Pushing My Limits

After two hours of Jimmy, Brian, and Dad trying to get me to come out, Zacky and Johnny had joined them. Johnny was busy trying to pick the lock on my door, which whenever he was succeeded, I would quickly lock it again before he could turn the doorknob.

It killed me inside to listen to Dad plead for his Baby-Girl to come out and talk. Jimmy was trying to convince me softly, while Brian used harsher words to try to get me to leave my safe room.

From the door, I glanced out the window, eyes glazed and face emotionless. I saw the end of a ladder lean against the ledge. I got up, waltzed over to the window, slamming it shut and locking it before shutting the curtains. I had assumed it was Zacky, since his voice was the only voice I couldn't hear until he started tapping on my window.

Finally, the talking had stopped and there was a soft knock on the door, "Kathrine?" I recognized that peachy voice as Alex, "Kat, will you open the door for me at least? You've helped me in the past. Let me help you."

The soft tone in her voice had led me to silently open the door a crack. She stood there, alone, and I allowed her inside before shutting the door once more. I sat down on my bed, and she did too. Her stomach was a little larger, but she covered it will cardigans and loose shirts. It looked more like weight-gain than a pregnant stomach, "What happened?" She asked softly.

"I had a nightmare," I replied and she sighed.

"I know something happened to you over Taste of Chaos, Kathrine," She whispered and I shook my head, biting my lip as fresh tears formed again, "A guy, his name was Chris," She paused to study my facial expressions, "He got a hold of me and kept asking for you. He said he needed to make sure you were alright. I tried to ask him what had happened and why he was so concerned, but he seemed just as clueless as me."

"I'm surprised your big mouth didn't rat me out," I gave a small laugh and she half smiled.

"It seemed important, and I wasn't sure how to approach the situation," She confessed and I sat there, staring at the wall. I was too afraid to meet her eyes, "What happened to you? Did he have something to do with it?"

I shook my head, biting my lip, "No," I whispered.

"What is it then? If it's effecting you this bad, then you need to speak out about it."

"You don't understand," I shook my head again and she put a soft hand on my shoulder.

"I didn't expect you to understand my situation," With that I glanced at her, my eyes blood-shot and watered down. Sorrow dripped from every pore in my body, and I felt alone in the universe.

"Elizabeth Greenway," I told her.

"Elizabeth? Wasn't that the girl all the bands had a memorial for because she went missing during tour?"

I nodded.

I didn't know how fast I was going, I was just hoping it was fast enough. The familiar sent of burning wood filled my nostrils and I knew I was close. Looking up, I could see soft smoke reaching above the trees, "Kathrine!" A chilling voice yelled, and I knew the footsteps were getting closer.

I was stumbling, still drunk from all the drinks I had earlier. I could almost hear the laughter and music from the party. I was close. So close. As I had leaned against the tree, trying to clear my blurred vision, I heard the footsteps get daringly close.

The trees were wide in diameter. I slipped behind one and shut my eyes, breathing slowly and listening for the steps. It was pitch black now. I could barely see anything, despite the bright moon out. Not a million stars could pull me from this darkness.

A twig crunched from the other side of the tree. I opened my eyes and could see people just a few feet ahead. They were drinking out of the same red cups I was earlier. I opened my mouth, inhaled, and let out a ear-splitting, blood-curdling, gut-wrenching scream. I had let it go on for almost ten seconds before a hand was clamped over my mouth, my head slammed against the back of the tree, "Hey! What are you doing?" A voice I didn't recognize asked. I could see the figures getting closer, and quickly I was on Elliot's shoulder again.

We ran for sometime, and I could see Danielle trailing behind us. A couple of turns later and my last chance of someone finding me was dismissed. We had lost the two boys a while ago, and we were in the same clearing as before. Elliot took a while to catch his breath, and Danielle did the same thing.

Elliot turned around and smacked her across the face, "You should have been watching her!" He yelled. She put a hand to her stinging cheek.

"I'm sorry!" She put a hand over her eyes, "What the fuck do we do, Ell? If those guys come around here they'll find Elizabeth and our DNA, and it'll be all over!" She cried.

"Shut the fuck up!" He raised his hand to hit her again and she flinched. She came down hard, landing near my feet I quivered. She looked up at me and glared. Her hand wrapped around my ankle and I was tripped.

"This is all your fault you spoiled little brat!" She screamed.

Elliot picked me up and grabbed a piece of rope from Danielle's purse lying by a tree. He looped the rope through my zip-ties and laced it around the tree. Even if I got the knot out, I would still have to untangle myself from the large oak before me. Escape was impossible.

They're going to kill me.

"You know what, Bitch, I've had enough with your shit. You blame everyone else for your fucking problems," Elliot growled at Danielle.

"Fuck you! You're the one who dragged me into this in the first place!" She screamed. He had pulled her by the hair, bringing her close to his face.

"You're going to pay," He whispered before throwing her on the ground.

"No!" She screamed, scrambling to get away from his tight grasp. He sat on her stomach, legs on either side of her. She clawed at the ground as he took off her shirt and ripped the clasp of her bra. With one hand, he held her arms above her head as the other worked on her zipper.

This time, I knew I couldn't look. I slammed my eyes shut, but there was no way to block my hearing. I stood there, tied to a tree, eyes clenched closed. For the longest fifteen minutes of my life, all I could hear was Elliot moaning and groaning as Danielle screamed for her life, sobbing at every thrust Elliot made, "How does it feel, Bitch? After years of helping me pin other girls, how does it finally feel to be under me?" He was yelling at her as her sobs shook the trees beside me.

And soon, it was over. She lay on the floor and when I opened my eyes, she was slowly and shakily gathering her clothes together. She slipped them on and stood obediently near the tree that housed me, "Now, what to do with you," Elliot turned to me after raping his second victim that night.

Alex had explained nothing to Dad. She had lied and told him through all of my crying, all she could understand was the I had a nightmare and him holding me in the car had drove me over the edge.

She didn't understand what I meant about Elizabeth, and I didn't expect her to. To everyone else, she was still a nineteen year old girl with a face still on the side of a milk carton. To me, she was the nineteen year old girl who was buried underneath of dirt, rock, and twigs somewhere in a forest in Denver, Colorado.

Her parents were still looking for her. They had no idea that their daughter was raped and murdered, because she was trying to save me. They hadn't a clue what happened that night, and they couldn't possibly imagine the pain it must have felt to die alone. Elizabeth Greenway died alone, and it was all my fault.