness consumes her.