Shivering at the thought, she finally reached the creepy old house Tabitha and her roommate rented on the corner. A garish purple color, it was one of the smallest houses on the street. Amanda was amazed no one in the neighborhood complained about the unsightly hue. Of course, Tabby loved it since it made giving directions easy.
"Just look for the little purple Victorian with the black iron fence. You can't miss it."
Not unless you were blind.
After opening the low, wrought-iron gate, Amanda headed up the walkway to the porch where a huge, sinister stone gargoyle stood watch.
"Hi, Ted," she said to the gargoyle Tabitha swore could read minds. "I'm just letting the pooch out, okay?"
Amanda pulled the keys out of her coat pocket and opened the front door. Entering the foyer, she wrinkled her nose as she caught a whiff of a nasty-smelling something. One of Tabby's potions must have gone bad.
Either that, or her sister had tried to cook dinner again.
She heard Terminator barking in the bedroom.
"I'm coming," she said to the dog as she closed the door, turned on the lights, and headed across the living room.
Amanda was one step away from the hallway when she heard the voice in her head telling her to run.
Before she could blink, the lights went out and someone grabbed her from behind.
"Well, well," a silken voice said in her ear. "At last I have you, little witch." His hold tightened. "Now it's time to make you suffer."
Something hit her head a second before the floor rose up to meet her.
Amanda came awake to an awful throbbing in her head. She felt terrible.
What had hap-
She tensed as she remembered the unseen man.
His words.
Terrified, she pushed herself up, and quickly learned she was on a cold concrete floor, in a very small, dust-covered room...
And handcuffed to an unknown blond man.
A scream wedged itself in her throat, but she held it back.
Don't panic. Not until you have all the facts.
For all you know, Tabitha is making good her threat for a blind date -just like the time she "accidentally" locked you in the supply closet with Randy Davis for three hours.
Or "kidnapped" you in the trunk of her car with that weird musician.
Tabitha was always trying unorthodox ways to set her up with guys. Although, to be fair to her sister, Tabitha didn't usually knock the guy unconscious before she forced them together.
Still, with Tabitha there was a first time for just about anything. And extreme blind-dating was very vintage T.
Forcing herself to remain calm until she had more information, Amanda took in her surroundings. The two of them were in a small room with no windows and one rusty iron door. A door she couldn't reach without dragging her "friend" across the floor.
There was no furniture or anything else. The only light came from a small bulb in the center of the ceiling.
Okay, so she wasn't in immediate danger.
Still far from comforted, she looked at the body beside her. He lay with his back to her, and he was either dead or unconscious.
Preferring the latter, she inched toward him. He appeared rather tall, and he was positioned as if he had been dumped roughly onto the floor.