Jeremy was in the front seat while Deanna and I sat in the back, each with tears springing down our faces, not making any noise. I looked over at Deanna and she was looking out the window watching everything stroll by before her eyes. I inched my hand to hers and squeezed it. Her attention was distracted as she looked at me and squeezed back. She mouthed and ‘I'm sorry' to me. I mouthed ‘it's not your fault' back to her. She shook her head as her eyes fell from my contact and then glanced back at the window and watched as each building passed.
Jeremy kept looking back at us through the rear view mirror, glancing his hazel blue eyes in our direction. Deanna never paid attention though I could see the look that he really didn't want to hurt us but he had to do what he had do. I never looked him in the eye. How could he do this to someone he once loved? I realized he was doing it out of love, but going about it the wrong way. I just then thought of an idea that could help us out. I knew or at least I hoped he didn't have the guts to kill Deanna because he still loved her. I went over my plan over and over again in my head. I had to do it quick before Jeremy got too far away from campus.
I squeezed Deanna's hand again to get her attention. When she looked over to me I moved my head to the side motioning to the door. Then I slowly pointed to myself. She thought about it for awhile then nodded her head I hoped she knew what I was going to do. I took one deep breath and slid over closer to the door. I slowly pulled the lock up and with the sound of the click I went back to my regular position. Jeremy didn't notice and kept his eyes on the road. I breathed a sigh of relief. I gave Deanna's hand one more squeeze and let go. I slid over to the door and in one quick motion swung the door open. Jeremy looked back and tried to stop me with the knife, I rolled out of the car just as Jeremy brought the knife down. I felt the knife slice my leg and the pain hit me like none other I had ever felt.
The ground moved quickly as my body came rapidly, crushing my body against the hard pavement. I hit the ground with the thud as I landed on my wrist. I heard a crack and some more pain, but I ignored it. I took a look around to see where I was, recognizing the area that circled me. Once I got myself oriented, I ran towards my dorm which was a couple miles away. My leg was gushing blood, streaming down the side of my leg and my red wrist was killing me as I limped as fast as I could. About thirty minutes later, I reached my dorm. I slowly made my way up the stairs holding my wrist and hobbled on my hurt leg. As I came around the corner I saw police there talking to Justin. I instantly felt relieved as I screamed his name. He looked up and ran towards me surrounding me in a hug. I collapsed in his arms, hardly having a breath left to speak about what happened. My sock was now red from the stained blood and there was a hole in my sleeve from where I landed. I panted like a dog as Justin held my weak body up with his arm, preventing my body from dashing to the ground. I shuffled my feet, trying to stand on my own while Justin kept a grip on me.
I used my arm that wasn't hurt and to toss my hair out of my eyes and I observed around the room to see two cops, and Hollis and Hallie. I wondered where the other four guys were but that wasn't the importance right now. I reached up and grabbed Justin shirt as I hung myself there, looking at one of the police man who had a pad of paper in his hand as the other walked over to my vulnerable body.
" Sergeant Affleck, call the ambulance," Sergeant Damon said, the other cop who lightly lifted up my hand but the touch made my wrist encounter agonizing pain, ride up to my finger tips. I cringed bending my knees as I began to cry, knowing that I was finally there and still alive. I was so tired and sore that I just wanted to rest somewhere for awhile. When I heard the words from Sergeant Damon, I knew that they weren't concentrating on the major fact here. Jeremy had Deanna and who knows what he will do.
" We have to get Deanna...," I coughed out before fainting to the floor. My body stretched across the small area as I landed on my sore side but I couldn't feel the pain. My mind went completely blank and all I could see was the darkness that was like a starless sky.
It felt like hours later when I felt a tapping on my cheek and I slid my eyes open to see Justin's head upside down above me, and felt his warm lap beneath me. I stayed there still as I closed my eyes once again and heard paramedics coming to my rescue. Hands were coming to me in every directions, feeling my pulse, and then I was being placed onto a stretcher. I opened my eyes to see Justin walking with me, coming every inch of the way.
" Don't come with me, save Deanna!" I cried out as a blanket was placed over me and Justin reached for my hand. He gently stroked it and nodded in response. His hand slipped off of mine and I was carried out of the room.
Jeremy's car– Deanna's P.O.V.
I wrapped my legs close to me on the seat as I buried myself in the corner of the car. About forty-five minutes later the car came to a stop as I saw Jeremy get out. He brought out his knife and then unlocked the door. He reached for my arm as he dragged me out.
" Where are we?" I quizzed as I took a look around. This was my first time in North Carolina and I was pretty sure it was his also. The Embassy Suites stood in front of us as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and slid the snapped the knife back in so it wasn't sticking out.
" Just act normal," he demanded as we entered through the glass doors and approached the lady sitting at the front desk.
He registered for a room and got it on the top level, the 7th story. He acted kind as he gave her a quick smirk as I stood next to him not saying a word. I searched around the place, looking from wall to wall as I felt a nudge and then a jerk on my sleeve, stumbling over my feet. We got into the elevator quietly as his arm stayed around my shoulder. No one joined us as we went up the elevator, listening to the soft classical music that played overhead.
We heard the ring as it arrived at the floor. The doors flew open and a couple stood in front of us. He hunched over to avoid them as he squeezed his body and mine following behind him. He searched his pocket for the key, listening to the jiggle and the tapping as things shuffled around. He then found it and held it up and then slid it in and shoved me forward, keeping the tips of his toes close against my heels. He kicked the door to close it as I walked over to the only bed in the center of the room. My hands were shaking and I couldn't stop my body from trembling from fear. I combed my fingers through my hair as I placed it behind my ears as he strode over in my direction. His dirty blond hair was messed from the struggle back at the dorms as his hazel eyes wouldn't remove themselves from me. He tossed the closed knife, to the edge of the bed and I didn't take my eyes off of it.
" We need a breath of fresh air, don't ya think?" I blurted, trying to think of something to distract him away from me. I didn't know what he was going to do and it was just building to the fear of it all. He came over to me as he put a knee on my bed but I slid my body away and stood up and walked over to the balcony slide doors.
Before I opened the door I could feel the presence of Jeremy straight on my back as I lowered my head and slowly placed my hand against the locks. As slid the door open he wrapped his arm around my stomach and then pulled me backwards with him. He swung me around as I noticed he was holding a rope.
" And what are you going to do with that?" I managed to squeak out as I pointed to the rope, knowing the answer but I wanted to believe that I wrong. The soft wind blew my hair as he stared at the rope and then looked up at my eyes. The birds chirped a soft sound at the wrong moment, a sweet lullaby.
" It will only be for a half an hour so I know that you don't call anyone," he answered.
I began to walk forward and then changed my pace but before I could move any farther I was grabbed from behind and then taken over to the bed. He threw me and then got next to me as I started to slap him, leaving red marks all over his body, kicking to be let free. He grabbed each wrist as he pinned me down and then placed a leg over my body to hold me down. I let out a large sigh knowing that whatever I tried I wouldn't be able to escape from this position. His strength was overpowering.
" You are putting this on yourself," he said as he snatched one of my arms, slammed it hard against one of the poles on the bed and then tightly wrapped the rope around my wrist. I felt it cutting into my wrists, rubbing back and forth against my frail skin as he knotted it many times. He did the same to the other so I was unable to move from the bed. He stood up with a satisfied look on his face. He walked over to the door and exited the room. I was finally alone, my heart racing, and breathing heavily. The only sound that I heard was my own heart and the chirping of the birds outside. My mind raced with thoughts of how to escape from this position. I then remembered the most important thing. Jeremy had left the knife on the bed.