He Follows ✔

Chapter 8

Michelle slowly opened her eyes to a pitch black room. Her eyelids felt heavy from her drug infused sleep. The dark room was fuzzy. All she could see was a TV in the corner that was turned off. She tried to move her arms but they were fastened securely to the chair she sat in. The zip ties holding her arms down rubbed her skin raw whenever she moved. She cried out from pain and confusion.

A loud door screeched open and she heard the heavy footsteps of a male walking in. The door shut and she was left in the dark with whomever had come in.

"Who's there?" She cried out timidly.

A chuckle came from the dark and she recognized the voice. Hank.

"Hank, let me out of here."

"Now why would I do that darling?"

"Why are you doing this?"

"This would have never had to come to this if your stupid father would have listened to me."

Michelle gasped. Her father.

"Is he still alive?"

Hank chuckled.

"Of course. He is an important part of my plan."

Michelle felt relieved that he was still alive at least.

"Your plan?"

"Yes. He is the last resort."

"What does that mean?"

"You won't have to find out if you agree to marry me now."

Michelle gasped.

"Marry you? Hah! Never."

Michelle was horrified that he would even think of that.

"Then phase 1 of my plan starts now."

Hank turned to leave.

"Wait!" Michelle called out desperately. "At least tell me what happened. How is my father not dead? Why do you want me to marry you?"

"Your father and I have known each other for a long time. He talked about you all the time. How beautiful you were and how smart. It was his fault really that I came to want you. When I finally got a look at you, you surpassed all my expectations. I tried to get your father to give you my letters, but he didn't want you to know about me. It was his stupid fault all of this!"

She could hear the anger in his voice and shuddered in fear.

"Now he will pay for what he did and you will become part of my life." Hank turned and opened up the massive door again. Michelle heard him leave and tears started to fall down her face.

Her poor father. What would happen to him? What was going to happen to her?

She shuddered as the door opened up once again. This time a dim light flickered on and another familiar face walked in.

Michelle gasped.

Detective Bradley walked in holding a whip.

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Detective Bradley cut the zip ties and hauled her up roughly. Michelle tried to get out of his grasp, but her body still felt weary from the drugs. He released his hold on her, but she was too weak to stand. She crumpled down on the floor.

"Why?" She asked with the little strength she had left.

Detective Bradley made no reply. He took his knife out and made for her back.

Her eyes widened in fear. He took her shirt and cut open the back. Michelle quickly tried to hold her shirt up so it wouldn't fall off.

Bradley held the whip up and struck her back ruthlessly.

There was so much force to the strike that her face slammed down on the floor and she cried out. She could feel the open cut on her back start to bleed. He held the whip up again and struck again and again. She cried out in pain each time. She felt her body go numb after the third strike. Bradley stopped for a second.

"As soon as you give in and say you will be Hank's wife, this will all go away."

He waited for a response, but she said nothing.

The quick moment she had to recover gave her newfound strength. She got up onto her hands and knees and tried to crawl to the wall so she could stand up.

He saw what she was trying to do and grabbed her around the waist and brought her right back to where she was.

The whip started up again.

After she had counted 30 lashes, he finally stopped. She had no more tears to cry. Her body ached with unimaginable pain. She lay on the hard floor with no emotion. She thought he would finally leave, but sadly she was wrong.

He brought over a clear bottle of alcohol and poured it over her back. Whatever pain she had just felt was nothing compared to the pain she felt now.

She heard the sound of the door screaching open and just as he was about to leave he said, "get ready because phase 2 starts tomorrow."