I could feel the bindings around my hands loosen and with great relief my hands were free. I scrambled to a sitting position and worked at the bindings at my feet. You'd be surprised at how difficult it is to undo a know in total darkness.
The box thumped and shuttered as the thing inside screamed and kicked for escape. It could smell me...my hot blood thumping through my veins beat out a rhythm that drove the demon berserk. It's talons scratched harder and harder at the wood. A thought struck me and I searched my pocket, thankful that my attempts at quitting smoking had failed so far, and pulled out my lighter. It was then that I performed the worst action that I could have done at that time...I struck the lighter. Shadows danced across the cellar and the chest in the far corner began to shake and rock on the stone floor in a frenzy of blood hunger. I saw the eye shine of the creature within as it looked through the deep grooves that it had scratched through the chest. It's claws couldn't quite fit through the openings yet, but I rushed at loosening my bindings, knowing that it wouldn't be long before the demon broke out of it's small cell.
Drip, drip, drip...the water fell, matching it's sound to the bass of my drumming heart.
Drip.
Drip.
Crack! My eyes watered as I saw that the creature had broken through one of the boards. The splintered wood reminded me of shattered bones. I panicked and began to hyperventilate. I felt unconsciousness creeping back to grasp me under again and I knew that If I blacked out again, I would never wake up. I counted from five to one, forcing myself to calm down. I stuck the lighter to the bindings around my ankles and they started to burn.
Drip.
Drip.
Crack! Another board snapped and I could see the little demons sharp teeth reflecting the light of my flame. I gnashed them together with a snap, snap.
The rope burned in two and I was free. I tried to stand and screamed as a sharp arrow of pain shot up my leg. I reached down to pull back the leg of my blue jeans and noticed for the first time, the pool of blood that I was lying in. In my panic I hadn't realized the compound fracture just above the ankle. The baseball bat that had delivered the blow lay in the opposite corner of the cellar from the chest. I couldn't help but cry as I pulled myself across the floor to the stairs that led up...up, up, up to safety.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
I had made it only a few steps up when I bumped my leg and cried out in pain. I couldn't believe that I hadn't dropped the lighter. The light went out, but I struck it alive again, suddenly afraid of the dark...a fear I had never had until now.
Drip-drip.
Drip-drip.
Crash! I looked to my right and saw the chest explode and the thing within roared, triumphant at it's escape. It's huge yellow eyes focused on me, the prize for freedom.
It was a small thing, with huge muscles along its arms, upper body and torso. It had no legs, but pulled itself along like I was, with its arms. It screamed at me and I turned away and pulled myself up the steps, concentrating on my own prize....the door at the top.
Before I knew it, I was at the door. I reached up in a panic to open it. My hand grasped the door handle...turned it. I hadn't realized until that moment that I had been holding my breath, and my lungs burned for oxygen. I exhaled in a rushing whoosh and quickly sucked in another breath as a cold, clammy, wet hand enveloped itself around my dragging, broken ankle. I screamed in terror and pain as I looked back at the thing that grabbed me. The open door shined a line of yellow light down its horrid body and where the light touched it its skin began to boil and smoke. It screamed in pain, a noise of anguish that matched my own, but it didn't let go of my ankle. I could feel the splintered bone on my ruined leg sawing at my flesh as it pulled me back into the darkness of the cellar.
I couldn't give up...wouldn't give up. My freedom was starring me in the face and there was no way I would give up at this juncture in my life. If it meant sacrificing my foot and ankle to buy the freedom I so desired then so be it. I pushed the door wide and gripped both door jambs and pulled with all my might. I don't remember screaming, but I'm sure I did as I felt that unyielding grip pull one of my limbs from my body. Blood spurted from my amputated stump as I rolled through the door. The demon had fallen back into the cellar and the last thing I remember thinking as I shut the cellar door and drifted into the welcoming darkness of unconsciousness was that I would live one more day.
My eyes shut to the sound of blood running beneath the door to the cellar, running down the stairs and pooling on the cellar floor...drip, drip, drip.
