With the e-mail sent, Leanne descended the basement stairs, not knowing she was really descending into hell. Cassandra snuck up behind her and knocked her out with something that she held over her face, presumably chloroform.
When she awoke, the room was in darkness, and her stomach was killing her. She felt almost like she was going to puke as she tried to sit up and clear the cobwebs from her head. Her first thought was to call out to Sandra. The only problem was that a gag was tied around her face. Instinctively, she went to reach out to push it away when she realized her hands wouldn’t move very far. They were bound to her sides. She was, however, able to move her legs.
Leanne was confused at first, and then it all came rushing back to her. She had spent the day with Cassandra, sometimes suspecting that she knew what was going on as far as her affair with Dawn went and other times thinking that Cassandra was still in the dark.
Obviously, she knew damn well what was going on. Had she been that obvious? Or was it that the sexy nurse wanted to kill her because she was afraid that she would turn her in for killing her friend Brittany? Maybe that was it. Maybe she simply felt she couldn’t trust her.
Leanne groaned and tried to yell out as loud as she could, but the gag muffled for voice dramatically.
Next, she tried to get a sense of her surroundings. She knew she was in the basement. From what she could tell in the darkness, she was strapped to a cot in the far corner of the room. This was the side of the basement she had never really paid much attention to because the washer and dryer were on the other side and there was nothing she ever needed to be in this section for. Now she knew why Cassandra had been spending so much time down here. She had been preparing her prison.
Don’t get so ahead of yourself! Leanne commanded herself. Maybe she’s just testing you or something. Maybe she’s just playing a nasty joke on you. If she was wrong, Leanne wasn’t sure what would be worse - Cassandra doing this because she was afraid she would turn her in to the police or because she knew about her affair with Dawn.
Think about it, she told herself, and be reasonable. You’re gagged and bound in a dark basement. Whatever the reason is, it can’t be a good one.
Leanne realized her bladder was full. She swung her legs over the edge of the cot and slowly pulled herself upright. Her head began to swim, and she had to take a few deep breaths in order to compose herself.
She heard something move in the far corner of the room. Then she heard what sounded like somebody sniffling. “Cassandra?”
The shadowy form moved in the darkness, and then a light suddenly came on. It was Cassandra, all right, and she looked pretty pissed.
“What’s going on? Why am I down here?” Leanne demanded, trying to keep her voice steady.
At first, Leanne didn’t think Cassandra was going to say anything as she sat there slowly rocking back and forth in an old rocking chair, looking at her with disgust evident on her face. Then she finally said, “Funny how some of the smartest people can ask some of the dumbest questions.”
“W-what do you mean?” Leanne asked, still holding out the hope that this was just one very sick and twisted joke and that Cassandra didn’t really know about Dawn.
Cassandra continued to glare at her before finally speaking again. “It’s also funny how some of the smartest people can think others are stupid as hell.”
More angry glares as Leanne stared downward, unsure of what to say. Choosing her words carefully, she finally said, “Look. Could you just untie me, please? I really have to pee like really bad. After I do that, we can talk this through.”
“How stupid do you think I am, Leanne?”
Leanne decided to play dumb. “Look,” she said, “I don’t know what’s going on, but I really have to pee and this isn’t funny.”
“Oh, so you think I think this is funny?”
”Well, this is obviously a test to see how much I want to be with you or something like that,” Leanne said, trying to keep her voice even.
”Oh, that’s a brilliant assumption,” Cassandra said with heavy sarcasm.
”Look, right now I just want to pee. After that, you could tell me what’s going on.”
Cassandra looked at Leanne with a mixture of disgust and indecision. Finally, she rose from her chair and untied Leanne. ”You go upstairs and you use the fucking bathroom. I’ll be waiting for you right outside the door, so don’t even think of trying anything.”
”My God, Cass, you are really playing this thing up,” Leanne said, faking her best laugh. “Relax. After I relieve my bladder, we can continue on with this game, whatever it is. I’m sure it will be loads of fun.”
”Don’t count on it, girl.”
”Ooh,” Leanne said, feigning excitement, though deep inside she was utterly terrified. A killer was, after all, hosting this game. Leanne climbed the basement stairs, fully aware that Cassandra was right behind her.
“Make it fast,” Cassandra demanded as Leanne went into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. She immediately looked for ways out, but the window in the bathroom was so small she didn’t think she could squeeze through it. If the window rose up and down, then maybe she could, but because it was narrow and slid side to side, she didn’t see how she could possibly fit through.
She quickly peed and washed her hands. Cassandra opened the door just as she was drying them on the small violet towel that hung by the sink.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Leanne’s heart leaped with hopeful anticipation as Cassandra’s eyes flashed with apprehension. Cassandra glanced toward the front of the house and then back at Leanne. Then she grabbed Leanne by the arm and pulled her out of the bathroom and into the bedroom where she stuffed her in the closet. “Not a fucking word,” Cassandra hissed threateningly. “You stay in here and you don’t utter a sound. If you do, I swear I will kill you, Leanne, and possibly whoever’s at the door.”
Leann’s heart hammered in her chest as Cassandra shut the door and went to see who had rung the doorbell. A few seconds later, she heard a male voice shouting at Cassandra. Cassandra shouted back and Leanne could clearly hear the terror in her voice. Although she was unable to make out any words spoken, she knew the guy, whoever he was, was furious. This shouting escalated and so did the terror in Cassandra’s voice. After what seemed like a minute or two of both of them shouting at each other, loud pops could be heard.
Leanne’s body trembled with fear. She mentally willed her body to still itself so that she wouldn’t accidentally bump something in the closet and draw attention to herself. She held her breath to silence her panting. After the gunshots, she had heard a scuffling sound and then she didn’t hear any other sounds within the house, assuming that the person had left. Even so, she was terrified to move for what seemed like an eternity. She could not bring herself to move a muscle until she eventually became aware of sunlight streaming through the bedroom windows and through the slats of the closet door. Shakily and with much exhaustion, Leanne pushed the closet door open and slowly pulled herself up onto her trembling legs. Her legs felt as if they were made of cloth. Dizziness engulfed her and for a minute, she felt like she might be sick.
Leanne slowly walked across the room and into the hallway. She stopped and looked down the hallway and into the living room. Nothing looked unusual from where she stood. Slowly, she walked down the hallway. The closer she got to the living room, the more she was able to see the bloodstains on the floor and walls. She expected Cassandra’s body to come into view any second, but once she could see the entire room, she found no bodies lying on the floor. Maybe Cassandra had shot the guy and not the other way around. Had Cassandra had a gun on her at the time she shoved her into the bathroom and then the closet? And if Cassandra was still alive, where was she? A large trail of blood led to the front door, so whoever had lived had dragged the dead one out and was probably disposing of them somewhere. She knew she had to escape, regardless of who was still alive and who wasn’t.
Leanne reached for the doorknob, slick with blood, and yanked it open. She then ran to the nearest house, free at last.
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