A Shepherd In Sheep's Clothing- Chapter 1: Taken
#1 of A Shepherd In Sheep's Clothing
_ *Do not read if you are under the age of 18. Some content maybe found disturbing. * _
Chapter 1: Taken
The trunk of the car shook and rumbled as my kidnapper picked up speed. I could feel every bump, every pothole he hit and cried out with each one, trying to make my screams louder than the engine of the vehicle. As the car drove on I tried to remember everything I could from that night. "The bar... sex on the beach..." I could still taste the subtle burn of liquor on my breath as well as the light fuzziness of my tipsy mind. The car rattles again. "No, think, there's something else." I stop as I search my memories and a shiver runs down my spine, sending me into a fit of fright. "T-the stranger." The minute I said those words, remnants of a man's voice flood my aching head. Promises of meaningless sex and foreplay. I can't remember his name but I know he told me in the bar. I come back to reality as the car comes to a halt and I hear a door close followed by heavy footsteps walking toward me, sending another shiver of fear and anxiety to my beaten and sore body.
Light pours into the desolate holding space as my captor's shadow envelops my helpless figure; a foreshadowing for the dark path that lies before me. I feel his hands grasp my legs as he pulls me out of the trunk and throws me to the solid ground below. My legs dig into the dirt as rocks and other foreign objects cut my stockings, leaving them torn and tattered. I fall over and sob as blood seeps through and stains them red. The man places his arms under mine and yanks me to a standing position. His hands feel large, like the hands of God as they grasp me and I am sent to my feet; all the while he stands subtly behind me.
"Sorry about this miss, but I need you here for my own benefit." He smiles and leads me down a dirt path, his hand on my shoulder the whole time.
"M-miss?" I don't think he hears me. He's looking up in the night sky and I find myself wondering exactly what it is that has caught his attention. I look up and finally realize, he's looking to see if there's any search copters or any sign of someone knowing where we are. The thought of me being alone with him brings tears to my eyes but he takes not notice. My mother always warned me with the way I dressed that someday I'd find myself in trouble. Guess you were right after all mom. I think as trees and one's typical forest scenery suddenly surround us. "W-what are you going to do to me?" He stops and looks around then looks at me.
"Don't worry, I won't harm you." His voice sounds soft and kind, but I can tell he's lying. Maybe he truly believes I want to be raped and murdered in the middle of the woods. Maybe he's lying to himself as well. I begin to cry but again, my tears are unsuccessful as he places a large sack over my head and presses us deeper into the foreboding forest.
A Few Hours Earlier...
All eyes looked up as I walked into the bar. Everyone saw a "cute little girl" but none of them sense the truth, which makes this all the more fun. I looked around and notice all the girls go back to talking or back to their drinks, however, all the men in the room kept staring as I walked over to the bar and sat down. I could feel their eyes, hear their fingers tapping against the table, pretending for their girlfriends' sake that they took no notice of me... but I know the truth. That sound of tapping became my symphony for weekends as well as my drumroll for tonight's "grand finale."
I slowly crossed my legs and flashed a glace over at the bartender. Immediately he stopped counting the money in his register and walked over to me with a smile on his face. "Well well... what'll it be hun?" I smile back at him and wink before answering, "sex on the beach?" The bartender has to stop himself from laughing before walking off and returning with my drink.
I search the bar for any possible suitors to flirt with and maybe even spend the night. Most of the time this bar is a temporary home to divorcées plotting to kill their ex wives', workaholics plotting to kill their bosses, or my personal favorite; the down right killers. Not much to work with in a small town like mine, but I normally make due. However tonight it seems I may have hit the "lady's lottery" cause tonight the bar was the host for some fraternity's graduation party.
While I was staring at the graduation party's occupants and sipped my drink, I failed to notice a tall man sitting down next to me and begin trying to make conversation. Finally he clears his throat and I turn and notice him. "I was just saying that it's hard to meet someone like you in a town like this." He smiles as if he made a joke, but everyone who lives here knows he's being truthful.
"Well I guess this town is just full of surprises" I act uninterested in him and go back to slowly consuming my drink and flirtatiously waving at the frat boys.
The man extends his hand and looks in my eyes "my name is Eric Daniels." He waits but sees I ignore his hand and sip my drink. "I was just wondering if you needed someone to talk to tonight. You looked a little lonely and I thought I could help."
With this I divert my attention from the raving college drunks and look at the man. I get the feeling he already knew my game and through his determination and indifference toward my lack of boobs, I could tell he was not going to lose easily.
"Well aren't you going to tell me your name?" I sigh and finally give in.
"It's Caitlin... Caitlin Rhodes." He smiles as I show some interest and gently brush my hair over my ear.
"And what's your story Miss Rhodes." He thinks I don't notice him look down at my hand before stating, "miss" but I did. I smile at his assumption and play along.
"I recently got a job."
"Modeling?"
Eric thinks he's smooth but I pretend to be flattered. "Haha, I wish. No my department is photography. Although I have done some work with models." He seems interested so I decide to crack a joke. "Bitches, every last one of them."
"Look, I don't mean to be blunt here but we can stop this anytime you like." I act like I don't know what he's talking about but then he continues. "I can tell that you are protecting yourself right now, and at the same time you are carefully choosing your words so you don't give too much information to a stranger in a bar." My face becomes flat as he analyzes my every move. "Next you'll tell me how your dad was never around, and how you probably made friends with your childhood pet." RUN. RUN AWAY NOW is all I can think, but I find myself interested in the man who can read me the way I read others.
"I- I didn't have a pet growing up." He looks at me trying to determine if I'm telling the truth or lying. "But my mom did always take me to the zoo when I was younger. And I grew quite fond of the wolves there." Eric smiles and takes a sip of his liquor.
"Now there's something we have in common. I think wolves are the most interesting creatures. You either run with the pack, or you are cast into exile." He looks at me and grins. "Tell me Caitlin... are you tired of exile?"
Present
I can still feel my kidnappers hand rest upon my shoulder as I am bombarded with the events of earlier that evening. However, not only did I remember who I was talking to but now I even remembered his name.
"E-Eric?" His name came out soft and frightful from my lips.
He sighed and finally answered, "What can I do for you." His voice was so deceiving. It was a beacon of hope in my otherwise dismal situation. I felt his hand grasp the bag and pull it off my head. After seeing nothing but the inside of a dark bag all the colors in the world seem to blend together like a child's finger painting. "I think we've gone deep enough." Eric sits down on a log and motions for me to do the same.
"Deep enough for what?" I sound scared again, so unnatural compared to my normal personality. He motions for me to sit for a second time and I find a spot in the grass. Again I see him looking up at the sky paying no attention to me. "Deep enough for what exactly?"
This time he turns and faces me. "For you to not be able to run anywhere." He says this with such composure that I honestly believe he thinks he has done nothing wrong. He scans the woods the same way I had scanned the bar not too long ago. Though now it seems like ages since I'd seen the frat party, or since I'd tasted that liquor I'd so carefully clung to in the bar.
"And what makes you think I'd run away?" I act as if I am a willing kidnapping victim but he can see I'm terrified. He senses my fear and slowly slides closer to me as if he's telling me I'm not alone in these dark woods. I look up just as he plants a kiss on my lips. It's soft and leaves me breathless but I remember the journey I traveled up to that perfect kiss and pull away suddenly, turning away from him.
He acts hurt as I ignore him and he stands up off his seat and walks in front of me. "Look, I know you think I'm a horrible guy for kidnapping you but you'll see I'm only doing this in your best interest. Trust me, you'll want this." He smiles and holds out his hand above me. I look at his face, then his hand and stop at his face again.
"How do you know what I want? How could you possibly know what's in my best interest?" I stare at the ground trying not to cry as I ask him these questions that I know will go unanswered. Goddamnit mom, why do you always have to be right? _ Could you be wrong JUST THIS ONCE_? I think about how my mom would casually say, "I told you so" if the police ever found my remains in these fucking woods or how she would tell the cops that she always warned me, but I never listen. I'm so caught up my thoughts that I don't even notice Eric sitting closely to my right with his arm around my shoulder. My body betrays me as I begin to feel safe though his embrace and I end up setting my tired head on his shoulder.
He kisses my forehead as I start to fall asleep and whispers in my ear, "trust me... there's a reason for everything Caitlin... or should I say... Silas"