Your Protector

The car ride felt like it took forever. When it finally stopped I wanted to run outside and fall onto the ground, but I couldn’t because SOMEONE had tied me up. I heard a car door slam and a few seconds later I felt a hand on my elbow. The hand tugged my elbow hard and pulled me out of the car. I could tell it was Zane pulling me because I heard uneven breathing.

Zane had asthma and he had never really breathed right but he had never had an attack either. I always thought it was somewhat odd. I remember when we first got together and I was watching him try out for football. The coach asked him if he had anything he should know about and Zane told him about the asthma and explained that it wasn’t bad. The coach made him run across the field and back just to check if he was lying. Zane flew across that field pushing himself to run faster and faster. He reached the coach and I could tell he was holding his breath to hide his uneven breathing. The coach let him join the team and when he came to sit next to me, he started breathing heavy again. Nevertheless, not once did he complain.

After I was out of the car, I felt a hand on my back push me forward roughly. “If you don’t walk I’m going to push you and you’re going to fall. Understand?” I head Zane say, his warm breath landing on my ear.

“Yes.” I nodded not really sure where to nod at and let Zane lead me.

The pressure from the hand on my back stopped, telling me not to walk any further. I felt the cold air hit me and I heard the jingling of something. At first, I thought it was bells but then the sound of a door opening filled my ears. The pressure on my back retuned and I was pushed forward a little. “Watch your step.” Zane said, warning me not to trip over the door.

I lifted my foot and took a blind step over nothing. I felt my toe ram into something hard and felt myself fall. My head hit cold metal and I knew that I’d tripped over the step to get inside. I then became dizzy and felt something trickle across my forehead. I brushed it away with my hand impatiently, hoping it was sweat. I was then pulled to my feet roughly and pushed forward. “Can I take my shoes off?”

“Why the hell would you want to do that?” I heard Zane say behind me with a surprised voice.

“Uh so I can feel where I’m going.”

“You don’t need to I’m leading you. Also, we’re almost there.”

“I don’t trust you. You let me fall dumb-ass.” I waited for Zane to yell at me or get mad but he stayed quiet and I suddenly felt a sting on my cheek. I felt Zane's hand on my shoulder and felt the floor hit my backside. Zane grabbed my feet and yanked off both my shoes and socks then pulled me back up, angrily grunting. I was happy I had no shoes on because it helped me know where I was but I wasn’t happy about the pain on my butt. I felt hard wood against my soft delicate feet and could smell that the house I was in was old. You know that smell when you walk into your grandparent’s house? Well imagine that with a hint of something dead.

“Stairs.” Zane said simply after a few steps.

I lifted my feet hoping I wouldn’t fall again and made my way up the stairs slowly. When I felt carpet underneath me, I knew that the steps had ended and stopped lifting my legs higher than they would normally go. Zane walked me father and I could see faint lights on the walls through the blindfold over my face. The lights were set on both sides of the walls and seemed very close so I imagined I was in a hallway. The pressure on my back left once again and I heard more jingling and a door open. I was shoved and felt cold cement on my feet. After a second, all light immediately vanished except for a faint flicker on the far end of the room. I took a slow step forward, trying to get closer to the light and was yanked backward. One of my feet landed in something sticky, causing me to I yelp and instantly move it.

Hands grabbed each of my wrists and two other hands pushed on my stomach painfully. I backed up to escape the pain and ran into something hard that felt like a brick wall. I tried to let out a scream and mouth was instantly covered by a hand which I bit so hard I drew blood. I kicked my legs out to kick whoever was in front of me then felt warmness around my ankles. Someone had grabbed my legs and I knew there had to be at least four people in the room. One holding my hands, one holding my feet, one covering my mouth, and one that had pushed me into a wall. I gave up kicking and just screamed as loud as I could into the hand over my mouth. Blood kept falling into my mouth and my screams were muffled but I refused to give up. All the sudden I felt the warmness on my wrists replaced by cold metal and my legs were let go. When whoever was holding my legs let go I wished they had not. I felt my body fall and my hands stay in place then my wrists were jerked and pain shot through my arms. I let out a cry of agony and tears filled my eyes causing them to sting. I cried and dropped my head in defeat, waiting for more pain. None came. “Kill me! Please! It hurts too much! I can’t take it! Kill me!”

“Sorry my dear,” I heard Zane’s voice behind me, “I’m not going to end your pain so easily. You are going to suffer weather you like it or not.”

“Please Zane.” I begged. “Please. I am sorry I really am. Just let me go.”

“Too late.”

I heard footsteps and the blindfold on my face was being moved. It fell from my face and I screamed in horror at what I saw before me.