Chapter 5 - Run, Lara. Run!
1049 Words
The air was cold.
Lara woke up to a pounding headache.
She tried to move, but she couldn't.
Her arms were stretched out, chained at the wrists. Her legs too. She was strapped to a cold metal table, her back aching against it.
Her eyes widened as panic exploded in her chest.
Where the hell was she?
And then she heard it. Slow, dragging footsteps getting closer,
A shadow appeared in the doorway. Then he stepped into the light.
“Gary?” Lara's eyes widened even more. She tried to sit up again but the chains yanked her back down,
There was someone else behind him. Someone she couldn't recognize yet.
Gary smiled when he saw her awake. And so did Helen who finally stepped into the light.
Lara's blood ran cold when she saw her.
There was no way Helen walking closer to her with such a mischievous smirk on her face was something good,
“No need to scream,” Helen began, voice calm, almost cheerful. “No one can hear you down here.”
Lara's mouth went dry. Her throat tightened. “W-What is this? Where am I? What else do you want from me? Let me go!” Her words tumbled out in a frantic plea,
Gary chuckled. Stepping forward.
“You won’t feel a thing. Just a little cut. Then it’ll all be over.”
He picked up a scalpel and turned it in his fingers like it was a toy.
“He is about to take your womb out,” Helen declared,
A scream died in Lara's throat. Her mind shattered, unable to process the horror in Helen’s words.
“I didn't make this decision on my own, honey,” Helen went on, gently stroking Lara's hair,
“Ray approved this too. He said you deserve to be punished this way," She lied,
A sharp, burning dagger shot right through Lara's heart,
“Be thankful that's all we are taking from a piece of s**t like you and don't complain,” Helen added rashly,
“I'll leave you to it,” She said to Gary and then walked away,
Lara’s scream came out then—broken and raw, echoing off the walls.
But Helen was gone.
“Let's get started,” Gary said,
“No!” She shrieked, her whole body quivering with fright,
She watched with bloodshot eyes as Gary reached for a scalpel. But then he stopped,
“I don't want to do this to you. But this is what Madam wants,” He said with a heavy murmur,
“Please…,” Lara whispered, her chest heaving as she fought back sobs.
“Let me go. I don't want to die here,” She whispered again,
Gary stared at her. The scalpel in his hand trembled slightly. He didn't move and didn't speak either. He just stood there, frozen.
Lara didn't stop. “I didn't do anything to deserve this…I didn't cheat on Ray. I'm not the one who killed Colin. So please….let me go, Gary. I'm begging you,”
Gary's breathing grew heavy. His hands dropped to his side.
He had done a lot of bad things in his life, but this was a line he never thought he would cross.
He looked at Lara and his heart ached for her. It was obvious how terrified and broken she was.
Quickly, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small, rusted key.
Saying nothing, he stepped forward and unlocked the chains on her,
Lara pulled her arms close to her chest, curling up in a ball, her body shaking uncontrollably.
She was still just in her underwear.
Gary took off his coat and placed it on her, “There is a side door through the left. It opens into the trees. Run. Don't stop,”
“Th—Thank you,” Lara stuttered, breathing hard.
Gary stood, and watched her go.
***
Lara was running barefoot through the woods. As fast as her legs could carry her,
She was exhausted. And her body was begging her to give up but she couldn't take that risk.
What if Helen was just around the corner?!
She ran until she was finally out of the woods,
A car came passing by at that moment.
She yelled for it to stop, but it didn't.
So she kept running in the direction it went until she saw it—A phone booth. Standing at the side of the road,
“God…please,” She begged as she ran to it. Hoping it would work.
Thankfully it did.
With shivering bands, she dialed her best friend's number and almost jumped up in excitement when the call was picked up at the first ring,
“Can you come get me, please?”
***
The black SUV pulled up some minutes later,
Lara rushed to it before the door even opened,
Marie, her best friend since college, stepped out. Her face stretched with fear and concern.
“What the hell happened to you?” She asked with furrowed brows,
“I will tell you everything later. Is it ready?” Lara asked, her eyes everywhere,
“Yes. It's all set. We are leaving the country in an hour. But let's get you cleaned up first,” Marie replied, deciding not to ask any more questions,
***In an hour, they were at the airport. Running to catch the flight they were already about a few minutes late to,
Just as they got to the checking point, Lara felt her stomach churn with discomfort,
She tried to push it aside but it only hit her like a wave, making her stumble with a sudden dizziness,
Marie stopped when she noticed, “What's wrong?”
“I—” Before Lara could reply, she felt it in her throat, hot and threatening to burst free from her mouth,
She took to her heels, running to the nearest restroom.
Marie followed after her.
In the restroom. She stood behind the door as Lara threw up in the toilet,
Lara stepped out minutes later, breathing heavily,
“Are you okay?” Marie asked with concern,
“I'm—” Lara hesitated, her hands moved to clutch her belly, her eyes staring into space,
Then she gasped, “I think I'm pregnant,”
- Writer
