A Promise To Protect - 1. Trapped and Terrified

Waking up in a dark room in a stranger's bed, Tyler feels his body tense and his blood run through cold, completely immobilizing him with fear. He blinks a few times, trying to force his eyes to adjust to the darkness that surrounded him as quickly as possible so he could work out where he was, or at least how to escape. He feels his head pounding in time with his heart, the sound of blood rushing through his ears was almost deafening. Realising he was panicking, he tries to control his breathing, taking deep breaths to calm down. He inhales slowly and holds his breath for a moment to try and will himself out of the impending panic, that’s when he hears something that sends his blood cold again. His breath was held, but he could still hear breathing. Trying desperately to stay calm, he opens his eyes again and stares at the ceiling, concentrating as hard as he could on where the breathing was coming from. The bed beside him felt empty, but the breathing sounded close, he was being watched maybe even guarded. Tyler gulps and lowers his gaze from the ceiling to the wall opposite him, only a few steps from the end of the bed from his guess.

'Maybe if I just get up and run'. Tyler thinks and scans the room again nervously, so afraid that moving would get him unwanted attention that he barely moves his head as he searches for a door that he could escape through. Slowly and carefully, he pulls his legs free from the blankets and lets his feet slide off the bed then takes another deep breath before he stands up and runs towards where he hopes a door could be. He hears footsteps behind him on the wooden floors and feels a wall before him, it rattles as he hits it so Tyler feels around quickly for a door knob, turns it and runs out, slamming the door behind him before turning to see where he is. There was light coming in from a small window above a toilet and Tyler sighs as he realizes he's trapped himself in a bathroom. Quickly, he locks the door and stumbles backwards until he feels another wall behind him. He slides down it to the ground shivering in terror as he cowers between the toilet and sink.

The person on the other side of the door jiggles the door knob and bashes on it while yelling something that sounded like jibberish, the shear fear running through him was making every sound but the pulsing of his heart impossible to hear. Tyler closes his eyes and brings his legs up to his chest, hugging them tight in an attempt to comfort himself as he tries to remember how he got here and who brought him here.

He'd just gotten home from school to find his house open but nobody home, or so he thought. There was an odd smell in the house that Tyler couldn’t recognise, all he knew was something seemed wrong. He had felt eyes burning into him everywhere he was but had been so focused on finding out what’d happened and if his family was ok, that he hadn’t even really thought about whether he was in danger or not. He’d walked cautiously looking for his mum and dad who were normally home at this time of day. There was just something wrong about everything, there was no comforting homely feeling, he couldn’t recognize a single familiar sound or smell and little things had stood out, the burnt smell of his mother’s baking lingering through the whole house and the silence rather than the afternoon news headlines that his parents would have on while they caught up about each other’s days over a cup of tea.

The feeling of being watched intensified as he wandered up the hallway, but fear kept him from daring to look. He had walked into his parent's room to see it was a complete mess, the mirror that stood beside the door was smashed and the sheets were torn from the bed, pulled off to one side. He gasped at the sight of the normally neat room but what caught his attention next was something that terrified him beyond belief.

"Please open the door! I'm not going to hurt you." The stranger’s voice yells from the other side of the bathroom door. Tyler had forgotten momentarily about the situation he was currently in and at the pounding on the door, he jumps. "Please open the door!" The voice demands again, sounding desperate. 

"You killed my family!" Tyler screams back, attempting to sound brave though he could feel a lump of tears making its way up his throat, forcing his voice to waver. He closes his eyes as he remembers what he'd seen in his parent’s room, though as soon as the memories come forward in his brain he wishes he could forget. The smell of the blood that was seeping into the carpet around their bodies, their faces, eyes open in a blank stare of fear. The image in his mind was torture but it was so vivid and all he could think about, his beautiful Mum who he’d rarely seen with any expression but an encouraging smile, his Dad protectively holding her in his arms, his white business shirt stained with blood from a number of knife wounds.

"I didn't kill them. Please, I am so sorry, you must be terrified. Open the door and let me explain what happened to them." The voice behind the door seems to be more urgent than before. Tyler shakes his head, hugs his legs and dares to close his eyes again. He thinks again about what he'd seen. 

At the sight of his parent’s slashed and blood covered bodies, he had frozen in fear. He put his hands over his mouth to silence himself, too afraid to make a sound until he was sure he was safe. After a few long moments of staring at the bodies before him, struggling to make sense of what he was seeing, Tyler took a step towards them, his legs shaking as he neared them. He knelt beside his mother and touched her hand, quickly realising that she was still warm. For a moment he wondered if there was any way to resuscitate her, but when he shifted his father to see her injury and saw the wound in her chest he knew there was nothing he could do. He breathed deeply realizing in his shock he’d held his breath, then blinked away the tears in his eyes as he bent down and kissed her cheek, whispering a goodbye before gently closing her eye lids. He looked beside her at his Dad, he was just as pale as his Mum and the wounds covering his body were undeniably fatal in their multitude. He had obviously put up the best fight he could to protect them. Though his mind was numb, his instinct kicked in, making him feel powerful or as if he had nothing to lose. Suddenly coming to terms with the situation, he turned around and searched for a weapon, in case the person who'd killed them was still in his house, with most of the objects in the room broken, he found nothing he could use, even the broken mirror was shattered into such small pieces he’d barely inflict any damage with the biggest shard.

A shiver ran up Tyler’s spine as he again, felt eyes on him from somewhere, he looked around but saw nothing. He walked back out of the room that was now his parent’s tomb. Tyler looked down the hallway and headed down towards his sister’s room, silently begging that she’d gone to a friends’ house after school. The room hadn’t been touched, apart from the shoes and school bag that was dumped at the end of the bed. His skin prickled as he slowly walked to her wardrobe, hoping he’d find her hiding in there safe but terrified. He opened the door and gulped, there was nothing but a pile of unfolded clothes, no sign of his sister. Tyler closed the door and turned half expecting to see the killer but instead there was nothing but emptiness. Someone was enjoying this horrible and sick little mind game with him.

Tyler walked out of her bedroom and down the hallway, noticing photos on the wall were tipped, some had even fallen to the ground. He hadn’t noticed this when he walked in, but if it had happened while he was in the house, surely he would have heard the smash of glass, his senses were raging now, the adrenaline making him more vigilant. He noticed blood on the glass on the floor, then some streaked finger marks on the door to the bathroom. Terrified of what he'd find, he slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside. On the floor beside the bathtub, his sister's dress lay ripped and tainted with blood. He'd taken a deep breath and walked forward seeing a trail of drops of blood leading into the bathtub and on the walls behind it were streaks, like hand prints. There was a noise behind him and before he could turn to see what caused it he felt a hand cover his eyes and pull him backwards with the words 'don't make a sound' whispered in his ear. Tyler obeyed the order in the hope the person would let him go but instead he felt a damp cloth smothering his nose and mouth. He struggled for a moment then heard a loud thump behind him and blacked out. 

The knocking on the other side of the door had stopped but Tyler could see the shadows at the bottom of the door, the light was on in the bedroom now and it was obvious the man was still waiting for him. He could feel the strong and dominant figure’s presence on the other side of the door, making him feel even weaker as he sat shivering on the cold tiles. His heart racing as he gulps back his fear and straightens his back a little to make himself feel stronger.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Tyler screams and a flood of tears finally pours out of his eyes, he’d been trying so hard to be brave but he’d lost his strength, the memory of what he’d seen was too much for him to handle. He hears footsteps walking away from the door and feels alone, he couldn't believe the guy had done what he said and left but he was afraid of what might happen next. The stranger could be going to get a key or could be just testing to see if Tyler would come out, Tyler just hugs his legs tight and rests his head on his knees then stays still. He feels so terrified that he can hardly move.

It was hours before Tyler heard the footsteps return again outside the bathroom. The sun had finally started to come up and lit up the bathroom. Being able to see his surroundings properly, Tyler was able to relax a little. He was content knowing that he was alone and from what he could tell, he wasn’t in any immediate danger, sure he was trapped but he wasn’t having to fight for his life yet so he was trying to stay calm and rest so he’d have the energy when he needed it. He had a sink he could drink water from and though not very comfortable, he’d rolled up a towel and was resting on the floor using it as a pillow. The early morning air blowing through the tiny window was cold but there was a bathrobe in the room that he’d pulled on for warmth. In the time he’d been left alone, he’d looked for a way out, even though he was petite, he was too big to fit through the window, it was about the size of his head, he’d considered waving a towel out of the window in the hope someone would help him but from what he could see, the bathroom was at the back of the house and all that was behind the house, was dark bushland. If he could just escape, it’d be too easy to run and hide in the bushland, he always enjoyed climbing trees when he was young so he knew he’d be able to climb one and hide from the evil man waiting for him outside the door. He’d even picked a tree he could see that wasn’t far into the bush area but was tall, seemed like plenty of low branches to climb but there was a thick covering of leaves he could hide amongst when he got high enough. Assuming he ran fast enough and climbed fast enough, he could get to is and hide up in the overgrown branches quite easily until it was dark again. Then he’d come down in the cover of night and run to the front of the house where he assumed there was a street, judging by the few cars he’d heard passing by.

"Please come out." The voice on the other side of the door asks calmly, as the man again attempts to turn the handle, checking on the off chance that Tyler had unlocked it in his absence.

"NO! LEAVE. ME. ALONE!" Tyler yells back. 

"Do you need anything? You must be getting hungry or something.”

"I need whoever the hell you are to go and die! Leave me alone!" Tyler shouts. The silence that follows leaves him to, once again, do nothing but lay there. He had no idea who was on the other side of the door but he hated him more than he'd ever hated anything or anyone before. Tyler stands up and looks out the window again, trying to think of how to get out there. He looks into the mirror above the sink and sighs as he sees how much of a mess he is, his black hair was all knotted and he had some dirty marks on his face, on closer look he realizes it’s dried blood, and to his disgust, not even his own blood. Figuring he was safe for now, he runs some water and splashes it on his face to clean himself, running his fingers through his hair and neatening it a little too. He cups the water in his hands and drinks some then looks back at himself, considering his next move. He shakes his head and frustration boils inside him as he contemplates how he could find his way out of this, then the thought occurs to him to use the mirror to look out from under the door, get an idea of whether or not his kidnapper was still here.He draws his arm back and punches the mirror without hesitation with as much force as he could muster. With a smash, the glass shatters and falls all over the bench and sink. There were a few longer and wider pieces he could use but he’d gotten the attention of his captor again.

"What just happened?!" The voice asks as the man once again races to the door, rattling at the handle to try and get in. "Are you ok?" 

"What the hell do you care!" Tyler yells back, his hand shaking a little from the pain of the impact and the cuts from the glass. Tyler stares at his hand and grips a shard of glass that was stuck in his wrist, he takes a deep breath and pulls it out quickly, biting his lip at the pain, he knew if he let out that he’d hurt himself, this stranger might be more determined to break in.

"Look I'll let you stay in there and I'll leave you alone until you’re ready to talk, but you have to promise me you aren't going to hurt yourself." The man begs. Tyler ignores him and looks at his hand which is covered in blood. The pain is horrible but it makes Tyler feel a sense of pride at his own strength, survival instinct really changed a person and what they could endure. He raises his head to look at the broken mirror and notices it was a cabinet, he pushes the broken cabinet door open and looks into it, not sure of what he was looking for but expecting to find just the right thing in there. There were a heap of bandages and containers of pills. He knew his first thought should be to bandage his bleeding wrist but instead he found himself reading the labels on the pills.

“Why didn’t you kill me?” Tyler asks calmly. “Do you need me alive?” He licks his lips, wondering if escaping wasn’t the best option. If failing to escape mean his captor could kill him or worse then what was the point, he couldn’t stand the idea of being tortured. Worst case scenario was never death to him, it was being tormented on the brink of it. If this person needed him alive and there was a chance he would be tortured, Tyler knew he what he’d rather do.

“I want you to be alive. That’s why you’re here.” The man answers.

'Do not take more than 2 in the space of 6 hours.' the warning on one of the pill containers read, following that was some fine print that Tyler ignores. It was almost like a message telling him just how to take himself out of his situation. He shakes it and judges by the sound and weight, that there are definitely more than 2 tablets in there. The noise of the tablets attracts the attention of the person on the other side of the door.

"Can you please open this damn door!" He shouts and rattles the handle again, sounding frustrated. Tyler looks over towards the door and shrugs then opens the container. He considers taking the rest of the tablets and sees the container is almost empty anyway. He counts them out, 12 altogether. "Seriously open this door right now!" The voice demands. 

"I don’t think so. You’re not going to get anything out of having me here? I’d rather die." Tyler replies coldly and picks up the first tablet inspecting it in his shaky hands, wondering if he really was capable of doing this.

"Open the door. You need to trust me. Open the door and let me help you." The stranger begs desperately. Tyler quickly takes the first tablet, cupping water in his hands and sipping it to help wash it down.

“I’ll take care of myself. You don’t get to hurt me.” He calmly grabs the container of pills, pouring a few more into his hand.

"I WON'T HURT YOU!" The man yells. Tyler takes the next tablet and smiles as it slides down his throat. That was 2, anything more than that was against the warning label. He’d seen enough drug talks in health class at school to know that overdosing and death went hand in hand.

“How many should I take?” Tyler asks himself quietly and frowns. “To be sure…” He starts then impatiently tips the rest into his mouth trying desperately to swallow them all. He smiles when he swallows the last of them and slowly drops beside the counter with the pill container still in his hand, already feeling numbness settle in, or maybe it was just the weakness of an empty stomach, the adrenaline crash and the bleeding from his wrist. He closes his eyes, feeling successful and waiting for the blissful world of Heaven to surround him. He feels his body becoming weaker and starts shivering again. 

"Here I come Mum, Dad and Jade. I'll be with you soon." He mumbles and tips his head back, welcoming the blackness that clouded his vision and the noises around him drifting away, leaving him in a peaceful silence.

When Tylers eyes open again he feels groggy and sore. The ground below him was cold and he could feel the glass he'd broken earlier under his hand. He coughs and looks around, horrified and disappointed to see the bathroom he'd so desperately tried to leave. 

"WHY DIDN'T IT WORK!?" He cries. The tablet container had rolled over to the door while he’d been passed out. Tyler hated himself for swallowing all the tablets, he couldn't move his body at all now, apart from his head. Even just the thought of moving was painful, his head was throbbing and all his muscles seem to ache. The room was piercingly bright and Tyler figures he’d been asleep for at least a few hours in his self-inflicted coma. With a painful lurch towards the toilet, he clings to the seat and vomits, his bile brightly coloured from the pills.

He hears two voices now but can’t quite make out what was being said. He recognizes the voice that had been asking him to open the door then hears footsteps coming towards the door and frowns as he hears the lock turning. He lets go of the toilet seat and lets himself fall back against the wall weakly.

The lock clicks and Tyler shivers as the door opens. To his shock the person who turns the light on looks more worried about Tyler than he was about seeing this stranger. There was something intimidating about the way he seemed so confident standing before him, he didn’t look like a killer but then again neither did Ted Bundy so he could only assume that this man, at the very least, had it in him to murder someone. Tyler tries to move but his body seemed as though it was paralysed from whatever he'd taken, his muscles too heavy to move.

"Oh god are you ok?" The man asks, brushing his hair away from his eyes. Tyler looks away from him quickly, not wanting the man to see how afraid he was. He looks out of the corner of his eye as the man picks up the tablet container that had rolled to the door and sighs. "Please tell me this is empty because you tipped them down the sink or toilet or something." He says then looks at Tyler again. 

"Leave me alone." Tyler says weakly, his words slurring and his eyes feeling heavy, though he willed himself to try not to give in to the pull of sleep.

"Oh lets not start that again."