Her body felt heavy, as if weights were attached to her extremities, including her eyelids. It took several attempts to open her eyes and several minutes for them to focus.

She stared up at exposed, rough hewn beams before her brain registered that she was in a building instead of that hole in the woods. She pushed herself into a sitting position. The exertion required much more energy than expected, causing nausea and dizziness to tease her senses before fading away. Her breathing became shallow as her eyes darted around the room.

The bed was positioned against the wall in the farthest corner away from the door. To the right, there was a small nightstand with two cheap plastic lamps sitting in the middle, emitting a soft yellow glow. Against the right side of the room was a single, rickety chair with a lump of stuff sitting next to it. No pictures or decorations adorned the wood paneled walls, making it feel drab.

The room wasn't very big; anyone could start on one side, take a few steps, and end up on the other side. The ceiling was low and there was something that looked like thick foam shoved in between the beams.

The blanket that had been covering her had slid down and revealed that she was sitting in nothing but a bra and panties. This heightened her fear, her breath catching as she shoved the blanket away. She’d been undressed while incapacitated which made her wonder what else had been done to her during that time.

The thick gauze covering her foot was a stark reminder of the injury. Maybe it was this that caused a phantom pang to start up. Sloane didn't dare touch the foot. Instead, she slid her legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand. Her legs felt like jelly and as soon as any weight was put on her right foot and she crumpled to the floor.

It took all of her self control to keep from crying out. Indentations formed on her lower lip as her teeth dug in, her body trembling from the pain. She lowered her head and squeezed her eyes shut until it subsided to a dull thud.

The floor was covered in thin, cheap carpet, earth showing in spots where it had been worn through. The most prominent area was a path from the bed to the door, the carpet almost worn into oblivion.

She got into a crawling position and tried to hurry to the chair, the hard ground making her knees ache. Once there, she fell to her bottom and pulled the bag in front of her. The only things inside were her clothes, causing her heart to sink lower and lower. She remembered that she'd thrown the flashlight while being trapped in the hole and before falling in, her phone had been lost. Where are my knife and fire starting kit? And what about my pop tent and sleeping bag? Even her food was missing.

She pushed the bag away in disgust, warm tears gliding down her cheeks. Breathing was almost impossible and her train of thought was all over the place. Her head hung low as she slouched on the disgusting floor, trying to make sense of what was going on.

Deciding that she at least didn't want to be in that cellar half naked, she grabbed her bag again and pulled out the clothes, dragging the long sleeve shirt over her head first. She struggled to get the shorts on, but managed.

She gave herself a few more minutes before deciding to see if she could make it to the door. Once there, she was met with disappointment to see stairs leading up to another door.

But there was no sense in just sitting there. She grabbed the banister and pulled herself onto her knees. Groaning from the sting that pierced them, she pushed on. She had to at least try. It was slow work and sweat dripped down her face. Once at the top, any hope of finding freedom vanished. The door was locked.

She sighed and started back down the stairs, sitting on her butt and going down one step at a time. Exhaustion overwhelmed her by the time she reached the bottom, making her consider just staying right there. And she did for a while before deciding she would be more comfortable on the bed.

When she woke up, the eyes of the man that had saved her looked down on her. She gasped and yanked the blanket up to her chin. He chuckled a little and sat back, causing the bed to shift with his weight.

"I wondered when you'd wake up." His Southern twang was charming in an odd way.

"Wha...what...why am I here?" Sloane stammered and sat up, keeping as close to the wall as possible.

His smile was gentle as he stood up. "You were hurt. I brought’cha here to fix ya up." He gestured toward her bandaged foot.

"Thanks. But I think I need to go to the hospital. I need to see a doctor." Her voice came out a squeak.

"No you don't. I'm taking care of you." The tone of his voice changed in the slightest way possible. Sloane didn’t seem to notice.

"But...I mean...I have a serious injury." Her chest tightened and she felt as if she was beginning to hyperventilate.

"I. Am. Taking. Care. Of. You." The smile was gone and even though she didn't know anything about him, it was obvious that he was starting to lose his patience.

"You are!" Sloane blurted, trying to make sure he knew that she understood he'd helped her. "And I'm sure you've done a great job, but a doctor needs to look at my foot."

"No! You don't need anyone but me." His eyes burned with anger as he balled his hands into fists.

"I...I really appreciate this. But I need to see a doctor." It would have been hard for anyone to understand her through all of the sobbing.

"If you appreciated me, you wouldn't be talking about seeing a doctor." He clenched his teeth as he spoke.

Her thoughts twisted around as she tried to think of a way out without pissing the guy off any worse. But nothing came to mind.

"Please. Just let me go. I'll find my way to the hospital. And I won't tell anyone about this."

"Just stop! I am taking care of you. I am all you need. You are mine."

"I promise! Please just let me go." She was begging now, desperate to get out.

His hand slammed against her jaw, snapping her head to the side. The pain was shocking and she placed gentle fingers where his fist had hit.

"You will learn to listen to me. You are mine." His face was inches from hers, but she didn't dare turn to look at him. She stared down at the edge of the bed, her chest rising in a sporadic rhythm. "Understood?"

Despite the punch, she dared to test him again. "I need a doctor though. I…"

Her sentence went unfinished because he hit her again, this time causing her to blackout.

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