God Complex

Chapter Seven: Liam

Chapter Seven

Liam

Branches clawed at my skin, pebbles and chips of wood clung to my aching feet. I couldn’t see where I was going. I didn’t care. The sun was blinding, and scalding. For so long the darkness and cold had surrounded me, and everything once beautiful was now painful. My steps faltered as I felt my adrenaline depleting. Sharp, sticky breaths filled my lungs. I kept on, knowing that stopping would mean defeat.

After bursting through some over grown shrubbery I fell, face first, into a quite shallow pond. The cold water shocked my body back into overdrive as I thrashed for the surface, not realizing I was not fully emerged in water.  I gasped for air as I flipped my head up from the water.

“Uh, you okay there feller?”

The sudden voice frightened me and I turned to run, stopping as I noticed this man was not my kidnapper. I calmed myself down, taking in deep refreshing breaths.

“I-I just-I...” I burst into uncontrollable sobs.

“Whoa there son, what’s the matter with you eh?” the man said, confused by my reaction.

After several minutes of hyperventilating, sobbing, and dry heaving, I responded to the kind faced man.

“My friend and I were kidnapped,” I paused remembering I was naked, “and he stripped us down.”

The man’s eyes widened but he remained silent.

“He killed my friend but he doesn’t know she is dead. He talks to her body as if she actually responds! And we aren’t the only ones there were several other dead bodies there-“

“Hold on,” he interrupted, “was this man in a cabin up the ways a bit?”

“Yes!” I shouted.

“Man I seen him poken’ around these woods gatheren’ up dead animals and such. He gave me the creeps so I followed him one day and saw that piece of shit cabin he got up there.”

“We were being held captive there, but he kept us weak.” I said with anger.

“Well it’s a good thing I came here to hunt then huh?” he looked around making sure no one was around.

“We should get moving he has to know I’m missing by now.”

“Come with me boy, I gots some extra clothes in my car and then we’ll get you to the police.”

“Thank you so much!” I began crying again with joy.

We started on our way down the broken path and quickened our pace gradually as the darkness began consuming the sky.

“Well damn it all to hell, I did not know it was supposed to rain!” The man shouted as thunder boomed. “I guess if we really hurry we can beat the down pour.”

And with that we both took off running. Within minutes the rain began crashing down on us. Each drop lashed at my tender skin. After about ten minutes a dirty red pickup truck became visible and I began sprinting towards it. I clasped my hands around the door handle and pulled the creaky door open, hopping inside the warm truck. I let out a sigh of relief as the man hopped into the driver’s side. He began rustling through a bag in the back seat but quickly pulled out a pair of worn out jeans and a red button up flannel.

“This is all I got so I hope it fits you.” He said tossing the pile into my bare lap.

I pulled the jeans up my body realizing they barely fit. I must have lost a lot of weight because even the shirt was oversized and baggy. I didn’t complain though. To be clothed again was a treasure I thought would never be taken from me, and now it felt as if it were a delicacy.