Page 23 of Mara
Still unable to find him, I sat on my couch, worried and irritated at my clouded mind. I traced the markings on my arms. A flash went through my mind like a lightning strike.
There and gone.
It was the masked man. The one with the candy skull face paint. His hands gripped my body, holding me down so I couldn’t move.
The thought terrified me.
Why would I imagine that?
And why did it feel so fucking real?
My hands shook as I grabbed my phone and clicked on the app. The masked man had left me another message. It was a picture, just like last time. But this one had a text above it. “You didn’t figure out my treasure hunt before. So maybe you will now with a little motivation.”
I paled as my finger clicked the photo. It was Cheese. He was curled up in a cage in the rain, and his white fur had blood on it.
I felt sick to my stomach.
I typed furiously while running around my home looking for my sweet boy. Dread filled me with each step I took, with no sign of my ferret.
What the fuck do you want? What kind of game is this? I should call the police.
A new message popped up.
You could…but then…
A video message played, showing a gloved hand twirling a blade. The sight of the knife made me sick. It was a skinning knife. My heart broke as I typed a new message into the phone.
Okay okay. Please just don’t hurt him…he’s all I have.
I clicked play on the next video that was sent to me. I feared not being able to hear the demands of this man. Feared not being able to understand how to get my Cheese back. But when I focused on the video. It was a pitch black outfit.
The camera panned, starting from his knees upward, tracing the line of his body. A hood covered his head, that same dark black like his pants.
Black just like an abyss.
Behind him was the cage with my ferret exposed to the rain. The small wire enclosure was big for him, at least. The man, clad in black clothing, leaned down, and his hands came into view. I couldn’t comprehend what I was seeing—sign language. The monster was signing to me in perfect ASL.
Run, Little Reaper. Find me. Find us. Or I’ll be death tonight.
I tried to focus on the wooded area behind him, studying the shape of the trees and looking for any shred of detail that would help me find where he had taken Cheese. Nothing. It was just trees and more trees. They could’ve been anywhere.
The closest wooded area was around my house, and the trees were endless. Just like the asylum, there wasn’t anything for miles. I didn’t have fucking neighbors. I vetoed suburbia hell for isolation. God, how I wished I could ask anyone for help.
I didn’t know what to do.
I felt helpless.
I didn’t know anyone who could help me. I dialed Alex and Kimmie. Both went to voicemail, and I all but screamed. There was no point in a coat. I raced outside in the rain, heading for the woods. The type of trees at least matched the ones in the video.
I couldn’t hear properly. The wind and thunder were just a fucked up warping in my ears. I wouldn’t hear if a monster came up behind me, let alone a deranged ferret kidnapper.
I couldn’t save Cheese. He was going to die.
“Fuck you. I swear I don’t have any options. Ugh, fuck you!”
Sending the text without giving it a second thought, I waited. I half expected Gianna to message back instead, asking why I texted him and not her.
But he answered. A text that made me feel like maybe I had a chance.
