Ivyđź’Ž
I glanced at the door, I knew I would need to pass the bed to get to it.
But between me and the door was Nathaniel, who had killed me twice already.
"What did you do to me?" I asked but my voice came out as a shrill sound.
Nathaniel tilted his head, not seeming to pay me any mind.
"This isn't the starting point," he mumbled to himself. "What is going on?"
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, YOU MAD COW!" I shrieked.
He turned his head to me, his calm demeanor was a complete contrast to my disheveled state.
He stared at me for a while before getting up from the bed and leaving the room. This time, I didn't wait.
I ran to the living room, grabbed my keys, and was about to run out the door when I heard a loud bang.
I fell to the floor immediately as pain shot through my leg. I screamed as I held my leg, mostly because of the pain, but also because I hoped to alert our neighbors.
If one of them miraculously heard us, I would have a chance to be saved.
The front door was right there, barely a few feet away. But I knew that if I tried to crawl, nothing would stop Nathaniel from shooting me, thereby killing me.
Again.
Nathaniel approached me calmly, and I screamed.
"Stay away from me!"
He stopped a short distance away.
"Are you scared of me?"
"Don't come any closer!" I shrieked.
"You're making it worse," he said and continued walking toward me.
"Help! Help me! Please! Anybody! Help!" I screamed as I tried to crawl to the door.
This time, Nathaniel didn't shoot me, but he did grab my legs and drag me back to the bedroom before I could reach the door.
I tried to kick him with my other good leg as he dragged me inside but his grip was too strong.
"Help!" I screeched. "Somebody, help me!"
It wasn't until he tied me up against the bed with a rope that he spoke.
"We don't have neighbors. I bought the houses surrounding us some time ago."
I twisted my head to look at him. He was sitting on the bed with his hands covering his face. I couldn't read his expression, or his body language.
It was like the man I knew for three years had just vanished into thin air.
He let out a deep breath and dropped his hands. His face was still calm.
"Are you going to kill me?" I asked quietly as I felt tears threaten to fall from my face.
"Don't worry. We'll go back to normal once I find a way to deal with this."
He meant once he found a way to deal with me.
My wrists burned against the rope, and my ankle that was shot throbbed. I glanced at his calm and expressionless face, and I was unable to help myself.
Tears streaked down my face freely, I didn't understand what was happening or why it was happening.
How could Nathaniel become a completely different person in the twinkling of an eye? Just how?
"How many times have you killed me?" I asked as tears flowed down my face.
As if something took him over, Nathaniel looked at me with a twisted expression, like hurt. He rushed to my side and cupped my face in his hands.
"Don't say that, Ivy. Please, I love you."
"You killed me," I wailed.
"Because you were going to leave me!" he thundered.
He clenched his jaw and spoke softly. "You're shaking. Oh, Ivy. It pains me to see you going through so much pain."
"Untie me and take me to the hospital," I pleaded with tears in my eyes.
He stared into my eyes for a while before withdrawing from me.
"I'll fix you. I just need to figure out what I'm doing wrong."
Then he left the room, and I was all alone.
I tugged at the rope again, desperate to escape but he had tied me down quite firmly. The fibers scraped against my skin, biting into my wrists until tears started to form in my eyes again. I hissed through my clenched teeth, but I didn't stop, the pain was better than waiting for Nathaniel to decide my fate.
Think, Ivy, think.
My efforts to escape the rope were proving to be futile. I glanced around the room, my phone was gone, the drawers were shut neatly, there was nothing I could use to escape…
Wait.
My eyes darted back to the drawers.
The ring.
Of course.
Then I heard footsteps, Nathaniel was coming back. I strained my wrists again, though I twisted them sideways this time. The rope loosened just a little bit and hope flared in my chest. Even though my wrists burned, I swallowed a sob and kept going.
But then the door opened and Nathaniel appeared, pointing a gun at me.
"Wait, wait," I hurriedly said.
He tilted his head.
"The drawer," I said with desperation creeping into my voice. "You were planning to propose to me today, right? Right? This whole thing happened because I wanted to leave you. It's my fault. I'm so sorry. Let's get married, Nathaniel."
He blinked.
"I shouldn't have thought of leaving you. That was very stupid of me. I mean, you are the most wonderful thing to ever happen to me and I'm such a fool for failing to see that. But not anymore, from now on, I will love you and only…"
What the hell am I saying? Look at his face, he doesn't even look fazed. It's like I'm just spitting words that he can't understand. Please, Nathaniel, put the gun down. Please. Please.
"Ivy?" he called my name gently.
I shuddered. "Yes?"
"I kind of like you when you beg."
"I'll beg whenever you want me to," I continued. "I'll do anything you want. I'll even marry you."
That earned me a loud laugh from him, and yet, he didn't drop the damn gun.
"Oh, Ivy, baby," he snickered. "You'll marry me anyway."
And he pulled the trigger again.