Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 35349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
I’d slept with my shoes on, the survival instinct in me saying I needed to be ready for anything. To run. But when I stepped onto the forest floor for the first time, I wished I was barefoot, able to feel the soft earth beneath my toes and the soles of my feet.
I took a breath, the fresh air filling my lungs in a way I hadn’t realized I needed so desperately. I walked farther from the cabin, the space between Lars and me growing as I glanced around the forest and took in the natural beauty of it all.
As I kept walking, I felt my smile grow when I felt the warmth of the sun on my skin and the wind brushing through my hair, teasing the tendrils. The trees were dense all around me, the trunks ranging from young and skinny to enormously thick with countless decades of age. The ground was uneven from the undergrowth with flora sprouting from the earth and trying to reach for the sunlight.
I couldn't lie. I had to admit I wasn’t even thinking about whether I should make a break for it. I should’ve been looking for escape routes and noticing if there were clear paths. But instead, I admired how utterly secluded we were. There was not course that would’ve guaranteed an escape. Even if I did run, where would I have gone? It was obvious the cabin was deep in the woods, with no visible signs of civilization.
My lips tingled to call for help at one point, but I loved being outside too much to ruin that. I started making mental notes. Each step farther from the cabin felt like a step into unknown territory, but I couldn’t stop my exploration because I felt a sort of euphoria fill me.
There was this strange feeling gnawing at me. Something that wasn’t fear. I hated Lars for what he’d done. I hated being his prisoner. But I couldn’t ignore the way he’d been taking care of me.
He was controlling and possessive, but it was laced with something else.
He cares about me. Truly. Genuinely.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that.
It made me sick to even humanize him and this situation he put me in. But I couldn’t help it. He made sure I ate. He brought me water, clothes, and wanted me to be clean. I’d never had anyone take care of me like that before, not in any sense of the words.
Every gesture chipped away at the clear line that was drawn between captor and captive. And that was what we were. That was what this relationship was.
But is it really?
I shook my head to clear the confusing thought.
In this moment, I didn't feel like a captive at all. He was freeing me… in a sense.
Before I realized how long I walked, a small creek came into view. I glanced behind me, seeing the cabin in the far distance while Lars was a few feet from me. I wasn’t breathing hard, and my pulse wasn’t racing. I felt at ease and calm right now.
I stopped by the creek, staring at the water as it trickled over rocks as my mind wandered. As much as I wanted to hate him, I was confused and really began thinking about everything at greater length and depth.
Something in my chest twisted painfully, and I pressed a hand there, trying to shove the feeling down.
I’d always been so alone. So lonely.
I didn’t know how long I stood there, but after long moments, I finally forced myself to turn away from the creek. But when I spun, I saw Lars had spread out a blanket, set out the food he brought, and gestured for me to sit and eat.
He hadn’t said anything else. He just let me be and do it at my own pace. But the weight of his gaze stayed on me as I sat down and started eating with no other prompting.
And when he sat across from me and started picking at the food for the first time since he’d taken me… I truly wasn’t afraid. At all.
I should detest him and only be focused on escaping. But why did the thought of him sleeping beside me last night make me feel warm?
And why was I playing with the idea that I wanted him to do it again?
16
DOLLY
We’d stayed outside for hours, and I even found myself lying on the blanket Lars brought for our picnic and just looking at the sky. I was pretty sure I even fell asleep, but when I opened my eyes, I was still in the same spot, staring at the white clouds drifting across the baby blue canvas which was only broken up by the dark branches overhead.
Lars never rushed me. In fact, it was when the weather changed—the wind becoming chillier and the sky darkening—that we finally headed back to the cabin.