Page 5 of Fire in My Blood
And that was when he bit me. His sharp teeth pierced my skin and scraped along my clavicle on the right side of my throat.
I don’t know how long it lasted, but all of a sudden I was able to breathe. It took me another few seconds to understand I was no longer pinned to the wall. I spun and looked around, but my attacker was already gone.
My knees buckled, and I crumpled to the ground in a heap, my lungs and heart both working overtime, and my mind trying to find my sanity.
It took me a while to realize that my pants were still down around my knees. After pulling them back on, I managed to get to my feet. My purse was on the ground untouched, and I grabbed it and somehow made my way home.
I can’t remember much from the days after the attack. I don’t think I cried, but I stayed inside and didn’t even dare to go grocery shopping.
The pain between my legs disappeared within a few days, but the fear never went away. If anything, it got worse.
My brother knocked on my door a couple of days later, since I hadn’t answered my phone. But I wouldn’t open the door at first. He had to speak to me through my door for several minutes before I finally agreed to let him in.
The blatant horror on his face tore something open inside of me, and I broke down and told him everything.
I get home from the gym and peel off my clothes before stepping into the shower. For about the hundredth time, my mind wanders to the prisoner.
There is no way I can leave him there without food and water. It goes against all my instincts as well as common decency. No matter what he’s done, I will do my part to ensure that he has his basic needs met.
I get out of the shower and grab a towel. Wrapping it around my body, I walk over to stand in front of the mirror like I usually do.
My hand finds the place on my shoulder where my attacker bit me. For some reason the bite healed faster than normal and left no visible scarring. Most people would probably say that’s a good thing, but to me it feels wrong. Without any visible signs of what happened, it’s almost like it didn’t happen at all. But I carry plenty of scars on the inside. They’re just not there for anyone else to see.
After brushing out my hair and leaving it to dry, I get dressed and go to the kitchen to make some breakfast. I need to find a way to bring food and water to the man in the basement without drawing anyone’s attention.
Whatever I bring can’t be too bulky, or it won’t fit in my purse. And bringing anything other than my purse to work willmake people, or at least David, notice since I’ve never done it before.
And then there’s the packaging. No bottles or food containers can be left in the room for someone else to find.
After breakfast I head out to the local grocery store. As I wander the aisles, I decide on a menu. The portion I bring can’t be any larger than I would typically eat myself. That way I have a plausible explanation if someone asks. Bringing a water bottle to work doesn’t require an explanation as long as I don’t leave it in the basement with the prisoner.
The beef stew takes some time to prepare, but I make enough to be able to save several portions for later. Hopefully, the prisoner likes it, and I can bring him more tomorrow. If he’s still there.
My cooking skills are nothing to brag about, but it should be good enough for a starving man. Beggars can’t be choosers and all that. I might not be able to offer him a culinary experience, but then I’m not there to make an impression, am I?
Chapter 4
Erica
I arrive at work at the usual time and let myself into the building.
The ground floor consists of the entrance hall and the cantina serving the entire base, both of which are cleaned in the early afternoon and not my responsibility.
I take the elevator up to the second floor. As soon as the doors slide open, I rush to get out, and I almost crash straight into David, who’s obviously about to leave for the day.
He quickly steps out of the way and laughs. “In a hurry there, Sis? Eager to get home to watch whatever you’re following on TV these days?”
Little does he know that I’m in a hurry to get my work done, so I can feed the man in the basement and still leave at my usual time.
I give my brother a warm smile. “Yeah, you know me. Nothing will stop me from watching my favorite show.”
Sticking out his hand to hold the elevator, he returns my smile. “Will you come for dinner on Sunday? It’ll be the usual, dinner and some kind of board game afterward. I think the kids might have something special planned for you as well. They have been locking themselves away in the upstairs living room practicing something or other. All very secret.”
“Of course, I’ll come. A free meal is always welcome.” I cock my head and lift one eyebrow in challenge.
David chuckles, perfectly aware of my sense of humor. “Sure. That’s the only reason you visit, isn’t it? About four then?”
“I’ll be there.”