sliding under the blankets next to me.
It is not long before I hear his breathing even out and I’m certain he’s asleep. I, however, am wide awake. I stare at the ceiling for a while before it occurs to me that I could just call her now while he is asleep. He’ll never know… I can delete the call, slip back into bed, and all will be good in the world again. Nervously and oh-so-slowly, I carefully slip out of the bed and look around the room. I didn't see Ivan with his phone on him. I’m sure he got rid of it, but there must be one in here, or maybe even a computer. I could always send her a message from there or email.
On tiptoes, I sneak through the still-dark house, trying my best not to bump into anything. I find my way into the living room and turn on the lamp on the side table. As soon as the living room is illuminated with soft light, I spot it. A phone. There it is a phone sitting next to the TV. A landline. I grab it off the charging station and hold it to my ear until I hear the dial tone.
I sigh in relief and start to dial one of the few numbers I know by heart… my sister’s. My hands shake as I hold the phone to my ear. This is it. In a few seconds, I will finally hear Ella’s voice again. My heart stops beating in my chest when I hear someone else's voice come over the line.
“I’m sorry the number you have dialed has been temporarily disconnected. Please try your call again later,” a computerized voice says on repeat. I shake my head and hang up just to dial once more. When I hear the same message as last time, I hang up and put the phone back on its station. I want to the throw the phone out into the yard, scream, maybe even punch something. I'm so angry, so upset.
I try to think of an explanation and find myself walking into the kitchen. I open a couple cabinets until I find the cups and then I get a glass of water. I try once more to digest my newest discovery. Why would she have her phone turned off? Nothing makes sense… nothing. Then suddenly, I get an idea. I could call her work.
Maybe they know where she is. I put the glass down and walk back into the living room and to the phone. Just as I pick it up and start dialing the number, I hear someone move behind me.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Ivan’s loud voice makes my pulse race, and I jump a foot off the ground. My cheeks start to heat with embarrassment because I know I've been caught.
“I-I’m trying to call my sister, but her phone is disconnected.” My voice is weak, and I hang my head in shame, knowing Ivan’s going to lose it at any given second. I risked him getting angry and finding out I went against his word and for nothing.
“I told you not to call anybody! Do I need to tie you to the fucking bed? What do I need to do for you to grasp the seriousness of this situation?”
My eyes go wide with fear. He wouldn’t do that… he wouldn’t tie me up. I swallow, knowing that I'm wrong. Of course, he would tie me up.
“I didn’t risk everything to save you just so you can do something stupid that gets you killed.”
“You can tie me to the bed, but you can't keep me there forever.” I shove past him and when I hear him hot on my heels, I start to run. I know there's no way I can overpower him, but I could make a run for it. Possibly escape. The thought makes my heart ache as I head down the hallway, still there is no way I’m going to let him tie me up. He didn’t help me escape captivity to hold me captive himself, did he?
“Come on, Kitten. You know running from me is no good. I’m stronger and faster… then there’s what will happen to you when I catch you. I can promise you it's going to include making you wish you hadn't picked up that phone.”
I turn around and notice he’s blocking any chance I have at running back down the hall. It doesn't help that it’s impossibly dark, and my