Shadows In Durango

Chapter 112

*:kkxG0fig's POV*Fkkx

Every second drags on like a countdown to something inevitable...

I sit back down on the edge of the bed, pulling the cold metal bar out from under the pillow - my fingers

wrapping around it and gripping it tightly.

It's strange how something so small can makefeel a sliver of control in this hell hole.

My heart thuds painfully in my chest, loud enough that I'm sure Ashton will hear it the moment he steps through

that basement door.

The room is too quiet.

The silence makes every sound sharper - the dripping of the water from the faucet in the bathroom, the soft

shuffle of the bed sheet, the rustle of the cheap fabric clinging on to my skin.

My hands are slick with sweat, and | keep wiping them on the scratchy material as if trying to erase the fear from

my palms. But | can't erase the fear, can 1? Not when it's clawing at me, wrapping its icy fingers around my

throat every t| think of what could happen next.

He's going to cback soon.

1 know it.

The way he looked atbefore he left... that sick, twisted smirk like he's already wonover with this.

But he hasn't.

I look over at the pillow where I've hidden the hairpin, knowing that it's still under there, waiting forto put it

to good use.

It's not much, but it's sharp enough to hurt him if | can get close enough to the right spots and the bar in my

hand? It feels heavier with each passing second, like a lifeline.

| don't know what I'll do when he walks in-no, actually, | do know...

I'll fight with everything | have.

Because | have to.

Because if | don't, he'll take everything from me.

My body. My mind. My sanity. He's already stolen so much fromin the past, and | can't let him take any more.

| can't let him win, not when I've been on the run for so long, doing so much better for myself.

Maybe | should hide somewhere? Catch him off guard in my attack?

I glance around at my bare surroundings, before standing to move towards the dresser, managing to squeeze

myself in behind it.

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My body feels electric with tension, every muscle coiled tight as | wait and wait for him to arrive.

The basement door has remained closed, but | know it won't stay that way for long. My breath comes out

shallow, ragged pants.

| need to stay calm, stay focused. | need to be ready for this or else it could all blow up in my face.

But finally, after long stretching minutes, | finally hear it...

The faint jingle of keys outside the door.

My heart leaps up into my throat, the sound enough to send a fresh wave of panic coursing through my veins. |

press myself back against the dresser, out of sight but close enough to pounce when he enters. My grip on the

bar tightens until my knuckles ache, but | welcthe pain. It grounds me, remindsthat I'm still here.

That I'm at least still alive.

Footsteps descending down the staircase are heard next.

Slow.

Deliberate.

Each one closer than the last as he whistles out a sickening tune in to the empty space, echoing his way down

the staircase like a death sentence.

| close my eyes, just for a second as | feel my lip quiver, trying to steady my breathing.

| can't let him see how scared | am. Not again.

This time, | won't break and crumble.

"Sofia baby?! Have you fell asleep on me?" He suddenly calls out to me, seeming to head for the bedroom next

after not findingelsewhere.

I lick my drying lips, shuffling slightly to prepare myself to face him...

Eventually the door is pushed open fully, causingto freeze, holding my breath.

He's here...

| can feel the pulse pounding in my ears, the adrenaline flooding my body.

This is it...

This is the moment I've been waiting for the moment I've also been dreading.

But I'm ready.

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I have to be.

"Ashton..." His ntastes like poison in my mouth, but I force myself to say it, to catch him off guard as he

doesn't seem to be able to find me.

My voice sounds small, weaker than | want it to, but it's enough to make him stop, to make him look around the

room, searching for me.

"Sofia?" His voice is casual, like we're having snormal conversation, like he hasn't been keepingdown

here like an animal. "I brought you ssnacks. You must be starving again, it's been hours... cout and get

them." He teases, as | swallow hard.

Starving...

The word hangs in the air like a taunt.

He thinks he's still in control here, that I'm just going to sit here and let him dictate every moment of my life.

Not this time.

| can hear him walking further into the room, hear the soft thud of something - probably the food? - being placed

on the table.

He still hasn't seenyet but he knows I'm in here.

I need to keep it that way, just for a little longer. Just until | have the right moment to strike.

He steps closer to the bed.

| can smell him now, the sickening scent of cologne and sweat mixed together. My stomach twists, but | don't

move. Not yet.

"Con, Sofia. Don't be fucking difficult." His voice is dripping with condescension. "You know I just want to

take care of you, | really don't want to lose my temper with you again."

Care? He wouldn't know how to care for anyone but himself. My fingers flex around the metal bar again, feeling

the cold weight of it steady me.

He steps even closer, his shoes scuffing the floor, and | know he's near the bed now.

That's when | strike.

I lunge out from behind the dresser, swinging the bar with everything | have.

The shock on his face is satisfying for half a second before the metal connects with his shoulder.

He stumbles back, letting out a surprised shout, and | don't stop. | can't stop. | swing again, aiming for his head

this time, but he's faster than | expect, grabbing my wrist with a strength that makesgasp. "Sofia!" he

snarls, his grip tightening painfully. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

My heart races as | struggle against his hold, twisting and turning, trying to pull myself free, but he's too strong.

He forcesdown onto the bed, his weight pinning me, and for a split second, panic blinds me.

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| thrash, kicking and clawing at him with my free hand, feeling the cold rush of fear swallowwhole as his

large hand finds its way to my throat.

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He starts choking me, as | look up into his darkened eyes - the person he once was buried somewhere deep

within with no hope of ever coming back.

He was mad...

He was psychotic!

| panic, losing out on more air with the tighter he starts to grip- with heavy gasps and pants leaving my

mouth as my eyes begin to lull closed as | realise he would probably killif | don't do something soon. But

then | suddenly remember about the hairpin...

| yank my hand out from under his grip and scramble to grab the hairpin from beneath the pillow.

Without thinking, I stab it up towards his face, aiming for his eye, his throat - anywhere that would hurt him

more.

| feel it connect with something soft, his cheek, and Ashton howls out in pain, rolling off ofas he clutches his

face and allows for a flood of oxygen to enter my lungs.

| sit up gasping harshly, before moving to stab it down again in to his neck this time, in a sudden frenzy to save

my own life.

He yells as the blood pours out of the tiny punctures between his fingers, his eyes wide with fury and shock at

what | had managed to do.

"You stupid little bitch!" he screams, attempting to lunge towardagain, but I'm faster this time. | scramble to

my feet, my heart racing, adrenaline fueling every move as I rush to grab the metal bar.

He coughs and stumbles slightly, as | rush at him swinging, the sweat pouring out of my skin in the heat of the

moment...

| bash him over the head, knocking him down on to his knees, before a sudden thought comes in to my mind -

the keys!

Grab the damn keys!

| attempt to pat him down in his weakened state, trying to figure out what pocket he kept them in, but he quickly

begins to fightback again - his free hand finding its way up and in to my hair.

Hissing loudly from the sharp pain in my scalp as he tugsbackwards, | don't know what else to do in that

moment other than to reach for the puncture in his neck - pressing my nail in to it harshly.

It seems to act as enough to cause him to letgo, screeching from the pain of the action before his fist

connects with my cheek - knockingback in shock from the hit.

| scramble forward again, adrenaline being the only thing keepingalive right now, before I finally hear the

jingle of the keys coming from his back left pocket.

Grabbing them out, | run out of the room and straight for the door, not looking back as | hear him cursing and

thrashing to stand up from behind me.

My only thought is to escape...

| must escape!

| have to get out of here.