Excerpt from CAPTIVITY
Tammy is lying on the floor in the bedroom with a bloodied
and bruised face. Clothes on her are torn and she looks disheveled while appearing to just be regaining consciousness. Tries to rise up but hesitates and grits her teeth from the excruciating pain. She manages with much effort to at least raise her upper body from the floor and survey the room. It’s all scattered with most things been thrown around in different places and Kevin isn’t on the bed any longer.
Blood stained sheets and Duvet are spread over the floor from the bed. She shakes her head and grits her teeth in discomfort. She drags herself on the floor painstakingly towards the door, gritting her teeth all through the way. When she reaches the door, she raises her hand and opens it. Drags herself through the door into the living room.
She continues towards the Landline. She reaches where the phone is and lifts it up to her ears but no signal.
‘Shit. Shit!’ she says in a low voice.
She bangs the phone back on the receiver. She then drags herself towards the main entrance door and tries unlocking it. It doesn’t open. It’s locked from outside with a Padlock.
‘Oh God!’ she says in a low voice.
She drags her frame towards the window and hold onto the burglar proof metal frames. She manages to stand herself up with much effort and then opens the curtains. She looks out to see if his car is still outside and doesn’t see it. She looks in the different directions and sees no one. She tries to unlock the big old metal windows but cant.
‘Hellllllpp! Helllllllp! Hellllllllllll!’ she screams.
She holds the burglar proof bars of the window and cries loudly with warm tears streaming down her eyes. She tries to fight the tears back but it keeps rolling. She collapses down but holds on to the bars tightly to prevent herself from falling unto the floor. She bends her head down and after a few seconds stops crying. She wipes her tears with her hand which doesn’t do much. And raises her head hold the bar with so much strength. The veins in her hand pop out and her chin gets hard by her gritting. She looks very determined as she stare out of the window into the Grassland and then the Woods which lay beyond.
ABOUT 3 HOURS LATER
She is squatting in a runner’s start position, about 3 meters away from the door. Her hands stuck firmly to the floor. Her eyes fixated on the door. Legs muscles are twitching and she is looking very focused towards the entrance door. The creaking sound from the door is heard, her eyes blink, muscles tense and as soon as the door swings open revealing the black silhouette of Kevin’s bulky frame against the light backdrop from outside, she starts her movement. Firstly, her hands lift off the floor, then her legs follows striding towards the door. Her running motion looks like a spear charging towards Kevin. Tammy’s face tightens up as she increases her pace. Kevin who is just opening the door in a casual manner is unaware of the charging force coming
towards him. He is unable to notice her soft bouncy running footsteps but powerful stride approaching him. Not fast enough to see the advancing figure coming, Tammy runs past him making him stagger from the excessive force of her movement as she breezes past him in a flash.
She runs out of the house and towards the Grass fields which open up to the woods. He staggers and then regains full balance. He hesitates. He rises up and beats his chest, pointing in her direction.
‘Come over here now, girl.’ Kevin shouts at her.
She increases pace and her legs pound the ground harder with each running step.
‘Don’t you think you think you can get away! Am coming for you.’ Kevin Shouts at her.
Her arms swings faster and her breath gets deeper. Kevin is now in pursuit. His legs are pounding the ground vigorously as he tries to make up lost grounds. He is gritting his teeth, fist clenched and jaws tight. He is breathing heavily and cursing under his breath. She is quite a long way from him. She crosses the sky lit grass land and is entering the dark shadowed woodlands now. The trees covering the natural light from hitting the ground. She enters it slowing down as she has to dodge giant roots from the trees and maneuvers her way through an army of branches.
He immediately enters the woods, puffing and hissing between deep breaths. He slows down as he needs to maneuver his way through the uneven vegetation and landscape. He bends down as he dodges branches blocking his path. He angrily slaps some little branches that protrudes and stand in his way. She is trying to go as fast as she can, using her small frame to good use by meandering through the thick of the woodlands. She gains distance from Kevin who is isn’t running again.
Kevin looses track of her due to the thick vegetation posing different challenges and blocking his view. His pace becomes way slower. He stops and puts his hand on his waist and call out her name.
‘Tammy. Stop. No more games.’ Kevin Shouts.
He rest one hand on the big stem of the tree next to him and puts the other on his knees to take a rest. ‘If you don’t come, I will kill you.’ Kevin shouts.
He slams his palms against the stem of the tree.
‘kill you!! Kill you! Kil.. yu..’ Kevin’s voice is heard echoing into the far distance.
She is now getting to the end of the Woodland and can see the main highway road. She increases her pace. As she takes longer and faster strides, she steps hard and suddenly gets her leg trapped under a hidden root under the tall grasses. She tries to continue running by completing a cycle of running motion but trips and falls forward in a diving motion. She bangs her shoulders and hits her knees on the ground in the process. There is a bloodied bruise on her knees and her right shoulder feels stiff. She sobs. Then forcibly pulls her leg stuck in the root.
‘Oh my God! ehhehheh….shhshhsh….’ She cries.
She holds her shoulder with the other hand to suppress the pain. Tries to get up but winces and fall back down in defeat. She can see the main road from where she is. It’s not too far. She watches a car go past by and stretches her hand in the direction of the car. The wood is densely covered with tall grass and seeing from the main road is almost impossible. She looks around and sees a branch lying around. She drags herself painfully towards it. Uses her good hand to hold the branch up and support her body in standing up on the good leg while the other one barely touches the ground. She hears the sound of a car in the distant and sees it approaching the side of the main road she is closer to. She immediately starts to hop fast towards the road even as she grits her teeth in pain. She gets out of the Woodland still hopping on one leg. She is slow in getting to the main road as she sees the car zoom past her, leaving her in agony.
‘Please Waiiiiit! Waiiiiitttt!’ She screams.
As it goes farther away, tears roll down her eyes and she staggers from the sudden pain she feels.
‘Ehhrrrrrrr..Ehrr..Ehrr..Ehrehrehr..’ She sobs uncontrollably.
Blood trickle down her nose. The breeze is heavy and her cloth is shaking from the breeze. She has slowed down her pace. She is looking back to see where Kevin is. Her breath is out of place and she is looking all confused. She is coughing. She is looking to see either sides of the road.
But at this point she is too weak to continue standing on one leg and supporting herself with the branch. She clenches her teeth in pain and collapses hard on the road. She sees a car approaching her in the far distance. Then she turns her head to look towards the wood and sees no Kevin.
She gasps for air and her mouth is dry. She raises her hand for help towards the Vehicle in the far distance as she starts losing consciousness. Her hand is up and her eyes starts to close. Everything around here starts to blur and then becomes completely black.
To be Continued…..
To watch short film https://youtu.be/_3J6lqHGV7U