Zeroing In

Julie

The bed was stained with sweat, piss, and tears. I could barely stand the smell of myself, but there wasn't much I could do. I was deathly afraid of what would happen if he came close, and so, I howled like a banshee anytime he opened the door. He couldn't get a word in edgewise.

But my resolve was breaking, and we both knew it. It had been days since I had eaten. He had rolled a bottle of water my way sometime recently, but it hadn't been nearly enough. I ached and I was shivering in that way that only happened when I had the flu. Sooner or later, he would come close, and there would be nothing I could do about it.

Adam

We had crafted a pretty good composite sketch of the man down at the police station. The paper - our last proof that Julie might be alive - had been taken off to evidence. Our parents had said nothing, but the guilt of not sharing the original chase weighed heavy on us.

Volunteers were plastering the man's face across town. In Walmart, in Wegman's, in every goddamn bus stop. If someone knew him, we would find him. And when we found him, we would find her.

Kyle

I just simply hadn't considered the idea that she might be resistant to spending the rest of her life with me. I had planned the room out so carefully, but hadn't even considered that she would be prisoner, not prize. How stupid was I, exactly? And now, I had a mess to clean up.

She wouldn't eat. Her screams, though I had invested in soundproofing and insulating, could potentially alert passersby, and everything was just. Wrong.

I put a sandwich on a tray and walked back down into the basement. I knew she could hear me coming. I knew she would scream. Steeling myself and wishing I had earplugs, I opened the door. To silence.

Julie

My time is running out. It's now or never. I steeled myself as I heard him thump down the stairs with his irritating limp. I had practiced the move a few times, but had no idea if it would work. No idea how I would survive this.

The light flooded in through the doorway and I suffocated a cringe. My disgust would have to wait. I would need to appear dead or sleeping very soundly for this to work.

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