The Man With The Smile

So this morning, I woke up.

I know, how very exciting. But you see, that’s only the beginning, because I had to stretch and yawn too after I woke up. And finally, after all that stretching, yawning, and waking up I was doing, I realized it. Something was wrong. Something was oh so very wrong indeed.

I wasn’t in my own bed,

Or in my own room,

Or in my own house even.

I sat bolt upright, alert and on guard. I was lying in a huge king-sized feather bed that felt like it was consuming me whole. The unfamiliar room I was in was white, so blankly white. Everything was so blank, impersonal, and clean. There were two black-and-white pictures of blossoming trees on the far wall, but that’s as far as the decorating went. The bed I was in was all white as well with a black frame and headboard. A small black nightstand with a sleek black lamp perched on top stood lonely by my side of the bed. Besides those few things, the room was completely empty. There were no windows even, and only one black door set into the middle of the wall to my left.

I felt my pulse begin to quicken and my heart thump with panic in my chest. I searched my brain wildly to find an explanation to why I was here, and I came up unbearably empty.

Last night my boyfriend, Lance, and I had gone out to Lucid, the new night club in L.A. The night had been fun, I think. It was all a haze of dancing, drinking, and laughing now. It was hard to remember any details of the night. I had danced with Lance, I know that. And I had been drinking, but just enough to get me tipsy, not uncontrollably drunk. Then, I remember not feeling well, like I was going to pass out or throw-up or something. I had run into the bathroom, and then… That was it. That was all I could remember.

“Ah, my darling, you’re awake!” A smooth calm voice startled my deep thinking. I jumped, and looked over at a man who had just entered the room though the black door. He was surprisingly short, maybe 5’8, with dirty blonde, neatly kept hair. He was wearing a white button-down cotton shirt and he had this huge, creepy smile that took over his whole tanned face.

“Where am I?” I demanded, taking the feather comforter and pulling it up to my chin. I didn’t like the way his eyes were scoping up and down my body.

“You’re exactly where you belong, my dear,” He replied, keeping his sickly sweet smile plastered onto his face.

I just stared at him, not knowing what to think. Was this man going to kill me? Was he going to rape me? Both? I struggled to keep myself together, but despite the effort I felt tears stinging in my eyes.

“Oh, hush, hush honey,” the man said softly, walking closer to the bed, “No need for tears now.” He put a hand on the comforter where my knee was and squeezed it gently. I pulled away as if I had been burned. I think I saw his smile waver for the first time then. He was displeased with me.

“Fine,” he said, half sighing, “I’ll shall go and get you something to eat.” And with that he walked back to the black door and left me alone again.

Immediately after he was gone I tossed the covers back and lept out of the over-sized bed. I didn’t know where to start or what the hell I was going to do, but I knew I had to do something.

I slapped at the pockets of my tight, club jeans (I was still in my clubbing clothes) looking for my cell phone, but it wasn’t there. I walked over to the only visible exit in the room and tried to turn the silver knob, only to discover that it was locked. I put my hand on the plain clean wall and started walking around the rectangular room, feeling for—well, for something, anything that would help me escape.

During this process of investigating the walls, I accidentally hit one of the pictures of the trees. It fell to the floor with a loud thud, but since it had been hung so low to the floor, there was no damage done to the glass or the black frame. Still, I stood there, frozen in panic, sure that he’d heard that noise and was coming to punish me for it. I stood there for several more minutes before I finally found it save to reach down, pick up the picture, and hang it back on the wall. Then, I saw it. Something was sticking out of the bottom of the frame. I looked at it closely, and recognized it as the corner of a small picture that was shoved in between a gap in the wood of the frame. Slowly and carefully I tugged on the tiny piece of picture until I managed to wiggle it out of the gap.

It was the picture of a woman. She was a beautiful woman with big crystal clear blue eyes and shiny shoulder-length blonde hair. She was smiling warm and radiantly up at me. I turned the wallet sized photo over and there was a single name written there in neat, perfect handwriting.

Shauna.

That’s when I heard his footsteps. Hastily, I shoved the picture in my pocket and flung myself back onto the bed as fast as I could. Seconds later I heard the click of the door being unlocked and that creepy man walked back into the room with his wide, crazy smile and a tray full of food.

“Breakfast!” he announced cheerfully, walking over to where I was laying and setting the laden tray at the foot of the bed. “I made all your favorites, Shauna, you’ll be so proud of me.” He gazed at me intently and started stroking my blonde hair.

“What did you call me?” I asked breathlessly, petrified at the fact that he was touching me. His dark eyes bore into my blue ones. His smile dropped alarmingly far.

“Shauna. Honey, it’s your name.” He stopped stroking my hair.

“No.” I said, almost shaking I was so terrified. He grabbed my hand firmly, squeezing it with both hands. His eyes were pleading and he was frowning slightly now.

“Oh baby, don’t do this. Don’t be angry with me. I didn’t mean to hurt you. You know I didn’t mean it.” I felt my eyes grow wide in shock. This man was delusional! This man was crazy! He thought that I was this Shauna woman. The woman from the picture. He thought I was her, or maybe, he wanted me to be her.

Then he bent his head low to kiss my hand and I saw my chance. Quickly I reached out and grabbed the lamp on the nightstand and bashed it with all my strength onto his head. There was this loud crack and he let go of me and fell forward. I took my opportunity and ran for the door, which thank god was still unlocked. I felt the adrenaline pumping through my body as I sped down a white hallway and found myself in a large sitting room. It was much like the bedroom I was kept in, except that it had widows and was less clean. I looked down at the white carpet and saw a huge smudge of brown-red in the middle of the room. I gazed at the stain in horror and shock for I knew that it was blood.

I had to get out of this place.

With the memory of the dried blood stain fueling me, I found a door to the outside world rather quickly and ran as far away as my legs could carry me.

I found myself stuck in the middle of nowhere, confused and scared. I had to get a hold of Lance. I managed to stumble upon a small old gas station that was just sitting on the side of the road. The payphone that was handing on the outside caught my eye immediately. I prayed that the ancient thing worked as a dug around in my pockets looking for change. I picked up the phone and almost fainted with relieve at hearing a dial tone. It was hard to punch in his number because I was trembling. What if he didn’t answer his phone? What would I do?

“Lance?” my voice sounded so weak and scared, even to me.

“Caitlyn?” I heard Lance’s deep, comforting voice flow through the receiver, “Oh my God! Honey, is that you? Where are you baby?”

I looked around. “I don’t know.”

It was just so good to hear his voice again. I couldn’t help but start crying with relief. My whole body was shaking and I just wanted him to hold me tight in his arms and tell me everything was going to be ok.

“Caitlyn? Caitlyn? Honey, listen to me. The police are here and they’re going to trace your call and we’ll come and get you. Do not leave, okay?” I was so relieved and happy to know that I’d soon be in his arms, safe and warm.

“Okay,” I said between sobs, “Please, hurry.”