by Dawn Doyle
“Stay back, away from the officers. If we apprehend Miss. Scutter, and anything happens, you get out of there."
“Whatever” Alex said as he rushed out of the door.
“Alex!” shouted Evie. “It’s too dangerous!”
“I don’t care!” He said as he got into the back of a police car. He really didn’t. He was going to get Holly back. He didn’t care what happened to him as long as Holly was found, and she was safe. “I’m getting Holly back!” He shouted before closing the door.
Dev ran and got in the car as Kim and Oli got into the other.
“Dev, you need to stay. I don’t want you getting hurt.” He said, pointing for her to get out of the car.
“Like hell I am. I’m going too. My best friend is in danger, and I’m not leaving you to go alone.”
Alex saw Dev’s lip quivering as fresh tears fell down her cheeks. Of course, she wouldn’t leave him alone. Dev always stood by him. Whenever Stacey had gotten closer than usual to him, she’d been there, fighting against her. Whenever girls had approached him and had been overbearing, she had moved them along. When he was falling hard for Holly, she had respected his wishes and not told anybody.
“Ok.” He said and hugged his twin sister.
Evie and Rami ran over to the cars as the officers got in.
“Rami, go with the kids. I’ll go with Kim.” She said, and they got in.
The officers pulled away and sped down the road, sirens blaring, lights flashing, throwing strobes around the streets.
“Hurry the fuck up!” Shouted Stacey. “I haven’t got all night, stupid dog.” She kicked Holly’s seat.
Holly stepped harder on the gas pedal as they passed North Creek.
“Make the next turn” Stacey spat.
This must be a shortcut.
Holly didn’t know where the dirt road went through, but Stacey had said ‘Piper’s Farm’, so they must’ve still been headed that way.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked. Holly needed to know why Stacey was doing that to her. Why she wanted to hurt Alex.
“Oh. My. God.” Said Stacey in an irritated tone. “Have you not figured it out yet? Let me make this simple…What I want, I get. If I don’t, I take it or at least get rid of the obstacle in my way.” Stacey cackled again. “Some are easier than others. Some take a little…chemical persuasion” Stacey continued laughing.
Holly’s heart was hammering in her chest. Perspiration across her brow and her knuckles white as her hands gripped the wheel. Her stomach was nauseated.
Holly thought of Alex. His face, his smile, his eyes.
How he looked at her when he held her.
How his lips felt when he kissed her.
How his fingers felt as they stroked her face.
How he made her feel when he said ‘I love you’.
Holly’s tears fell harder, like waterfalls from her eyes. She had to blink rapidly to see down the dark road.
Alex, I’m sorry.
“Oh quit crying, you big baby. Nothing’s going to help you. Nobody can hear you out here and soon…” Stacey lowered her voice into an angry growl. “…It. Will. All. Be. Over.”
Holly could barely see where she was going through her tears.
“Watch it, virgin girl. You don’t want this baby going off…yet.” Stacey pointed the gun.
Holly blinked her tears away and tried to focus. Stacey directed her down, what looked like, back roads. Holly had driven down similar ones on the way to Southport, back in the UK. Sometimes it was quicker driving down the country lanes than the direct route, due to a lot of people all going there at the same time.
The roads seemed to be going on forever when Stacey spoke.
“Stop the car, dog. We’re here.” Holly slowed to a stop and cut the engine. From the front beams of the car, Holly could see only trees and shrubbery.
“Move it!” Stacey pushed the hard barrel of the gun into Holly’s back and she stumbled forward. Stacey continued to jab the gun into Holly’s back as she pushed her off the dirt track and through the trees.
“Look at you all dressed up. Just wasted if you weren’t going to fuck him.” Stacey said with venom.
“Stop it, Stacey! Not everything has to do with fucking!” Holly sobbed.
“Well, you’re never going to find out now, are you? Now move!” Stacey pushed Holly further until they came out into a clearing.
Holly could make out the remains of the old main building. The south and west walls were standing, but crumbling. Bricks were still piled in some places, but most had been taken away by others hoping to save a few bucks by reusing them.
The metal beams of the barn were still standing, but the only evidence of a children’s play area was a rusty metal slide.
The whole place was overgrown. Weeds and wild grass had grown tall except where the ground had been scorched by the fire and had died.
Stacey led Holly to the rear of the building and the brick shed came in to view. It was still intact due to the concrete roof.
“There.” She pushed Holly forwards, again, with the barrel of the gun.
As they neared the shed, Holly saw the large, metal, industrial type padlock.
“Oh don’t worry about that little thing” chuckled Stacey as she put her hand in her pocket. She pulled out a silver key. “This is my personal hangout. You should see what I’ve done with the place. So cozy” Stacey snarled as she opened the front key-holed padlock, keeping the gun pointed at Holly.
She pulled the door open and motioned, with the gun, for Holly to go in first.
“After you…bitch.”
Holly was so scared, her legs were shaking and she could hear her own pulse her heart was beating so hard.
Her body was rigid, and she could feel beads of sweat dripping down her back.
She wanted to throw up.
She could feel her throat relaxing and saltwater in her mouth as her body was preparing to vomit.
“Awww. Don’t throw up honey” Stacey said sweetly and then turning instantly menacing. “I’ll cut your fucking throat!” Stacey shut the door behind them and turned on a lamp, which was powerful, considering it ran on batteries.
What Holly saw, as the lamp illuminated the space, was horrifying.
The walls were covered with photographs of Alex and some of her.
Stacey came up behind her and rested her chin and hands on Holly’s shoulders in a half hug. The gun still in her hand. Holly froze.
“What do you think? Special huh?” Stacey was smiling as she looked around the room. “Take a good look.” She said as she shoved Holly.
Holly fell to the floor and quickly lifted her head to look around.
From the left wall of pictures, it looked like it was from the first week that Holly had started at New Haven High, judging by the work progress on the house.
Stacey had been watching her from across the street. There were pictures of her and Dev going to and from each other’s houses. Alex watching her at the lunch table when she used to look down at her hands or her lunch. Alex in class, going to the gym, shopping with his Mum, washing cars with his Dad, in the school hallway talking to her the day he’d been looking for her. Talking to her at the lunch table and them almost kissing that same lunchtime.
There were so many photographs of them both, Holly knew Stacey had been stalking her since she’d started school.
Even before she knew Alex was Dev’s brother.
On the next wall, Holly saw photo’s of herself smiling and looking at Alex.
Her eyes had been scratched out, and a line slashed through her throat.
Stacey had also cut out a picture of Holly’s head and stuck it on a picture of a dog with the words ‘British Bulldog’ savagely scarred into the picture.
There were photos of Alex with slashes across him as if Stacey were cutting off his limbs. There were many more pictures like that, all with varying degrees of mutilation.
Stacey was giggling as Holly looked around, horrified, at the c
ollections she had.
The centre wall was covered in many more pictures of Alex. They were older, and after seeing Evie’s pictures at his and Dev’s party, Holly could tell the photos went back a couple of years.
From when Stacey moved here.
Holly screamed and broke down crying. It had taken less than five minutes to see the walls of Stacey’s ‘surveillance’ but to Holly, it felt like hours.
She sat back on her heels and began to rock back and forth with her hands in her hair.
“No, no, no.” She whispered as she started to lose control of her breathing.
“You like?” Stacey beamed as she moved her hand around to showcase her collection. “I call it my treasure cave. All of my stuff is here. Stupid cops thought I’d keep this at home? Ha! Yeah right” she snorted. “They’d just take it away like last time. But I’m smarter than them.” She said, thumbing to herself with an evil snarl on her face. “I bring it all here, where nobody goes anymore. Just me“. Stacey was getting frantic as she became angrier with the police for taking away her first ‘haul’ of evidence.
“Well, they’re not taking anything from me this time” she screeched. “None of it. None!!” Her eyes bulged; lips pulled back over her teeth like a wild animal ready to attack. Stacey was still standing when she crouched down slightly, reaching behind Holly, grabbing her hair and pulling her head back so she would have to look into her eyes.
Holly gasped, and her breathing was getting more erratic.
“You, little princess, were quite scary at school. I didn’t have anything with me to take you on” Stacey laughed, bitterly. “And, I’m not afraid to admit, that you had me worried you’d kick my ass. Well…I can’t have that now, can I?” Stacey narrowed her eyes with a sly smile. “I want to show you what I had planned for your precious Alex.” She whispered, and she pushed hard on Holly’s head making her fall to her side.
Stacey stood quickly and took a step back, keeping the gun pointed at Holly. She stepped to the small table, against the wall, and opened a small trinket box, pulling out a vial of clear liquid.
“This is what I gave to Jake.” She said, as if proud of herself. “He went flat out almost instantly” she made a flat sign with her hands and spoke as if she couldn’t believe it herself. “I almost had to carry him!" She giggled with sick amusement.
Holly tried to keep her breathing under control, and stay calm.
She listened to Stacey’s insane ramblings and confessions of the crimes she’d committed. If there were any way Holly made it out of there, she would relay the details to the police. But, it wasn’t looking good. Stacey was unwell, unhinged and pointing a loaded gun at her. She had already said she was going to ‘get rid’ of her.
All Holly could do was wait…
“But” Stacey continued with a finger in the air, “I had to be careful. One more drop, and his equipment would’ve seriously malfunctioned. Alex is bigger so he may need a bit more.” Holly took a breath with the realisation of the extent of what Stacey had done to Jake and had planned to do to Alex.
The party he and the others had gone to last year…it made sense now, why Stacey was waiting for something to happen. She’d put something in his drink and was waiting for it to take effect. Alex had, luckily, poured it away. The others wouldn’t have left him though, she knew that. They wouldn’t have let anything happen to him.
The thoughts of what Stacey was planning to do that night rolled around in her mind. She couldn’t hold her stomach contents any more and vomited all over the floor.
“Whoa! There she blows!” Stacey howled with laughter. “I’d cut your throat for that, but I’m having way too much fun watching your face” Stacey said, shaking her head. “Oh, and don’t worry, Alex won’t feel it. The pleasure will be all mine.” She said as she brought her hand down between her legs, grabbing herself at the crotch.
“Mmmmm.” Stacey moaned.
Holly couldn’t stay quiet anymore.
“You fucking evil, twisted psycho!” She shouted between retches. She was finally staying in control of her breathing and was trying to focus on not panicking.
Alex was safe, she knew that. She’d panicked before, when she thought he was in danger. The pool incident was a shock, and that brought on an attack but this…this she finally could control her breathing. She just had to focus, for Alex.
I have to stop her. I can’t let her get to him.
I love you. She heard Alex’s voice in her head.
Stacey laughed bitterly.
“When I’m done with your love sick puppy, I’ll make sure he knows how you cried for him. Didn’t even fight back, so you could save his life, and you even puked up your guts knowing what I had in store for him.” Stacey said, softly. “You’re such a great girlfriend, ya know?” she Said, sympathetically. “He’s lucky to have had you.” Stacey’s expression change to one of pure madness. Eyes wide, huge deranged grin that didn’t touch her eyes.
“Oh but he didn’t have you did he? Oh my God! How did you not tap that?!” Stacey spun in a circle in disbelief, and cupped her own cheek with her free hand. “Aww, did he not want to? Is that it?”
Holly was finding it harder and harder to control herself.
She was losing it.
Her legs and arms were shaking with anger. Her stomach in knots and her fists clenching tight.
Don’t lose it. Somebody will come. Just hold on a bit longer.
Would anybody find her?
Alex is coming. He’ll find me. It’s just a matter of time…NO! Alex shouldn’t. It’s not safe!
Holly’s mind was at war with itself. She knew Alex would be looking for her, but she didn’t want him to risk his safety.
Nobody knew where she was.
Nobody would find her anyway.
Stacey had thrown her phone out of the car window and, if it were actually still working, the GPS would only locate the phone.
Holly’s heart sank.
“Shut up Stacey” she spat through gritted teeth. She knew it was only a matter of minutes before she would explode. Her life at risk when she did. Stacey was going to kill her anyway. There was nothing she could do except fight for Alex.
“What? It speaks!” Stacey exclaimed as if a miracle had happened. “Well then.” She said as she held out the vial. “Drink this” Stacey threw it on the floor by Holly’s knees.
“No” Holly said cold, with a dead calm in her voice that made Stacey shift uncomfortably.
“Drink it!” Stacey raised her voice.
“No. I. Won’t” Holly said the words slowly.
“If you don’t, I’ll shoot you in your knees and when you scream…” Stacey’s voice rose higher “…I’ll pour it down your fucking throat!”
There was a sound outside. It sounded like somebody walking over gravel.
Someones’ coming!
Holly’s heart raced.
No, Alex. No!
Holly knew if Alex walked throughout that door, he was going to get shot.
No, please Alex. Don’t come in. Please. I love you. Don’t come in. Please don’t, please…
Holly began rocking again. Stacey put her hand to her mouth in mock surprise.
“Looks like we got company.” Stacey waved the gun over Holly’s body. “Which bit should I shoot first?” she wondered out loud. “Knees? Hmmm. Stomach? Mm no. Head? Nah, too final. I want to cause you a lot of pain first. Unless… drink the fucking vial!”
“No!” Said Holly. “I won’t!”
Alex I love you.
“You can do whatever to me, but you’re not going to hurt Alex. You won’t get near him…”
Please don’t walk through that door baby.
Tears flowed freely down Holly’s face as she cried.
“You’re going to go to hell before you touch one single hair on his head!”
Dev I’m so sorry.
Holly thought about her best friend and how, because of her, she’d had the courage to be with Alex.
&n
bsp; Her true love, her soulmate.
Even for a short time she’d been the happiest she’d ever been because of him. Holly couldn’t hold back her sobs.
Thank you, Alex. For everything. For every moment, every touch, every kiss. I’ll love you forever’
Holly was silently saying her goodbyes. Certain she wasn’t getting out of there alive.
I love you Mum and Dad. Please take care of Alex and Dev. Emily…
“Even if I don’t, neither will you. Ever, ever, again” Stacey snarled, interrupting her thoughts.
“Alex, I love you!” Holly said out loud and then lunged at Stacey.
The police had sped down the roads, scenery flying past them in a blur.
Holly’s car had stopped in a wooded area near Piper’s Farm.
Whilst they were on the main road, the police had radioed the other patrol cars to turn off their lights and sirens when they turned onto the dirt roads the tracking system had directed them to. They didn’t want to alarm Stacey, as they were unsure if she was armed after she told Alex he would never see Holly again.
They spotted Holly’s car as they got closer.
“They’re here!” Alex whisper shouted. He was terrified that they were too late, and Stacey had hurt her. His stomach rolled at the thought.
“I need to get out…now.” He said as he began to retch.
Dixon jumped out and opened Alex’s door, just in time for him to throw up. He felt light headed and weak.
The other officers all got out of their cars as three more police vehicles and two ambulances arrived.
Dev and Rami rushed to his side. Evie was let out of the car she was in and ran to her family.