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How to Save a Life
Man Behind the Mask
Emily’s Point of View
The sweet moment of feeling happy again only lasted about ten minutes. He held me, and petted my hair. Even hummed a little bit. Seeming like he was enjoying it himself. I didn’t like that feeling, knowing that I enjoyed being held by him. It wasn’t something I like to feel. But I just can’t help it. When he held me, I forgot everything he had ever done. It was like he had the power to make it vanish.
But it was gone as fast as it came. He was back to his old grumpy self. Screaming at me, and demanding to know I was thinking. What was I to tell him though?
“You could’ve died!” He snapped. Gripping my pale arms so tightly. It hurt horribly. I whimpered in fear and pain. But I couldn’t pull away, he wouldn’t let me. Just tightened his grip each time I tried. My eyes were beginning to fill with water. I don’t know what to tell him. “What would I have done if you had died!? What could you have possibly been thinking?!”
I shivered once more. Crying harder. “I don’t know! You scared me! I wasn’t thinking!”
The warmth of the truck was beginning to make my skin hurt more. I knew the feeling. Frostbite. I should’ve expected it. I was sleeping in the snow, dressed for the summer. Deep down, I knew that I wasn’t going to be okay. Something had to be wrong, I wasn’t that lucky. Never was, never will be. The only luck I had, was that Zane hadn’t killed me yet.
“You’re lucky I found you, and lucky that I’m not going to kill you.” He growled. “I’m taking you to the hospital, you’re going to keep your mouth shut, got it?”
“O-okay.” I whimpered. “I’m really sorry, Zane.”
“Just forget it.” He hissed. Starting the truck. Gunning it. It was like he was taking his anger out on his poor truck. The 2000 Chevy Silverado probably shouldn’t have been treated so poorly. But he seemed not to care. He treated the truck like he treated the people he held back at his house.
Actually I was surprised that he was taking me out of the house. Not making me suffer though it. He would’ve killed anyone else who ran. But me, he kept me alive. A part of me hated that, I didn’t understand that. I didn’t like not understanding him. Another part of me, just wanted him to get it over with. But then again, I wanted to live. Complicated, I know. My brain just thought like that.
“W-Won’t they know me?” I whispered. Maybe a dread of hope still beat inside me. I could still be saved, I just couldn’t save myself. This is what I get for trying.
He snorted back some laughter. “You’ve been gone for a year, Emily. They’ve given up. Besides, you’re in Michigan, baby. If they were still looking for you, it’d be back in Arizona.”
I winced. “I’m not your baby.”
He laughed once again. He did this quiet often, laughed at what I said. Brought me down. “Do you even remember Arizona, baby? The warm air, desert. Do you miss it? Do you want to go back? Maybe that’s why you ran. You don’t like the winter do you? You’ve never been this cold.” His hand came over to gently touch my cheek. I jerked away. Probably seeming moody to him. But he was being a jerk. Who would blame me?
“Who wouldn’t miss that.” I growled. Moving closer to the window. Tightening the blanket. Still shivering, but trying to control it. Why would he tease me about this? It was so unfair. It hurt inside. Stabbed my heart. I miss my home so much. Sure there was nothing there to go back to, but I knew people there. I hated it here, I don’t know anyone besides him. I hate it here.
“I like it here. Do you like the forest? Its pretty.” He took back his hand. Seeming uncomfortable now. I hope he felt to uncomfortable. I hope it makes him sad inside.
“I haven’t been allowed outside.” I shivered. “Besides, its white, I hate it.”
“You said the same thing to Matt about Arizona.” He chuckled. Glancing over to me. How did he know about Matt? He shouldn’t know about him. Was he watching me longer then I thought? “He told me about you, said the new girl punched out a senior. Said you got roughed up pretty bad. Got me interested in you. Of course he didn’t mean in. I was actually going to take him that night, you shouldn’t meet people on the Internet.”
“So what made you take me?” I mumbled. Not willing to make eye contact with him.
“You did. You were crying, it drew me in. Matt was no longer an interest to me. Hm, snap decision really. Though I expected you to fight back. You never did. You just let yourself rot away, was your life really that bad? Do you remember it? How you just let me take you? It was like you wanted me to. You actually slept in my lap the whole way here.”
~Flashback~
Where was he taking me? Why was it so hard to move? Why did I want to go?
His face was so blurry. Hazy, was I drugged? He run his fingers over my arm as he carried me into the run down looking shack like house. What was he going to do? I felt fear fill up inside me. Like it was blowing my up, as if I was a balloon.
“Shh, don’t be scared.” He hummed. Had I said something? Whimpered? I didn’t mean to. I didn’t want to do anything to tick him off. I don’t know this man, I don’t know what he could do to me. “You’re being such a good girl, Emily.” It was weird, I didn’t like it. He was scary. I want to go home. Why is it so hard to move?
The door opened for him. Light poured out into this dark world. “I thought you were bringing a boy. I told you no more girls, you always kill them.” That made my heart beat so hard. What did they mean? Was he out to kill me? “Being her back home.”
“No, she’s seen me already. I won’t kill this one. She’s not like the others.” He promised. Stepping inside. The other person was no where in sight. It confused me even more. Maybe they could talk him out of it, they could save my life. Get me home safely. “I swear on your life, Mommy.” If it was his mother, then I might be doomed. She couldn’t refuse if it was her son.
“Zane, you know I’m dying. Is this what you are trying to save for yourself. A girl? Baby, there’s never going to be anyone like me, no one can fill my shoes.”
“Just because Dad killed everything doesn’t mean I will. He was just a bad influence. I’ll get over what he did to us. I need someone to talk to when your gone, mommy. I just got to find the right person.”
~End of Flashback~
“So you found the right person then?” I sighed. Forcing myself to turn back to him.
This time he was the one to wince. “I just told her that. She was worse then me, Emily. She wouldn’t have let you go. She would’ve killed you. She tried, I never killed the other girls. She did. Said they weren’t good enough for me. I told you I did it. I was scared you would run. She would’ve killed you. I would’ve lost you. She told me it was my fault. Because I brought them there in the first place. She told me that you were to quiet. That you were planning something. It was last month, you were asleep. I was with the women that escaped. She had hurt herself when trying to get away when I took her. I was trying to help her out when I heard your door break. I’ll admit it, I drugged you that night. Because I was afraid you’d be scared, the women was pitching quite the fit. Well, my mother was planning on stabbing you, I believe. She had a kitchen knife. I didn’t want to kill her. She was my first. I just couldn’t loose you. You are the only person even that has ever been somewhat nice to me. I told you I was going to kill them because I was scared you would run if I left you alone. You would try to save them. I saw it in your eyes. I didn’t want to scare you, but I had no choice. I’m not a murderer, but I’ll admit it, the abusive in my past has brought me to do the same thing. The therapist told me that I was a little bipolar, I’m supposed to be on depression pills, but I can’t afford them. I can barely hold enough money to feed the both of us. I have no clue how I’m going to afford this hospital visit. It was stupid for you to run.”
I believed him for some reason. He sounded like he knew what he was talking about. It wasn’t planned, could tell that. It does make sense. Last month, I remember screaming. But I can’t remember for what. His explanation makes sense to me. There was a day that he sat and talked to me the whole day. Telling me that he was glad I was nice. He was happy that I was abiding by the rules.
“I know, I’m sorry.”
The sweet moment of feeling happy again only lasted about ten minutes. He held me, and petted my hair. Even hummed a little bit. Seeming like he was enjoying it himself. I didn’t like that feeling, knowing that I enjoyed being held by him. It wasn’t something I like to feel. But I just can’t help it. When he held me, I forgot everything he had ever done. It was like he had the power to make it vanish.
But it was gone as fast as it came. He was back to his old grumpy self. Screaming at me, and demanding to know I was thinking. What was I to tell him though?
“You could’ve died!” He snapped. Gripping my pale arms so tightly. It hurt horribly. I whimpered in fear and pain. But I couldn’t pull away, he wouldn’t let me. Just tightened his grip each time I tried. My eyes were beginning to fill with water. I don’t know what to tell him. “What would I have done if you had died!? What could you have possibly been thinking?!”
I shivered once more. Crying harder. “I don’t know! You scared me! I wasn’t thinking!”
The warmth of the truck was beginning to make my skin hurt more. I knew the feeling. Frostbite. I should’ve expected it. I was sleeping in the snow, dressed for the summer. Deep down, I knew that I wasn’t going to be okay. Something had to be wrong, I wasn’t that lucky. Never was, never will be. The only luck I had, was that Zane hadn’t killed me yet.
“You’re lucky I found you, and lucky that I’m not going to kill you.” He growled. “I’m taking you to the hospital, you’re going to keep your mouth shut, got it?”
“O-okay.” I whimpered. “I’m really sorry, Zane.”
“Just forget it.” He hissed. Starting the truck. Gunning it. It was like he was taking his anger out on his poor truck. The 2000 Chevy Silverado probably shouldn’t have been treated so poorly. But he seemed not to care. He treated the truck like he treated the people he held back at his house.
Actually I was surprised that he was taking me out of the house. Not making me suffer though it. He would’ve killed anyone else who ran. But me, he kept me alive. A part of me hated that, I didn’t understand that. I didn’t like not understanding him. Another part of me, just wanted him to get it over with. But then again, I wanted to live. Complicated, I know. My brain just thought like that.
“W-Won’t they know me?” I whispered. Maybe a dread of hope still beat inside me. I could still be saved, I just couldn’t save myself. This is what I get for trying.
He snorted back some laughter. “You’ve been gone for a year, Emily. They’ve given up. Besides, you’re in Michigan, baby. If they were still looking for you, it’d be back in Arizona.”
I winced. “I’m not your baby.”
He laughed once again. He did this quiet often, laughed at what I said. Brought me down. “Do you even remember Arizona, baby? The warm air, desert. Do you miss it? Do you want to go back? Maybe that’s why you ran. You don’t like the winter do you? You’ve never been this cold.” His hand came over to gently touch my cheek. I jerked away. Probably seeming moody to him. But he was being a jerk. Who would blame me?
“Who wouldn’t miss that.” I growled. Moving closer to the window. Tightening the blanket. Still shivering, but trying to control it. Why would he tease me about this? It was so unfair. It hurt inside. Stabbed my heart. I miss my home so much. Sure there was nothing there to go back to, but I knew people there. I hated it here, I don’t know anyone besides him. I hate it here.
“I like it here. Do you like the forest? Its pretty.” He took back his hand. Seeming uncomfortable now. I hope he felt to uncomfortable. I hope it makes him sad inside.
“I haven’t been allowed outside.” I shivered. “Besides, its white, I hate it.”
“You said the same thing to Matt about Arizona.” He chuckled. Glancing over to me. How did he know about Matt? He shouldn’t know about him. Was he watching me longer then I thought? “He told me about you, said the new girl punched out a senior. Said you got roughed up pretty bad. Got me interested in you. Of course he didn’t mean in. I was actually going to take him that night, you shouldn’t meet people on the Internet.”
“So what made you take me?” I mumbled. Not willing to make eye contact with him.
“You did. You were crying, it drew me in. Matt was no longer an interest to me. Hm, snap decision really. Though I expected you to fight back. You never did. You just let yourself rot away, was your life really that bad? Do you remember it? How you just let me take you? It was like you wanted me to. You actually slept in my lap the whole way here.”
~Flashback~
Where was he taking me? Why was it so hard to move? Why did I want to go?
His face was so blurry. Hazy, was I drugged? He run his fingers over my arm as he carried me into the run down looking shack like house. What was he going to do? I felt fear fill up inside me. Like it was blowing my up, as if I was a balloon.
“Shh, don’t be scared.” He hummed. Had I said something? Whimpered? I didn’t mean to. I didn’t want to do anything to tick him off. I don’t know this man, I don’t know what he could do to me. “You’re being such a good girl, Emily.” It was weird, I didn’t like it. He was scary. I want to go home. Why is it so hard to move?
The door opened for him. Light poured out into this dark world. “I thought you were bringing a boy. I told you no more girls, you always kill them.” That made my heart beat so hard. What did they mean? Was he out to kill me? “Being her back home.”
“No, she’s seen me already. I won’t kill this one. She’s not like the others.” He promised. Stepping inside. The other person was no where in sight. It confused me even more. Maybe they could talk him out of it, they could save my life. Get me home safely. “I swear on your life, Mommy.” If it was his mother, then I might be doomed. She couldn’t refuse if it was her son.
“Zane, you know I’m dying. Is this what you are trying to save for yourself. A girl? Baby, there’s never going to be anyone like me, no one can fill my shoes.”
“Just because Dad killed everything doesn’t mean I will. He was just a bad influence. I’ll get over what he did to us. I need someone to talk to when your gone, mommy. I just got to find the right person.”
~End of Flashback~
“So you found the right person then?” I sighed. Forcing myself to turn back to him.
This time he was the one to wince. “I just told her that. She was worse then me, Emily. She wouldn’t have let you go. She would’ve killed you. She tried, I never killed the other girls. She did. Said they weren’t good enough for me. I told you I did it. I was scared you would run. She would’ve killed you. I would’ve lost you. She told me it was my fault. Because I brought them there in the first place. She told me that you were to quiet. That you were planning something. It was last month, you were asleep. I was with the women that escaped. She had hurt herself when trying to get away when I took her. I was trying to help her out when I heard your door break. I’ll admit it, I drugged you that night. Because I was afraid you’d be scared, the women was pitching quite the fit. Well, my mother was planning on stabbing you, I believe. She had a kitchen knife. I didn’t want to kill her. She was my first. I just couldn’t loose you. You are the only person even that has ever been somewhat nice to me. I told you I was going to kill them because I was scared you would run if I left you alone. You would try to save them. I saw it in your eyes. I didn’t want to scare you, but I had no choice. I’m not a murderer, but I’ll admit it, the abusive in my past has brought me to do the same thing. The therapist told me that I was a little bipolar, I’m supposed to be on depression pills, but I can’t afford them. I can barely hold enough money to feed the both of us. I have no clue how I’m going to afford this hospital visit. It was stupid for you to run.”
I believed him for some reason. He sounded like he knew what he was talking about. It wasn’t planned, could tell that. It does make sense. Last month, I remember screaming. But I can’t remember for what. His explanation makes sense to me. There was a day that he sat and talked to me the whole day. Telling me that he was glad I was nice. He was happy that I was abiding by the rules.
“I know, I’m sorry.”