Life in the cabin moved excruciatingly slow. Each moment I spent alone with Michelle showed me more ways she was unstable. She was unpredictable, sometimes going outside to smoke a cigarette and not returning for strange gaps of time.
If I didn't wash my dishes fast enough she yelled at me. If I didn't cuddle with her before bed she yelled. If I didn't respond to her fast enough she yelled at me saying I wasn't listening.
On the third day she hit me. Right across the face for not saying thank you for the dinner she made. Then she apologized for an hour while my cheek was warm and red.
Michelle let me have some freedom from the handcuffs, but only when she was in the room. Otherwise she would lock me up to something while she was in the bathroom or cooking for me.
It wasn't until the fourth day in that cabin that there was a new opportunity to escape. I had no idea how much longer she planned to keep us there, so I had to take the chance before I lost it.
After breakfast, she said she needed to go to the store so she'd be leaving me in the cabin alone. I didn't think she'd let me be unhandcuffed, so I needed to find a way to get myself out of it while she was gone. Luckily I had been planning for this and had slowly been making headway on my latest escape route.
We got dressed for the day and I strategically put on a comfortable running outfit and sneakers. I asked her to handcuff me to the to the couch and played nice when she left giving her a kiss and waving. After she left, and after I waited a few moments to make sure she wasn't coming back, I began my work on the metal ring on the couch arm.
I have been slowly unscrewing it hour by hour at different times I was sitting there and it was finally loose enough that I could pull it out.
I got myself free quickly and only had my dangling handcuff left. It taunting me with its jingling, a reminder of my captivity. My only obstacle now was the front door.
Because she locked it from the outside, her normal key lock on the top wasn't in place. I didn't think she thought of that, so it was easy just simply unbolt the door and walk out. I expected another layer of security and was ready for the next challenge.
But then the door opened at my turn and the outside world was before me. I looked around cautiously, nervous that this was too good to be true. I had a plan though, and I needed to stick with it.
I would head to the couples house towards the lake for help. It was my best chance rather than wandering outside alone and risk her returning to find me near the road. I started on the path there with a quick jog, looking behind every few moments for a car pulling up.
As I got closer to their cabin, I saw their car parked out front. I hurried my pace and before I knew it I was pounding on their front door. No one came to answer. I yelled and yelled for someone, knowing my time would be running out. I went around back to see if I could peak through a window.
They had a sliding glass door in the back. I knocked and looked in, seeing the back of someone's head on the couch. I tried the door and it worked. I moved towards the figure, asking hello a few times, nerves kicking in as they continued to ignore me.
A broken scream held in my throat as I moved around the couch to see the corpse of an older man sitting upright, dried blood staining his once white shirt, and a long cut on his neck. I couldn't dream up what had happened to his wife.
I stood shocked for a few moments before I heard a car up the road. I looked around frantically for a phone until I saw an old land line on their kitchen counter. I grabbed for it and listened for a dial tone. Nothing, it was silent. I looked behind me at the closed door and wondered if I should risk looking in for a cell phone.
The smell in the cabin should have been my first hint, but in my haste to find help it didn't kick in until I tried to take a deep breath. The car noise passed and I took the risk to look behind the door. Laying out on the large bed was the body of an older woman. She was in her nightgown, now covered in blood from multiple stab wounds. I felt tears forming, fearful of the truth of their possible murderer.
But my hope was lifted when I saw a cell phone in her hand, her fingers curled around the old flip phone, gripping it tightly. I tugged on it gently, it not budging an inch at first. Then I yanked it, desperate to call the police. I got it free and attempted to turn it on holding the power button. It did nothing and I felt tears forming as my hope was dead.
I looked around for a phone charger, looking in every drawer I could. If Michelle had been here, she probably took it with her or hid it in case I had come here. While I searched the kitchen, I found their car keys on the ground. My mouth dropped and I grabbed it and bolted towards the front door. I looked out the peephole first, but the coast looked clear.
I made my way to the car and unlocked it as I sprinted towards the drivers side. I yanked the door open and turned on the car. It roared to life and the first thing I noticed was a car charger for the phone. I plugged it in with some difficulty, tears of relief in my way.
Just then, a car came into my view and pulled into the driveway of Michelle's cabin. I froze at the wheel and watched the old cell phone charge. I couldn't see her and I hoped she didn't notice this car was on as it wasn't an easy view. I saw her get out of her car and grab the groceries. I only had a few moments before she saw I was gone and I was not about to miss this moment.
I threw the car into reverse and backed out of their driveway the second she unlocked the cabin door. I switched the gear and slammed my foot on the accelerator and drove right past her at full speed. I didn't look to see if she noticed me, I was too focused on getting the hell out of there.
The phone blared to life, making the classic on noise. I picked it up and immediately called 911 in a relief. They made me talk slower as I sped down the small wooded roads with no idea of my direction. I sobbed into the phone and eventually found myself on a main road, the 911 operator trying to calm me and help me with my location.
I pulled into the nearest gas station and hopped out as fast as I could to get around other people. The worker behind the counter was high school aged kid who looked shocked when I burst in with tears in my eyes. He asked me what was wrong, but I just shook my head with the phone still clutched against my face. The operator told me the police were on their way and I just needed to sit tight.
Finally, I saw a police car pull into the parking lot. Relief washed over me and I felt like I could breathe again. Just as I had that feeling, I was Michelle behind the cop. She was about to pull in to the gas station, then seeing the cop car, her eyes were glued to me through the gas station window. She slowly pulled away and I lost sight of her car when the cop opened the door.
"Are you Leilani? We've been searching for you all week," the cop said. I cried and let her console me. I was finally free.
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Mystery / Thriller"I would prefer not to hurt you, but I will if I need to." They said. I felt cold metal on my neck moving lightly against my skin. My emotions were a wreck, I felt anger, fear, and adrenaline all within me at once. But I knew I was not going to die...
