Georgia Peach - Book One

Chapter 11 - Foul Play

Tick tock...tick tock...tick tock. I awaken from my slumber to the sound of a clock ticking on the wall. I sit up to scan my surroundings. The room is spinning...fuck! The throbbing in my head is so intense, I reach my hand up to my head, but there's something tied around my wrist. I blink a few times, attempting to focus. There's a faint humming sound off in the distance from an overhead light flickering. Once the dizziness subsides, I continue to scan the room. It's dark, the walls are dingy, and there are oil and scuff marks all over the cement floor beneath me as I look down. Tick tock...tick tock...Where the f**k am I?

I press down with both hands on the cushion beneath my bottom. Am I lying on a cot of some sort? What is this? Am I in a basement? Who do I know that has a basement like this? I begin to panic and pull both hands, but my wrists are bound. It appears I'm tied to the frame in which I sit. Who did this? Tick tock...tick tock...

Overcome with anxiety; I attempt to wiggle out of the ties binding my wrists before realizing my ankles are also bound. I notice that my legs are bare...where are my pants? f**k! Where are my clothes? Why am I lying here in nothing but a bra and panties?

"Hello? Helloooooo!?" I call out as I hear noises in the other room. I can hear footsteps on the concrete floor and then a figure of a man approaching me once he enters the room.

My vision still a blur, I blink a few times trying to get a better look, "Hello Mariah, it's me, Ethan. You are safe now."

Overcome with fear, I begin to scream, "Noooo!!!! Help me! Heeelllpppp!" I cry out as I furiously attempt to loosen the ties that bind me.

He moves closer, sitting next to me on the cot, "Shhhh... darling... don't move. I don't want you hurting yourself. Nobody can hear you anyway," He says softly.

"What the f**k are you doing, Ethan!? Why am I here?!"

"You are here because you had an accident, and I am trying to take care of you," He responds as he reaches out to stroke my hair.

I pull back immediately, "Don't you dare touch me, Ethan!"

"I saved you, darling."

"Why don't you take me to the hospital?" I ask as tears well in my eyes.

"Because I want you here with me, my darling. I'm a nurse. I can take care of you."

"No, Ethan! I need to go to the hospital! I think I hit my head. I have a horrible headache, and my head is spinning," I tell him.

"Darling shh... Don't overexert yourself. You must rest," He whispers as he strokes my hair.

I pull away from him, "Please, Ethan, don't do this!" I plead with him.

"I only want to take care of you, Mariah."

He reaches up to brush my bottom lip with his thumb, "Ethan, I'm not your Mariah! I'm Dylan's Mariah. Please don't do this."

He belts out a maniacal laugh, "Oh darling. You are no longer Dylan's Mariah; you are mine. I can take care of you much better than he can. Don't fight this; we are destined to be together. Nobody will ever find you here."

He scoots closer, running his hand up my thigh, "Ahh! No!" I squeal as I violently jerk and pull, attempting to loosen the ties. As I violently thrash around, I feel something wet between my legs. Looking down, I notice a large urine stain on the pad mixed with blood, "Ethan, please, I'm on my period; I need a shower. God damn it! I've urinated all over myself. This is so degrading!"

He pats my shoulder, "Don't worry; I will give you a sponge bath. I will take care of you."

I twist and pull away from him, "This is not taking care of me, Ethan! This is holding me against my will! I'm injured! I need to see a doctor, please!"

He shakes his head from side to side, "No, my sweet Mariah, I am the only one who will take care of you."

He leans in, planting a wet kiss on my lips as I seal my lips together tightly, fearing that if he slipped his tongue in my mouth, I might yak all over myself. I'm already sitting in a blood-tinged piss puddle; I don't want to add vomit to the list of bodily fluids I'm covered in. A large collage of polaroid pictures are tacked to a corkboard on the wall I notice while scanning the room. I blink a few times to focus my eyes, and... Holy s**t! They are all pictures of me! He has pictures of me everywhere I've gone. He even has naked pictures of me having s*x with Dylan. It's hard telling how he got those shots. Jesus, was there ever a time where he wasn't following me? I feel so violated!

Curiosity sets in, I begin to question him, "How did you know I was in an accident, Ethan?" I

He shrugs as if he hasn't a care in the world, "I followed you. I pulled you out of the car and put you into the backseat of my car. I brought you home to be with me, darling. This is our home. This is where we will live together."

I do my best to keep my temper at bay, but I'm seething with rage, "No, this is not my home Ethan!"

"Soon, you will see. Soon, you will know that we are meant to be. My love for you is eternal. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you, my darling Mariah."

I flop back onto the cot, accepting my fate when I hear my stomach growling. I turn to face him, "Ethan, I'm hungry. I need to eat something."

He nods his head in agreement, patting my stomach; I flinch, "Okay, I will make you some soup, sit tight, and then I'll give you a sponge bath," He replies as he moves his rough, calloused hands across my thigh. I clench my jaw, feeling disgusted and enraged.

As he lifts himself off the cot, he exits out the door. I lay there, listening to the sound of his footsteps as he trudges up the stairs. I sit up immediately, scanning the room for any possible escape route. There's a glass block window directly above me, which is my only window to the outside world. I sit in silence, overcome with sadness and despair. I am tied to an old dirty cot. I'm filthy, and I stink! God only knows how long I've been here! I watch as a giant rat scurries across the basement floor, squeaking as it disappears behind a box.

After a few moments, Ethan returns, carrying a bowl of soup and a bottle of water. He sits next to me on the cot, stirring the soup and gently blowing to cool it down as the steam rises from the bowl. He brings a spoonful up to my mouth for me to take a bite. Realizing that he's not going to untie me, I begin wailing. He drops the spoon back into the bowl and lightly pats my shoulder to console me, "Darling, please stop crying. I only want to take care of you."

"This is f*****g disturbing, Ethan! This is not how you get someone to like you! I'm tied to a filthy cot while you are spoon-feeding me this foul-smelling soup! Do you think this will make me like you?! You are not right! Why are you speaking like that?!"

His cheeks flush three shades of red; his nostrils flare, "You will soon realize that the only way you will survive is to learn to love me."

"Noooo!!!"

He swallows hard before clearing his throat, "Shh! Darling. Please eat. I will bathe you afterward."

My stomach grumbles loudly from hunger, so I reluctantly open my mouth, allowing him to spoon-feed me. While he feeds me, I study his facial features and notice huge flakes of dandruff all over his hair. He's so unkempt; his face is greasy, covered in blackheads and cyst-like acne. As he leans into me to wipe the soup off my chin, the stench of his foul breath invades my nostrils, making it difficult to choke down the horrible tasting soup I'm eating.

Once I'm finished eating, he walks over to the corner of the room, grabbing a mop bucket, lifts it into the sink, and fills it up with water. He pours a bottle of antibacterial soap into the bucket before he reaches up to the cupboard above his head, pulling out a towel and a washrag. I begin to weep as I realize he plans to bathe me using a dirty mop bucket filled with water. He ignores my cries, and without turning around, he scurries out of the room. I lie down on the cot listening to the sound of the water dripping into the bucket from the faucet. A few minutes go by; I feel very sleepy, so I close my eyes. Then, darkness...

Dylan's POV.

I'm lying in my bed, curled up in the fetal position with tears streaming down my cheeks. God, this f*****g kills me! I can't believe she chose that mother fucker over me! That son of a b***h had to be persistent! How could you do this to me, baby? I f*****g loved you! My heart is completely shattered. The one time I put myself out there and allow myself to love one woman entirely, and this is what I get?! Does the ring mean nothing to her?!

My thoughts are interrupted as I hear a knock at the door. I jump out of bed and charge into the living room. If that's Mariah, she will hear it from me! I'm not going to allow her to play me! I turn the doorknob and violently yank it open. Brie is standing there on my front porch, soaking wet as the rain pours down, "Brie! I'm not going to listen to any excuses, so don't even bother!"

She pushes her way past me through the entry, "Where is she!?" she yells.

"Where's who?!"

She throws her hands up in the air, "Mariah! Who do you think?!"

"I don't f*****g know. Why don't you ask f**k face?! Maybe she ran off with him! Did you call her?" I reply defensively.

"Yes, I f*****g called her, and no, she did not run off with f**k face! She ran him off! In fact, we both did! She was in bed sick all f*****g day! I was home, Dylan! I know she was not with him! Once you stormed off like a big baby, she told him to leave, and she sped off after you in her car. Momma got the call that the police found her car wrapped around a tree, but she was nowhere to be found! Where is she, Dylan!?"

"I don't f*****g know! She's not here!"

She anxiously paces the floor, "Was she ever here?!"

"No, I have been here alone the entire time!"

She puts her head in her hands as she continues to pace the floors, "Oh my God! Something isn't right here, Dylan! Her phone goes straight to voicemail."

I raise my arms, lacing my fingers around my neck, "f**k! Call her Mom! Maybe she knows."

"Momma already did! She doesn't know where she is! Reagan is on her way up here. She's on a rampage."

I reach out to comfort her, "Wait, let's just think for a second... What could have happened to her?"

"What if she hit her head and wandered off and she's lost? She just vanished, Dylan! How does that even happen?" She reaches into her back pocket to fish out her phone, "I need to call Momma and tell her she's not here."

I stand up from the sofa, anxiously pacing the floors while Brie calls Lori. Holy f**k! Where is my girl?! What the f**k could she have gone?! I'm such a f*****g i***t! Why didn't I listen to her?! I realize now she was trying to explain everything. There's a heaviness in my chest as my head begins to pound. I reach down to grab my cell phone from the coffee table and dial-up Seth. I need my best friend here for support. It rings a couple of times before he answers, "Hey buddy, what's up?"

"Seth, Mariah is missing," I blurt out.

"Missing? What?! What do you mean missing?!" He yells.

"Dude, she got in an accident; the police found her car wrapped around a f*****g tree, but she's nowhere to be found," I choke out.

"Where the f**k did she go, man?"

"I don't know, Seth. Please come over; I need ya, buddy!"

"Be there in a few," He responds without hesitation.

As I disconnect the call, I lean my forehead against the wall, trying to think of what could have happened. Brie taps my shoulder, "Hey, Momma is calling the police and filing a missing person's report. She is on her way over here."

"God, what the f**k!? Where did she go?! I can't live this life without her! I can't do it, Brie!" I cry out while striking my fists against the wall in frustration.

She gently pats my shoulder, "We will find her."

"I hope you are right."

Moments later, Seth comes barreling through the front door, making a beeline for Brie. He wraps his arms around her tightly as she quietly weeps into his chest, "Hey Brie, It's okay, darlin. We will find her. I promise."

I watch as he gently strokes Brie's hair attempting to console her, "Dude, where the f**k could she have gone?! Who walks away from an accident like the one she apparently had? She is going to be a nurse. Surely she knows better?" I ask him.

"Something isn't right," Seth whispers.

Lori arrives in tears a few moments later, "God, this is all my fault. I should never have suggested that she come here. I'm responsible for her. Her mother is going to come up here and rip me a new one!"

Seth chimes in, "Did anyone check the hospital? Maybe she walked there or hitched a ride?"

"Yes, I called. There's no sign of her," Lori chokes out.

"Has anyone called Aaron?" I ask curiously.

Lori raises her head, her eyes wide, "No, why would I do that?"

Brie approaches Lori, placing her hand on her back, "Momma, he was at the house earlier trying to win her back."

Lori places her hands upon Brie's shoulders, "Do you think she is headed back with him? Seriously?"

Brie shakes her head and rolls her eyes, "No, I don't. She told him to take a hike."

Lori exhales audibly, "Nevertheless, I'll call Reagan and get his number."

She fishes her phone out of her purse and dials Reagan's number, turning away from us as she speaks with her. Brie, Seth, and I walk away to the other end of the living room to allow her privacy. I look up and notice as she writes down a phone number on her palm before she turns back around, "Who wants to do the honors and call?"

Brie raises her hand to volunteer, "I will," she says.

Brie opens her phone, dialing the phone number on Lori's palm, putting him on speakerphone for us to hear. After the third ring, he picks up, "What?!" He yells.

She sighs audibly, "Aaron, this is Brie, Mariah's cousin."

"What the f**k do you want?"

Rolling her eyes, she continues, "I called to see if you know where Mariah is."

"No, I don't, and I don't f*****g care. She's a f*****g w***e!" He growls.

I could no longer keep my temper at bay, and my mouth opens before I have a chance to catch myself, "You listen here, dickhead. Don't you ever call her that again, do you hear me? I will break your fuckin nose, you little weasel!"

"f**k you d**k head!" he yells back as Brie grimaces, pulling the phone away from her ear.

I walk up to the speaker, "f**k you!" I manage to get in before he disconnects the call.

Brie crosses her arms in front of her, glaring at me, "So, now that we have established that she's not with Aaron, do you feel better now, Dylan?" she asks sarcastically.

I turn away, unable to look her in the eye, realizing that was a wasted call, "No, I don't. I need to know where she is!"

The only thing left to do is call for back up. I pick up my phone and begin to dial Momma's number; she answers, "Hello?"

"Momma, it's me. I need you to come to my house. Mariah is missing."

"What? Missing?"

"Yes, she got into an accident, her car was found wrapped around a tree, but she's gone!" I cry out.

"Oh, my lord, son! I'll be right there!"

Lori and Brie are seated on the sofa, weeping as I pace the floors, my fingers laced behind my neck as Seth stands in place, watching and waiting for some direction.

The police show up at my house moments later. Lori is the first one to speak to them. I approach her as she speaks with one of them privately, "Generally, we wait 24-72 hours before we can file a missing person's report, but since she's apparently vanished from the scene of an accident, the circumstances could suggest foul play. I don't want to alarm you, but I need a recent picture of her, and I need to know in great detail anything suspicious you might have noticed as well as a complete description of what she was wearing," The police officer explains to Lori.

Brie chimes in, "She was wearing a light blue tank top and black yoga pants."

The officer writes down the information, "Does she have any birthmarks or anything noticeable about her?" he asks.

"Yes, she has green eyes with a brown birthmark in her right eye, which takes up about a quarter of the iris," I respond.

Lori comes up beside me and nudges my arm and flashing a grin. She knows I pay attention.

"And who might you be?" the officer asks curiously.

"I'm her fiancé. The name is Dylan Hudson."

He nods his head as he quickly writes down the information. Without looking up, he continues, "Do you have any recent photos of her?"

Lori chimes in, "I do have recent photos of her at the house."

"Do you know of anyone who may want to hurt her or someone she may have gotten into a quarrel with?" he asks.

I watch as Lori shakes her head; I respond, "Yes, Suzanne Rafferty, her Mother, Aaron, who is her ex, and myself."

"You?" He asks as he looks up from the notepad, pointing his finger at me.

"Yes, sir, we got into a little quarrel earlier today because I thought she was cheating on me," I respond.

He rolls his eyes, "Ahhh, I see. Who is Suzanne Rafferty to her?"

"She is an ex-girlfriend of mine who is jealous of Mariah. She has been making threats at her."

"What's her ex-boyfriend and Mother's name?" He asks.

"Aaron Sizemore is the ex-boyfriend, and Reagan Knox is her Mother. They both live in Cincinnati, Ohio." Lori responds.

Momma and Maggie storm through the front door as Lori continues filing the report, "Anyone else you can think of that she's had any altercations with or anything out of the ordinary happening with anyone?" He asks.

"Well, there was this guy at her work that made her feel uncomfortable," I tell him.

"What's his name?" he asks.

"Ethan Stoltz," I reply as Lori and Momma's eyes are glued to me.

Lori nervously fidgets with the gold chain around her neck, "Ethan? What kind of altercation did she have?"

"She said he was just always staring at her and making her feel uncomfortable. He had her cornered at the Music Festival when we were there, but I pulled him off her. He said something about me not being right for her, and he will make her see it. I don't know; he's a special kind of person, that boy."

Lori puts her hands on her hips in protest, "Why didn't anyone tell me?" she asks.

"Sorry, I figured she would have Lori."

Her face is three shades of red as she trembles, "No! She has not said a word!"

The officer interrupts, "May we speak to this person?"

"Well, he was let go from Dolewood a while back for stealing narcotics from the residents. I haven't seen him since," She says.

"Is there any reason to suspect that they had any dealings with drugs? Was she buying anything from him, do you know?" He asks.

"Oh, God, no. Mariah never took any medications. She was in school to be a nurse. She works at Dolewood as my temporary activities director."

The officer closes his notepad, hooking his pen on the inside of his pocket, "Okay, I think we have enough to begin our investigation. We will send out a search party to scope the area around where the accident occurred and question these individuals you mentioned. We will be in touch if we hear anything."

As the officer walks out the front door, I make a beeline for Seth, "Let's make a trip to Suzy and Ethan's house," I suggest. He nods in agreement, picking up his keys off the kitchen table.

I wave goodbye to everyone, "Guys, we will be back."

Brie jumps up from the sofa, "I'm going with you. I will not just sit here and wait."

The three of us stalk towards the front door; I turn around once more before I leave, "You guys check back at your house and make sure she doesn't show up there. Maggie, please stay here in case she comes by. If she shows up, please call us right away."

The three of us load up into my pick-up. Momma and Lori leave in their vehicles while Maggie stays at my house as instructed. The first stop – Suzy's house. I squeal my tires and speed off down the road.

As we pull up, the three of us step up on the front porch; I walk up and pound on the door. We wait a few minutes, but since there's no answer, I decided to drive by Stags to see if she's there working tonight.

A few moments later, we pull up at Stags; the three of us jump out of the truck and rush inside. Suzy is waiting tables tonight. Once we get seated, she comes over moments later, "Hey Dylan, how are you, darlin? Where's Miss Fancy Pants tonight?" She asks jokingly.

"Suzy cut the bull s**t! What did you do to Mariah?" I ask bluntly.

A look of confusion crosses her face, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, she's f*****g gone! She vanished."

She flashes an evil grin, "Well, hell, maybe she went back home where she belongs."

The whole place grows quiet with all eyes on me as I slam my fist down on the table, "No! She belongs here with me! I hear you have been makin trouble for her lately. I want you to know that the police are going to question you. If I find out you had anything to do with this, I will just assume spit on you, do I make myself clear!?"

She nods as tears running down her cheeks, "Honest to God, I'd never do anything. I just wanted to scare her off. I miss you, baby."

"Let me make this abundantly clear; I will never have anything to do with you!" I respond harshly.

She storms off to the back of the restaurant, sobbing. Scooting out of the booth, I motion to Brie and Seth, "Let's go. I doubt she had anything to do with this. No sense in beating a dead horse; she's just a bitter old cunt," I tell them as we leave the restaurant and pile into the truck.

Our next stop - Ethan's house. He lives in a rundown shack on the outskirts of town situated on an acre of land. There's a pole barn in the back with a couple of goats. It's his Grandma's old house; she left it to him when she died a couple of years ago.

I park the truck down the road, and we watch as Ethan darts out of the house, down the porch, and towards the pole barn while waving his hands around erratically as if talking to himself before he disappears inside. Thank goodness he doesn't notice my truck. He's up to something; I would almost bet my life on it. I've known Ethan for years; when he is nervous or does something wrong, he acts erratically. It's surprising that he got his nursing license in the first place considering how he behaves; although he's never been officially diagnosed with any psychiatric disorder, something is going on. He is like a ticking time bomb. I reach out and lightly smack Seth's arm with the back of my hand to get his attention, "Seth, let's hurry and sneak inside to see what he's up to before he gets back. Brie, you stay here and scoot over so you can be the get-away driver in case things go south. Something tells me this mother fucker is up to something."

Seth nods in agreement before opening the passenger side door and climbs out. I jump out and follow him as Brie scoots over to the driver's side. As we run towards the house and on the front porch, he turns the knob and opens the door. A putrid smell invades my nostrils as we walk in. There's a massive pile of dishes in the sink, flies swarming everywhere. Seth and I swat at them as we walk through the living room. I notice an enormous stack of pills scattered on the kitchen table as we exit the living room, entering the kitchen towards the back of the house. Some of the pills are crushed and separated into piles. Seth holds his nose as he scans the room, "Dude is f*****g disgusting!" I tell him.

He nods his head as he begins dry-heaving, pointing towards a plastic urinal filled with amber-colored piss on the kitchen table, "What the f**k is that?" he asks.

"s**t, man, I have no f*****g clue what he's doing! He could be drinking that s**t for all we know!"

There is nothing but filth covering every inch of this house. His Grandma used to keep this place spotless. She did the best she could to take care of him, but he's way worse since she passed. I motion for Seth to follow me towards the basement as I open the door and creep downstairs with him following close behind me. Once I step onto the bottom step, I can hear a faint moaning off in the distance. What the f**k? I turn to him, putting my finger up to my mouth to silence him, "Mmmm..." I hear softly, followed by a whimper.

"Someone is down here, dude," Seth whispers.

I nod as we quietly tiptoe through the basement, following the direction of where the sound came from. The moaning and whimpering become louder as we creep closer. As we enter the room towards the back of the house, I'm horrified at the sight before me. Mariah is tied to an old dirty cot, wearing nothing but her bra in panties with a bloody mess between her legs, "Oh my God! What did he do to you, baby?!" I cry out as I rush to her side.

I barely recognize her as I pull her face to me. Her hair is matted, and her left eye is bruised, "Baby?! Can you hear me?" I cry out as I gently shake her. Seth attempts to untie her from the bed as she lies there with her eyes closed, quietly moaning and grimacing. I noticed dried blood on the left side of her head. 

Seth and I stop as we hear scuffling behind us, "Nobody move! Hands off!" We spin around to find Ethan standing behind us, holding a pistol pointed right directly at me. 

"What the f**k did you do to her, Ethan?!" I yell.

"I saved her life! She is mine!"

I'm feeling overcome with rage as I hear her quietly whimpering behind me, "Why is she bleeding down there, Ethan?!"

He moves closer while continuing to point the gun at me, "She's having her period," He responds.

I throw my hands up in the air, "Christ! Why the f**k would you let her lay like this? What kind of an animal does this f****d up s**t?!"

"I love her! You can have your pick of any other woman in town; why her?!" he asks, his hands are trembling as he tightly grips the gun; perspiration pouring from his brow.

Seth slowly approaches Ethan, his hands up in front of him as he moves in, "Ethan, please put the gun down. You don't want to do this."

Ethan slowly backs away as he moves his target, pointing the gun at Seth. As Ethan is distracted by Seth, I notice a large collage with Mariah's polaroid pictures pinned on the wall behind him. There's probably upwards of a hundred with her and me, Brie, and her Aunt. That sick mother fucker even took pictures of us having s*x! This is f*****g disturbing! God! Why didn't I take this more seriously?! f**k this; I've got to try to take his gun.

I divert my attention to him and slowly approach him. He continues to back away, becoming anxious, "Do...do.... don't do this! She...she... she's mine!" he stutters.

He alternates, pointing the gun between us while backing away. All the while, Seth and I slowly approach him to snatch the weapon from his possession. Suddenly, he points the gun overhead, firing a shot at the ceiling. Drywall dust falls all around him, "I will f*****g shoot you! Do not try me! You will not take her from me!" he warns as he backs into the doorway.

As Seth and I approach him in the doorway, I notice movement behind him on the other side of the door, then a loud thud; his eyes roll back into his head as he falls to the ground while still gripping the pistol. Brie stands on the other side of the door, holding a shovel, looking down upon him with her nose curled in disgust. Seth immediately kicks the gun across the room as I exhale audibly, "Thanks, Brie," I tell her as I rush towards Mariah.

Brie notices her lying on the cot as Seth and I attempt to untie her. She cries out, raising her hands to her mouth, "What did he do to her? Colie?!!! Are you okay?!"

As Seth and I work to get the last tie undone, I pick her up into my arms, "I don't know, Brie," I choke out. Her body limp as I hold her close to me, "What did he do you, baby?" I cry out.

She's not even moaning or whimpering at this point, but at least I know she is still breathing as I watch the rise and fall of her chest, "Brie, Seth, you guys stay here and call the police; I'm taking her upstairs away from that f*****g animal. Make sure to tell them we need an ambulance right away."

Brie immediately gets on the phone while Seth has his eyes glued to Ethan, making sure he doesn't move. I carry my girl through the basement and up the stairs, laying her down on the sofa. I grab a blanket from the chair to cover her up, kneeling next to her, "Baby, please wake up. Please," I plead.

She stirs and begins coughing while grimacing in pain, holding her side before reaching up to touch her forehead. I reach up to grab her hand, stroking her fingers with my thumb before she rolls over to her side, vomiting on the floor next to the sofa, "Oh Jesus, baby, I don't know what to do for you.!" I cry out.

She lays back onto the sofa, shaking her head, "D... Dylan?" she stutters, her voice is raspy.

I gently stroke her right cheek, "Yes, baby, I'm here. You're okay. I've got you."

She closes her eyes, turning her head away from me before falling asleep. I stay kneeled at her side until the police and ambulance show up. The EMT's place her on a stretcher before wheeling her away to take her to the hospital. I lead the police downstairs to the basement where Ethan is curled up in the fetal position on the floor, sobbing as we enter. They question the four of us before handcuffing him and leading him out. Once he is taken away, the three of us climb into the truck, and I speed off towards the hospital.