There are two of you, don’t you see?
One that kills…and one that loves.
Roxanne, Apocalypse Now
Dorothy opened her eyes to a sea of claustrophobic gloom and semi-darkness pressing against her. Everything strange. Smells. Location. Time.
She tried moving, but arms and legs were swampy. As if bones had been separated from her body. An iron manacle ringed her left ankle. She pulled on the chain connected to it. No use. Fastened securely to the far wall. The effort sapped what little strength she had in her. Exhaustion took hold.
‘Mum? Dad? Are you there?’ she whispered fearfully, tears starting to glaze her eyes. ‘Cindy…? Stop doing this to–’
Without warning, a hand whipped around from behind, clamping her mouth tightly. She could barely breathe. Panicking, she lashed out, but was too weak to cause damage. Tears began flowing. Snot bubbled and spurted from her nose onto the gripping hand.
‘Stop with the crying, and keep your voice down,’ hissed a voice into her ear. ‘Scarman will hear you. If you force him to come, he’ll punish us. If you make him come, I’ll punish you, as well.’
Dorothy stopped struggling as soon as she saw the owner of the hand. A girl, face filthy, ropey hair thick with grease. The girl cautiously removed her hand, before skidding the snot and tears back onto Dorothy’s pyjamas.
‘What’s your name?’ the girl asked.
‘Dor…Dorothy. Dorothy Reilly.’ Dorothy began wiping away the stream of tears and the leakage from her nose. She was finding it difficult not to sob. ‘Where…where am I?’
‘Not fucking Kansas, Dorothy – that’s for sure.’ The girl smiled, but not in a friendly way. ‘We’re in a big house, out in the shitty country somewhere. That’s all I know.’
‘What…am I doing here?’
‘Are you serious? Can’t you guess?’
‘I…I’m not sure. I remember sleeping in bed with Cindy, my wee sister. There was a party…I don’t know what happened after that.’
‘Well, I can pretty much tell you what happened after that. You were taken.’
‘What…?’
‘Taken. Just like the movie. Scarman has you now.’
‘Who…who’s Scarman?’
‘The Devil.’
Dorothy started puking. Most of the splattering slammed against the girl.
‘You stupid little bitch! Look what the fuck you’ve done to my jeans!’
Dorothy began sobbing uncontrollably. She was in hell and the devil was coming for her.