Trust A Stranger

by Baxter, Cole

  "Be careful, honey. Are you sure you want to be doing this?" Ruby warned as though giving her one last chance to repent.

  "Dead sure."

  Ruby smiled. "You are really testing my patience. If I decide you are a bad friend, then there's no going back."

  "That's the idea, you lunatic." Mary raised her voice again, getting tired of all this. Mary was beside herself. Not only had this woman completely ruined her life, she’d actually killed a person to get to her. Nick was kidnapped, tortured, and then killed, dumped in the river because of her.

  All this time, she lived with the notion that Nick himself, his actions, the way he lived his life led to his demise, and she was wrong. It is all my fault. Mary should be used to that by now. It was the story of her life, after all. No matter what, things always turn out that way. Dr. Carson used to say she was prone to placing all the blame on herself. In this case, it was really hard not to.

  "Apologize this instant," Ruby screamed, shaking from head to toe, yet Mary was immune to her fits by now.

  "I won't." Mary stood her ground. No matter the consequences, she was not backing down. "Everything I said was the truth, and no matter what you do to me, it will still remain the truth."

  "You have no idea what I'm capable of," Ruby said, advancing toward her.

  Mary could imagine. It was just that for some reason, she didn't give a shit. So she didn't even flinch at hearing that warning. This time, she planned on fighting back with all her might. Mary fisted her hands. She would not accept the beatings anymore simply so she could prolong this Hell while finding a way out.

  There is no way out. She accepted that.

  Apparently, Ruby sensed her resolve and took out her favorite weapon from her pocket. A taser. Mary tried to grab hold of it, prevent from getting electrocuted again, and failed.

  The electrical current subdued her easily. She fell to the ground hard. If she were lucky enough, that thing would kill her so she could be done with all of this forever.

  Don't think like that, a part of her rebelled. A part that wasn't done fighting. Fight! That was a hard thing to do when she was practically paralyzed.

  Smirking, Ruby approached her then kicked her in the stomach with relish. "From now on, you will reside in the basement where all bad friends belong."

  "You're a monster," Mary managed to say.

  "You will stay there until you apologize to me, you brat."

  "Go to hell!" Mary made sure she had the last word. Even if I have to go there with you, she vowed.

  On her way out, Mary could see Ruby taking her phone out. Mary never saw Ruby use it while they were here. Mary thought Ruby didn't have one inside this house and wished she’d had this information sooner.

  "You are forgiven," Ruby said curtly into the phone. "Come back right now." Saying that, she locked Mary's door behind her.

  No matter the consequences, Mary didn’t regret her actions. No matter what happened next, she would face it with her head held high.

  I will no longer be a puppet to anyone. I will be my own person or die trying.

  Mary had no idea how right she was about that, and she was about to learn.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  After a while, Mary picked herself up from the floor and sat on the bed. She was shaking from anger. I can't stay here any longer. I can't stay here. She had to find a way out no matter what.

  When Ruby returned the next time and opened the door, Mary was going to rush her with all her might, push her down the stairs if she had to. She cringed from that thought. The notion of harming another being, even if it was Ruby, was unimaginable to her. If it’s her or you, choose you, she thought. I will chose me.

  Mary would do whatever she had to do to get to the front door, break it somehow, and finally run to freedom. It wasn't what she would consider an elegant plan, yet it was the best she had at the moment. Like most of her plans as of late, this one too went south before she got an opportunity to execute it because it was not Ruby who entered her room. It was Norman.

  No. She shuddered from head to toe, seeing that man again in front of her. "Norman," she exclaimed, startled, jumping to her feet.

  "You know my name. I'm touched." He looked anything but that. Mary could have sworn he looked at her with pity.

  That made her raise her chin ever so slightly. "What do you want?" she demanded, trying to mask her fear with anger. She could still remember that day when he kidnapped her. He had no problem hitting a woman and God only knew what else.

  Don't think about it, she warned, moving away from the bed.

  "I really thought you would be smart enough and last longer," he commented almost conversationally.

  "What do you mean by that?" she asked, and just like the last time, he was deaf to all her questions.

  "Let's go." He gestured toward her and she stood her ground. There was no way she would go anywhere with him willingly. She said as much.

  He tried to grab hold of her, and Mary started to struggle. "Let go of me!" she screamed. When he put an arm around her, she bit him hard.

  "You bitch," he growled, slapping her.

  That hit actually made her see stars.

  "Do that again and I'll snap your neck," he warned.

  Mary did dare, and a lot. She fought him every step of the way, pushed, pulled his hair, and he returned the favors tenfold. Unfortunately, in the end, he was just stronger than her, although she was far more determined. As it turned out, that didn't matter much.

  Holding her by the neck, he dragged her out of the room. "Where are you taking me?" she asked.

  In return, he squeezed ever so slightly. "Be quiet," he snapped.

  As they descended down the stairs, Mary continued to look around, trying to see Ruby, and she was nowhere to be seen. She's pouting somewhere.

  "Ruby, where are you?" Mary shouted despite the warnings. "You coward. Can't even face me, you crazy bitch?" Mary spat all kinds of things on their way down. She wanted to show that crazy bitch, show both of them how she wasn't afraid anymore.

  Norman shook her like a rag doll, and it almost cost her her balance. "I said shut the fuck up," he growled, getting into her face. His breath was so foul it was no wonder he had to spend his days with a deranged lunatic like her captor. She almost said as much and bit her tongue. Mary didn't want him to throw her down the stairs since the fall wouldn't kill her, just paralyze her. And wasn't that a happy thought?

  "Keep moving."

  Reaching the basement, Mary wasn't that surprised the door was open for them. She'd tried many times in the past to open it, look and see what was inside, and it was always locked. Now it wasn't. It’s magic.

  There was no light inside, only the vast staircase that seemingly led into nothingness, and Mary recoiled.

  "Why are you doing this?" Mary asked him as he pushed her inside, and reluctantly, she started descending. She had a feeling that some kind of a dark beast was slowly devouring her.

  "Be quiet. I've had enough of you," Norman said, clearly annoyed.

  "Why are you working for this lunatic? Why are you helping her?" Mary persisted.

  He must be worse than Ruby to willingly participate in all this madness, she realized.

  Without a word, Norman stopped. Mary couldn't see anything yet apparently, he had no trouble orienting himself around in the dark. Without warning, he pushed her, and she stumbled down the last few steps, falling to the ground. Her bruises were definitely going to have bruises.

  "Enjoy," he mocked, returning upstairs.

  "Why?" she shouted after him.

  As he closed the door behind himself, Mary could have sworn he said, "Sometimes, I wonder that myself."

  The door was closed and locked, immersing Mary in the complete darkness. She was blind. Mary was never that fond of the darkness to begin with, and that uneasiness only intensified now.

  Moving about, she felt her way back to the stairs, and climbing, she reached the door. Mary started banging against the door. "Let me
out of here, you lunatics," she screamed. You can't keep me here," which was a ridiculous thing to say considering her circumstances. They could do to her whatever they wanted.

  "Let me out!" You can't do this to me. You can't. You just can't.

  The adrenaline slowly started to leave her body since she wasn't in immediate danger. Although, that was highly debatable, considering she had no idea what lurked in the darkness. She really started to notice her surroundings, to feel the weight of the vast space around her, or more accurately put, beneath her feet.

  Mary started to feel like something bad was about to happen. What could possibly be worse than being locked up in a dark basement? She didn't feel like finding out.

  That's all in your head. Ruby wants you to be afraid. That’s why she did this. She tried to calm herself down. It somewhat helped. As her eyes started to adjust, her nose decided it had been asleep for too long and chose to wake up as well.

  Instantly, a rather foul smell assaulted her. It wasn't the usual damp, musty smell of the underground room. It was something heavier and more potent. Like a rat died there. Or a hundred of them.

  Mary sat down on the steps, seeing all kinds of images in front of her in the pitch-black room. Like she didn't already have enough problems on her plate, her eyes and mind had to play tricks on her.

  She'd finally done it. She'd finally stood up for herself, for once in her life. And look where it brought me, she thought and laughed despite herself. Notwithstanding, she didn't regret it. This was better, more honest, than what she was doing upstairs with Ruby. She was sure that if she continued walking down that path, she would end up crazy like Ruby or even worse.

  She greeted the morning like that, on the steps in the damp room as her back hurt like hell from all the lashing. The only way she knew the new day had arrived was because the basement had a few tiny windows. They were boarded up just like the rest of the house. The rays of light still managed to get through the slits.

  It wasn't enough to illuminate the whole basement, more like it allowed her to see the shapes around the space. Shapes that were not a figment of her imagination. Or so she hoped. Once Mary adjusted to the semi-darkness, she slowly descended the stairs. She couldn't rule out the possibility that some kind of an animal lurked about, though the place appeared dead quiet all night.

  There must be a way for her to get out of here, and the most obvious choice was the windows. She just needed to break the glass without Ruby hearing her and to find an object to use as a lever for the wood panels and she was golden.

  It would be a tight squeeze, yet she could do it. As she approached the window, something else caught her attention.

  Mary could have sworn she saw a slumped figure chained to the wall. It's just a trick of the light, she told her beating heart as dread washed over her. It didn't believe her, nor did the rest of her.

  Mary neared a little closer, slowing down. "Hello? Is anyone down here?" she called out in half a voice, not wanting to startle whoever was down there with her. If someone was down there with her, she corrected herself.

  Nobody answered her or moved. I must be out of my mind, hallucinating. If anybody were down here in the basement, then Mary would have discovered that the instant Norman pushed her inside, she rationalized.

  What if the person is drugged? the other part countered. The uncertainty was eating her alive. She needed to make sure. "Hello?" she tried again. "If you're in here, please tell me," she pleaded. "I'm a friend," Mary added then flinched, too late realizing her mistake. "I'm not a threat," she corrected, taking the last few steps forward.

  As she approached, the foul smell she sensed the whole night intensified, making her sick to her stomach. Good thing I haven't eaten anything in a long time. Because there was nothing for her to lose now.

  There was a huge possibility that she was seeing things. However, she could have sworn she was seeing a woman chained to the wall. Mary could clearly see the long hair in disarray and a dress.

  Oh, my God, this is a dungeon, she realized as the terror threatened to overpower her. She pushed it away. Her desire to learn the truth helped her continue forward, no matter what. I have to make sure.

  She crouched next to the form. "I promise I mean you no harm." There was no reply.

  "Can you hear me?" she asked softly. Despite the bad feeling she was having, she touched one leg only to discover something beyond horrifying. The flesh underneath her hand was cold, lifeless.

  "Oh, my God," Mary exclaimed, falling on her ass. The foul smell was coming from the woman because she was dead. Coming this close, Mary was confronted with the monstrous fact that she was not the only one. There were other forms, other women. All women chained down there were dead. Mary was surrounded by corpses in various stages of decay. Most were completely reduced to bones that were held together by clothes and ropes.

  Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God, her mind raced in pure panic. Ruby killed them all. She kidnapped them with a little help from Norman and played with them just like she did with Mary. And when they misbehaved, they ended up here. Just like Mary had.

  Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God . . .

  At that time, she did start to retch despite the notion that her stomach was empty. She couldn't bear it any longer. When she stopped, she picked herself up from the floor.

  Needing to make sure of her assessment, Mary visited each and every corpse, hoping, praying that somebody survived this place. Unfortunately, they hadn’t. She started to sob upon reaching the last one. The corpse that looked the liveliest, which could only mean she’d died last, was someone she recognized instantly. "I am so sorry," she said to the girl in front of her as tears streamed down her face.

  It was Carla, the young actress who’d warned her about Ruby's true nature seemingly a lifetime ago.

  Mary started to scream hysterically and couldn't stop.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Mary was sure Ruby killed Carla because of the way the girl acted at one of her gatherings. She was drunk and made a scene, and Ruby wasn't pleased. Coincidentally, that was the party where she’d told Mary the truth. And I didn't listen.

  The poor girl probably drank too much out of guilt for participating in that lie. Why was she there at Ruby’s party in the first place? Mary had a random thought. Not that it mattered at the moment. Ruby killed her! Mary sobbed inconsolably. Ruby killed them all!

  Looking around at all the chained women, it was as though they were accusing Mary of not being strong enough, brave enough, smart enough to break out of there and tell their tale.

  Stop it, stop it, she screamed. She ran back up the stairs, stumbling all the way to the top, bruising and skinning her knees, not that she cared.

  "Please let me out of here," she shouted in desperation. "Please, please let me out!" She couldn't bear to be down there with them. I don't want to become one of them.

  "I don't want to stay here. Please," she screamed, though her throat protested.

  I don't want to die chained to a wall in some dark basement, forgotten by all, like I am nothing. Mary banged against the door as hard as she could, screamed her pleas, cried, and begged, except Ruby ignored her entirely. Mary stayed like that, in the dark, shrouded in terror, for a whole two days.

  She couldn't decide what was worse. The day, when she could see the shapes of the dead women, or the night, when she couldn't and knew they were there, nevertheless.

  I will not end up like this. I will not end up like this. This is not the end of my story, she repeated like a mantra. What if it was? She had a moment of doubt.

  "Please, Ruby, I'll do whatever you want, just let me go," she implored. "I'm begging you. I don't want to die here," Mary added. "I'll be good from now on. I learned my lesson."

  After two days of shouting, pleading, crying, pounding on the door, and trying in any way possible to get Ruby's attention, Mary was at the end of her rope, physically and mentally. She was exhausted, half-frozen, starved, and with a voice that had turned
completely hoarse.

  Please, can somebody help me? Get me out of this Hell. Please, God . . .

  Understandably, Mary didn't descend again to the basement after that first time, remaining on the stairs this whole time. Mary was sure that no matter where she was, the images of those poor women would forever stay with her, the graveyard beneath her feet forever etched inside her soul.

  There were times she fell asleep, too tired to stay awake, and the nightmares about chained corpses trying to kill her, make her one of their own would force her to wake up screaming.

  "Please, Ruby, have mercy on me," Mary said, practically whispering.

  She was curled up by the door, leaning her head against the wood, constantly pulled between being awake and falling asleep when Ruby finally opened the door. Mary fell down on the floor. Thank you, God. She didn't even try to move, didn’t know if she could in the first place.

  "Thank you, Ruby. Thank you, thank you," she rambled. "You are a true friend. I'm sorry for displeasing you. I will do better, I will be better, just wait and see," she mumbled, almost whispering, too weak to speak any louder.

  By the expression Ruby gave her, she'd heard her loud and clear. And she wasn't alone. Norman loomed over her as well.

  Mary didn't get a chance to start panicking that he would be the end of her because Ruby said, "I am so happy you finally came to your senses. You'll follow all the rules now, be a good friend?"

  "Oh, yes, whatever you say. I will do anything," Mary was quick to reassure her. That was no lie. Mary would do anything just so she wouldn't end up back there in the basement.

  Ruby's smile grew wider.

  "She seems completely broken now," Norman commented. "Congratulations."

  "Take her to her room," Ruby commanded, fussing a little over Mary. "She needs to rest, poor thing."

  Mary didn't flinch when Norman picked her up from the floor and carried her to her room.

  "What? No snide comments? No glares?" he teased.