The Good One (The Ones)

“Oh yeah? About what?” My snark is not lost on this crazy ass chick.

“Don’t get snippy with me, young lady. You’re in no position to have that kind of attitude.”

Okay, this girl has to be younger than the two of us. It’s almost as if she’s talking like she’s someone else. Obviously anyone crazy enough to kidnap two women isn’t playing with a full deck, but I’m not sure just how many cards short she is.

“Who do you think you are having a relationship with someone who is keeping me from mine? Huh?” She’s pacing in front of us, pulling at her stringy brown hair, her eyes everywhere all at once.

“I saw the way this little tramp was looking at my man and taking pictures. He’s mine! You can’t have him. Does being a little slut run in the family? You think you two can just have any man you want, no matter if they belong to someone else?”

I hear Lindsey whimper. Is this what she’s been listening to the whole time she’s been here? The crazy ramblings of a lunatic?

I need to figure out a better approach to this. Don’t piss off the crazy bitch in front of you, Kasey. But how do you reason with crazy? I just need to keep Lindsey and me safe until we can find a way out or until Donovan can find us. God, I hope they find us.

“Jackson loves me and it’s his brother’s fault we aren’t together. He makes sure I know where he goes and what he does. He’s only with those other sluts because Donovan won’t let him be with me. It’s not fair that he can be with you, but I can’t be with Jackson. Why is he doing this to us? Did he tell you? Why aren’t I good enough for his brother?”

“He told me about you,” I start. “He said that his brother loves you and is waiting until after the election, then he can be with you.” I’m glad I was able to get that information from Lindsey before Helen came in. Maybe if I can pretend to be her friend and have information for her, it will buy us some time. I really don’t want to be drugged again.

She’s violently pulling at her hair now, mumbling to herself, like she’s having a conversation with a voice in her head.

“You’re lying! He doesn’t want me with Jackson. He wants to hurt us. He doesn’t care about his brother and me, only about himself and you.”

Goddammit. What else can I do? Think, Kasey, think.

“Helen, I think Jackson would be so happy to know that you have these feelings for him. Have you told him? I bet he just doesn’t know how to talk to you about it. I can help. If you want to call him, I can call Donovan and get his number for you. He would be so happy that the time is right for you to be together.”

She looks at me with an eerie smile on her face. I’ve got her. She wants so badly to be with Jackson, and she knows I can help. She spins on her heels and starts arguing with someone who isn’t in the room with her back to us.

Lindsey looks at me with a what the hell expression on her face. I shrug my shoulders because fuck if I know. I take a moment to look around the basement. There’s a set of stairs leading to the door that Helen came through. The basement windows have been boarded up to prevent sunlight from coming in, but I saw daylight when Helen came down. It’s dark in here with just a dull light hanging over the door to the basement. I can’t be sure, but I think I see a steel door on the other side of the room. That may be our ticket out. If we can get out of these damn handcuffs. My wrists are already sore from trying to somehow twist my hand out. No luck there yet. These things are on fucking tight. Helen whirls back around and looks me dead in the eye like she’s come to a decision.

“I don’t believe you. I think you're just as selfish as your sister. I don’t think you want us to be together because you want your sister to have him.”

Shit. Not the decision I was hoping for.

“Donovan needs to know that he can’t always get what he wants. I’m going to show him that he can’t do this to me and Jackson and get away with it. No. He needs to know what it’s like to live without the one you love. He needs to know how awful it is and how much pain I’m in every day because of him. Be right back, girls.” She runs back up the stairs like she just figured out the answer to her little problem. I really don’t like the sound of this.

“What do you think she’s doing?” Lindsey asks.

“Hell if I know. But she didn’t shoot us up with anything. Can you twist your wrist and slip your hand through the cuff?”

“I’ve been trying every time I’m conscious enough. I can barely even feel my hands. These things are so tight.” I look at her wrist and see dried blood all around the cuff. My God, my poor sister. I can’t imagine the terror she has been living in this past week. I want to curl into a ball and cry for her, for us.

No, Kasey. No time for a breakdown.

Helen comes back down with an old flip phone in her hand. I didn’t know they even made those anymore.

“Okay, girls, we’re going to make a video.” There she is talking like we’re friends again. “Lindsey, you’re going to tell Jackson that you don’t want him and he should be with me. You’re going to tell him how much I love him and how it was wrong for you to try to get in the way. Kasey, you’re going to tell Donovan that he needs to step aside if he wants to have you. Tell him you can’t be with someone who stands in the way of true love.” She’s smiling and holding her phone like this is just the best idea ever. My question is what happens after we do her video?

She points the phone at Lindsey first. “And action,” she says like it’s a fucking movie production.

“Jackson, you should be with Helen. I’m sorry that I ever pursued you. She loves you more than I ever could.”

Helen is nodding in approval of Lindsey’s speech. “Very good,” she tells her. Next, she turns the camera to me.

“Your turn, Kasey.” God, I don’t want to partake in this crazy woman’s madness and I certainly don’t want the last image Donovan has of me being from this crazy fucking video, but I need to buy time. I need to placate Helen enough to have a chance to escape.

“Donovan, you have to let Jackson be with Helen. It’s not fair that we’re together, but you’re standing in their way. I can’t be with someone who gets in the way of true love.” I have tears streaming down my face at the thought of Donovan seeing this video and being scared that he won’t be able to find us in time. I’m trying to hold them back, but it’s no use. I’m fucking terrified.

Helen turns the camera on herself and speaks. “I have Kasey and Lindsey. I want you to know what it’s like to lose the one you love because of someone else. You can’t keep me from Jackson. If I can’t have my love, then you can’t have yours.” She stops the recording, then hits a couple of buttons I assume to send the video to Donovan.

“That was perfect, ladies. Thank you for your help.” She gives us both a weird little smile, then heads back up the stairs.

“What do you think will happen next?” Lindsey asks me.

“I have no idea, but at least Donovan knows we’re together, and now he knows who has us. Hopefully, he can figure out the where next. Good news, she didn’t drug us. I’m going to try to get out of these cuffs and get us the hell out of here.” I try again to wiggle my wrists, but I feel like I’m doing more damage than anything else.

“Kasey, what if now that she got what she wanted from us she does something worse to us?” I can tell she doesn’t want to say kill, but that thought has crossed my mind too.

“Lindsey, they will find us before anything happens, okay? We’re going to get out of this.” I reassure her.

We have to.