My footprints.
I recognised them because I had put them there, lying down after a walk in the rain, with Woofy at my side. I had stretched my legs out and marked up the freshly painted ceiling.
I was still in my little camper, in the back and on my back, but I was still in it.
Crazy bitch Melanie hadn’t taken me to her psychopath lair just yet.
“I know you're awake, Daniella.”
Even her voice sent shivers up my spine. She sounded like she always had, but there was no longer even a trace of emotion in her voice. Nothing human.
“I wasn’t trying to fake sleep, Melanie.” Slowly, I turned my head in the direction of her voice. She was sitting at the open door, her legs out of the truck. When she turned to look at me, her face was almost sad.
It would be easy enough to overpower her. If I could just take her by surprise, I could shove her out and slam the door shut behind her. I could make a plan, find a way of escaping her.
Except when I tried to move my arms, I couldn't.
Metal cut into the skin of my wrists, securing my arms above my head.
“You will cut yourself if you struggle.” With a sigh, she turned her body towards me, bringing up her knees and wrapping her arms around them.
“Why are you doing this, Melanie?” The words left my mouth in a rush. I hated the weakness in them. I didn’t want to be weak in front of her. I needed to be strong. “If you are hoping to get some money out of my father or...”
“Your father? Why would I want money from your father?” Her anger was sudden. She switched from almost remorseful to homicidal in the blink of an eye. Her hand connected with my cheek, rocking my head back. Pain blossomed across my face.
“Dirty, stinking whore.”
Blinking back tears, I forced myself to be calm. Wasn’t that what they always told you to do? Stay calm, talk to your abductors, try to get them to see you as a person.
I wasn’t sure how much good it would do, but I was willing to try anything. I needed to buy time if I had any hope of escaping.
“What do you want, Melanie?” I ignored the word whore. There was no point getting into a slagging match with her when I couldn't even move my hands to defend myself if she attacked.
“What have I ever done to you?”
The snarl that left her lips was savage. Leaning over my prone body, she brought her face within inches of mine. Her eyes were glassy with crazed anger. Spittle fell from her lips. “What did you do? What did you do? You lay there and dare to ask me what you fucking did?” Her spit landed on my cheek and I couldn't wipe it away.
“We have never even met,” I tried to reason with her.
“You betrayed my brother. When he needed you, you weren’t there.”
Her brother? My eyes widened as the realisation hit me. “I know everyone in his family, but I don’t know you.” Yet, as the words left me, I realised they weren’t entirely true. Hadn’t I thought she looked familiar? Now it was clear why - she looked like my ex.
“Half-sister, but he looked after me, he cared for me when no one else did, and you took him away from me.” Tears shone in her eyes. I might have even felt sorry for her if she hadn’t been so bat-shit crazy. “You took him away from me!”
“He was sick, Melanie, he did some terrible things.”
She screamed into my face. “YOU could have made him better, he would have stopped for YOU.”
My temper snapped. Even with the knife waving in my face I couldn't help myself. “Your brother was sick. He raped women. He forced them to pleasure him in ways that make my stomach churn. I would rather die than ever be touched by a man like him.”
“You killed him!” She ran the blade down my cheek, and my skin split open. A stinging burn enveloped me, but I forced myself not to cry out.
I wasn’t going to beg, not ever.
“He killed himself because he knew he was going to end up in prison, Melanie. Use your head.” I rolled my eyes before I could help myself. “It had nothing to do with me. I couldn't have saved him. I couldn't change him. He was sick in the head. He did the world a favour by killing himself.”
For a second there was nothing but the rain beating down on the roof as she glared at me.
