Captive Bride - Alta Hensley Page 0,7

arms under his chest. “I hit you over the head as a consequence for your rule breaking. You were trespassing. But then, God spoke to me. Rather than dragging your body to its death, I spared you. I am offering the hand of my daughter to you. You should be grateful.”

I lurch forward, determined to inflict pain and massive amounts of blood. “You sick motherfucker!” The chain prevents me from reaching him, throws me off balance, and forces me to my knees.

The ranger charges me in instant retaliation but freezes in his tracks. I brace myself for the punch to the face, in fact, I welcome it. Something, anything but this insanity I’m thrust into. I slam my fist down, hard enough to make Ember gasp and scurry toward the door.

“You want to kill me?” I shout. “Go for it, you sick fuck.”

He straightens to his full height and takes a few steps back. Without removing his eyes from mine, he crooks a finger at Ember. She wipes away traces of tears from her eyes and walks back to where she once stood by his side.

“I’m going to leave you and Ember for a while so you both can become acquainted with each other better. I don’t feel your initial meeting should be with me hovering over you both.”

“You can’t keep me down here,” I begin. “People know where I am. It’s just a matter of time until the authorities will be combing every inch of this fucked-up town looking for me.”

A slow-growing smile forms on his face. “It’s a shame that you fell to your death in the acid pits. It happens every year, sadly. People get careless as they take pictures and not pay attention to all the warning signs. It’s a dangerous, dangerous place here in Hallelujah Junction. You should see the amount of paperwork it causes me, but the local police are aware it’s just part of our environmental hazards. But then again, if you had only followed the rules, you would still be alive. I did recover pieces of your camera near the pits, however. So, your family may be able to have some sense of closure, though we will never know if you tripped, or if a beam or floorboard gave way. No real way of knowing considering the shoddy condition the old mill is in. And a body will never be found of course, not with the way the acid will fry your flesh and bone to nothing. But your poor, poor mother. I’m sure she was always worried your job was too dangerous. I’m sure she always wished you would have just taken over the family business. If only she had not bought you your first camera when you were a child.” His smile never leaves his face. “Shame. Shame. Another young soul has lost his life. Shame.”

“You plan on keeping me locked up down here forever?” I ask.

Cords twang in his neck as he looks over his shoulder at Ember. His smile never deflates. “Of course not. I have a plan, son. A plan for our future.”

“Plan?”

“No worries to you both. I’ll be a good father-in-law. I know kids these days need a leg up, and I’ll provide this to the both of you.” He puts up his palm to stop me from speaking. “And yes, I know you aren’t quite a kid. You are older than my Ember, but I do believe she is an old soul, and though she is only twenty-five, she will be able to match you as a partner. And I’m old fashioned. I believe having an older man to help guide his wife is beneficial to any union.”

“I don’t care what you do to me, but I won’t do this,” I say as I sit back as if the air has been punched out of me. I wish I sounded stronger. I should be standing. I should be acting as if the man should fear me. But I can barely breathe.

“But you will,” he states. He walks to the frightened woman and pats her on the head. “I’m going to leave you alone for now. You watch over him like a good girl, you hear?”

She hesitates, her eyes locked on me, but then she nods.

“Welcome, Christopher. My name is Richard, this here is Ember. We’ll be your new family. Your only family.”

He leaves. The door closes.

I lower my voice for only her ears. “You need to help me get out of here.” I lift my