Hunted

Decisions

*Dimitri's POV*

     Minutes blurred into hours and hours into days. I lost track of how long I've been in here long ago. I still keep hoping that this is all some sick joke and that Rose and Lacey and everyone else will bust in with a "Just kidding." but I know it's just wishful thinking. No part of this is a joke; a game maybe, but not a joke. The look of pure happiness as my kidnapper revealed what he had done with Rose's body has replayed over and over again, burned into my mind and I can't make it stop. I'm afraid I'm going crazy; that even if I get out of here I can never go back to having a normal life. Maybe that's what he wanted; who knows? Of course none of that will even matter if I can't find a way out of here.

I vowed to never eat anything else I was offered here but turns out that wasn't necessary. My kidnapper never came back after having his fun with me. My stomach stopped hurting a few hours ago and I know that can't be good. Even with rationing what little water I was given it still wasn't enough. I drank the last few drops a few hours ago and my throat is burning with thirst. I wonder how long a person can go without food and water before they die. If I can't find a way to escape I guess I will find out soon enough, huh?

*Samantha's POV*

     "Where are my friends?" I asked the doctor as soon as he walked in the door. I've been alone ever since I woke up yesterday. Not one of my friends, not even Oliver, has come to see me and I gotta admit it kinda hurt my feelings. I notice the doctor didn't look me in the eyes as he replied, "Well, we don't really know." I quickly sat up in bed and regretted it as searing pain filled my stomach. I ignored it though, my thoughts solely focused on his reply. "What do you mean you don't know?" I demanded, panic flooding my body. "Your friends brought you in and stayed in the waiting room for a few hours. One of them..had an incident and was admitted. The rest of them, with the exception of one, left soon after. The one who stayed behind sat with you for hours, never leaving your side. Something happened with your friend we admitted and after that, neither one of them were seen again. I'm sorry but that's all I know. I'm sure the police will want to talk to you once I've established that you're well enough."

I didn't know what to say. His explanation was very vague, and left me with more questions that answers. "What do you mean incident and with who?" I asked. He sighed and sat down in the chair beside me. "Your boyfriend Oliver attacked a nurse when she refused to let him see you. She wasn't hurt but we couldn't calm him down so we had to sedate. We originally were just going to keep him under a 24 hour watch to ensure he was no longer a danger but then he attacked another nurse and was admitted to the psychiatric ward. He wouldn't talk about what happened to you two in the woods; all he kept saying was he needed to see you."

He paused and looked me in the eye. "Samantha, this may be hard for you to hear but Oliver is wanted for murder. He killed one of the nurses on the psych ward for her key and escaped. Whether he did it intentionally or not doesn't matter. The police are looking for him right now and once he is apprehended he will be evaluated and possibly face life in prison or a mental institution. I know this is a lot to take in but the police could use any information you may have regarding your attacker and Oliver. I will give you a few minutes to process everything I told you and then I will send them in to talk to you, okay?" he asked. I didn't answer, just sat unblinking. Oliver? A killer? Not possible. He would never do that. And where is everyone else? I really need some answers and fast.

*Lacey's POV*

     It felt good to laugh with Alex. I wasn't even sure he was capable of laughing but I guess I was wrong. "Yeah, you kinda did deserve it." I said once I was finally able to regain my composure. "But I am sorry regardless." I added. He glanced at me, his face turning back into the stony facade I was used to. "No, don't be. I asked for it." he replied, looking down at the ground. Maybe I'm just imagining this but I could swear something has drastically changed in our relationship. He seems more...real? Open? I'm not entirely sure. Hoping I was right, I took a chance and asked "What happened to Amy?" He looked up at me, pain filling his eyes. "I really don't want to talk about it, okay? All you need to know is that I had to choose between her or you, and I chose you." I wasn't satisfied with his answer so I pressed on. "Why did you have to choose?" He didn't answer at first but I was beginning to get used to that so I waited. "Rose was just the beginning, not the main target. The real victim, was you. She wanted me to break you down, bit by bit, friend by friend. She said this was my final test, my last obstacle. She said that if I could kill you with no remorse that I would finally make her proud of me; that I would be the one to continue her legacy. I wanted her to be proud of me but I just couldn't do it. I don't really know why, but from the moment I laid eyes on you, something in me changed. I knew I couldn't kill you and I also knew that if I didn't Amy would, so I did what I had to do to ensure your safety. I killed her. Now please, stop asking me questions before I get angry." he growled. I had so many more questions that I wanted to ask but I knew better so I bit my tongue and kept quiet. Alex shifted his body so that he was facing me and I watched him take a deep breath. "Now that you know all this you have a choice. You can either join me, become my protégé, or you can live as my prisoner. I can't let you go; not with all that you know about me now, and I can't kill you; not unless you force me. So now the choice is up to you. What will it be?"