Stranded Ch. 02

"Sure, I think he's just around back."

He nodded and I realized he was standing too close to the open door for my comfort; but I stepped out, shutting the door behind me. It brought me closer to the man, but I just wasn't comfortable letting someone into Sam's home without permission. If he was uncomfortable with the proximity, he didn't show it. He remained where he was standing and it was me who was forced to step away.

"Be right back," I announced. I grimaced as I walked over the gravel driveway and towards the backyard to find Sam feeding the hounds. Hank saw me first, and rushed to greet me, his tail mercilessly slamming into my shins. As I approached the fenced in area one of the dogs suddenly slammed itself against the fence. It snarled, snapping its jaws violently, drool flying from his frothy jowls while the chain link fence rattled and I fell backwards from the surprise. A sharp whistle followed by the command Halt made every hound immediately sat down; it was the most surrealist thing I'd ever seen. Even Hank sat down, although his tail never stopped wagging and he didn't last as long as the others before he moved forward and began basking me in relentless kisses once again.

"Are you alright Katherine!?" The lack of my pet name did not escape me.

"I think so. There's...someone's here. Are the roads are cleared?"

"'Fraid not, that would be my Uncle Dale, he lives on this side of the bridge." Sam exited the caged area and offered to help me to my feet. But I declined and stood without the assistance.

"Are you sure you're alright?" He sounded concerned but I knew just how easily his mood could turn. What was it about spending more time with someone and the more you get to know them the uglier they seem to get? His tantrum fit definitely dropped him a few levels of hotness.

"Just startled. I-uh-wasn't sure who he was so he's still standing on your front porch." Sam raised his eyebrows in surprise and smirked as he walked towards his house with Hank in tow. I followed, still a bit shaken. I had never thought a bloodhound could be so aggressive and I wondered if hunting was enough to make them that way. By the time I made it back to the house the men had already gone inside and Sam was pouring three glasses of lemonade. I had planned to simply walk back upstairs, grab my bags and leave, but he held the glass out towards me and I begrudgingly made my way over to take it. Damn my good manners.

I thanked him and took a few sips, puckering at the sourness.

"Uncle Dale, this is Katherine. Katherine, this is my Uncle Dale." The older man held out his hand and I forced myself not to cringe as I took it. His palm was rough and clammy and I shook it for as long as what was socially acceptable before pulling away.

"Where did you find this one? Bear Valley College?" Dale asked, lewdly looking me up and down as he read my T-shirt. I reminded myself I was still a guest in Sam's home and I would just have to ignore his Uncle's rude behavior. My father had raised me to be respectful to my elders, even if they were lewd assholes; and I was being good, despite how strong the urge was to tell him off.

"Well, her car broke down during the storm, then the mudslide and bridge flooding over kinda left her stranded here for the time being. So I offered her my place to stay until they clear the roads up."

"You wouldn't happen to have a cellphone, would you?" I asked softly figuring it wouldn't hurt to ask. Dale frowned and shook his head.

"Nope, damn things will give ya cancer." He paused and turned to Sam.

"I do not understand why you insist on doing things so differently. Things would be alot easier if you just followed the path the Lord has set out for you. You know what happens to those who stray from the path, Sammy." He looked from me to Dale and back again before clearing his throat.

"If you'll-uh-excuse us Katherine, Dale and I need to talk about something that's a bit more private. But if you want to wait upstairs, I will give you a ride when we are finished." I nodded, relieved that I was being dismissed and I had to force myself from walking away too quickly. I didn't like the way Dale stared at me, or the way he talked about me as though I wasn't even in the room. I finished my lemonade, setting the empty glass down on the dresser. I sprawled across the bed, feeling exhausted. The little sleep I had managed to catch hadn't been very restful and I decided to nap while I waited; a few more minutes couldn't hurt.

~

"I came to see what you needed and I find her answering the door still dressed as one of them. What exactly are you doing here?" Dale asked bluntly, not even bothering to lower his voice.

"What was I supposed to do? She was stranded on the side of the road! I couldn't leave her in that weather!"

"You know what you risk by bringing her here. And it's not just you that you have to think about!"

"I know that," Sam growled through gritted teeth. Before he could blink Dale was across the kitchen and slammed Sam against the cupboards by the collar of his shirt.

"You do not get to speak to me with that tone, not after everything we have been through boy. What are you doing?" he demanded.

"I'm just not sure if I'm ready to settle down."

"You know, if you were following tradition you would have already have a wife by now."

"We both know I am not one for tradition." Sam replied bravely.

"If you do not make her your wife, then perhaps I will make her mine."

"You will not touch her!" Sam snarled with sudden wave of possessiveness.

"Good, then we're on the same page. I look forward to my invitation." Dale finished his glass of lemonade and walked out the front door without another word.

~

When I finally woke I felt groggy, almost lethargic and it took me several minutes to force my heavy eyelids open. That's when I realized I was no longer in the bedroom but in the basement, I could tell from the cement floor and the high windows. I was sitting in a chair, my hands secured behind my back with what felt like rope. I could feel it wound around my chest, legs, ankles and wrists. I groaned as I leaned my head back, my body still feeling slugglish, as though I couldn't quite wake up all the way. I groaned as I tried to shake it off.

"That would be the mild sedative, he wasn't sure of your body weight so he made an educated guess." I squinted, eyes adjusting to the dim glow of the light dangling in the center of the room.

"Sam?!"

"I'm 'fraid not, Sammy is just too delicate to do what is necessary. He wanted to make you fall in love with him." It was strange to listen to Sam refer to himself in the third person. His voice sounded pretty much the same, but it was a little deeper, with a slight southern drawl to it. He finally turned to face me and he even looked a little different. His hair was combed neatly to the side, his button up T-shirt tucked into his jeans, the coveralls gone.He even seemed to stand straighter. But it was his eyes that were the most different.

They had been a piercing blue but now resembled bottomless pits. I frowned, trying to focus; shaking my head to clear the fuzziness from my brain. He began to move closer and I felt my heart skip a few beats.

"Fall in love?! I hardly even like you." I protested. Love was a very far off notion.

"So you think you're too good for Sammy?" he demanded. It was several seconds before I realized he expected an actual answer and I took several deep breaths as I tried to figure how to answer properly. I should have left when I first woke up.

"Of course not, I just hardly know you and..." He slapped me, leaving me stunned and rattled. It wasn't the first time I had been slapped, but the force of it left me nearly speechless. My cheek burned and my brain couldn't seem to think past the fact he had just slapped me.

"You don't need to know him. You simply need to provide him with children and be a obedient wife. You can do that, can't you sweetheart?"

His words chilled me down to the bone, had he gone mad? I could no longer dismiss it as some horrible nightmare, not with the sting of his handprint still across my face.

"I don't understand, why-why are you doing this?" Was it because I had threatened to leave?

"It's long past time for Sammy to start a family. It became clear that I needed to step in and give him a little push in right direction."

"And who are you exactly??" It was clear I wasn't speaking to 'Sam; and if he wasn't 'Sam', who was he?

"He should have never brought you home if he didn't intend to keep you." He ignored my question as he pushed a strand of hair from my face and tucked it behind my ear.

"Whatever I have done to upset you..." He stopped me mid-sentence with a finger across my lips.

"Nothing you say or do is going to change your fate darlin'." Fresh hot tears began pouring down my cheeks and I cringed, trying to pull away from his touch. He grabbed a handful of hair and pulled it back sharply so that I was forced to look right at him.

"You do not get to pull away from me."

"I promise I-I won't tell anyone. I will forget I was ever here," I vowed. He chuckled and shook his head, letting my hair go and running his thumb down the side of my face to wipe away the tears.

"Your fate was sealed the moment you hopped in Sammy's truck. This is your new home now." I felt dizzy took and took a few deep breaths as spots danced in my vision. I felt almost suffocated by the amount of rope wound around me, beads of sweat trickling between me and the rope. Panic began to set in and I tried to remember my breathing. In. Out. In. Out.

My limbs began to feel tingly and I thought I might pass out, but he knelt before me and lifted my chin. I sniffled as he brought himself to my eye level, biting my bottom lip to keep it from quivering.

"You know what? You're kinda pretty when you cry," he announced. I sobbed silently as he stood and walked to the dark corner of the room and dragged the end of a long silver chain over, securing it around my neck. Only then did he begin to untie my bindings. I rubbed my wrists but didn't dare to move from the chair. He ran his hands through my disheveled hair and pulled me to my feet with a hand around my bicep.

"First thing's first, we're going to get you dressed up proper." He unsheathed a small but sharp knife that had been strapped to his waist and I quickly hid on the other side of the support beam, trying to keep a healthy distance between us.

"I am not undressing in front of you," I spat stubbornly. Not now anways

"Now darlin', I've seen dozens of women naked; you are hardly anything special. A couple of kids and you're gonna lose that pretty shape anyways." It was a crude thing to say and the thought of it made me draw back. He approached the support beam and grabbed the end of the chain, using it to drag me closer. I pushed my feet against the floor, throwing my weight backwards but I ended up landing on my butt and he only continued to pull me closer until I was right beside his feet. He grabbed the collar of my T-shirt, pulled the knife back out and sliced the shirt open. The knife cut through the fabric like butter and I froze as he forced the remains past my shoulders.

He reached for my bra and I screamed, pushing him away. He straddled my waist, slapping my hands away, growing more frustrated the more I fought.

"Enough!" he roared, slamming my back against the floor a few times. A sharp slicing pain radiating through my skull as I pleaded with him to stop. He grew impatient and moved onto my jeans, pulling my panties down with them. I shivered in the cold room. 'Sam' stood, nudging me with the toe of his boot as he inspected my nude body.

"Sammy has chosen quite well for himself," he announced gruffly. I folded my arms across my bare chest but it did little to hide them. I tried to cross my legs to hide myself from view. But it didn't make me feel any less exposed. He crossed the room and opened one of the boxes, pulling out a long sleeve dress sewn from galaxy fabric, purples and pinks swirled with flecks of stars and planets. Despite the outrageous fabric, the overall design was awful and nearly reached my ankles.

"See, this is exactly what I'm talking about. This is hardly appropriate for a wife to wear around the house," he chided, but he brought it over and threw it in my lap despite his protests. I gratefully accepted it, simply thankful to not be naked anymore. He unlocked the chain long enough so that I could slide it on; it was large, but at least soft on the inside.

"I will be back in the morning, now don't you go anywhere." Then he left, several locks clicking into place behind him. My hands fumbled with the chain and lock around my neck as the past few days swirled around in my head, making me feel overwhelmed. The basement was cast in darkness now that he was gone and it took several minutes for my eyes to adjust to the light change. I grabbed my discarded jeans and underwear, quickly sliding them back on. The small act of rebellion had me feeling powerful even if only for the moment. I tried to explore the basement around me, but the chain was too loud and the last thing I wanted was for him to have any reason to return. I leaned against the support beam, exhaustion overtaking me. How much sedative had he given me? I managed a makeshift bed with some of the extra dresses I found in the box and soon fell back asleep.

~

I awoke to bright light shining through the basement window and I found my body stiff and sore. The cold of the floor seeped deep into my bones. I groaned at the weight of the chain around my neck. With the basement full of light I could now see the boxes that were lined against the wall and I moved towards them, tentatively opening the first one and peering inside. It was filled with a bunch of old musty newspaper articles and I began to carefully sift through them.

"Good morning," he announced suddenly from behind. I gasped and turned around, nearly knocking over the stack of boxes when I did. I hadn't heard the basement door open, how did he manage to move around so silently? He moved closer but I remained silent. I would rather he think I was snooping instead of knowing the truth; I had been looking for something I could use as a weapon. I did not intend to live out my life chained in some basement. He moved closer, stopping right before me and his head tilted as he looked down.

"You put your pants on." A statement, said with a cold, matter-of-fact tone. He didn't need me to confirm what he could see with his own eyes, so denying it wasn't going to do me any good. My rebellious spark flickered out as I stared into his stern expression and I suddenly wished I hadn't done it.

"I got cold." I replied softly hoping it was enough of the truth to sound believable.

"Did I tell you to put them back on?" I shook my head, my stomach suddenly dropping as I looked away.

"There is a reason for everything I do, and I do not appreciate being disobeyed. Take them off," he ordered. I didn't bother to argue this time, I bunched up my dress and quickly unbuttoned my jeans, kicking them off to the side as I did.

"That scrap you call underwear too." I reached further up my skirt, trying to maintain a sliver of modesty as I was forced to pull my panties back down and toss them onto the pile that was once my clothes. He smiled smugly, pleased with my response. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small ring of keys and unlocked the chain around my neck, letting it fall to the floor. I rubbed my throat, my shoulders lighter without all the added weight and he held his hand out to me.

I was too scared to resist, so I placed my hand in his. He led me up both the staircases and towards the bathroom where he let me go and turned the shower on, adjusting the water until he deemed it was the right temperature.

"Now strip." I grabbed onto the hem and flipped it off over my head, completely exposing myself and hating every minute of it. 'Sam' stared at me, his eyes taking in every inch. My skin crawled under his scrutiny, I could hardly believe that just a few days ago I had actually wanted him to see me naked.

"You really are quite breathtaking," he announced, assisting me into the shower, the curtain displaying a beautiful oceanic scene.The water was indeed warm, a little hot if I was being honest, but I didn't think complaining was going to change anything. I felt vulnerable, and it wasn't until he began stripping his own clothes did I begin to panic.

"What are you doing?" He ignored my question as he pushed his jeans down and pulled them off along with his socks. He stood, and I had a moment to see him in all his glory; he was tall, lean but with just a little pudge around the middle, but it was the reflection in the mirror that made me gasp.

The reflection of his back was like a car wreck on the freeway; I couldn't help but stare. The lines criss crossed, from his shoulders to his waistline; some scars were thicker, some were more raised. He saw the look of horror on my face and he glanced back in the mirror to see what I was looking at.

"He wasn't very obedient at first; his mother had him out in the world of sinners for far too long. They tried to teach him, but he was a rather stubborn boy." He spoke with indifference and I felt a surge of anger for the little boy he used to be and the abuse he had suffered. 'Sam' climbed inside the shower, grabbing the bottle of green apple scented Head and Shoulders and began washing my hair. I kept my arms tightly at my sides, fists both clenched until my knuckles were white and my fingers turned numb.

"Relax darlin', I am not going to hurt you unless you make me" he announced. I took several deep breaths, trying to do as he said. But how could I relax while he was standing right behind me, naked, with his fingers massaging the conditioner into my hair? Even in my previous relationships, I had never showered with them. He grabbed a washcloth, some body wash and started scrubbing me head to toe. His hands slid across the surface of my body with ease, covering me with suds. His touch so intimate and yet so impersonal at the same time. When we were finally clean he shut off the water and handed me a towel to dry off with. After a quick rub down of his own hair, he wrapped the towel around his waist and turned to assist me. I took his hand and stepped out of the tub, holding my own towel desperately tight. He pulled me wordlessly into the hallway and I had a quick glance into the guest room I had occupied earlier. It was empty, any sign that I had previously occupied that room was gone.

"Where are my things?"

"You no longer need them," he answered simply.

"Where are you taking me now?"

"To get dressed. I ain't going to rape you, if that's what you're so worried about. Sammy wants to wait until your wedding night. And I can't argue with that, despite how tempted I may be." One glance into his predatory gaze and I kept my mouth shut as he led me down the hall and towards his room. He had to shove his door, there was too many clothes behind it to open much further.

"That's something you'll be taking care of soon enough, along with many other chores. But we can get to that later." He released my hand and took a few steps to his closet; and after a little bit of digging around he pulled out another dress, only the material was a shimmery pink instead of the galaxy like the one before it. He seemed confident I wasn't going anywhere, or perhaps he was testing me.

"Do you just take new-age fabric and make old pioneer dresses?" I scoffed and he frowned.