Trapped: A Short Story

“Why?”

“You’re my favorite.”

Sammy gripped the edge of the table.

“Why?” she asked again.

“Honestly, why, why, why? Aren’t you tired of asking that? I’m tired just listening to you,” Simon said with an exaggerated sigh.

Sammy didn’t move. She continued to give him a stern stare. Simon had no choice but to give in.

“Alright. I’ll tell you.”

She didn’t like how much he was enjoying the conversation. If you looked at the two of them sitting in the rustic, warm cafe Sammy would be the one most out of place as she was the one who wasn’t enjoying herself in the slightest. The real misfit was Simon. Because Simon was a serial killer.

“You are interesting.”

Simon leaned forward and his expression turned from excitement to one of someone who was appreciating a fine wine.

“You’re different and exciting …... Special.”

He said this last part in a whisper. His hand reached forward until his fingers gently brushed hers. His smile only grew when she didn’t pull away. For reasons unknown to her he had let her go only to appear in the cafe four months later. Four months and 15 days to be exact.

The room was warm but Sammy felt cold as ice. Everything was bathed in a yellow glow yet to her everything was dark. Simon gazed at her as if he were looking at a magnificent treasure, but he treasured nothing.

“Then why didn’t you kill me like all the others who were with me?”

“And cut such a beauty short? Do you think of me as a monster?”

She hurriedly looked down. His hand grasped hers causing her to wince. Every ounce of pain he put her through was always better than his touch. Her skin seemed to burn where it would happen. She would grit her teeth and try to pretend that she was somewhere else. Anywhere else.

“Of course, you think that. Only a monster would do such a thing to innocent people.” His voice turned more serious. “Innocent. No one is innocent.”

Simon looked at Sammy with sadness in his eyes.

“Not even you, my precious flower. No, you’re just like me.”

“I’m nothing like you,” she said quietly but forcefully.

“Yes, you are. One day you will realize that you were like me all along.” His eyes quickly changed to hope. “And then it will just be the two of us.”

Sammy felt as though all the doors closed on her. Just like that she was back in the cold basement tied down and terrified. Now she felt exhausted. There was no hope. He would find her no matter where she went.

That was when she heard it. The song that her and her friends used to sing along to. Sammy remembered how they would listen to it when they were in the car, when they went on sleepovers, when it was one of their birthdays. They would dance as ridiculously and embarrassingly as possible just because they could. They would sing the chorus the most. Sing about how they were strong and how they didn’t need any man’s permission to do anything. The thrill of the song made her heart pound.

“Two of us,” she said looking at her monster in the eye. “Just the two of us.”

Simon’s smile returned.

“Yes,” he said softly.

“Together,” Sammy said with a smile.

Simon’s smile only grew. He leaned further forward and gripped her hand tighter.

“Together always. This world belongs to just us. They’ll be working for us.”

“I wouldn’t be caught dead with you,” Sammy’s face turned from a warm smile to a piercing glare.

In an instant she was on her feet ripping her hand out of his grasp. The illusion shattered around them leaving Simon in shock. He sat there paralyzed looking helplessly up at her. Before he could regain his charm and calculating glance Sammy spoke loudly.

“If you touch me or go near anyone else ever again, I’m calling the police!”

He began to look around as everyone looked at them in surprise. Embarrassment and shyness quickly appeared on his face. Being filled with energy and newly found strength Sammy seized the glass sitting on the table next to her and dumped its contents into Simon's lap. He was on his feet in an instant seemingly devastated at the sudden turn of events.

Sammy felt reawakened. Her life was once again under her control and not even Simon could take that away from her now. Then she turned and marched right out of the cafe with her head held high.