David Wiltse - Into The Fire

I believe that a slim girl feels things more intensely, don't you? All that extra padding of fat can seriously decrease your sensations, don't you think?"

Aural made a noise, but the tape over her mouth made her unintelligible and Swann had long since given up trying to decipher her sounds. He knew the general sense of them anyway. He turned to face the way he was going once again. The light on his hard hat illuminated his path for only a few yards before it was swallowed up again by the darkness. Still breathing heavily, he began to crawl forward again, feeling the golf sack catch and then slide after him. The leather had cost more but it was definitely worth it.

Aural could hear him panting and tried to imagine him trudging along, dragging her. It must be uphill, judging by his difficulty, although she had no sense of being tilted.

She had no sense of where she was at all, hadn't known since he pushed her into the bag. Disoriented as well as terrified at first, she knew only that she had been dragged for a long time, then lowered with what she assumed was rope around her upper body as well as her feet, then dragged again, this time over considerably bumpier terrain.

He was working hard to get her wherever they were going. Always nice to be wanted, she thought, then realized that her sense of humor was returning. Whatever lay ahead of her, she knew that fear and confusion were not going to help her survive it. Being afraid had never done her any good in her life, but, staying calm had saved her neck more than once. The best way she knew to stay calm was to cling to her sense of humor. In this case, that might mean hanging on to it for dear life.

They were still for the longest time; and yet Aural imagined him lying down, panting and wheezing as if he'd run a few miles, but then she realized she couldn't hear him breathing. What if the asshole had died from the exertion? What if she were to be left in this bag, gagged and handcuffed, while her captor lay dead beside her?

Where in hell were they? How long before someone found them? Would someone find them?

She wanted to cry out, but a calmer part of her remained in control. She would only waste energy now; she would save her scream until she needed it.

Something fumbled with the sack over her face, then the zipper began its lovely zip. He wasn't dead after all, and Aural felt a confusing flood of relief.

"Boy, am I glad to see you," she said, sitting up as soon as the opening was large enough to allow it.

In truth, she couldn't see much of anything at first; the light was too bright after so long in the total darkness of the bag; but she could make out his shape, kneeling next to her. She squinted while trying to look around to see where she was. There was an odd hissing sound coming from behind him. It sounded like a concert of snakes.

"You like it?" he asked.

"Well, I'm not sure how I feel about it yet," she said.

"But whatever it is, it beats the bag."

He giggled, surprised and pleased.

"You a talker, ain't you?"

"There are very few things in life that aren't improved by a little conversation," Aural said, her eyes still scanning the area, trying to figure things out. Shapes were beginning to take form, but they were all odd and unfamiliar.

"You're not afraid?"

"No, I'm not afraid," Aural lied. "Mostly I feel a little cramped from the bag. Say, listen, you're not afraid, are you? Because if you are, I say let's call this whole thing off."

"You're funny," he said. "I like that. You're lying to me, too, but that's all right. I understand that. Before we're through, you'll say anything you can think of."

"Now there's a prospect," said Aural. "The man wants me to lie to him.

All men do, 'course, but you're the first one who ever admitted it.

Don't tell me you're an honest man.' "I'll be very honest with you," he said. "I don't have any reason to lie to you."

Aural looked upwards. She could see no ceiling, only darkness that extended beyond the light.

"So how about I stand and stretch? That be all right with you?"

"Sure," he said. "Why not? You're not going anywhere."

She came to her feet awkwardly because of her handcuffed wrists. She arched her back, rolling her head on her shoulders to loosen the muscles and taking the opportunity to examine even more of her situation.

"Cold in here, isn't it?" She had just noticed the chill.

The air felt as if it were above freezing, but not much.

"How about turning up the heat?"

"I'll warm you up before long," he said.

"I look forward to that."

"I know you're scared," he said. Aural thought he sounded disappointed, as if being scared were part of the deal. Whatever it was, she wasn't going to give it to him.

If she admitted to the fear, she knew it could quickly overwhelm her.

"Why would I be scared?" she asked. "You didn't bring me all this way to hurt me.".He gave that giggle that was colder than the air.

"Yes, I did," he said.

"Uh-oh," she said, grinning at him, right into his face, showing him he didn't bother her. "Sounds like another Danny Leeps."

"Who's that?"

"An old boyfriend. Danny liked to hurt me, too. He wasn't near as cute as you, but otherwise you're just like him."

"I'm not like anybody else!" He was so enraged at the suggestion that Aural thought he might hit her. She readied to duck under the blow and then to push against him and knock him off balance. She could try to run if she had any idea which way to run.

He didn't hit her, though. Instead he bent down to the leather sack and rummaged around, allowing Aural to see the light source for the first time. It was a camper's Coleman lantern, and the hissing sound emanated directly from it. She thought of kicking him while he was bent over, then smashing the lantern and taking her chances in the dark, but she realized that she had no chances until she at least figured out where she was and how to get out of there.

He stood up from the sack, holding what looked like a larger, oddly shaped pair of handcuffs.

"I like your hat, by the way," she said.

Swann reached up to touch the hard plastic shell on his head as if just noticing, and at the same time Aural realized with horror what it was, and why. She was underground.

Swann noticed the change in her expression immediately and a slow smile of satisfaction suffused his countenance.

"You just figure it out, honey?"

"Guess you wanted us to be alone," Aural said.

"That's right."

"A motel room would have been easier," she said. She tried to grin but her face felt stiff with fear.

"You remember when Jesus wanted to be alone, where he went? He didn't go to a motel. He went to the wilderness."

"When was this?"

"To the mountains and the desert. And he wrestled with Satan and all?

The devil tempted him, remember?

Well, you and me have to wrestle with Satan, too. We have our own temptation. 'Course I tend to give in to mine, but Jesus understands and forgives. But there just isn't that much wilderness around anymore, is there? It's not like we have a desert place where we could be alone as long as we want."

"How long you figure that is? Just ballpark."

"That depends on you, doesn't it? I can take it as long as you can.

Turn around."

Swann slapped the odd-looking handcuffs on her ankles. As she felt the iron tighten on her boot, Aural remembered the knife for the first time.

There was nothing to do with it now, not trussed hand and foot, but the time would come. She suddenly felt much better.

"I got other supplies to fetch," he said. "You just stay here and pray.

And think about your Danny Leeps. Think about if he ever went to this much trouble for you."

He snapped on the light on his hat and extinguished the lantern and put it in the golf sack. The headlight beam struck her right in the face.