by Paula Nicole
Her name was called again and this time Lindsey focused hard, following the call up to the near edge of the woods, where a white blanket was laid out over the grass. Lindsey headed towards it and as she drew closer, china plates and silver trays began to appear on the blanket. Soon they were covered with a generous selection of cakes and treats. It was the perfect picnic.
“Temptation,” a voice whispered in Lindsey’s ear.
She cried aloud and whisked herself around, only to find no one was there.
“There are many temptations in life.”
This time the voice was before her.
Slowly, Lindsey twisted back and looked down onto the picnic. She felt cold as she met the pair of electric blue eyes watching her, stalking her every movement, savouring her every breath.
“Kyle…” Lindsey murmured.
He grinned darkly.
“This is my dream, not your playground,” Lindsey spoke sternly. But even in her dreams she was afraid of Kyle.
“Come Lindsey,” Kyle crooned softly. “Join me.”
Ignoring her instincts, Lindsey reluctantly sat across from Kyle on the blanket. She told herself silently that he could not do anything to her here. This was her dream and she was in control. Besides, this wasn’t even the real Kyle; it was only her unconscious.
“Please, help yourself, my love.”
Raising an eyebrow, Lindsey cast Kyle a quizzical look. He smiled in reply, still gazing at her intently with those icy blue eyes. It was as if he were plotting something, but what could he possibly do here?
Lindsey accepted his offer and lifted a slice of the large cake in the middle. As she bit into it she could not resist a light groan when she discovered how thick and creamy the icing was.
“Do you like it?” Kyle asked with a chuckle.
Lindsey nodded, taking another bite.
“Perhaps I could lure you home with some…”
Lindsey froze suddenly, her eyes narrowing as she addressed Kyle. “Unlikely,” she spat and took another bite.
“You are a lot stronger than I assumed you to be, my Lindsey,” Kyle admitted with a sigh. “You fought me every day, even put up some resistance to my…temptations. But in the end you will always fall short.”
Lindsey was sickened by his smug smile.
She finished the slice of cake and glared directly into Kyle’s eyes. It felt as if she were looking directly into the sun; she didn’t stare long.
“I won’t ever fall for them again,” she promised him scornfully.
Kyle laughed musically, shaking his head softly as he did.
Lindsey’s cheeks reddened angrily.
“You won’t see me again Kyle!” Lindsey growled, but Kyle continued to laugh. “I will never be yours.”
The laughter seized; suddenly the air was cold.
“Is that so?” A voice from behind Lindsey hissed.
Lindsey craned her neck around; Kyle was knelt down behind her. She tried to move away but he caught her quickly, wrapping his arms around her waist tightly.
“Let go!” Lindsey screamed.
“Where are you Lindsey?” Kyle demanded furiously. “You’ll beg me to marry you once I am finished with you, Lindsey, you’ll never leave me again.”
“No!” Lindsey screamed desperately. She struggled in his grasp but it was useless.
“You might as well tell me, my little Flower,” he chuckled hysterically. “Because I will find you, but every day I spend looking for you, I will increase your punishment.”
“Do you think I am stupid, Kyle?” Lindsey cried out. She tried to throw herself backwards to knock Kyle over, but he held her firmly.
“No, my dear,” Kyle smirked. “But you are weak.”
Lindsey whined unhappily as Kyle shuffled behind her, bringing her onto his lap where he held her down. He watched as she struggled, laughed as she failed time after time. Then he leant down, his face an inch away from hers.
Lindsey grew still.
“So determined,” Kyle sighed softly. “I admire you, my dear. But I am growing tired of these games. Come home and you will be rewarded.”
“Rewarded?” Lindsey whispered.
Kyle nodded lightly. He allowed his lips to gently graze hers, but just slightly, enough to tease yet not to kiss.
“Remember our night together,” Kyle encouraged quietly. “I could offer you that every night, every day. You could be happy with me Lindsey, if you let me make you happy.” He paused, searching her eyes hopefully. “We could have such a perfect life together.”
Lindsey looked away and this time when she tried to pull from Kyle, he let her go willingly. She could feel his eyes upon her as she got up onto her feet and addressed the picnic once more.
“No,” Lindsey murmured. She didn’t dare to face him again. “I am not coming back Kyle. Not ever.”
There was a chill in the air and then the sun seemed to slowly wither in the sky. Darkness fell and only speckles of light existed. Lindsey gulped, watching in horror as the food on the blanket began to rot before her eyes. She looked to Kyle, he was now on his feet and wearing a dark smirk. He did not look her in the eyes, but bowed his head, chuckling to himself.
“See you soon Lindsey,” he hissed. “I will see you soon.”
Lindsey stared as the world around them dimmed further, becoming completely black. The dream was ending, and yet Lindsey feared that any moment Kyle would grab her.
The last thing Lindsey saw was Kyle’s icy, narrow eyes, stalking her as he absorbed her fear, feeding from her terror.
She would never forget those eyes.
Chapter Twenty One
Lindsey’s eyes fluttered rapidly as she came into her surroundings. She looked around the room and to the small space in the bed beside her, which was cold and empty. It had all been just a horrible dream, and now it was over. She was safe, and yet she felt far from it. Even the Kyle from her dreams frightened her to the core. Lindsey couldn’t even escape him in her sleep. It felt like her own mind was playing against her.
Lindsey smiled tiredly and brushed her fingers along the space. She was almost ready to sleep again when she smelt something nice. The intoxicating scent drifted below the closed door and filled the room and as Lindsey breathed it in she slowly lost the fight. She slipped down the covers and climbed out before slowly stumbling to the door. She found her feet quickly and headed out into the short hall and down the stairs, following the luring scent.
The smell led her to the kitchen, where the light was on and the room was warm from the oven. Smiling, Lindsey casually entered and looked for the food, but what she found was enough to turn her stomach.
She was not alone in the kitchen; a man sat at the table, his back towards her, his head covered by thick, raven hair.
Lindsey’s lip quivered and with every ounce of air within her lungs she screamed.
Kyle slowly turned to her, a sinister grin crawling across his ghostly, pale face.
“Lindsey,” his voice hissed around her. “Lindsey…”
She fell backwards, crashing through the floor and plunging into darkness. The falling feeling drew a loud scream from her throat and she threw herself upwards, her eyes snapping open. It was then Lindsey discovered she was not in the kitchen; she hadn’t even left her bed. And Kyle was nowhere to be seen.
It had all been a dream.
Taking deep breaths, Lindsey quietly cursed her unconscious mind for its trickery and tried to calm her heart before it could explode in her chest. Eventually she was stable enough to get out of the bed and step onto the floor. Her legs wobbled slightly but she made it out of the room and into the dim light of the hallway.
She looked down the hallway, glancing at the other room next to hers. This was Carly’s room. The door lay wide open, revealing the dark, silent room within. Lindsey smiled softly when she saw that the bed was empty and that the light was on downstairs. It would be nice to have a quiet talk with someone, just to calm her nerves before she tried to sleep aga
in. But as Lindsey went downstairs into the living room, she saw the sofa where Alec was to sleep and found all that lay there was a cold blanket.
Frowning, Lindsey turned around, finding that the kitchen door was closed, yet light trickled from the gap below. Silently, she tip toed towards the door, stopping when she heard voices within.
“It’s a mess,” Carly complained quietly. “A total mess, Alec!”
Lindsey smirked, shaking her head lightly. Had Alec spilt something or forgot to clean up after a midnight snack? She could really imagine Alec doing something silly like that and being half awake. But Lindsey found from Alec’s response that Alec was wide awake.
“I know it is!” He hissed in frustration. “But what was I meant to do?”
“You know perfectly well,” Carly replied in a low voice.
Lindsey frowned and pressed her ear against the door. She decided to listen on in secret.
“I don’t kill innocent people!” Alec growled. “I have said this from the beginning.”
“This is different Alec.” The room fell silent. “If we don’t kill her now, this will never end.”
By now Lindsey’s face was drained of all colours. She felt light headed and couldn’t block out the faint buzzing sound ringing in her ears. On trembling legs, she backed away from the door, almost falling over as she rushed to the stairs and up to her room. She closed the door behind her and covered her face with her hands. What could she do now? Lindsey did not want to die.
Urged on by terror, Lindsey tore her hands away from her face and took a deep breath. She sprinted through to Carly’s room and grabbed a bag from the bottom of the bed and began to stuff it with anything she could find; clothes, money, things she could sell. She even found a jacket to wear.
The bag was nearly full when Lindsey happened upon a set of car keys sitting on the bedside table. She swallowed heavily, clutching the keys in her hand. It was a long shot but if Alec’s car had been traded with the new one, Lindsey could make her get away in it…if the keys actually belonged to the new car.
She chose to take her chance and leave then. Lindsey knew she could not trust Carly…or Alec, nor could she trust this organisation they claimed to work for. And as she silently headed for the door, she wondered, who could she actually trust now? Would all her life be a game; running from them and then hiding from Kyle?
Lindsey bit down on her lip, pushing the thoughts from her head before tears could well in her eyes. She knew she had to be strong and concentrate on what she was doing now, if not she may not have a future at all.
As suspected, the front door was locked, but the keys were not hidden from Lindsey; they were left hanging with the other keys for other doors and windows. Desperately trying to be quiet, Lindsey tried all the keys until she could jam the correct one into the lock. There was a quiet click and then she was off.
Lindsey dived into the darkness of the woods, with only her memory and the moonlight to guide her back to the road. She hoped the new car would be there, she prayed the keys in her hand belonged to the car. If not, her plan was completely ruined.
Dashing through the dark woods, Lindsey’s hair whipped wildly behind her and her wide eyes searched desperately for the road. She stopped suddenly, looking around in every direction. Was she lost? Had she taken a wrong turn?
The road was nowhere in sight and Lindsey felt more and more agitated as time ticked on. What if they found she was gone?
And still she fought on; never daring to look back over her shoulder. She was on her own now. She knew from then on she would have to be stronger than she had ever been in her entire life. It was time for Lindsey to stand alone.
Lindsey felt a wave of joy rush through her body; she could see the outlines of the road ahead of her and the end of the forest at last. Not only was the road there before her, but there was also an abandoned car parked in a little passing point at the side of the road.
She smiled thankfully and hurried over, keeping an eye out for any movement as she quickly unlocked the car. To her delight it unlocked without any resistance or noise and within seconds she was sat in the driver’s seat with her stolen goods in the back. This was far from the little, good student Lindsey once was. Not only had she stolen whatever she could from Carly and Alec, but now she was stealing their car. She was a thief.
Lindsey couldn’t hold back an excited cry when the engine began to purr. Without another thought for Alec or Carly, she drove on down the road with the lights on full blast. They lit her way down the narrow, bendy country road and she did not dim them until she reached the main road. Smiling, Lindsey joined the traffic and merged with the other cars. Now she was just a normal person again, a free person.
But even as she drove to a place where she could rest, her freedom was at risk.
Chapter Twenty Two
As morning broke the dark sky, Lindsey found herself in a strange, unfamiliar setting. Rubbing her head, she groaned lightly, finding that a pain was spreading up her shoulders to her neck. It has been a rough sleep but now Lindsey was awake all she could think about was where she would go next.
Looking around, Lindsey saw she was near Scotland, just on the verge of Gretna. She remembered that an old friend, Nadine, lived in a small village in Gretna with her child, which was only an hour or so away. If Lindsey could just go there and rest a little, then plan her next move, it would make her journey so much easier.
And so Lindsey’s mind was made up. She would go to Nadine’s, but she would not stay there long; Lindsey did not want to endanger anyone else. What right did she have to drag another soul into the mess she was in?
To Lindsey’s surprise, her journey to Gretna was short and safe. Her mind was fast at work the whole time, spinning new ways Kyle could appear and catch her and what he would do with her next, how he could punish her.
She breathed a deep sigh of relief and turned off of the main road, heading for a little cluster of cottage houses, which were neatly aligned into cul-de-sacs. Her eyes carefully skimmed the place, searching every house for something which looked familiar, but Lindsey was struggling. She knew Nadine lived there somewhere, but not which house or street. What if she didn’t live there at all now? Lindsey began to worry her plan was falling through already.
A young girl caught Lindsey’s eye. She was small, with long black pigtails and she wore a little pink rain jacket, which matched her tiny pink wellington boots. Lindsey smiled as she watched the child prance about the garden, frantically waving her doll in the air as she danced around merrily.
Just as Lindsey was about to move on from the warming scene, a familiar face appeared by the door of the house, the face of a young, cheerful mother. Nadine.
Lindsey felt her heart jump in her chest, making her feel suddenly light headed. She was overcome with excitement; she had longed to see a familiar face, and now Nadine was right there in her front lawn. For the first time in days Lindsey felt safe.
Without much hesitation, Lindsey parked the car a block away from the house and made her way over. The young girl noticed Lindsey’s approach first and cuddled her doll to her chest, crushing its ringlet curls against her jacket. The girl stared up at Lindsey with big blue eyes and called out in a soft voice for her mother.
“Mummy!” She cried. “Mummy! Someone is here!”
Lindsey stopped at the end of the path leading to their home and smiled down at the little girl before addressing Nadine. “Hello, stranger,” she grinned, trying to fight back tears.
Nadine gazed at Lindsey, taking a moment to respond. “Lindsey?” She said with a quizzical look, as if she couldn’t believe her old friend was standing before her.
“Nadine,” Lindsey whispered. Her voice was close to breaking.
Nadine frowned, her brows dropping. “Lindsey, are you alright?” She asked softly. She hurried to her old friend and was there in time to catch her before her knees gave in below her. Afterwards all Lindsey could do was hold her friend and sob.
The reality
of her situation had slashed into her, cutting her deep like a sharp knife. Lindsey had been abducted, hurt and used. She felt weak and violated, and as Nadine helped her into the house she couldn’t fight her tears. Lindsey had broken in her friends arms, her dark adventure had caught up with her. But Lindsey knew deep down, even as she wept, she would have to build herself up again and move on. And she had to do it fast.
Lindsey could feel Nadine’s cool blue eyes examine her across the table. The two friends nursed mugs of hot chocolate, sipping in silence as Nadine’s daughter played in the corner or the kitchen with her dolls.
“Katie,” Nadine said gently, not taking her eyes away from Lindsey. “Go play in your room.”
The little girl scrunched up her face and wriggled her nose. However she quietly obeyed her mother and left the kitchen, dragging her doll after her, its limbs gently scuffing across the tile floor. Once she was out of sight, Lindsey sat her mug down on the table and took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she was about to do.
“I was abducted.”
Nadine’s face paled, but she said nothing.
“A man took me when I was leaving work, a few days ago,” Lindsey went on quietly. “And he has been holding me captive for days. I only escaped yesterday.”
Lindsey watched as Nadine swallowed heavily, she looked like she was going to be sick. Her white hand went to her head and she rested it upon the table. “Lindsey,” she whispered. She could say nothing more.
“Oh, Nadine,” Lindsey gushed. She felt like she was going to start crying all over again, but she bit back her tears and sat up tall. “The man, he wanted me to love him…to marry him. He would not take no for an answer.”
“And did you?” Nadine questioned. “Did you marry him?”