Blind Date(75)

My mind wanders as we walk, and I try to ignore the throbbing pain in my leg from the deep knife wound and the pounding in my skull. There is so much dried blood on me, I can feel it stuck to my face, cracking when I move, itching. I can't reach up and scratch at it, because it'll start bleeding again. I know I've already bled quite enough, because my shirt is soaked with it.

I think about Jacob. I still can't wrap my mind around it. I still cannot forget the shocked feeling in my chest when he pulled that full-face mask off to reveal a man I dated, a man who was kind to me, a man I trusted, a man I let into my home and into my life.

Now I look back, the signs were there. He was clever, smart even. He was never going to make those signs too obvious, but he did present them.

Taking me to the restaurant where Raymond and I got married, making me feel at times like I was paranoid and losing my mind, changing the locks on my apartment, and no further break-ins after Ace replaced those. It all makes sense now, like it was so incredibly obvious.

Jacob.

My heart clenches, and I fight back an exhausted sob. I would have never believed for a single second that the human mind would be capable of being so utterly sick and twisted, but he has proved to me that you can stand in the presence of what seems like an angel, only to find out that beneath the surface is the ugliest, deadliest demon you've ever encountered. Jacob's act was flawless. It was perfection.

He had us all fooled.

Even Ace.

"My leg hurts," Taylor whimpers, her weight getting heavier and heavier with each step.

"I know, honey," I whisper, trying to will my knees not to buckle, because I need them to stay up and get us to safety. "Just a little further."

"Can we stop?" she pleads in a voice far too weak for my liking. "Can we just stop and sleep? It's dark. I want to stop."

"We can't stop," I whisper, trying to keep my body from falling. "We have to keep going."

I take a shaky breath and keep dragging her through the trees, pulling us along for hours on end, until I honestly don't know how I'm still managing to move my feet. One foot in front of the other-I repeat this over and over in my head, it's on constant. Just keep moving. If I stop, we're going to die. That alone is enough for me to battle through the ache, through the pain, through the agony. 

My feet have gone numb, my knees burn with every step, sending sharp pains up my thighs. My back is on fire and my shoulders are tight from holding Taylor's weight. I'm fighting back vomit, and my head is pounding so hard, I'm sure my vision would be blurred if I was sitting in the light. But I keep moving. I just keep pulling us along.

"L-L-Lights."

I wonder if I'm hearing her correctly, because I could swear Taylor just said "lights." I look up, and I'm right-my vision is blurred. I can't see much, in fact, I'm fairly certain I can't see anything at all. Exhaustion has finally taken its toll on my body.

"What?" I whisper.

"Blue  …  red  …  lights. I can see them."

Blue and red? Like police?

I focus ahead, but I still can't see anything. My head is spinning, I'm starting to wonder if my head injury is worse than I thought.

"Where, Taylor?" I order in a soft, weak tone.

"Str-Straight ahead."

Is she imagining it? Is she so far gone she's picturing an escape? Freedom? I don't know, I'm too afraid to hope, but I keep walking anyway, moving in a straight line, dodging the trees where I can and trying to keep us headed towards the lights she keeps telling me she can see more clearly as we near.

"Police," she cries happily. "It's police!"

My knees start buckling as finally I can see very faint red and blue flashing lights. They're closer than I think, I know because I can hear voices now, too. My vision isn't what it should be, but Taylor is right, they're real. With one last deep breath into my lungs, I use the last of my strength to pull her forward, getting closer and closer by the second until finally I feel the road beneath my feet.

"What the-"

That's the last thing I hear before we both collapse. I don't feel a thing as I land on the ground-exhaustion, pain, fear, terror, it all consumes my body. Everything I've been keeping in for the last few days finally takes over. I fall in and out of consciousness. Frantic voices are all around us, and a hard set of arms curls around me. A face is in my hair, and I hear a hushed voice murmuring, "Oh God. Hartley. Baby. I've got you. You're safe. I've got you. Fuck, I'm so sorry."

Is that Ace? I don't know. I know it feels good. So good. Warm. Safe. Now I know he's here, now I know he's got me and I'm free, I slip into peaceful nothingness. I finally let it flood my body. I stop holding it back. I stop fighting it. I just let it in. I've been praying for it, every second since Jacob got hold of us.