Muddy Mystery

Part 1

I could feel him drag my limp body across the ground as I tried acting like I was still asleep. The road rash stung as I struggled keeping my composure. There was nothing that I could do but keep pretending I was unconscious so that I could make an escape. Where I planned on going was not something that I had quite figured out yet. How I was going to get away was something I did not know.

Being on a camping trip in the middle of no where wasn't the ideal place to have gotten Chloroformed. Not only that but by my boyfriend of all people, and there had been no one else around. The only thing that I could hope for was him falling asleep so I could make a run for it. There was a street somewhere around and finding it was the only way out. He couldn't go much longer without resting, and that is the only thing that I knew for sure.

We had been seeing each other for over a year and a half, and I thought I could trust him. Until we started fighting about his ex girlfriend and her family. At first I thought that they were the crazy ones, but then I realized that this whole time it was him. I found his writings only to discover that he lied about everything. I had been gullible enough to have believed him, but eventually I knew better. Now that eventually was too late and I finally figured out why they were always trying to get him put in jail.

Suddenly the ground had started getting damp below me and he stopped dragging my body. I was laying in what felt like a puddle of muddy grass and quickly started getting cold from the water beneath me. There was a foul smell around me like I was by an unclean body of water. The stench was so bad that the only thing that was keeping me from throwing up was the fact that I hadn't eaten anything all day. Where had he brought me was an unexpected unknown, but my plan was an even bigger uncertainty.

Little did he know that I managed to get one of his pocket knives before I passed out. It was invisibly hidden in the waste line of my baggy shorts, but my hands were tied behind my back leaving me without much that I could do. Time was running out because if he put me in the water I would drown before I could break free from the ropes, but I knew him. Well enough to know that he loved fire and watching things burn. I had learned enough about him in the matter of a couple of hours that he could be psychopathic enough to burn me before dumping my body somewhere.

My intuition had been close as I heard the sound of him dragging sticks somewhere near by. As soon as I started to recognize the noise of what sounded like crackling leaves I knew that he was making a fire. Before too long I could feel some of the heat and started feeling relieved. Thinking that I was still sleeping he was bound to walk of at some point for some reason while it was growing to do something, but when? When would he expect that I would wake up and be ready to do something about it?

These were some of the questions that ran through my mind amongst many others. I gathered my strength to do whatever what necessary for me to escape, but how and where? Something in me was even ready to kill him not only to save myself, but to break even. There was an unexpected silence around me and I squinted my eyes open. The sound of crackling leaves had suddenly faded and all I could smell was smoke. I couldn't tell if he had gone, nor could I see much of anything without moving or turning. The only thing that was visible was a little lake in front of me beyond the muddy ground that was beneath me.

It dawned on me as I laid there motionless that he couldn't be stupid enough to drag me into a marsh and try burning me later. Left me wondering even more so what his plans were for me, if any. Maybe he didn't even know himself, and maybe he wasn't even planning on killing me. Looking back on it now I realize that was just wishful thinking but either way I had to get away. As far away from him as I possibly could.

There was nothing that I could do unless I knew for certain that he was gone, or better yet, asleep. I waited for a couple of minutes listening to the silence but I heard nothing. Just the pounding of my heart racing and the wind whistling through the trees. My body was cold and I was trying not to shiver asking myself if that is something the unconscious does, but I didn't know the answer.

Having stayed as quiet and still as I possibly could I heard the sound of him snoring in the distance. Yes! Finally! Now is my chance.. I told myself as I started trying to loosen the ropes around my wrists so that I could cut the rope off of my feet. As the wind started picking up I was getting colder, and losing sensation in my fingers as they were losing circulation. They weren't getting any looser, but I was slowly squeezing my hands out so they would be free.

Finally I got them off and reached for the pocket knife in my pants as to free myself completely. I watched as the sun started going down over the water. There was nothing but mud, grass, trees, and water all around. In the lake I could see what appeared to be a small boat or canoe in the distance. There was a dock far off and I was fixing to go run to it. Maybe there was something on the other side of the water that would lead me back where I needed to go so that I could get some help. Looking around me I realized I had absolutely no idea where he had brought me, and how far we were.

I figured it was my best chance at survival and the survival of others in case the water was shallow and he woke up. What if he came after me in the water or what if he had a gun somewhere? A million questions from a place of fear came to my mind and I knew what I had to do. He didn't deserve to live anyways, and that was a fact. My parents had raised me home-school my whole life teaching me that killing was wrong, but it was either kill or risk being killed the way I saw it now.

Standing up and getting out of the entanglement of ropes I looked around and my eyes danced across the glum scenery. There was nothing here, and I didn't see a road either. His truck had made a small trail in the tall grass, but there was nothing beyond that. He was sitting wrapped up in my warm blanket sitting in a chair with an empty beer bottle in the cup holder. There was a gun sitting in his lap, and he was fast asleep. Something inside of me was telling me to just run, and something else was telling me to just kill him. Steal the gun, shoot him, get the keys from his pocket and drive off.

The later of the two ideas sounded the best and the most logical, but what if he woke up and fought back? What if running was the only choice that I had? But leaving him to find me wasn't much of a choice either the only thing that it bought me was time. Fear was holding me back but quickly told it not today. After all what good would it do me to just run being it that the dock was far and I had no idea what was around me? His knife was dull and my imagination was running dimmer than usual.

The feeling of adrenaline had came and left me when he suddenly opened his eyes and looked up at me. There I was standing with an open pocket knife in my right hand and ropes in my left staring down at him silently. No longer was I wondering if I should kill him to survive, but if he was going to kill me and how I would get away. My instincts told me to run as fast as I could although I had no idea where, but I was knocked out from a blow before I decided what I should do.

Waking up to him hovering over me smirking holding a small hand gun was an odd feeling. There was a fire going to the right of me and to the left of me could almost feel the dampness of the ground again. I looked down to see that they cold wet clothing I had on before were no longer on me and I was undressed. My head was throbbing from the impact of him hitting me. The ropes were tighter the second time and I could feel the heat from the large flickering flames beside me.

He didn't say a word as I was coming to but stared me down with a gleam in his eye like he was excited for what he was fixing to do next. I started wiggling free from the ropes before he walked closer and rested his foot on my shoulder. I took it as an indication not to even think about trying to get away this time. There wasn't any chance that I was going to be able to get as close as I had before to saving my skin.

In angst I tried screaming for help as I was lying their helplessly, but no amount of sound that came from my lips would meet the ears of anyone. There was no one around that could hear except him. He knelt down to silence me with his hand and this time there was no cloth. There was nothing inside of me that was prepared for what I did next. I bit his hand as hard as I possibly could and I could feel it break the skin and he jumped back with a yelp dropping his gun. He was bleeding and distracted, but I was incapacitated.

Having had tried my best to wiggle free from the ropes I realized the ones on my feet were loose enough that even if I could get just one out. He looked back up from his hand and glared at me as I got my foot free. While I watched him wincing fumbling for his gun I tried pulling my wrists apart as to free the ropes tightly tied around them with gallant effort. A loud shot rang out and echoed in my surroundings and it wasn't from him.

Part 2

Still to this day his ghost haunts me when I expect it the least. No matter where I go and how far I try to run there he eventually shows up again. Dodging and running from death has become a force of habit for me as I try finding a solution. It has been ten years and I am still trying to get him out of my waking life and to where his ghost belongs. I have tried everything but nothing has worked, and my life is a nightmare.

I never did figure out who shot him and from where all I know is that whoever it was heard me screaming and saved my life to be able to tell about it today. They never came and untied me or asked me if I was okay and offered me help they only shot him. The mystery remains in my life and leaves me wondering if there will ever be a day that I will come face to face with my savior.

Watching him die there slowly in front of me plays on repeat in my dreams while when I am awake half the time I am running. There hasn't been a single medium who has been able or willing of helping me. I had to break all contact with my family and friends because they were convinced that I have been imagining it all as a symptom of PTSD from the day that changed my life forever. They tried putting me into a loony bin but I have always known that I am not making it up in my mind.

He is always here somewhere lingering in the shadows waiting to end me when I least expect it, but now I know to expect it and never get comfortable. The only thing that gives me time is staying on the move so he has to keep looking. I've tried everything, disguises and hiding in the dark for days but nothing works. His demonic ghost always finds me and I can't stay in the dark forever. One day sooner than later I will get rid of him and send him to where he belongs for good. Every day I wish was that day, but not today.

Today I am halfway across the world long gone from where I once was. No trace left of me that anyone could find me and my life completely disguised. I took up the identity of a dead person cut off my hair and added a fake beard. Along with some glasses and a hat and I was more unrecognizable than usual when I left. As I hold tight the jar of angelica, rosemary, and mint in my hand I feel untouchable. Something tells me that those days are over and that I can finally relax and breath. Something else tells me not to get my hopes up and to stay ready in case I have to leave again.

TBC...