Devin had barely managed to make me eat some stew with the excuse that I hadn’t eaten for two days and I would get sick if I didn’t eat something. I had to admit; I felt somewhat better afterward. I was brooding over the fact that Eric had gone back to finish his business with the boss, or le patron as he referred to him, without returning my inhaler to me. Devin had gone to get a mop to clean up the water he had spilled, so I was sitting alone in the kitchen at that point.
I was sure to wait until the boy was out of earshot before getting off of the stool and walking down the opposite hall. All I had to do now, with or without my inhaler, was get out of this place without dying or bumping into anyone. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. People were constantly chatting behind closed doors and any moment someone could step out and catch me. It wouldn’t be as if I could go very far before I began having an attack.
I stopped at a corner and listened intently for anyone coming down the hall. However, instead of hearing someone coming from around the corner, I heard them from behind me. I turned just in time to see David and one of his flunkies. The second they caught sight of me, I knew I was in trouble. My feet reacted before my brain could tell me to run. I had to find an open door that led into an empty room as fast as possible. If I didn’t, I would have another attack and I didn’t have my inhaler. Besides, I highly doubted Eric would know to come to my rescue this time.
I turned another corner and grabbed for the nearest doorknob. Thank the gods, it opened! I vanished inside and shut the door behind me, locking it instinctively before I turned around and spotted Charity. Oh, this wasn’t going to end well…
“What are you doing here?” There was so much venom in her voice as she glared at me that I wasn’t sure running from the room to face David was such a bad thing.
“Just give me one second…” I was shocked when she shut her mouth and gave me the time I needed to quell the attack starting in my throat. My hand clutched the collar of my t-shirt as I slowly breathed passed the lump. I leaned back against the door until five minutes later when the attack passed. At least it had only been the start of an attack or I was sure I wouldn’t have been able to get over it so easily. I ran my hands through my hair before looking back up at Charity.
She was standing in front of me with her arms crossed over her chest. She had changed into Capri pants and a deep v-neck blouse. The heels that made her barely taller than me were still on her feet, however. Her platinum blonde hair had been curled so that it sat on her shoulders while her dark blue eyes were once again glaring at me.
“Are you going to tell me why you’re here now?” I thought it over quickly. If I told her I was trying to leave, it was quite likely she would help me just to have Eric all to herself. I felt a pang of jealousy deep in my chest and chastised myself for it quickly. Eric was not mine and I was not good for him. It was as plain and simple as that.
“I was chased here by David and one of his goons. I was trying to leave.” She looked intrigued now.
“What about Eric? Why don’t you just ask him to help you leave?” She didn’t want to help me. That was clear to me as I watched her cross her arms and walk to her desk.
“I didn’t ask him. You and I both know well enough that he would never bring me back of his own free will. For some inexplicable reason, he doesn’t want me to leave this place.” She seemed to be thinking, but I couldn’t help think that the action must have hurt. Of course I didn’t actually say as much. I didn’t want her to decide not to help me and throw me out to fend for myself. I had no doubt that I wouldn’t last very long if she did.
“Why?” She glared at me and moved closer as if I were going to attack her if she came too close.
“Why do you ask that?” She gritted her teeth and moved her glare to the floor.
“Why does he like you more than me?” I was starting to feel bad for her. She did see to adore Eric, but he only saw her as a devil woman. Maybe I was too gullible.
“I don’t know why. If you help me leave, I won’t be here to distract him anymore. You can try to win his affection once I’m gone, but you might want to try being nicer and not so clingy.” That sounded worse when I said it out loud than when I thought it in my head… I held my breath while I watched her expressions change.
“If I’m not so clingy, he’ll like me?” I was on thin ice. I had to be careful with what I said exactly.
“I can’t guarantee anything, but if you just act like yourself around him, I’m sure he won’t be so put off by you.”  She seemed to think that piece of advice over seriously for a few minutes. I couldn’t stop myself from fidgeting during, though. If she didn’t help me leave, I would be in quite a bit of trouble.
“You really don’t want Eric?” I caught myself thinking that I did, but I dismissed it as fast as it had come.
“I don’t want him, and, so long as he doesn’t track me down again, I won’t even think about him once I’m gone.” She nodded and went to her door, pushing me aside while she opened it and looked out into the hallway. She pulled her head back in once she was satisfied.
“Follow me.” She lead me through some of the most convoluted hallways I had ever gone through, and all the while, I kept expecting someone to jump out at me. It was taking a lot of effort to keep my panic down. When we finally found a door with a keypad, I thought my heart was going to burst. Charity swiped a card through it before quickly punching in a set of numbers, at which point, the door swung open to reveal the outside.
“Before I go, where exactly am I?” Charity looked over at me and placed her hands on her hips.
“You’re in an old FBI facility that the government used back in the seventies. Most of it is underground, which is why there are no windows. It’s just outside your town, so if you keep going straight once you leave this door, you should find familiar areas eventually.” I’d never heard of an FBI facility anywhere near my little town. There had been stories of people seeing a random door in the middle of the forest that wouldn’t open, but I had never put much merit into those stories.
“What happened to it exactly?” Charity didn’t seem to be getting irritated by my questioning, but I couldn’t be completely sure. She kept glancing off behind us as if she were waiting for someone to catch us. I wasn’t even sure she was paying attention to what she was saying.
“Something bad happened, and, since they had kept the place a secret anyway, they shut it down and moved everyone out. Our boss only discovered it because his grandfather worked here and told him about it even though he wasn’t supposed to.” That would explain a few things, at least. People must have lived down here when the property had been active, but I couldn’t dwell on that. I had to get home as quickly as possible.
“Thank you, Charity.” When she finally looked at me, she wasn’t glaring. In fact, she smiled at me, which only confused me further.
“You’re welcome. You should go quickly. You never know when Eric will notice you missing.” I didn’t wait for her to tell me twice. I darted out into the woods and ran for a short while before I slowed my pace and walked calmly back toward town. All I could hope for now was that I would get home without a hitch, but, with the way things had been going, I wasn’t too sure of myself. In fact, with my luck, I was likely to run into another kidnapper, but that one probably wouldn’t be anywhere near as “nice” as Eric.