Prey (A Closed Thread)

One of her friends had slapped a Roadrunner on the side of her Subaru. She even had a tattoo of Speedy Gonzales on her left shoulderblade. Kelly was proud to be one of the fastest girls on the college track team, grinning ear to ear every time someone gave added praises on the team's current record. "I'm just one of the group," She would reply with a shrug, but the smirk was always there. "Just another part of the cogs."

The 20 year old tried to keep the focus on the whole publicly, but there was a touch of arrogance there at times. A fight with one of the other girls a few weeks ago certainly hadn't done well for either of them, nearly kicked off the team for the actual fistfight the two had resorted to.

No more of that. Behave.

Kelly and Terri weren't exactly on speaking terms with each other at the moment, but both girls, as well as the rest of the team, were excited to find out they had made it to the state finals. A chance to show off, against other colleges outside of their region. Coach warned the girls to be on their best behaviors, an added glance given to the duo as they took their seats in the college cargo van. A set of grumbled agreements were all she received in response.

Kelly was happily settled into her seat as they pulled out onto the main highway, resting her knees into the back of the seat ahead of her as she crouched down, her laptop open as she rewatched the news clip of their last race. The declaration of the girls' upcoming trip.

And her favorite part. "The team is relying on golden girl Kelly Horton to carry them to victory, hopefully giving the Lady Wild Dogs their third State win in a row."

"No doubt about that," Kelly replied to the reporter on her monitor with a grin. The sky outside seemed to be growing darker, Kelly glancing out the window lazily to see the sudden flash of lightning in the distance. Her brows shot up, changing her browser to instead check the weather for the region. A giant patch of red quickly flooded the weather map. A huge storm coming in, a storm that looked set to linger.

"This isn't looking too promising," Kelly called out with a frown, holding up her computer for Coach to see. "If it keeps this up tomorrow, will they have to cancel?"

"It's possible," Coach agreed with a frown of her own, glancing out as the rumble of thunder led way to a sudden blast of rain. Kelly groaned, a quick disappointment coming over her. She had expectations, both of her own, of the team. They couldn't cancel the meet! Another blare of thunder, another flash of lightning. Mother Nature was sounding off her own opinions on all that. Too damn bad. The rain grew heavier still.

"Hold tight, girls," Coach called out, clutching her own seat as she looked back to the driver. "Think you can manage this?"

The man grimaced, shaking his head. "I'm not really sure. It's getting rather hard to see what's ahead of me. If it gets any worse, I may have to pull off for awhile. Help me find somewhere safe for the girls."

The van continued to plow on through the downpour that seemed to unzip suddenly from above, the brake lights of vehicles ahead growing more and more difficult to make out. Kelly stood up slightly, trying to peer out the front window. A car flew past her window. She barely noticed it, a dark thing, no lights on.

"COACH!," She started, trying to get the woman to notice the car as well-Right as it shoved in front of the van and slammed its brakes.

The van's driver tried to stop, to swerve. The van lost control. Into the ditch. Rolled. Kelly heard the smash of glass, the screams of the girls behind her. She simply clung to the seat, yelping out as her head slammed against the top of the van. Everything stopped. Sounds, groans.

"Girls?" Coach's voice. Up front. "Girls, say something!" They all called out, some worried on injuries they thought they had. Kelly was disoriented but felt alright for the most part. It was just hard to move.

-----------------------
Kelly Horton

David Platt swore when the storm finally opened up with all its fury. Visibility all but disappeared, even with the wipers going as fast as possible and the fog lights on.

"Fuck, how the hell is anyone supposed to see anything in this shit?"

He was off to watch his old alma mater compete in the state finals. It was made that little bit better by the fact that he would finally get to see Kelly Horton run in the flesh. She was something else, and she managed to put most of the lads to shame.

"Sexy as hell and fast as a cheetah too. That's a tough combo to beat. But, hey, I'm an old perv and proud of it. I'll watch the pretty gals, drool and dream." He laughed to himself as he squinted trying to stay on the road.

"What's -" Ahead he could make out flickering red and orange lights. He slowed down, not sure exactly what they were. As he got closer, the colour stabilized into red. The red of road hazard flares. He caught the outlines of a couple of cars, and a larger vehicle that had rolled. David slowly passed the site, pulling over at a safe point before jumping out of his SUV. He was drenched before he could close the door. Between the rain and cloud cover, he could barely see anything, and could hear the calls of people shouting out orders, calling names, and other general mayhem.

Without pause, he scrambled forward, slipping on the muddy soil as he got closer, making out vague shapes of people as he got closer. He saw someone laid out on their back, with a woman beside them, leaning over trying to talk to them.

"You need any help ma'am?"

She lifted her head, her hair plastered to her head, rivers of water running down her face. David could just make out some of her features, and they were remarkably familiar.

"No, I'm... I'm fine. The driver... he was hurt, and I'm just keeping him company."

"I'm fine, Miss Draper. You go look after the girls. I'll be fine."

'Miss Draper? Coach of the Lady Wild Dogs?' David blinked some of the water out of his eyes. "Don't worry, ma'am. I'll help out. I've got a CB in my truck, and I can call in Police and EMT. Within two paces, he couldn't see the coach or the driver but within a few more, he found himself near the bus. He made out other people helping the girls out of the bus, checking to see how badly they were hurt. One person was actually helping them out, two others were moving them off to some other spot while they got the bus clear. David moved up to take the next one removed from the bus.

"Steady there, Miss. There you go. Thanks, sir." The hand over was not as good as it could have been, and the young woman partially collapsed into David's arms. He staggered back a little, slipping again, but righted himself before he fell. He helped her back up to her feet, her face very close to his own. Even in the veritable darkness, he saw enough to know he had none other than Kelly Horton in his hands.

"Come on, Miss. Just come this way. We found some shelter from the rain over this way. A little bit of a hike, but it's a lot drier." He kept a firm hold on her, steering her away from all the known places where people were. He led her up the slope, managing not to slip and brought her to the side of his car.

He slammed her against the side, his hand going over her mouth as he quickly opened the back door and pushed her in. He climbed in behind her and pulled the door closed. Pinning her to the seat, he reached over into the front passenger seat, and snatched the large sealed sachet. He tore it open using his teeth, then extracted a dark coloured patch which he slapped on her exposed arm.

"Don't worry, Kelly, it's not going to hurt you. Just make you very, very, sleepy. The more you fight it, the more of a headache you'll have when you wake up." He kept her held down firmly until she succumbed to the effects of the tranq patch. Once she had settled, he threw a blanket over her, then climbed over into the driver's seat.

Without a second thought, he pulled out, and drove off as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.


Dry, and in a flannel shirt and well broken in jeans, David sat on the stool drinking his coffee while he waited for Kelly to wake up. The fire in the fire place had dried out her wet clothes, and her body temperature would be nice and stable as well after an hour or two in the warm room.

David was rather aroused by Kelly, particularly when he got her out of the car and got her onto the mattress in the room. She had an athlete's body; well toned muscles, but she still managed to have herself a nice feminine bust. He also liked her other curves. She had a face that was as pretty in real life as it was on the camera.

He was not the most handsome man she would ever meet, or had ever met. A tad over six feet in his bare feet, he also had a good physique, but it came from good old hard work rather than hours in the gym. It showed on his face too in the weathered look of his tanned skin. His brown hair that fell half way down his back in a simple ponytail was lightened by the sun, and he hadn't shaved recently so his stubble had just gotten past being scratchy.

The leather cuffs on each wrist and ankle had been well secured, the chains giving her enough slack to touch her face with her hands, and close her legs together if she felt the need. He imagined what it would be like with ropes rather than chains, ropes pulled tight with her naked body lying on the mattress for him to look at and admire. He got rather uncomfortable in his jeans just thinking about it.

He heard her starting to wake. He took to sipping his coffee as he watched her waking up.

"Well, hello Miss Horton. I wasn't expecting to meet you so soon, but I am not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, so to speak. Not when some one so helpfully handed you to me, literally. Please, don't bother screaming, trying to get the cuffs off, attacking me or anything else silly like that. If you stay calm, and listen to me, Kelly, I'll release your hands and give you something nice and hot to eat and drink.

"You think you can do that for me? If not, I'm happy to get that big ol' paddle off the wall over there, and hit you with it until you understand I'm not kidding about anything I say."

"No, I'm fine, the way I was sitting, I was-" Kelly winced as the man trying to help her from her seat started to cradle her, her legs starting to push down for the floor. A soft yelp left her. Maybe that position had been a bad one. Her knees felt strange. She flailed out, the man helping grabbing onto her and trying to help pass her off to someone else outside. Somewhere between the mud and the bus' strange angle, she was slightly tossed out, landing at a terrible angle herself into the man's arms. She grimaced again, cringing as he pulled her back up. "Sorry," She whispered out, trying to regain her footing. Her knees weren't as bad as she thought. Just a bit locked up.

The man started to lead her away in the rain, guiding her away from the broken bus. She could hear the other girls, people trying to help them out from the mess and into the pouring rain. Anywhere out of this storm was a safehaven, in Kelly's mind. She was still shaken, confused, as he guided her up the hill a bit more, soothing words attempting to calm her as they went on.

This didn't seem right. What about Coach? The rest of the team?

Kelly gasped as he wrenched her against the car, her eyes widening as she tried to scream, cut off by his hand forcing against her lips. It smelled of gasoline, tasted like dirt against her lips. She tried to push him off, screeching into the palm covering her mouth as he shoved her into the vehicle.

This isn't happening-
This guy is insane-
A car accident, that's all that had happened, why- how-

She tried to scream again, kicking against him as he pinned her against the back seat, digging her nails into his shoulders. he didn't seem to care what she was doing, a plan of his own in effect as he reached for his front seat. Something torn open, something shoved against her arm. Kelly shrieked again, thrashing even more. Whatever that was, she wanted it off. Now.

The man tried to soothe her once more, keeping her down as her eyelids grew heavy. She whined out once more, trying to shake her head. She still didn't understand what had just happened, her mind trying to comprehend as everything slowly went black.







She felt a bed beneath her, though her head felt on fire. A terrible pain that ran from the very front of her head, straight down into her temples. Kelly groaned, wondering just how hard she had hit that window. That was what happened, wasn't it? She remembered parts of the crash, someone coming to help. Were they in the hotel now?

She reached up, rubbing her head. Her arm felt heavy. She opened her eyes slowly, gasping as she saw why her arm felt so strange. She yanked, finding the other arm in the same predicament. Panic and fear fell into place then, the memories of what else had happened filling in the gaps.

A voice.
The man who had helped her, standing in the doorway, watching her with a smile as he sipped from a cup. He acted as though she were staying at his home, like this was a bed and breakfast, and she had simply dozed off.

"Let me go!," She shrieked, trying to yank again. "What are you talking about? I'm supposed to be on that bus, not. Not where ever the hell I am!"

Handed her to him? Her eyes widened. He had planned something to begin with? Who was this man?

"You're insane!," She screamed, tugging once again, hearing the chains on all four appendages jingle slightly. "What makes you think I would cooperate with you, let alone listen to you? Get these off me!"

Her head fell back down, a soft sob leaving her as she closed her eyes. Whatever that patch had been, was still effecting her. She was dizzy now, shaking her head softly. "I just wanted to break my record...," she whimpered out, managing to get out another shriek after it.

David was not in the least bit surprised at Kelly's reaction to the cuffs and chains. If she had reacted like they had been something she was used to, that would have been something else entirely. But David pushed that aside as it was not necessary.

"Let me go! What are you talking about? I'm supposed to be on that bus, not. Not where ever the hell I am!"

He shook his head slightly as she shrieked and thrashed about. From everything he had read about her, she was a smart young woman, but then maybe the base emotions ruled her like they ruled everyone else. If that was the case, then things were probably going to go pretty much like he suspected they would.

Then, he caught the widened eyes. But then again, maybe not.

"You're insane! What makes you think I would cooperate with you, let alone listen to you? Get these off me!"

"Because you're smart, and you want to get away."

David stood up, placing his coffee mug on a nearby bench on his way over to grab the paddle he referred to earlier. It had a sturdy wooden handle, topped with a solid length of wide, flexible leather. He gave it a couple of test swings on his way over to her.

"Now, since you feel you can't listen to me, then I'll be giving you some paddling until you feel you can listen to me. And believe me, Kelly, I will keep going until you shut up and listen."

He got to where she was chained down, reaching down and easily flipping her onto her belly. He knelt down, placing on knee in the middle of her back to keep her in place, while he grabbed a handful of her hair, pulling her head back as far as he could.

"You know why you should listen to me, Kelly Horton, Champion of the Track?" He hissed into her ear. "Because I am insane."

David let go of her hair, without any care for what happened to her head. He lifted the paddle, and brought it down on her ass. He watched the tight flesh compress and ripple under the impact of the blow, sending shock waves down her thighs.

He launched himself into the air, coming down straddling her waist, bending low until his mouth was again pressing close to her ear. He held the chain connected to her wrist cuff, keeping her hand from her ear.

"Kelly," he spoke softly and calmly, "are you going to be a good girl and listen to what I am going to say? I know you'd prefer to be back with your friends at the meet. The sooner you listen, and cooperate, the soon that may happen. Or I can give you two more goes with the paddle, and I'll ask again. Each time we go to the paddle, it will be one more than before. If you don't listen to me, you'll wind up being a cripple for life. I don't want to see you do that to yourself, Kelly, not when you have such potential in you to go much, much further than you are now.

"Are you going to listen, Kelly? Maybe even be good enough to get something nice and warm to eat too?"

Even for an athlete, the fear added to her efforts' exhaustion, Kelly dropping back against the bed and gasping for breath, watching him in confusion as he moved closer. His words lost her. What did her desire to get away from him have to do with anything? Wasn't that why he had her chained like this? Why would that make her want to listen to him?

He wasn't joking about that paddle. He was actually going for it. Kelly gasped, trying to tug again, shaking her head as he approached with the thing in hand. He was speaking, but she didn't hear the words. Just his tone. Threatening and yet calm. Scary enough without hearing the actual speech.

"You're absolutely m-" She was cut off by his hand grabbing against her, the student's shriek cut off by the mouthful of bed she was met with. A grimace came to her face with the heavy weight of his knee grinding into her back, another cry forced out as he yanked upon her hair.

She whimpered as he hissed into her ear, her head dropped heavily back onto the sheets. He admitted to being mad.

The words echoed into her mind as he moved, Kelly screaming into the mattress as the wood connected with her exposed rear. The crack it made, the pain it left behind. The runner's eyes brimmed with tears, squealing out as he was atop her once again. Heated whispers in her ear, a hand clutching at her wrist.

Bad Dream.
A coma.
She was in a hospital bed somewhere, wasn't she? This was her mind terrorizing her, making this a hell for her. This couldn't be real.

But those words.
His weight against her.
The heat of his body, his breath. What type of dream could manage something so real as this?
If she disagreed, would her body shut down? Was that what this was?

She was breathing hard, labored breaths drawn as she tried to think, wild random thoughts trying to pour through. Cooperate or be hit. Over. And over. And over. Would he truly go so far as to leave her broken?

Kelly whined pathetically, nodding slowly in agonized submission to his demand for compliance. "I'll. I'll listen. Please, don't do that again." Her voice was soft, trembling. "Don't. Don't break me."

That was what had done it. The threat of leaving her useless on the track. That was her glory, her home. If he took that away from her, she would be devastated. Whatever this lunatic wanted. She couldn't let him do that.

Straddling Kelly the way he had was giving David several kinds of wicked, naughty thoughts that he was cataloging in his head as she breathed heavily and whimpered. He was really looking forward to getting her like that, nicely naked, her legs parted wide enough to allow him to ease himself into her -

"I'll. I'll listen. Please, don't do that again. Don't. Don't break me."

"Thank you, Kelly." He let go of the chain, moving the hand to soothe her hair away from her cheek, pressing a soft, tender kiss on her exposed skin. He carefully got off her, careful not to hurt her as he did so. He walked back to the bench, putting the paddle back, and picking up his mug of coffee.

"Now, Kelly," he spoke as he walked back to the stool, "I know that you don't want to be here. Any sane person doesn't want to be in a place like this. Chained up with some mad man, not having any idea what crazed ideas or schemes he's got going through his messed up head." He sat down, taking a sip from the mug. "So, I'm going to give you the opportunity to get away."

David chuckled. "Oh, there's no need for that kind of look, Kelly. I'm very serious. I not just going to let you go, of course. It's going to be a competition between us. I'm going to let you go, then I'm going to hunt you. If I catch you, then I bring you back here, or to a game camp, and we have fun until it's time to let you go the next morning. If you manage to elude me, well, you get a lovely night out in the woods, in peace before I come after you again.

"Now, if you get off my property, you're free. No more hunting, no more fun, nothing. And, to sweeten the deal just that little further, if you don't get the authorities involved, I'll set you up with a nice little sponsorship type deal that'll allow you to concentrate on training. No need to worry about money for bills, gear, food, etcetera."

He took a long sip from his coffee, letting Kelly have a chance to soak all that up. He also took the chance to look her over again, trying to visualize what she looked like under the clothing.

"Hard details, Kelly. From six AM to midnight, I will hunt you, and you can be caught. If you are caught, you will be held until six AM the following morning, when you will be let go with a three hour head start. While captured, well, I will make sure that you have something to eat, and we'll have a lot of fun together too. To be fair to you, out in the woods will be little caches, each with enough food and water for one standard meal. If you evade me until midnight, then I will withdraw, and you will not be actively hunted again until six AM the following morning.

"You will not be deliberately injured, maimed nor killed during these hunts. Any wounds you sustain will be properly treated. However, I will not be held responsible for any injuries you receive that impact on your track career.

"I am a man of my word, Kelly Horton. I am bound to what I have mentioned to you so far. Also, if I tell you that you have certain options, and associated consequences, I am not bluffing. I am more than prepared to carry through with anything I tell you I am going to do. Which means the results are fully your choice. Your fault."

David drained his mug. His hopped down off the stool and sauntered over closer to Kelly. He squatted down, canting his head so it was a little more in line with hers. "Would you like some coffee? How do you take it?"

Kelly cringed slightly as the man's hand found her cheek, squealing weakly as he placed his lips upon it. His face was stubbled, rough against her skin, his breath rich with the scent of his coffee. Listening to him was so hard to do, but she tried. Her heart was beating too loudly, echoing in her ears. She was scared. Scared to death. He had claimed he wouldn't hurt her if she listened, but that initial threat still hung over her- I will cripple you.

But the paddle was soon gone. He slipped back, talking to her still. Seemingly tying to sympathize with her. That in itself confused her, her head trying to twist and follow the sound of his voice. He seemed to have her thoughts pegged dead-on, something that scared her. If he knew so well, then why did he keep talking this way?

Opportunity to get away.
Becky's face contorted, a look of pure doubt and disbelief.
A look he called out. More words of promise and compromises. Competition?
The girl listened still, trying to make sense of all he said. A frightening proposition, in almost all its aspects. Even though he swore to bring her no true harm, the idea of it. It was overwhelming. He wanted sport. Sport and award. Both out of her.

This was madness at its furthest.
A thing he had already confessed. He knew he was insane to her.

She tried to comprehend it all, simply laying there, closing her eyes. If she met his challenge, he offered her a reward of her own. But if she didn't? How long did he intend for this game to continue? Until she simply could not move? A continuous retry?

And what if she refused? She had already found the consequence of refusal thus far. Would he continue that until he received agreement?

It was all so confusing. Unreal. His words replayed in her head, his promises and expectations. The rules of his game. He had planned so much to this. Even gave a fighting chance in what sounded to be extensive grounds.

He was suddenly before her, smiling and offering coffee. Once again the greeting host to his guest. She simply stared at him, the cup in his hand, back to his eyes. The small smile on his lips seemed to add even more to the confusing aspects of his offer. So casual about it all.

"I don't drink it," She managed to get out, her voice soft, frightened still. "I. I would take some water." A test, at first. If he were willing to at least give a small request such as this, perhaps she could at least try to comprehend the man she was dealing with. Kelly attempted to sit up, to readjust, prevented by his tethers. "Let me up. At least to sit with you. If we're discussing such things, can't I at least be able to sit and face you?"

Kelly listened so well, she was such a good sport. No excessive wriggling, screaming, crying or carrying on while he spoke. She took it all in like a real trooper. David knew she was smart. He knew she would see the situation for what it was and not waste time on panic. He chose right all those years ago when he prepared for this day.

Though, he was genuinely shocked when she refused his offer of coffee.

"I don't drink it. I. I would take some water."

"Of course, how silly of me. Here was I thinking of how unusual it was for a college student to not drink coffee, but then you're a high performance athlete. Caffeine would not be good for you." He stood up and walked out of the room for less than a minute, returning with a mug, and a large, clear plastic tumbler of water. He set both down on the bench, then approached Kelly.

"Now, here is where we show each other that we are people of our word. I am going to unlock your wrists. In return, you are not going to attack me whenever I come near. Because if you do, I will drug you, secure you belly down and when you're fully awake, you'll get that paddle on your ass five more times, and then you'll get to lie there for twelve hours before getting another chance to be unlocked. Oh, and you wont get any food, drink, nor will you get to go to the toilet in that time.

"I hope you got all of that, Kelly. Now, I'm going to unlock the cuffs now, then get your water for you." He pulled out a small key from his pocket, knelt down and unlocked both wrist cuffs. He stood, went back to the bench, securing the key again, grabbing her water, and brought it back to her.

"There you are, Kelly. Cool water. Let me know if you want any more." He went back to grab his coffee and returned to sit on his stool. "I must say, you are a rather impressive young lady on the track. One of the few that seems to take it on the chin well when you get beat too. Always first to congratulate the gal that beats you, you seem happy for her too. Need to see more of that these days."

He took a long sip of his coffee, letting the warmth ease through his body. He was a ball of excitement inside. Within the next 48 hours, he was going to start his grand game with Kelly Horton. Whether that started with a hunt, or with some play, he wasn't sure and frankly, didn't care. Both had their appeal, their own different sources of adrenaline pumping fun. He would be in control of her regardless of what he did, where she went. Even when the hunt was over, he would still be in charge of her, and she would willingly be his. He smiled at images in his mind of what it may be like when it was 'over'.

"Now, we will have a little time to spare before the competition formally starts, so please feel free to ask any questions you may have. I may choose not to answer any of them, but then, I just might answer some. I know there are a huge number of questions buzzing around in your head, like... oh... 'Why me?' 'Who is this fucking nutter?' 'Is he going to kill me?' 'What's really going to happen to me?' You know, all those questions the poor kidnapped bastard in Criminal Minds pathetically asks their kidnapper but never gets an answer to."

He cocked his head up to one side. "I wonder. This could make a really good Criminal Minds episode. I'd really like them to get Michael Wincott to play me if they did. The man's got a great voice, and his presence would be perfect." He looked back at Kelly. "But who could they get to play you? Now that's a tough question. Oh, never mind. You had some questions. When you're ready, fire away."

She accepted her mind's illusion. The game it was trying to play with her. She had read about things like this, when someone so deeply lost into a horrific accident would simply create a new vision of the world to try and comprehend what had happened to them. This man was hers, wasn't he? Kelly simply needed to fight through this, that had to be the case. Once she woke up, it would all be better. Once her mind accepted it. Once she could found motion again.

But he had struck her. That pain was real.

Kelly watched him hesitantly as he left the room, losing sight of him after a moment, the man returning quickly with the water she had asked for. He did comply to her request, and explained his own demands upon meeting her second request. No attacking. No fighting. Threat of drugs, pain.Being left alone and ignored.

It made her wonder again. Was this her head? Too confusing, this fight between probabilities.

But he was letting her up. She sat up slowly as he turned away, rolling her shoulders softly and stretching her back. Still attached to his bed, but at least able to move somewhat. Taking the cup from him, she looked into it a moment, then back to him. She suddenly wanted to throw it in his face. But the warning. She had to figure out what she was dealing with. He hadn't done anything to it, had he? He had only been gone a moment. Less than a moment. But he said he was expecting you. She slowly sipped at it, finding there to be nothing unusual about the taste. The simple momentary pass of the fluid against her tongue made her quickly realize just how thirsty she was, clutching the mug a bit tighter with both hands and pouring it into her mouth. It was certainly cold, and felt so much nicer against her throat. Setting it beside her, she wiped at the drops left upon her lips with the back of her hand, looking back to the man as he spoke. Praised her. Her brows knitted together slightly, confused by this. "Thank. You. Sir." Slow words, unsure on what to say. If she should even say anything.

He kept smiling, like there was some hidden joke only he knew.A punchline he was keeping secret. Questions? She tried to think, to get her mind to cooperate in better ways than it was. It was hard to think, though, as he spoke of the initial questions that truly had been swarming into her mind, answering them for himself, answers that seemed so gone and random. Television shows. Casting himself. Concern on her part. Who would play?

Kelly's doubts on that line between reality and a world of her mind's making were getting smeared more and more now.

"This is. This is real." It wasn't so much a question, but an attempt at understanding. Her hands raise, rubbing her head once more, trying to soothe the pounding in her skull. Sore, a number of places, quite sore. "You've been. Watching me?"

'Poor thing, the crash must have shook her up worse than I thought. She looks so confused and dazed.'

David frowned a little as Kelly tried to fathom what was going on. She had taken a big drink of the water, after checking it rather suspiciously. He made a note to check the filter on the tap in case it needed changing.

"This is. This is real."

He frowned again. "Of course it's real, Kelly. It's not some dream, or funny imaginary place created by a head knock."

Her hands went to her head, rubbing it as if trying to drive off some pain she was experiencing. The tranq patch he used may have increased the effects of any head trauma she had, but that would have been doubtful. The chemical imbalance may cause her some headache, which coupled with any head trauma would have made it feel worse. That was a possibility to him.

"You've been. Watching me?"

"Of course I have. On the TV, YouTube, the College website, even at a few of the track meets from the stands like any other member of the crowd. I have also been following you on various blogs, forums, websites and other places of interest. I have been quite interested in your track career over the last couple of years, Kelly. You are one of the finest upcoming track athletes this country has produced in the last... gosh... twenty years at least."

He took a long pull from his coffee mug. "Your tactics on the track are the best I have seen in a long time. You know your own strengths well, and run your races according to those, rather than trying to run to someone else's. You will do your best, but not push yourself beyond what you're capable of doing. And, to top it all off, you are just about the sexiest woman who is on the track anywhere in the world. In my opinion of course.

"Would you like something to eat? I know it's been a long time since you've eaten, but with the accident and all, I'm not sure if you're feeling hungry. I'm not wanting to starve you, and I'm not going to poison you or anything like that.

"In about twenty four hours time, give or take, you'll be let loose trying to get free. You'll need your energy for that. Unless, you want to be caught. I wouldn't mind you being caught nice and early. We'd have a lot more fun time together."

David got up from the stool, and headed over to the doorway, pausing to look back at Kelly with an expectant look on his face.

It was so strange to hear him talk about the various ways he had kept his attention upon her. All those things that left her so proud of her achievements, all the times the media had given her attention for what she had done. They were also his way of noticing her. Taking all these. Thoughts. Into his head. All the times the attention had made her feel so wonderful inside, being given those momentary interviews, he had been watching. He had been thinking.

Kelly felt a bit ill. But he had let her sit up.He hadn't threatened with the paddle further, now that they were actually speaking. Perhaps the longer she conversed with him, the more she could change his mind. Or at least figure out what type of person she was dealing with. He had dispelled her hopeful thoughts of this all being part of her mind. Maybe that was something her head would say, however. A way to defend itself from her curiosities about it.

She shook her head slowly, sipping at the water he had given her. At least that felt nice. It cooled her throat, gave her a moment to calm her throbbing head.

He gave her praises. Complimented her tactics. That her races weren't just about running. He called her. Sexy. Given the current situation, she wasn't quite appreciative of such a comment. Instead, she simply drank her water again, closing her eyes.

The offer of food, however, received an answer not given by Kelly, but her stomach. Something to eat. Yes. It had been awhile since she had eaten, hadn't it? She wasn't certain on how long she had been out, but did know that she had gotten on that bus at 5 am. There had been intentions to stop for food along the way to the hotel, but those plans never happened. The small gargle that came from beneath her shirt made the young woman frown, setting her cup back down. He promised not to do anything to it, that he wanted to keep her from starving. His note on it most likely having been awhile since she had something gave a touch of indication how long it had been since the crash. If he was worried on her stomach, then it must have been some time now.

The reminder on why he wanted her to stay fed and full of energy was quickly brought up. He plans for the next morning. Kelly shivered, starting to pull her legs up higher on the bed, prevented by the chains still attached to her ankles. He had only given her freedom to sit up with him, converse. He still didn't trust her. She didn't have much trust toward him, either. Twenty four hours. Before she had to run. Not for a medal. But simply to get away from a crazy man. The smile he gave as he mentioned hopes of her failing to run too far made her gaze quickly look away from him, a somewhat disgusted look upon her face.

He stood. She slowly looked back, finding him watching her, seeming to still be waiting for an actual answer. "I. I am hungry," She finally agreed softly, her eyes drifting back down from him.

A meet, she was given the chance to experience the track. Different surfaces, different terrain beneath. A time to adjust her footing, to understand her steps upon the surface. She didn't know what her new terrain was going to be. Maybe a window or something, a way to peek outside, see what she was going to be faced with. There was a window here, but its curtains were drawn. "May I see outside?," She called out, hoping he would agree to it.

David nodded when she finally answered him, telling him she was hungry. He made his way into the the other room, his kitchen, and prepared them both some breakfast. Two large bowls of muesli. On one he poured milk and honey, the other he put on a tray with a small unopened carton of milk, and one of honey, along with a clean spoon. he took the tray out first, placing it on the mattress beside her, then went back to fetch his own. He returned to the stool, sat down and started eating.

"Well, with the exception of what's in the bowl, as you can see the rest is unopened and not been tampered with. I know there are still trust issues. I don't know why though. What, just because I kidnapped you, I'm not someone who can be trusted? But that's fine, I can put up with those irrational thoughts and perceptions from you for now. In time, you'll learn that I am not going to harm you. Please, eat. If you do eat all of that, and you're still hungry, I can get you some more to eat."

David was fascinated to know what Kelly was thinking about the upcoming challenge. Was she thinking of it in terms of one of her races, or was it something different? He was hoping that she was thinking of it in race terms, because that was going to make it even better for him. To match wits with her as if she was racing against him, which she would be in a strange kind of way. They both had incentives to win, and David knew that it was nigh on impossible to Kelly to make it off his property in one day, starting from his home. So, she needed to make sure she didn't get caught to have a fighting chance of making it out.

"May I see outside?"

David stopped eating mid chew, looking straight at her. His gaze was hard, calculating. His mind was running through the options as to why she asked that question. He was well aware all runners got to view the track prior to running it, and even had a few practice runs to get a feel for the surface. Was her wanting to look the same as doing that? Or was she wanting to get free of her chains to make some ill conceived break from his home before the challenge formally began?

He resumed chewing slowly, his gaze never leaving Kelly, even after he swallowed. "Well, since you asked so nicely, Kelly, I think I can do that. Once you've finished your breakfast, I'll take everything away, and unlock the chains around your feet, and you can have a look out the window. Now, I'll warn you, if you do anything like try and get away, then the challenge will be on straight away, no lead time. And when you get caught, the fun time we'll have will reflect how I feel about you abusing my trust. OK?"

He went back to enjoying his breakfast, and enjoying his delightful, attractive company.

The cereal received a blank stare at first, Kelly hesitant to even take up the spoon from the tray. It seemed innocent enough, but questionable in that simplicity. His talk of game and sport left her worried on attempts for a hunter's advantage. But listening to him now, strange as the conversation was, he insisted he was honorable in his promises of meaning no ill will until the game began. Looking back to the food, her stomach begged to simply give in. Kelly quickly picked up the bowl, pouring in the honey and milk before taking a large spoonful. If he drugged her, he drugged her. Her stomach simply couldn't take it!

Her question seemed to phase him. Something he had to debate himself, Kelly at first believing he hadn't heard her or simply chose to ignore her. No, the look on his face when she glanced back up. Contemplating. Considering. "I only wish to see my terrain. I am not a cross country runner, as you are most certainly aware of."

He agreed. With stipulations. Of course. He wasn't about to let his game end prematurely, added threats of punishment for lies laced to the end of his agreement. Cheating resulted in consequences, as it did in her meets. His, however, were far more frightening than a simple expulsion from next runs.

She only gave a nod, continuing to work on the bowl given to her. It was soon emptied, Kelly finishing down to drinking the milk from the bowl before setting it back on his tray. The idea of his threat weighed on her mind as she peered over at him, her restless legs trying to move against his binds. His own glances made her nervous, the numerous mentions of his plans if and when he caught her leading her to simply imagine the things coming to his mind now.

But he had left her dressed.
It was something to consider. If raping her had been his full intent, it would have happened. Her clothes seemed exact to the way she dressed that morning. He hadn't removed a thing. Psychotic but honest. This was a rather disturbing combination. A Gentleman Lunatic.

She watched as he finished, stretching her legs a bit more. Twenty four hours or less. Her head needed to wrap around this.

She backed up her reason for looking out the window, and he saw no flaws in it. In fact, he nodded in agreement, silently chastising himself over the lack of forethought. Of course, she would not get to see all of the area, but letting her see what she could from the window wouldn't hurt.

Still it was a little saddening to see how reluctant she was to start eating the food she prepared for her. He wanted to hunt her. Where would the fun be in that if she was impaired from having her food laced with drugs? She would learn in time, he just had to be patient. No amount of words to change her mind, only the actions.

But she finished it all soon enough. She had been rather hungry, as he thought. He got up and put his breakfast on the bench, then headed over to where her secured ankles were. He unlocked her legs, doing nothing else with her. He returned, got his bowl, sat down on the stool and resumed eating. His observing her continued out of the corner of his eye. He trusted her to a point, but was still ready for her to try something remarkably cliched and stupid.

"Get up, go have a look when you're ready. Oh, before I forget, the bathroom is other there," David pointed at the only other door in the room. "If you have the need, you know where it is. It's got all you need."

He finished eating his breakfast, burping softy, and pardoning himself. Again, he found himself looking at Kelly. When in the same room as the woman he had been watching for the last two years, it was hard not to savour it. He was genuinely happy to have a track star of her calibre so close. She was such a talented runner, and had potential to represent the country in a few years time. Plus, she was so god damned hot and sexy that she could be a model if she wanted to stop running. He could still feel her as he carried her. She was so firm, yet so feminine to his touch. He had seen her so many times in her running outfits that made it clear exactly what her figure was like, but to feel it was totally different and much, much better.

Of course, having someone that fit to enjoy was going to be like going to heaven. He had so much planned for them. It was going to be interesting to see how she reacted to the various games they would play when he caught her.

"Anything in particular you'd like to do the pass away the time? I can't get TV out here, and I don't have cable or satellite, but I do have some DVDs you can choose from. Ummm... games, books, a few magazines, but they're out of date. We could sit and chat, but I don't think you'd like to do that with me, what with your silly ideas about me being a nasty kidnapper and all. Let me know what you like, and I'll see what I can do for you."

Kelly's hands lowered to her ankles after he unclasped them, rubbing hesitantly against her skin. It wasn't tender, but the weight of the unfamiliar things against her flesh had left it feeling rather strange. The momentary rubbing against it felt good, familiar. Safe. Even in such an unsafe place, no matter what this man said.

He left her to her own, save his eyes upon her from his seat. He trusted her enough to wander the room, but not to be left alone. The mention of the restroom caused her gaze to wander in the direction indicated, a slow nod coming from her. "I may need that in a moment," She agreed softly, stepping over to peer out the window. A frown was quick to take her lips.

Woods.
Lots and lots of trees.
Hills. Uneven ground. At some point, it had to level out, but before she could even find it, she would still need to find her bearings. Which direction was she even facing? He had mentioned water. That should be easy enough to find if she kept her ears alert.

The mere thought of the water, however. It caused a new thought to drift into her mind.
"Excuse me." Her voice was soft, her gaze downward as she slipped past the man, working her way to the little restroom indicated. The toilet was small, a little porcelain sink, open plumbing beneath. She used the toilet, setting upon it for a time longer to think about her situation. Not quite the most ideal spot for such thoughts, but at least it felt a bit more private than him staring at her as he had been.

Just get to the water or the gate.
Just get there before he did.
But this "Fun" he keeps talking about. I don't want any part in that.
Then run. Run like hell. Let nothing stop you. Nothing at all. If we fall, we get up, we run. Sprained ankles and twisted knees be damned. We've run worse for meets and finished at least Third. We can make it away from some crazed man with horrific intentions.

She finished up, washing her hands before glancing into the mirror. She was still a bit of a mess from the accident, her makeup slightly smeared from it all. Bits of mud caked to her cheeks from the road and the storm. She splashed some of the water on her face, then rubbed it down her arms. At least a bit more cleaned up could have her feeling a touch better.

She tried to tug on the mirror. Maybe he had something in a medicine cabinet that she could use. Just a mirror, jutting out from the wall. It refused to budge. Kelly gave a heavy sigh, resting her forehead against the surface and shaking her head. She had hoped for a razor or something, even some aftershave or the like to splash in his eyes. Something to just buy her time to get out of this house.

She peered down. The soap? A simple bar. What good would that do her? The plunger? Not much of a threat there. She could use it to smash the mirror and get a shard of that, but he would certainly know she was up to something the moment he heard it break.

Kelly was completely trapped. She groaned softly, tapping her head against the mirror once again. All she could do was come out, and cooperate.

The door opened once more, Kelly slipping back to the bed. No longer bound to it, one leg folded up beneath her, the other dangling off the side and swinging freely. He was speaking, but she wasn't really paying attention. Nothing at all held any real interest to her at the moment. Why did he even think she would want to spend time with him? He had kidnapped her, not invited her to a. A slumber party.

Her eyes raised slowly from the bed, looking him over.
"A dvd." She nodded with that. "Do you have anything Disney?"

David suppressed a smile as she stepped up to the window to get a clear view of the woods that surrounded his house. Most of his property was untamed wilderness, with a few patches of natural grassy areas, and of course a river that marked one boundary line. Kelly was a short distance runner, one who used speed. But this would be a test of endurance, as well as her ability to determine proper directions and a little woodcraft too.

But then, she was clever, and she would use that brain of her to compensate. He was certain that she would come up with some interesting solutions to her dilemmas.

"Excuse me."

"Of course."

She seemed so demure as she walked past him heading for the bathroom. It made her seem so... cute, in a naughty kind of way. He stayed put, wondering what she thought and felt seeing all the trees out there. How much it changed what little of her game plan she had formed.

She was taking her time. She was trying to find some form of weapon, or find some way of getting out. David sighed. He had done everything he said he would, and nothing more. He had not molested her while she was unconscious, nor taken advantage of her in any other way. He could have easily stripped her and taken photos of her naked, or even videos of her being played with. But those wouldn't have been nice nor polite to her. Sure, he wasn't sane, but he wasn't some crazed psycho either.

He heard the door start to open, and Kelly came out looking a little better, and somewhat refreshed. He gave her a genuine smile of appreciation as she got back to the mattress.

"A dvd. Do you have anything Disney?"

"Disney? I'm sorry, Kelly, I don't have - Oh, hang on a moment." He facepalmed softly. "I was about to say I didn't have any Disney, but I do. I have two." He sounded a little disappointed. "But, they are my personal favourites that Disney ever did. 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' and 'Beauty and the Beast.' Now, you just wait there, I'll grab them and be right back."

David got off the stool, taking his bowl and mug with him out of the room, closing and locking the door behind him.

"I can't remember the last time I watched either of those. We'd have enough time to watch them both! Oh, that would be great! Maybe she'd like some popcorn and a soda to go along with it." He pulled himself to a stop. "Now you're making it sound like a movie date. Gosh, if I only had a date that looked like Kelly when I was younger. Ooohhhhh... that would have been something." He shook his head and went to his DVD library. "Now, where the hell would they be." He scanned through 3 complete sets of shelves before he found them. "Ahh. Excellent. I'm thinking that Kelly is being really sensible about all of this. This is making me feel a lot better about the upcoming challenge."

He made his way back to the room where Kelly had been left. He unlocked the door, walking in holding the two DVDs up in one hand.

"I've found them both, Kelly."

Kelly glanced over as he began to speak, still unsure on what to make of this man as he suddenly blurted out on having some of the films she asked for. Her gaze dropped slightly, considering what he was suggesting as available films. It put a tiny bit of a thought in her head, considering the aspects of the two movies for a moment, then back to her thoughts on this man. It almost, somewhat, made a tiny bit of sense to her on why he would like such films.

But he offered to get them for her. She quickly gave a small fake smile, watching as he got up and took the dirty dishes with him. She started to rise off the bed, cursing softly as he locked the door behind him. Left to herself in the bedroom, she began to pace instead, peeking out the window once more and trying to figure out exactly where it was that they were. Too many trees to see the actual sky. She could see the sunlight coming from between the branches, but not enough to actually make out which direction she was facing. He did say she would have a little time to get her bearings otuside. Perhaps she could take advantage of that if she absolutely had to.

The door reopened, Kelly quickly turning back around. She hadn't exactly been doing anything terrible in planning against him at the moment, and managed to give another faint smile as he returned. He seemed more at ease if she smiled. The less he worried, doubted her, the better things would be for now. She nodded as he held up the films, reaching out to take them from him. "I rather like both of these," She noted, glancing down at them, then back to him. "Would. I be able to get a cup of milk this time? Or perhaps some popcorn. I tend to feel so much more comfortable with a movie and popcorn. It makes me feel like a little kid." She tried to smile once more, taking the two movie cases back to the bed and watching him.

He seemed to go between scary and understanding in a matter of seconds. As long as she complied to what he was looking for, he was smiling and nice. She looked back to the movie cases, trying to decide which to open. Her mind was still racing, all those thoughts that had come through her earlier simply attempting to find the best place to take residence in her mind. Ways to escape this man. Ways to accept the challenge he asked, demanded of her. Hunchback sat in her hands now, the gentle pop of the case coming open seeming so much louder in the quiet room. She took the disc out, inspecting it, waiting for him to comment on the little snack she had asked about.

She was contemplating again. Wondering if the things that fought for attention in her head now had any viable parts to them. Certainly he would notice if she tried anything silly now. But he had started to trust her, hadn't he? He had given her a mug, a bowl, a spoon. Not much to truly cause damage with, but if she had wanted, really tried, she could have done something with them. A rather futile attempt, but something. Her stomach had been too angry to even try.

But now she had eaten. It gave her head a clean slate to think with. Not bogged with the thoughts of hunger and as much confusion as she held before.

"I like butter. Just a bit. Enough to just. Taste it. Please." She gave another tiny smile, trying to add a butter of her own to the request.

Kelly gave David a smile that made him feel warm inside. She looked so pretty when she smiled like that. She reached out to take the DVDs from him, which he let her take. He wondered which one she'd choose. David thought about which one he'd go for. He was leaning more toward Hunchback.

'Now, David, why would that be? There's a reason for everything, remember? So, if you've decided on that, what's your reason for it? Don't rush, don't rush. Think it through. Occam's razor! I watched Beauty and the Beast last time.'

"I rather like both of these. Would. I be able to get a cup of milk this time? Or perhaps some popcorn. I tend to feel so much more comfortable with a movie and popcorn. It makes me feel like a little kid."

She shifted her attention between the movies and himself as she moved back to the bed. Her smile once more made him warm up inside, and made him feel quite nice.

"Popcorn? Of course, how silly of me! What's a movie without popcorn. Just give me a moment or two, Kelly. Why don't you get the movie started. At least get it through all those silly anti piracy messages and stuff. We're nowhere near the sea!"

David went out, closing the door behind him, and got some popcorn cooking. He poured a large glass of milk for Kelly, then got a couple of smaller bowls, a small bowl of butter and some salt out. When the popcorn was finally finished cooking, he poured it all into a very large bowl, and carried it all out on a tray back into the room where Kelly was waiting.

"Here we are. Fresh popcorn. Help yourself. Butter and salt are separate for your taste. I also have your milk too." He looked over at Kelly, smiling happily. "Kelly, I'm really happy that you're taking this so well. I had expected you to have tried something by now. You've had a few chances, I'll admit. But, you've shown me that I can trust you. I knew you were a clever young lady, and you would behave. I'm not going to kill you, I promise. But, I know you'll meet this challenge head on, and come through it and be much better than you you are right now."

He poured some of the popcorn into a bowl for himself, adding a little butter and salt, mixing it around and giving it a taste. "Oh... that's perfect. Here, you get yourself some popcorn and your milk, and I'll finish getting things started, OK?"

"Thank you." She continued to smile, nodding at his request to get past the movie start ups as he headed out from the room. The door closed as usual behind him to keep her from following him out, but it also kept him from seeing what she was up to. It was impossible to get out of this room without him seeing, and certainly not going to get her anywhere without knowing where she was.

But she could at least try to arm herself.
She waited until she heard the pop of the popcorn, glancing back down to the disc in her hand. Eyeing it over, she remembered how easily she had accidentally snapped one of her own CD's a few weeks ago, how sharp the edges left over had become. Listening still for the pop in the kitchen, she slipped off the bed, pushing her hand down on one side of the disc as the other held it against the bedstand. The loud pop as it snapped scared her, quickly looking back to the door, but still no sign of him.

But the popping had stopped. He would be back in soon. Quickly hopping back up onto the bed, she stuffed the broken movie into her bra, yanking her shirt back down and opening the other movie. Sliding it into the DVD player, she waited for the screens to load up, then climbed back up onto the bed. He returned moments later, another tray with a big bowl, two smaller bowls, and a few other things, accompanied by the glass of milk she had asked for. It still surprised her on how accommodating he was to her requests, but she wasn't too trusting on him in the long run.

Watching out the corner of her eye as he prepped his own bowl, she took a handful plain and slowly nibbled it. The cup of milk was soon taken as well, Kelly taking a big sip of it. It was cooler than the water he had brought before, and felt even better against her throat. Lifting the glass higher still, she swallowed down long gulps of it.

Her shirt adjusted, the bra readjusting to the added contents of the broken disc she had buried. One of the pieces shifted, now jabbing against Kelly enough to make her suddenly wince, nearly spitting her drink as she quickly set it back down. The movie was in the midst of the opening scene now, but Kelly had to readjust that. To use the restroom again already was going to seem odd. Reaching into her shirt randomly was odd as well! She simply adjusted slightly in her seating, trying to get it to move that way.

Not exactly working.
The disc moved, but not as she wanted.
The shiny surface fell from her bra, one of the pieces now sitting openly upon her lap. She stared down at it, hastily snatching it back up and trying to stuff it under her leg.

Maybe he hadn't seen. Too wrapped up in his movie, lost in his popcorn. She hesitantly reached over for another handful, looking back to the screen herself.

David went over to check that the sound system was working properly, and that it wasn't failing like the last time he tried playing a movie. The faulty cable was fine this time, and the sound was good.

He returned to his stool, sat down and got comfortable. He saw Kelly out of the corner of his eye taking a long drink of milk, enjoying every drop of it. He felt the proud host, able to help his guest feel a little more comfortable before she started her special meet.

David was smiling, cheering up like a little kid as the credits rolled for Hunchback. Not only was he watching an old fave, but he had someone to watch it with. Something about having a friend over was great. Just the knowledge that there was a companion to share the experience was something that always made him happier. Being alone, even when doing something nice, fun, or exciting, was never the same.

He saw Kelly fidgeting a little when the movie started proper. He his his smile behind the hand that was holding the popcorn near his mouth. She was obviously excited about the movie too, just like him. She did ask for Disney, so she wanted that something special that only the Mouse House could deliver. It was making this even more special for him. Kelly was making herself even more important to him by the way she was enjoying the things he enjoyed.

He turned his head to look at her and smile, to acknowledge their shared passion for the Disney animated tales when he caught her frantic actions. He couldn't see what it was exactly, but she moved something under her leg with a movement that screamed "don't let him see that". He finished off his handful of popcorn, noting how she was reaching for some herself. She was trying to act casual. Too casual.

'She's done something. After everything I have done for her...'

He jumped off the stool, and walked over to Kelly briskly. He grabbed her leg, lifting her so she fell onto her back. Under her leg, he saw the broken fragment of the "Beauty and the Beast" DVD.

"Wha... Why... You fucking broke my DVD?!? You heartless bitch! Is this how you thank someone for putting on a movie for you?" He hauled her off the bed, viciously slapping her face with the palm of his hand. The sound of the impact echoed through the room to the background noise of the other DVD. Tears rolled down David's face. "That was one of my favourite movies." He bent over slightly, sobbing. He straightened, his face glowing red with a towering fury, delivering an even harder open handed blow to Kelly's face.

"I treat you with hospitality. I offered you food, and drink, I even showed you where the bathroom was and offered to help pass the time like a good host, and you vandalize my fucking house!" He let go of her arm, and grabbed her hair instead, pulling it violently so she was standing up as straight as she could. He brought his face right up close to to hers, their noses almost touching.

"Right, you will show me where the rest of the DVD is. Then, I'm going to take you outside and let you loose and you can start fucking running. The only lead time you're going to get is how long it takes me to get my gear then it's game on Kelly Horton.

"So, tell me, where is the rest of my DVD?"

He moved before she could even react.
Kelly's hand had one moment been reaching for the popcorn, the next moment, she was on her back, his hand gripping against her leg. She yelped softly, trying to pull away from him, realizing what he was after.

He had seen.

She struggled a little, paling as he began to yell at her. "I-It was an acci-," She attempted to lie about it, gasping as his palm connected with her cheek, a harsh stinging slap that she could already feel reddening.

She had hit more than just a nerve. She had set him off. A straw snapped somewhere inside him. The movie was like. A baby to him or something.

Another smack, this one hard enough to unbalance her, nearly taking her to the floor if he hadn't clutched her arm so tightly. She cried out from the smack, cringing and trying to avoid another, her free arm raising to defend her head.

Angry, furious words.

Horrified at her disrespect.
To a man who saw himself a 'gracious host'.

"You KIDNAPPED me, you fucking-!" Her retort was cut short by a sharp cry, his fingers latching onto her hair and yanking her close to him. Her eyes widened, frightened and breathing heavily, staring up at the now glowing red furious face of her captor. Her toes held her up, his hand forcing her to take the stance to face the taller man closely.

He wanted the rest.
He wanted to start.
She let a soft howl of fear come with that, trying to shake her head. "No. No, please, don't- not yet, I can't, not yet-" Her words were lost into his own, his demands for the movie, warnings on her time.

She sobbed, shaking hands raising to reach under her shirt, drawing out the remainder of the disc's pieces from her bra. "Here, HERE!"

She threw them to the floor, studying those angry eyes. "There! Your fucking movie! Now let me go!," She screamed back at him, though the frightened quiver remained in her voice.

He heard her retorts, her reasons for her behaviours. He even heard her pleas for mercy, before she howled in fear. The look of terror in her eyes was soothing to his burning soul. he had treated her well, kindly once he had brought her back to his home. But what she had done was beyond limits, beyond even his ability to comprehend and accept.

Her hands went under her shirt, clutching at her own breast before throwing the remaining pieces on the floor, causing one part the finally break on impact. Tears started to roll from his eyes as one of his movies, one he loved to watch lay shattered on the floor by a woman he held in the highest esteem.

"There! Your fucking movie! Now let me go!"

He wrenched her hair hard, pulling her higher as he grimaced. He blinked away his tears, snorting back the mucus that threatened to escape his nose.

"Let you go? Yes, Kelly 'I so much fucking better than anyone else' Horton, I will let you go. As I promised." He half dragged, half carried her by her hair over to the door he used, slamming it open. "What were you going to do, Kelly, beat me up like you tried with Terri?"

He continued through the kitchen area, which was modern and spacious, into a comfortable lounge room and out a door into what looked like a normal yard. Grass extended for about ten yards back from the house, until the trees started, and extended a total of about twenty yards wide, until trees appeared again. He threw her away from the house, not caring if she remained upright or fell.

"Start running you little callous bitch. Remember, if I catch you before midnight, we'll play. You first play session wont be much fun for you, after what you've done. Plus, I wont be long getting what I need to catch you either."

He turned and walked inside, shutting and locking the door behind him.

Kelly cried out once more as he yanked back on her hair, her eyes closing tightly as she tried to keep her toes to at least touch the ground. It was hard to even hear him over the sound of pain. There was s sound, she was sure of that. A pressure in her ears, that seemed to muffle sound. But enough made it through, enough to know he was furious.

Tugs and yanks. Dragged. His anger had left him no longer gentle like he was before. Words of fury spouted at her, Kelly screeching out again as he used her hair as a lead to force her behind him and through the bedroom door.

Terri. She heard Terri's name.

"You can't fucking do this!," She screamed out, trying to pull back, the hurt on her head made even worse with that. Dragged through. Her ankle's pain completely ignored. Through his home, tossed out his door with a hard twist and shove via her head.

Kelly landed upon the grass hard, her back meeting it first. Cringing upon the ground, gasping for breath, her hands reaching up to clutch against her head.

She barely heard him. Fear and pain. Too much to really focus on his words.

It was quick to sink in.
Run.
Catch.
Play.

Not a lot of time.

"Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck fuck- No-" She scrambled to get to her feet, the realization of it all flooding over her. He wasn't playing. This wasn't a game, not in that sense. He had every intention on taking out his chase. The idea of play was something she didn't want to question, and really didn't want to experience.

Find somewhere to hide. Somewhere to get away from this lunatic.

She was crying herself now, panic and fear overtaking her as her feet dug down into the dirt. Lost. Very lost, and she had only made it into the trees skirting his house. Too panicked to focus on a direction.

"Fuck," she choked out again, finding the word to have become a new chant for her in this current state. Somewhere, anywhere. Find a path. No, he'd follow that. Go off it. Don't know where the hell you're going. Don't know that anyway.

Water. He mentioned water.
Find the water.
"FUCK!" She screamed it this time, breaking into a run. Fast. Just go. Who cares the direction. Just go. Jumping over a few fallen trees, uptorn roots, rocks along the way. Just keep running. Don't stop.

The deafening sound of her own heart was in her ears once again. He was coming, she was sure of it. What he had fetched from the house, she was unsure. But she didn't want to find out what it was. Just. Just keep running.

David walked with a calm determination. He walked back through his house until he got to a very strong door with an electronic lock. He pulled out his passkey, swiping it and opening the door after the heavy click announced the door could be opened.

Within was his armoury. Along with the wide selection of legally owned firearms of varying descriptions, he had a specialized selection of gear he had for his pleasure hunts. David enjoyed hunting deer, bears, even wolves, shooting them with tranq darts, and getting a photo with the 'trophy', before giving them a shot of the drug to remove the tranq's effects. Real bullets were for man made targets on a range, and for vermin in properly permitted circumstances.

He had preloaded all of his current darts with the right dosage for Kelly. Knowing her weight, and metabolism, made it easily for him to know how much he would need to safely bring her down. She might still be awake, but she wouldn't be able to do anything. He grabbed the bandoleer style holder with the darts, along with the rifle and pistol that used them for ammunition. He got the zip ties he would need, putting them in a pocket. He was so furious with her, he didn't bother getting changed into his hunting outfit. He was going after her straight away.

With the same pace and walk, he left the house. He took what he thought would be the direction she took. When people were scared, they didn't take time to think too much; they just acted. He reached the tree line, and in the ground where the turf finished, David saw what he was hoping for.

Kelly's footprints.

David kept half his time looking at the ground, the other half look about for Kelly. His heart was beating faster now. He was hunting the best prey he had ever had. The young woman would feature in his trophy photos, just like all the other game had. But then, she was also going to be in more than a few videos too. The collection from this hunt would be for his enjoyment only.

He set off at a ground eating jog that would not tax his resources much, and allow him to keep up that type of movement for nearly the entire day. Unlike Kelly, who was used to running fast over short distances. In her panicked state, she was most likely to default to going as fast as she could, and burn up her reserves too quickly.

"But maybe, she will surprise me and think about what she's doing?" He whispered to himself. "Then again, if she was smart enough to think about it, I wouldn't be after her right now."

She was trying to keep a level head, as close to it as possible given the circumstances. The woods surrounding her reminded her of those near the campus; a place she liked to roam during free periods, or after classes, between practices. A place she found calm and relaxing, though this doppelganger and its current use in her situation was anything but. Kelly's mind seemed to think of the place as mirroring the one she knew, without her intent. Follow a path, expectations of veering left. A dead end. Nothing but thick trees. Reverse, back track, try again, attempting to run, to forget what she knew and try to find a new route.

She couldn't hear him. Part of her was thankful for this, part of her frightened. He knew this area far better than she did. He could have known a better way to hunt her down, following pathways he memorized. Watching her even from a camera somewhere? No, that seemed unlikely. Even with a high number of them, how would he even know where to start? He had kicked her out in a fury, seeming more intent on playing his 'game' immediately.

The game. That scared her even further as it returned to her mind, stumbling as the route her mind had anticipated came to yet another wrong direction. Back to a same rock she had passed minutes ago. A giant loop? "Fuck... Fuck fuck fuck..." Words hissed under her breath as she glared around, trying to recollect herself. Don't think on that.

Impossible now. This 'Game' of his. He spoke of the aftermaths, what he would do if he caught her, without giving detail. Not knowing made it worse than knowing, especially with the realization that she had managed to infuriate him.

A loud snap. A twig, not far behind her. A squirrel? Or him, already? Panic raced through her heart in anticipation of the latter, breaking into another poorly planned sprint through the pathways. Hastily and blindly. No concern on direction. Find a clearing in the trees and just go for that. A clearing had to mean an opening, which could mean somewhere to see exactly where she was.

But he would see her easily, as well.
Be fast, be just a moment. Enough to try. See. Possibly.
Keep running, keep running, don't stop to think. Just go.

Her chest burned. Her legs ached already. Try to find this water, this stream he spoke of. Rest there. Why hadn't she even heard any water yet? No traffic, no anything. Not even a bird. Were they avoiding him too?

Her breath was gone. She stopped, pressing her back to a thick maple tree and stooping over to clutch her legs. They hurt furiously, Kelly trying to rub the pain away as she gasped for breath. Just a few moments. Just enough to calm it all down. It had to be enough, it had to.

She sat too long.
Too much time for thoughts to drift.
All of it. Everything.
The mad man who took her.
The cereal, the movie.
The warning.

Crying was by far the worst thing she could have done, and yet, she was doing it.