Just The Way You Like It - Under Construction

Chapter Fifty-Six

 Chapter Fifty-Six

“Why did you come here anyway?” Holly asked Sam as she watched the morning sunlight filter through the glass block window. Sam, still groggy and sore from sleeping on the basement floor all night, wiped his face with his hand before answering.

“Come where?”

“To Blake's house. Why did you come over?”

“I needed to talk to you . . . uh, about Blake. I knew you guys were both home, but Blake said he was going out for flowers, so I waited until you were alone, and figured I'd just pop in.”

“You heard Blake? He was in his bedroom. That doesn't make sense.”

“Holly, I've had this place bugged for months.” Holly's face when white.

“W . . . what?” Her voice turned shrill as she turned on Sam. “What do you mean bugged!? You sick pervert!” She slapped Sam across the cheek hard before turning and walking away to the other side of the room.

“What was that for?” Sam asked, chasing after her. He was in no mood for her antics, at least not today.

“You listened to us. Didn't you?” Holly's tears were already streaming down her face. “You listened to Blake and me at night.”

“No. God no. That's gross. I never did. I can't believe you would say something like that. Geez Holly.”

They sat in silence for a while, as Holly got over her anger, and Sam got the mental images out of his head. “I'm sorry Sam. I believe you.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“Please, keep going.”

“About what?”

“What did you want to tell me about Blake?”

“Just to remind you to keep him away from Alice.”

“Now that I really don't believe. I've been trying to do that on my own, and you know it.”

“Well, it's pointless now anyway. Blake's obviously not coming home anytime soon. I just hope Alice made it out.”

“I'm sorry I got you stuck down here, Sam.”

“Nah, it was my fault. Shit happens.” Sam thought about what he had done to get himself stuck down in Blake's basement. Knowing Blake had left Holly alone in the house, Sam had gone inside to find Holly and tell her everything he had been holding in for the last several years. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her, how he had never gotten over her, how he wanted to marry her, be with her forever. Sam searched the house, and Holly's disappearance had gotten him edgy. He knew she was in there somewhere; she had been talking to Blake not minutes before Blake had left, and her purse was still on the table by the front door.

Not finding her on the second or first floor, Sam had decided to try the basement. He opened the door and saw Holly at the bottom of the stairs, crying. His first step down made the boards creek, jerking Holly's head up to see who was there. Holly's eyes went wide and she screamed 'no!' just as the door slammed shut behind him. The sound made Sam teeter on the top step, he lost his balance, and made the rest of the way down going head over heals.

Apparently, Blake's basement door was famous for getting stuck, trapping whoever was inside. Holly explained to him later that Blake's father had once found her and Blake stuck down there playing a game of hide and seek when they were children. But the door knobs were all original to the house, and so Blake Senior had refused to buy a new one. So long as the basement door knob was kept oiled, it would work just fine. When Blake had first decided to sell the house, he emptied out the basement completely, and no one had been down there since. After a couple of years with no oil, the knob was apparently jamming again. So there they were now, both stuck, both needed desperately to get out.

“Does your foot still hurt?” Holly asked, pulling Sam out of his thoughts.

“Nah, it's not that bad.”

“You have any thoughts as to how we're going to get out?”

“One, but I'm not sure it will work.”

“We should try, I think. I'm starving and I have to pee.”

“Just go pee in the corner.”

“Gross! I'll hold it thank you.” Sam only shrugged his shoulders. He was hungry too, and their lack of water wasn't helping either. “Well, what's your idea?”

“Shoot the door knob off.”

“Let's try.” There was no way past it. Sam hated the thought of using his only clip of ammunition on the off chance that it would work, but it was all he had come up with for a plan. He stood up and tested his ankle before climbing the stairs. He put three bullets straight into the knob. One ricocheted off and dug itself into the wall. The other two found home and went straight through.

Sam growled in anger as the knob held tight. Now it seemed more jammed than before, and Sam was none too happy about it. After ten minutes of trying, Sam gave up and went back down to Holly. “No luck. Sorry.” Holly threw her hands up in frustration and retreated to the back of the basement. Sam gave her some time to herself, figuring Holly's bladder had given up hope too.

“Don't worry Holly.” Sam yelled across the room. “Someone will find us.”

“Yeah, when we're dead and stinking up the place.” Holly said as she came back to their camp at the base of the steps. Sam could only hope that Holly was wrong, but a nagging feeling in the back of his head reminded him that she could be right.