The Leaves on My Tree

Chapter II

Kace pov:

I opened my tired eyes as the door creaked open. The man from last night came in and stood by the door waiting for me to get up.

He shifted against the door jam as I stood and cautiously looked at him. He sighed and then stepped forward and took hold of my arm. Removing the cuffs, he cursed at my bruised wrists and opened his mouth to speak.

"I have someone for you to meet today and I want you to look fresh. The shower is this way."

I let him drag me into the hall and past a couple of doors. It looked like we were in an old house that still had the horrible orange carpet that was fashionable in the '70s. The man pushed me into a small bathroom that had a tub/shower.

"I'm giving you half an hour. Everything that you need should be in there."

I nodded and glanced his way. His glare told me that I should have addressed him out loud. He scoffed and then left me in the bathroom. As I turned toward the mirror, I could hardly recognize myself. The bruises from the man hitting me last night on the face shown brightly and they were raised slightly.

Making myself turn away from the mirror, I looked around the small bathroom. I was disappointed to find that there were no windows.

I started the shower and stepped under the spray. Rubbing some shampoo into my hair, my chest started to get tight and suddenly it felt like I couldn't breathe. My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest and I saw black spots in my vision.

I wrapped my arms around my chest and sunk to my knees. As I gasped for air, I could feel the water hit my back, making me feel as though my back was being seared like a steak.

The warm air and steam rose around my face and I somehow caught my breath. The oxygen that hit my brain made a few thoughts go through my mind. I stood and glared at the ceiling as I washed my body.

Why the heck was I following this guy's words and what was he gonna have me do? Would I be able to escape him? If not, how long would I be here? Questions like that swirled around in my brain as I dried my body with the towel on the counter.

A thought rushed through my head and I tried to push it away but it stayed. The morbid thought made me shiver and I clenched my hand in the towel as I glared at the door. As the door opened to reveal the man's face, I decided that I would act on what my mind said to me.

Faster than I thought my body could move, I was behind the man with the towel wrapped around his neck. His eyes bulged as he tried to grab the towel. With a strength I didn't know I had, I twisted the towel tighter. A gagging sort of sound left his mouth as his hands futilely grasped the door. His knees seemed to give out and I slowly guided him to the floor and pushed him on this stomach, kneeling on his back.  

I watched his face slowly turn a purplish color and his eyes cursed me. I gulped as I felt my strength ebb away. I gritted my teeth and looked away from his face as I twisted the towel as tight as I could for one last time. It seemed like ages later when I felt what seemed like his last grab at life. 

I looked down at him. His eyes were open, lifeless. I didn't lessen my hold on the towel for at least a few more minutes. My arms felt like jelly as I relaxed my grip on the towel. Shaking, I felt his neck for a pulse. I waited and waited some more, just to make sure. 

He was dead. I leaned back as I sighed in relief. As I relaxed and more oxygen entered my body, I realized what I had done. I had killed someone. I killed someone? I killed? I shakily looked down at the body under me. I jolted to my feet as I stared down at his dead body. I lifted my hands towards my face.