Set Me Free

Chapter Eighteen

“Stay back!!” The lunatic casually strolls towards Juno, the knife twirling in her hand. Juno looked around her for anything to defend herself with. The lights above flicker, the floorboards beneath her aching feet creak.

“I’ve waited a long time for this.” The knife wielder says.

“What the hell are you talking about? Waited for what?” Juno’s hand slid across the barrels hoping for something to grab, never taking her eyes off of the knife in the woman's hand.

“For Nix to fall in love, silly. Why else would I be doing this?” She waves her hands around her.

“I don’t understand. Nix doesn’t love me, and why would that even matter?” Juno questioned. Hoping to keep the woman talking and not attacking Juno with the deadly blade.

The woman kept advancing. “ I was in love once.” She raised the knife high into the air, the overhead lamp made the knife glow like a heated blade. The blade came down in an arc, slicing through the air. Juno scuttled backwards out of reach. Her hip hit a shelving unit causing it to shake. Reaching over she grabbed the corner of the shelving and brought it down into the hallway, placing space between her and the deadly knife. 

The crazed woman tilts her head and smiles sadistically. Her eyes full of maliciousness, glaring at Juno from the other side of the shelving barrier.

“James Steele was the man of my dreams. He was my soul, my bleating heart. Nix stole him from me!! Just like i’m going to rob him of the one joy he has, You!” She tries to push the shelving over but it was wedged in pretty good. It barely budged when she tried to move it.

“You see, James and I had plans. Plans until his stupid brother, Nix, tried to pull James away from me.”  So this was Nix’s brother’s girlfriend. She wants to hurt Nix,but why does she think that hurting or killing Juno would do the trick.

“Nix and I aren’t even a thing anymore. Not sure if we even were. I don’t think your plan would work as you hoped for.” Juno says.

“You’re more stupid that I thought. Either way, it’ll work or it won’t, only one way to find out…” 

The woman disappears through a door on her right.  Juno looked through the scattering of openings in the walls looking for her but couldn’t see her at all. An endless corridor lined with doors and broken windows. Turning Juno shuffled down the hall, it was difficult to run with her bloodied and wounded feet.  The rough flooring and dusty debri wedging into the open wounds on her feet. The sting had a fresh batch of tears sprinkle down her cheeks. Red, angry rings wrapped around her wrists when she struggled to escape from her bindings.

“I hope there’s another exit down this way or I’m really screwed. Think Juno, think!” Juno’s eyes tracked the walls until they rested on a large window at the end of the hall.  Her lips quirk, an idea forming.

Rushing to the window she looked around for something to break it with. A crate with just old cloth sat in the corner to another shelving unit. A chair sat lopsided, a wheel broken and missing. A rusted barrel that screamed tetanus, sat in the corner, the night time glow from the moon highlighted the red and brown barrel.

“Juno…” Juno’s eyes flitted back and forth trying to pinpoint where the crazed woman was at. Her voice echoed down the hall and through the open rooms. The shadows play tricks on Juno’s eyes, creating phantom images of the knife wielding maniac. Juno’s heart was racing with a thundering tempo. An erratic rhythm that made catching her breath almost impossible. The thick dust hanging heavily in the air didn’t help, at times it felt like she was choking.

Her toes bumped into a brick laying on the floor. Smiling with some semblance of emotional joy. She grabbed the brick, cold to the touch, she looked up at the window and lobbed the brick at the window. With a satisfying shatter, jagged glass raining down to the floor, she rushed forward ignoring the glass biting into her feet. 

“Help!! Anyone!! Please help me!!!” She screamed with all her might out the window, hoping her voice would be carried by the wind to someone nearby.  Outside was covered in white, the machinery outside barely visible under the onslaught of cascading snow. She tried, and hoped for the best but it seems she’ll have to get out of here on her own.

“Juno…” The door to her right opened with an ominous creak. A dark shadow wobbled in the doorway. “There you are.” The shadow rushed forward hoping to catch Juno unaware. Juno grabbed the barrel and tossed it on the ground, the woman tripped over the barrel and hit the ground. Taking the precious seconds gained, Juno rushed into a room behind her and slammed the door and engaged the lock. Stepping back away from the door she prayed for an answer, for something, anything to guide her. Terror gripped her heart with an iron grip. Tremors shook her body, on unsteady legs she kept moving backwards.

The entire door frame shook as a heavy weight hit the door from the other side. The locked holding the door in place clinked under the stress. “Juno! Juno! Juno!” Her name became a disturbing chant. The hysterical laughter grated Juno’s ears like nails on a chalkboard.

Her voice falling off into a giggle, then it was silent. Nothing but Juno’s own harsh breathing. Taking a deep breath she looked around her new room. Only source of light was from the single window.  The moon was a comforting presence as it didn’t leave Juno in total darkness with it’s icy blues highlighting the area by the window. 

There was an old desk and scattered papers but nothing else discernable. Seemed like it used to be an old office, but now a remnant of a past forgotten. Avoiding the weak floorboard to avoid making any sounds, she made her way to the window.

“OW!” Pain stabbed into her foot with each step. The pain grows in time.

Sliding down to the floor next to the window under the moon's light, she pulled her feet into her lap. Her feet hurt so badly but now that she has a good look, it was bad. Criss crossing slashes of deep red lines tore through the soles of her feet. Thick coats of crimson blood, both dried and wet painted her feet in an ugly sight. With a muffled cry of helplessness she leaned her head against the brick mortar. There was only one door in the room, and it’s directly in front of her. Juno kept her eyes trained on the door, afraid that if she looked away, the deranged woman would break in and finally kill Juno.

Juno ripped at torn parts of her jeans, tearing strips of fabric off and wrapped them around her bloodied feet. “Mmmfmm!” She muffled. The pain was harsh like someone was prodding the open wounds with a sharp stick. Pulling the fabric tight, she cried out in burning pain.

“Ah, shit...that hurts…” Wiping the mud and tears from her face with her forearm, she sniffled trying to get her mind back on track. She felt like she was standing on an edge, a point where she’ll eventually fall off and one side would equal certain death, while the other, very well could offer the same result, but with more hope. She has to get out of the building one way or another.

Has anyone noticed she’s missing? Have her sisters gone looking for her? Juno’s heart plummeted at the thought. She knew as soon as the words left her lips that Callie and Emra would look for her. They would have noticed when she didn’t show up for their girl’s pizza night. Who would they go to for help? The police? Probably. Kevin? Probably not. Nix?

Thinking of him even now in this pit of despair she found herself swimming in. She couldn’t help but wonder what would things be like if there wasn’t all of this chaos in the way? If she approached it differently, would the outcome have been different?

Deep in her thoughts, Juno barely registered something slamming. It was muffled meaning it came from outside, and it sounded awfully like a car door closing. Straining her ears she listened. Nothing. An internal giggle bubbled up. Now she knew she was truly losing her mind.

“Don’t break now, Juno.”

“Juno!?” Juno’s ears perked up. Who was that? And where was it coming from? Struggling to stand up on her throbbing feet she peered out the window. Juno’s heart nearly jumped out of her chest. 

“Nix!” She cried out. Hoping he could hear her.  He was below but with the wind and the window between her and him, she wasn’t sure if he could hear her.

“Juno!?” He called out once again.

The door to the room banged loudly and with such force that the door shook against the frame, startling Juno that she jumped in her skin. A disjointed giggle echoed on the other side of the door. Her voice was happy and cheerful like an overjoyed harpy. Her words came out like a melodious song.

“Nix is here. Nix is here. Oh, Nixxy will finally disappear. Hehehe!” 

“No! Nix!” Juno slammed her palms against the window, rattling it while she called for his attention. “Nix!”

Nix couldn't hear her form below. He looked around his surroundings and took a moment staring up at the building. “Nix! Up here!!”

Sheer desperation had Juno slamming her palms against the window repeatedly, but it wasn’t loud enough. Juno frantically looked around for a way to break the window.  If only he was here earlier he would have heard her break the first window. 

All there was in the dark dusty office was a desk. Quickly she moved to the desk and pushed it below the window sill. Crouching, she dug her fingers underneath for placement and heaved it up. “Ok...1...1...and….Eergh...3~” Lifting the desk she flung it vertically and towards the window. The window broke with a loud crash. 

As soon as it broke she started screaming for Nix. She squeezed her arm between the desk and the window and tried to wave at him. “Nix! Up here!”

“Juno!?” His head looks up and he immediately dashes into the building. 

Taking a deep breath knowing Nix is here to rescue her, she tried to find solace in that fact. But, Nix doesn’t know about the lunatic roaming around with a blade of vengeance with his name on it.

Seeing Nix filled Juno with a mix of emotions. She wanted to run into his arms and feel his strength and solidness hold her close.  The comfort she found with him she never felt with anyone else. He was the sun on a bright beach, he was the moon on a soft night. His entire being spoke to her and she wanted nothing more than to be held by him again. They can figure everything else out later, right now she knew she had to get to him.

“Nix…” Juno had to warn him. If she didn’t he could end up hurt or worse dead.  She won’t let that happen if she has anything to say about it. Shuffling as quietly as she could to the door, she placed her ear against it and listened. A distant slamming of a door, but nothing sounded close.

Wrapping her fingers around the knob and unlatching the lock, twisted the handle and slowly opened the door. Sticking her head out she cautiously looked both ways. The shelving unit still blocked the hall, and the room across from Juno was wide open. Snow covered the floor as the cold wind blew through the broken window with a howl.  The woman was nowhere in sight,  so she took a tentative step out and moved to the fallen shelving unit. Cautiously she  climbed over the top of it, being careful where she placed her feet. Once she was over the shelving she moved quickly towards the staircase. A room she just passed slammed shut.

“You should have stayed inside your safe room.” Dread crawled up Juno’s spine. A shiver shook her entire being. Almost in slow motion she turned, the maniacs sadistic smile gleamed back at her in the dark.

“Where are you Juno!?” Nix was close. Sounded like he was somewhere downstairs, but still too far away to help at this important junction. 

“I’m getting this vibe that Nix never abused you. You’re just crazy and probably always have been.” The crazed woman c***s her head to the side thinking about what Juno said. Her eyes became vacant.

“Of course he wouldn’t. Not a good guy, Nix. Oh, no...but still, the police ate that up greedily. They really didn’t care about the truth. He was already a notorious gang member and a rep for being brutal. You really think they spent long on thinking it over?  As soon as those accusations left my lips they pounced. They needed nothing else. He’d never hurt anyone innocent, that was one of the differences between James and Nix.  Which is why I enjoyed watching him suffer in silence all this time. Last piece of the puzzle is you.”

How could Juno have been so stupid, jumping to conclusions like that. Nix probably hates Juno for believing in the news report, for already having taken sides without knowing the truth. Nix probably hates her for how quickly she jumped on the judgement wagon and judged him.

The woman charged at Juno. Juno jumped backwards, a pang of pain jolted up her legs. “You’re starting to piss me off!” 

Juno was angry and pissed and scared beyond her wildest imagination, but even her worst nightmares couldn’t measure up to this. If she’s going to die, she’ll make sure Nix won’t be hurt at least.

Using the moment the woman was overextended and off guard, Juno grabbed her around the waist and tackled her to the ground. They rolled across the flooring, Juno’s hand firmly on her wrist holding the knife. She had to keep the blade away, or she’s as good as dead.