Chapter 3
I turned back and faced the cities below, I started to get very nervous. "Come and sit down and have some dinner" I turned to him and anger began. I sat down at the table facing out to the city, he sat in the chair next to me. My hands started to shake I was getting so furious. Then I thought there was no need to get angry, I could still feel my face was flush. I looked down at the plate of food, it was beautiful crab with from what I could see in the candlelight a beautiful colored salad.
He started eating first and from what I could see, he was quite hungry. I took a drink of ice cold water and tried to calm down more. I decided to try to eat. The crab was so sweet and delicious and the salad was a Lemon Vinegrette. I had eaten more than I intended too until I realized what I was doing. "Thank you" I said to him as I got up and walked back to the window. "What time do we leave tomorrow?" I asked him. I could tell by his hesitation he didn't want to say.
"We don't" My first instinct was to run, there was something wrong. I looked down at the trees and saw how they were blowing then my eyes wandered over to where he said it was Malibu, like that was suppose to mean anything to me. I saw thick black smoke and a red orange line under it and flashing lights all over. "What do you mean we don't?" I could see in the reflection of the window and candlelight he had leaned back in his chair and had his fingers touching in front of him. "I mean we don't" "I don't want to stay here any longer" "Until later in the week we don't leave".
"Your keeping me hostage then am I to believe?" I felt the anger rising in me again. " Even in this country that is not legal, I want to leave now". I tried to say as calmly as I could. "Yes, it is illegal, yes that is what I am doing and no you can't leave. I am not going to hurt you". I felt a mixture of fear and fury, my stomach turned and my face flushed. My hands clenched as did my teeth. I fought again the instinct to run. He came up behind me and made eye contact with me in the glass.
He took my arm. "Dinner is over" he started pulling me. "I am not going to hurt you, I am taking you back to your room" he said with a cold even tone. He pulled my arm and I could feel his strength, I thought to hit him but chose not to. He pulled me across the lobby and back up the stairs. He handled me gently but firmly, I could feel by his grip if he wanted to he could have hurt me but he didn't. He let me go when he opened the door to my suite.
I walked in and he came in behind me and passed me to the table beside the bed. He took out some candles and lit them. "I wouldn't suggest trying to leave, you won't make it far in the dark and wind and a fire like out in Malibu could erupt any time and there is no way you could get away from it. You would die. Your safe here. The wind will most likely get much much worse tonight. If you need anything I will be down the hall at the last door, I will leave it unlocked" He look up at me from the candles. "I won't hurt you, I just need you to stay here with me for a few days. If you need anything just ask."
With that he got up and stood right in front of me and waited for me to say something, I looked down at the ground. He put the key up and handed it to me, I took it careful not to touch him at all. He went to the door " Lock it if it makes you comfortable - you have the only two copies of it". He turned and looked at me. "I will bring you breakfast at eight tomorrow. I am going to clean up in the terrace then I will be in my room".
He left and I quickly locked the door behind him. I covered my face and cried, I couldn't hold in the fear and anger any longer. How dare he and what is he planning on doing with me, up here alone in the mountains. My God what have I done, I wish I hadn't come, I wished I had made her go to the real Italy instead of this fake trap. What is he going to do to me. I started pacing around the room. What is he going to do to me. Why is he going to do it.
This is not something just done on a whim, this took planning on his part. He has this all planned out. How dare he, did he think I wouldn't figure it out, doesn't he think I can figure a way out. There must be a way out. I looked out the window. The wind was howling. I opened the balcony door and stepped out, I was almost blown over. It was so clear and beautiful though.
I looked around and saw the car we came here in, there is sits, my way out. Then I heard a tree fall and heard a great explosion and saw a huge light like lightening, then most of the basin below went black. He was outside within minutes with a flashlight looking around. He was just acting like nothing was wrong. I went back inside and I saw him flash the light up in the window. The nerve of him.
I paced around a bit more. The wind was like nothing I had ever seen before. I heard another tree fall and a great smash of glass, I went back out and saw the tree sitting on the caved in car, I went back in and saw the flashlight again in the window. What am I suppose to do now my only obvious way out is gone. I felt the building start to shake with each gust of wind. I felt electricity in the air. What is he going to do to me. Why is he doing this, I haven't done anything wrong.
"Stay away from the windows and don't go outside" I head his voice on the other side of the door say. "It's very dangerous out there, as long as I have been here I have never seen wind like this". What should it matter to him. I cried again. "If you need me you know where I am" I wondered if this night would end or if I would see the sunrise, or in what condition I would see it.
The hours seemed to slowly drudge by, if not for my watch I would not have known what time it was at all. It seemed to pick up even still harder around midnight. He couldn't possibly be asleep during all this, I wondered what he was doing. Then I heard another great smash of glass and within a few minutes I saw his flashlight again. A while later I heard his voice again at the other side of the door " Are you alright" I went to the door " Yes" I don't know where that came from, I will have to wait until its light out there".
By the time dawn came I had heard several more explosions and great flashes of light, it had died down but not alot. Making a run for it was my only chance, he would never expect that, it wasn't that far down the hill and to help. I thought and hoped I might be able to get passed the room he was in to get to the stairs. Going right passed him though, but surely he didn't sleep either, he must be tired. Maybe he is trying to get a nap while its a little quieter. I wondered if the wind would get bad again.
I made the decision to try at least. I took my largest bag and filled it with the bottle of water that were left. I put a long sleeved shirt on and jeans - it wasn't that far to the gas station where we stopped and surely before then I would see someone else. I hoped I would.
I as quietly as I could opened the door and slinked down the hall, my heart was pounding. I reached the last door before the door to the stairs - it was open. I took a deep breath and dashed for the door to the stairs. I tried to turn the handle but it wouldn't. "I have the only key to that door" I heard him say from inside the room. My heart sank, I had never known cold fear until now. My hands went cold, I felt pricklies down the back of my legs.
He came out as I turned to look at him. There he stood not a foot in front of me, my stomach turned. He took my bag off my shoulder. "I told you not to do this, didn't I?" He put my bag on the hall table and went back into the room. "What are you going to do to me?" I cried. "I told you - nothing to hurt you, I will do all I can to make your stay here pleasant". He came back around the corner so I could see him again, I was frozen to the door to the stairs. In his hands he held up a rope, handcuffs and a piece of material. "Or I could make it unpleasant".
He put the stuff down and came into the hall and took my bag back down to my room. Why did he leave me there with the door open? He wasn't gone long though just long enough to put it inside the door. He is playing with me. He is enjoying this way too much, I felt the anger rise in me again, my face flushed, my hands clenched into fists. How dare he. He came back down the hall and stood in front of me again "Would you like breakfast now?" "No" I screamed at him and marched passed him down to my room. Slammed the door as hard as I could and locked it, and sat on the floor next to it.
"Try to sleep, just try you will feel better, I will bring something lite to eat" I heard him say. I also saw him walk away from the door from underneath. I looked out the window, the tops of the trees were still bending but not quite as much, it seemed to be calmer to me. I saw him come back and heard him put a tray on the floor outside the door. He knocked gently and went away. I didn't get up, I left it out there. Maybe he fancied to poison me or something.
I was hungry so I drank the water I was going to have taken with me. By early afternoon it had calmed down alot and it started getting hot. I opened the balcony door and a blast of hot air which seemed to be coming from a furnace hit my face. I saw the plume of smoke, it was heading inland now and it had a friend some way away. I wondered if they could come here. I heard him on the other side of the door again put another tray down. "Anne please eat, there is more water, some candles and a lighter here for you - you will need them".
By sunset the wind had stopped except for a slight breeze. I finally opened the door and took the water and candles and left the food, no matter how hungry I was. I lit the candles and drank a bottle of water to fill my stomach. I went out on the balcony, I could see alot of the basin still had no power and I could see all the flashing lights around the lines of fire. I went back in and laid down on the bed and fell asleep only to be woken up by his gentle knock the next morning.
He started eating first and from what I could see, he was quite hungry. I took a drink of ice cold water and tried to calm down more. I decided to try to eat. The crab was so sweet and delicious and the salad was a Lemon Vinegrette. I had eaten more than I intended too until I realized what I was doing. "Thank you" I said to him as I got up and walked back to the window. "What time do we leave tomorrow?" I asked him. I could tell by his hesitation he didn't want to say.
"We don't" My first instinct was to run, there was something wrong. I looked down at the trees and saw how they were blowing then my eyes wandered over to where he said it was Malibu, like that was suppose to mean anything to me. I saw thick black smoke and a red orange line under it and flashing lights all over. "What do you mean we don't?" I could see in the reflection of the window and candlelight he had leaned back in his chair and had his fingers touching in front of him. "I mean we don't" "I don't want to stay here any longer" "Until later in the week we don't leave".
"Your keeping me hostage then am I to believe?" I felt the anger rising in me again. " Even in this country that is not legal, I want to leave now". I tried to say as calmly as I could. "Yes, it is illegal, yes that is what I am doing and no you can't leave. I am not going to hurt you". I felt a mixture of fear and fury, my stomach turned and my face flushed. My hands clenched as did my teeth. I fought again the instinct to run. He came up behind me and made eye contact with me in the glass.
He took my arm. "Dinner is over" he started pulling me. "I am not going to hurt you, I am taking you back to your room" he said with a cold even tone. He pulled my arm and I could feel his strength, I thought to hit him but chose not to. He pulled me across the lobby and back up the stairs. He handled me gently but firmly, I could feel by his grip if he wanted to he could have hurt me but he didn't. He let me go when he opened the door to my suite.
I walked in and he came in behind me and passed me to the table beside the bed. He took out some candles and lit them. "I wouldn't suggest trying to leave, you won't make it far in the dark and wind and a fire like out in Malibu could erupt any time and there is no way you could get away from it. You would die. Your safe here. The wind will most likely get much much worse tonight. If you need anything I will be down the hall at the last door, I will leave it unlocked" He look up at me from the candles. "I won't hurt you, I just need you to stay here with me for a few days. If you need anything just ask."
With that he got up and stood right in front of me and waited for me to say something, I looked down at the ground. He put the key up and handed it to me, I took it careful not to touch him at all. He went to the door " Lock it if it makes you comfortable - you have the only two copies of it". He turned and looked at me. "I will bring you breakfast at eight tomorrow. I am going to clean up in the terrace then I will be in my room".
He left and I quickly locked the door behind him. I covered my face and cried, I couldn't hold in the fear and anger any longer. How dare he and what is he planning on doing with me, up here alone in the mountains. My God what have I done, I wish I hadn't come, I wished I had made her go to the real Italy instead of this fake trap. What is he going to do to me. I started pacing around the room. What is he going to do to me. Why is he going to do it.
This is not something just done on a whim, this took planning on his part. He has this all planned out. How dare he, did he think I wouldn't figure it out, doesn't he think I can figure a way out. There must be a way out. I looked out the window. The wind was howling. I opened the balcony door and stepped out, I was almost blown over. It was so clear and beautiful though.
I looked around and saw the car we came here in, there is sits, my way out. Then I heard a tree fall and heard a great explosion and saw a huge light like lightening, then most of the basin below went black. He was outside within minutes with a flashlight looking around. He was just acting like nothing was wrong. I went back inside and I saw him flash the light up in the window. The nerve of him.
I paced around a bit more. The wind was like nothing I had ever seen before. I heard another tree fall and a great smash of glass, I went back out and saw the tree sitting on the caved in car, I went back in and saw the flashlight again in the window. What am I suppose to do now my only obvious way out is gone. I felt the building start to shake with each gust of wind. I felt electricity in the air. What is he going to do to me. Why is he doing this, I haven't done anything wrong.
"Stay away from the windows and don't go outside" I head his voice on the other side of the door say. "It's very dangerous out there, as long as I have been here I have never seen wind like this". What should it matter to him. I cried again. "If you need me you know where I am" I wondered if this night would end or if I would see the sunrise, or in what condition I would see it.
The hours seemed to slowly drudge by, if not for my watch I would not have known what time it was at all. It seemed to pick up even still harder around midnight. He couldn't possibly be asleep during all this, I wondered what he was doing. Then I heard another great smash of glass and within a few minutes I saw his flashlight again. A while later I heard his voice again at the other side of the door " Are you alright" I went to the door " Yes" I don't know where that came from, I will have to wait until its light out there".
By the time dawn came I had heard several more explosions and great flashes of light, it had died down but not alot. Making a run for it was my only chance, he would never expect that, it wasn't that far down the hill and to help. I thought and hoped I might be able to get passed the room he was in to get to the stairs. Going right passed him though, but surely he didn't sleep either, he must be tired. Maybe he is trying to get a nap while its a little quieter. I wondered if the wind would get bad again.
I made the decision to try at least. I took my largest bag and filled it with the bottle of water that were left. I put a long sleeved shirt on and jeans - it wasn't that far to the gas station where we stopped and surely before then I would see someone else. I hoped I would.
I as quietly as I could opened the door and slinked down the hall, my heart was pounding. I reached the last door before the door to the stairs - it was open. I took a deep breath and dashed for the door to the stairs. I tried to turn the handle but it wouldn't. "I have the only key to that door" I heard him say from inside the room. My heart sank, I had never known cold fear until now. My hands went cold, I felt pricklies down the back of my legs.
He came out as I turned to look at him. There he stood not a foot in front of me, my stomach turned. He took my bag off my shoulder. "I told you not to do this, didn't I?" He put my bag on the hall table and went back into the room. "What are you going to do to me?" I cried. "I told you - nothing to hurt you, I will do all I can to make your stay here pleasant". He came back around the corner so I could see him again, I was frozen to the door to the stairs. In his hands he held up a rope, handcuffs and a piece of material. "Or I could make it unpleasant".
He put the stuff down and came into the hall and took my bag back down to my room. Why did he leave me there with the door open? He wasn't gone long though just long enough to put it inside the door. He is playing with me. He is enjoying this way too much, I felt the anger rise in me again, my face flushed, my hands clenched into fists. How dare he. He came back down the hall and stood in front of me again "Would you like breakfast now?" "No" I screamed at him and marched passed him down to my room. Slammed the door as hard as I could and locked it, and sat on the floor next to it.
"Try to sleep, just try you will feel better, I will bring something lite to eat" I heard him say. I also saw him walk away from the door from underneath. I looked out the window, the tops of the trees were still bending but not quite as much, it seemed to be calmer to me. I saw him come back and heard him put a tray on the floor outside the door. He knocked gently and went away. I didn't get up, I left it out there. Maybe he fancied to poison me or something.
I was hungry so I drank the water I was going to have taken with me. By early afternoon it had calmed down alot and it started getting hot. I opened the balcony door and a blast of hot air which seemed to be coming from a furnace hit my face. I saw the plume of smoke, it was heading inland now and it had a friend some way away. I wondered if they could come here. I heard him on the other side of the door again put another tray down. "Anne please eat, there is more water, some candles and a lighter here for you - you will need them".
By sunset the wind had stopped except for a slight breeze. I finally opened the door and took the water and candles and left the food, no matter how hungry I was. I lit the candles and drank a bottle of water to fill my stomach. I went out on the balcony, I could see alot of the basin still had no power and I could see all the flashing lights around the lines of fire. I went back in and laid down on the bed and fell asleep only to be woken up by his gentle knock the next morning.