When All Else Fails...

My eyes darted around the dimly lit room. The only source of light trickled through a small sliver in the ratty lace curtains. They'd been clumsily affixed to the window frame with thick nails. As the light mixed with the lace it cast weird shadows about the room. Dirt and grime seemed to blanket every inch of my prison, the faded blue wallpaper, the curtains, the mustard-yellow tiled floors. I could feel the grit under my bare feet. Out of the corner of my eyes I watched the dust sparkle in between the shadows and light. I couldn't help but think it was sad that dust was the only beautiful thing in this small room and maybe the last beautiful thing I’d ever see.
My breath started coming in short gasps, I tried to keep quiet, I really did, so the man wouldn't hear me. The cloth that he’d shoved in my mouth left a musty aftertaste and that made me gag each time I swallowed. More than anything I wanted to spit it out. I couldn't risk the chance. I knew he'd come at the first sound I made.
I was bound to the only piece of furniture in the room. My arms and left leg where tied tightly to a three-legged wooden chair. At one time it had been white and remnants of its paint flaked off and added to the layer of grime on the mustard tiles. It was hard keeping balance; I used one of my legs to prop up the corner of my body. I was tiring quickly. Every breath I took seemed to add another pound to the pressure on my leg.
All of a sudden I lost my balance, jerking my hands over the chairs splintered arms. I gasped in pain as a loose piece of wood pierced my middle finger. Blood seeped from my wound and mixed with the dust, staining the chair a dark brown. I struggled to free my hand and ended up tipping backwards. I cried out as I swung my weight forward hoping not to fall. Somehow I managed to stop myself colliding face first into the ground. I held my breath, listening intently and watching as the dust floated about me and settled on the tiles.
I could hear the floor creak and the low eerie beat of footsteps coming towards the door. My heart pounded inside me, banging against my ribs. My eyes darted from a loose piece of wallpaper that flopped in the light breeze to the rotten-wood door in front of me. The large moss covered mass was the only thing that kept him from me, the only thing keeping me alive. I focused on the rusted brass knob. Willing it to remain still. It was hard to see in the low-lit room so I leaned forward squinting to get a better look. The knob turned. I heard the screams of the hinges as the door began to open… Oh God save me!

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 29.04.2012

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Widmung:
R.Lynn