Gifts

Chapter 20 – Danger makes me

want to…-1

My heart pounding, I press the stop button on the remote as fast as I can and return my wide eyes to Kent, who is still looking at

  1. me.

Please, please, please. By all that is holy, let him not have seen me watching his sex tape.

“What are you doing in here,” he asks, angry.

“Um,” I say, terrified, hoping he doesn’t pick up on the tremor in my voice. “Fiona brought me here? Said I could look through some…” my eyes dart around the room for an answer that is not porn. “Some family photo albums? And home videos?”

He narrows his eyes at me, his eyes flicking to the pile of vintage Playboys on the floor. “She shouldn’t have brought you down here,” he says, moving aside so that I can leave the room. I quickly get to my feet, flicking the power button on the remote so that the TV goes blank.

Then, dropping the remote, I scurry out of the room, praying with all my might that Kent does not go back in to see what tape

is in the VCR.

He closes the door behind me as I head for the steps. “Go upstairs,” he says. “Don’t come down here.”

Glad to obey, I hurry out into the kitchen, heaving a sigh of

phone.

My hand slides over smooth denim. I stop dead in my tracks, panicked, and pat all over my body looking for it. Then, slowly, I turn back towards the little door. I definitely felt it in my back pocket when we left the patio…

God damnit. My phone must have fallen out in the weird porn

room.

Steeling myself, I know I have to go back. If my dad or Janeen ever called I didn’t have it – I’d just die with guilt.

open a crack to listen. I don’t hear a sound. Tentatively, I put a foot on the step, waiting for a creek. Nothing. Then, silently, I

pop the VHS out

the door behind me. I begin to creep back along the hallway when I hear something to my

that

one comes out to scold

groan. Unable to stop myself, I consider the

– Danger makes

want to…-2

that

it’s a mistake. I know I shouldn’t.

though, I stare at the door, consumed

the metal handle and then, my inner voice still screaming at me to stop, I pull

suddenly louder without the thick door

two men facing me, strapped to chairs, fabric gags tied across their mouths. They’re moaning, one sobbing, as they look at something just out of my

undershirt, steps into my line of sight. My eyes take in the strong muscles of his back, the rage that I can see pulsing through him just by the way

his belt around his hand, a long piece of it hanging down from his fist, the buckle dangling. As I watch, Kent rips

heads no, but this is apparently not the answer that Kent wants. He drops the belt, moving to the man on the left and

Kent stands behind him, pressing the sharp edge of the knife to the man’s pinky finger. The scream turns to a howl of horror,

stop watching. The

and then –

my god –

sees me peeking through the door, fixates on me. He begins to scream in my direction and I think

the other man and then move directly to me.

and push the door shut and then

pull open the

god, I think, he’s a monster, he’s

it has hit home inside of me, after seeing that scene

of the stairs and throw myself towards my room, my fingers inches from my doorknob, when something grabs me around my waist, hauling me back against

B

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Gifts

20 – Danger makes me want

He grabs me by the hair at the back of my neck, forcing my head back,

remembering my rationale for

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