The Sworn Bond

Chapter 2

I attempted to squirm out of his grasp, but he only placed more pressure on my neck, causing me to choke. He stood there, glaring at me all the while as I struggled, as though he were waiting for me to stay still. Wanting to get out of the situation quickly, I let my arms drop and attempted what I hoped look like a glare back. At that moment I was anything other than brave.

"Jocelyne White, huh?" His eyes scanned over my face, searching. "So what do you say we make this easy? Tell me where it is and I'll leave."

My eyebrows scrunched in confusion. I opened my mouth to speak and him seeing this lightened his hold. "I-I don't know what you're talk-"

He broke my sentence as he once again pressed against my wind pipe. His jaw clenched. "I don't want any of that shit," he spit angrily into my face. "All you people keep claiming the same bloody thing." His eyes became slits. "You don't want to know what happened to the others who have the same shit of an excuse."

I tried to swallow but found it impossible. I couldn't even breath right. Tiny black specks danced across my vision and I felt lightheaded.

"But I-I really don't know wha-"

I was suddenly flung to the side, my head hitting the wall on the way down. Pain stabbed my temples as I quickly struggled to down some deep breaths. His shadow loomed over me and I turned my gaze upward meeting his glower.

"I think it's time we take a walk."

He pulled me up roughly by my hair and dragged me outside behind him, the screen door slamming shut. Despair hit me as I saw the empty gravel driveway and the woods beyond. I was alone. He let go of my hair but switched his grip to my arm. Shoving me down the stairs, we veered around the left corner of the house.

Towards the woods.

I felt the blood drain from my face as I recalled the recent article of the lost people found with gashes in their arms. Then there was his comment about the others he had, I assume, threatened.

My mouth went void of spit. Needles pricked my arms and legs. I stumbled along, weak at the knees. My eyes flickered over him.  Muscle moved under his shirt and my skin under his grip had turned white. My body realized sooner what my thoughts had not. 

I wasn't likely to get away.

The sunlight flickered in and out through the branches upon entering the line of trees. Leaves rustled and a cool breeze followed, sweeping up the sleeves of my blouse and sending a shiver down my spine. The smell of wet leaves gave way  to them rotting and gave the air a pungent smell. I gulped as only a few feet in, light already grew scarce as the treetops thickened. At this point I decided it couldn't hurt to try and reason. That is, if I could manage to speak.

Heart thumping, I opened and closed my mouth a couple of times before attempting a deep breath hoping it would assist in keeping my voice steady once I built the courage to speak. I began.

"Listen, I really have no idea what you're talking about. I just got here. I don't even know where the grocery store is! I've been buying food at the gas station next to the hospital or eating the hospital's tasteless food for a miserable 3 meals a day. So if we could just, I don't know, find a place to discuss this elsewhere?" I winced as my voice squeaked on the last word but kept my eyes trained on the back of his head waiting for any indication he would stop.

Nothing.

I tried again. "Maybe discuss this-" I paused to step over a hole, "-in town?"

Still no response.

"Outside of the wood-" I was cut short as I tripped over a tree root. He yanked me upwards before I could face plant and without a word continued hauling me along as though I hadn't said anything at all.