Love Lies Dying (31 page)

John continued to watch her, smiling at her…loving her.

He remembered he was hard and pulsing, his cock pushing to break through his pants. The room was hot and he felt almost claustrophobic. Too many people and too little space.

Some more time must have elapsed and somehow between them they agreed without speaking, maybe only with hand movements, he wasn’t sure. He couldn’t remember now.

It didn’t matter anyway.

What happened next
did
.

He stood up.

In the middle of the service, he stood up.

And walked out.

John shook his head now, thinking back.

You heartless bastard,
he scolded himself.
I can’t believe you did that!

He remembered the faces staring at him as he made his way along his row, excusing himself time and time again, as his legs knocked the knees of classmates. Finally, he made it to the end of the row. He straightened himself up, kept his eyes on the floor in front of him and walked out of the room.

He remembered there being total silence in the room as he did so. Everyone’s eyes were upon him. He wondered if the priest had even stopped his sermon.

John didn’t know.

And, at the time, he didn’t care.

He remembered, they must’ve thought they were being so cunning, so sneaky. It was like a plan no one had thought of before.

First he got up to leave.

And then, a couple of minutes later, so did she.

What a plan!

Everyone must’ve known,
John told himself now.
How could they not? First I leave and then Laura? It’s obvious!

It may have been, but John didn’t care.

And neither did Laura.

He was waiting outside for her, his hands pushed deep into his pockets as he paced up and down nervously. His heart raced when she ran out to him. She was tall and thin and the most beautiful girl John had ever seen.

She ran to him, her dark curly long locks of hair bouncing on her shoulders and down her back.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hi,” she had smiled a smile that made him melt.

“I’m John.”

“I’m Laura.”

“It’s real nice to meet you, Laura.”

“You too,” she replied. “That funeral is such a downer.”

“I know.”

“I got sooo bored.”

“I know, they’re not much fun,” he replied.

“And then I saw you.”

John didn’t know what to say. He just smiled back at her.

“And I knew I just wanted you,” her voice dropped in pitch to a husky tone as she took a step closer to him.

“Really?”

“I want to fuck you, John. I’m so horny I want to do it now!” she stepped forward and put her arms around him.

She bumped up against his erection.

“And you want to fuck me too, it seems,” she said, a wicked look transforming her face.

“Where?” was all John managed to say, looking around for somewhere they could easily hide.

“I know,” she replied as she took his hand. “Follow me.”

John shook his head as he remembered letting her lead him away. He followed after her without a second thought.

“See?” Richard returned to his mind, shattering John’s thoughts and memories. “They screw you, and then they
screw
you. I told you, pal!”

John nodded.

You were right.

“Of course I was! And you hit a new low there, John.”

A low? It was wonderful!

“It may have been, but think of the repercussions. There’s always repercussions, John, no matter what you do. But you didn’t think of that then, and it seems you still don’t think of things like that.”

I know, I know. You’d think I would have learnt by now.

“Exactly, but you haven’t. And remember what happened with Laura Austin?”

John nodded.

“Come on, tell me!”

She left me and –

“Exactly, she left you. Left you for dead.”

John nodded.

“Just like Zoe.”

John shut his eyes tight as the words sliced into his mind.

John pushed Richard aside, throwing him from his thoughts.

The silence was heavy.

The panic returned.

Just.

Like.

Zoe.

Twenty-six

It’s not true,
John thought.
She said she would come back, and she will. So will Helen. They’ll both return and then we can get out of this place.

Even as he told himself they would return, a growing feeling of panic began to crawl up his spine.

But what if they don’t?

They will!

But they haven’t! It shouldn’t take this long.

It might.

It should be over by now.

Maybe it is…

John opened his eyes and looked around the church for what must have been the hundredth time. The sunlight streaming through the windows to his right was now slowly making its way across to him. Soon he would be warm again.

He rocked from side to side, working his shoulder joints, trying to keep them from getting stiff and sore. He thought about trying to pull his hands through the metal slats of the chair once more, but there was no feeling left in his arms and he knew that the struggle was futile.

There’s got to be another way.

There isn’t. You’re stuck here for good.

There
has
to be.

You’re here until you die.

Forcing the panic from his mind, John looked through the wooden railing back towards the beds at the far end of the church and tried to think about escape.

There’s got to be a way. If only I could find that damn poker. Even the shovel might work…where the hell did she put them?

His eyes rested on the beds.

They looked so inviting, so relaxing.

If I could get down to the end of the church, maybe I could tip myself onto a bed and at least rest on my side.

It sounded like a wonderful idea, lying on his side on the bed, taking the pressure off his back and arms and legs, but he knew it would be almost impossible to climb onto the bed from his current position. The beds were high but his chair was low; he had no idea how he would manage to tip himself up onto one of them.

But anything is worth a try. Don’t worry about how you’re going to get on the bed until you manage to get there.

He licked his dry lips with an even drier tongue. Slowly, he focussed on his body and began by rubbing his hands together. The clanking of the handcuffs on the metal slats behind him told him he could still co-ordinate himself to rub them together.

Next, he moved his shoulders up and down, exercising the joints, waiting for feeling to return. Leaning forward slightly, he started to rock his legs side to side as far as his tied ankles would allow.

His body cried out in a dull agony that would’ve felt worse if he wasn’t already so numb.

I have to do this,
he thought.
No matter what.

Pins and needles started to flow once more in waves down his neck and back. It was a sure sign that the circulation was beginning again and feeling was returning to him.

“Come on,” he whispered to himself. “Keep going…”

Even these simple movements were incredibly exhausting. Sweat began to bead on his forehead again, and feeling its touch on his face reminded him how incredibly thirsty he was.

His tongue felt swollen, and his lips were as dry and rough as sandpaper.

Need a drink.

But the kitchenette was behind him and there was no way he would be able to reach the sink.

The beds are closer and if I can get down there and somehow tip myself onto one of them, I could get some rest and take some pressure off my body.

John liked that idea.

Rest.

If he could sleep through this nightmare…

But when will you wake up?

When Zoe and Helen return.

What if you never wake up?

I will.

What if they don’t return?

THEY WILL!

John moved his head to the right and looked down at the sunlight making its way across the floor towards him. It had moved quite a distance since he last looked. It was now halfway between the wall and his chair. It would soon be touching his feet and legs, warming them in its rays.

He was torn then, between the warmth of the sun and the comfort of the bed. He knew the sun would eventually reach him. But he couldn’t guarantee that he could make it to the bed and be able to somehow lie down on it.

His eyes darted between the beds and the sunlight on the floor.

He never thought a choice would be so hard.

He decided to wait.

At least until the sun goes down. I can wait that long.

If he was still tied to the chair by the time night fell, he would make for the beds.

How?

I’ll work that out when I have to.

But for the moment, the warm glow of the sunlight was too inviting. He craved it; he needed it. He wanted it to pour over his body, as if its rays would somehow re-energise him, give him back the strength and stamina he had lost.

He looked back down at the sunlight slowly crawling towards him on the floor. Time seemed to be dragging, like his life was in slow motion, but the sun’s tracking through the sky proved to him time was still moving at its normal speed.

But then, sometimes, time seemed to be passing quicker than he expected.

Either way, he was still tied to this chair.

Tied and helpless.

While the rest of the world went on with its normal life.

John wished he could have a normal life again.

“Normal?” Richard’s voice returned to his head. “There was nothing ever normal about your life, buddy.”

You again!

“Yes, me again. Caught you at a bad time? You all tied up with something?”

John could hear Richard’s laughter in his head.

Very funny.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t laugh.”

No, you shouldn’t. You should help me.

“Not much I can do from here.”

You were always the one who gave me advice.

“Well, it’s a bit late for that now. You’re already in this mess.”

And I suppose you wouldn’t’ve been?

“No, sir! No way! These women, they’re trouble. If Zoe had dropped on
my
doorstep, I would’ve told her to pack her bags and leave. Sorry, sister, no room at the inn for the likes of you.”

I couldn’t do that.

“I know, and look where it got you.”

I couldn’t say no.

“I know that too. That’s always been your problem.”

Bullshit!

“You could never say no – especially to a pretty girl.”

It’s not true.

“Led around by your erect manhood all your life.”

John didn’t reply. He knew where Richard was going…

“Just like with Laura Austin.”

John sighed and closed his eyes, letting his head fall forward.

Once again, Richard was right.

He remembered Laura leading him by the hand, dragging him back towards the funeral they had just escaped from.

“Where are we going?”

“Trust me,” she said over her shoulder to him.

He let himself be pulled along, his eyes resting on her flowing dark brown curls cascading down her back. His eyes then fell further down to her small, round arse and he watched spellbound as each buttock swayed as she walked.

Before he knew it they were rushing past the funeral service and down the side of the building.

At the end of the building, Laura pulled him through a side-door and into a long corridor. Stopping only for a second to make sure there was no one around, Laura gave him a quick smile and then winked at him as she pulled at his hand. John could feel his cock harden as he stood beside her. They half-walked, half-ran down the corridor, trying to be as silent as they could.

John noticed the corridor ended some twenty feet down and he realised it  stopped at the other side of the building. At this very moment they were probably making their way behind the altar and priest who was giving his sermon, right in front of the huge crowd. If they could’ve seen through the wall, he knew their eyes and thoughts wouldn’t’ve been on the dearly departed.

But for a moment or two he was confused.

Where are we going?
he thought.

Then he saw the bathroom signs.

And then he understood.

A smile broke out on his face as his erection beat harder against the inside of his pants.

“Almost there,” she whispered.

Behind him, he could hear the monotone of the priest’s sermon, penetrating the wall and filtering through to them. But he paid it no attention.

There were more important things to think about.

Laura’s pace quickened as they passed the men’s bathroom.

John remembered looking at the bathroom door as they rushed past. He assumed they would go in there, but he didn’t care. He just hoped the ladies bathroom was empty.

And then Laura pulled him past that door too.

John’s face became puzzled. His eyes swept the corridor. There was only one bathroom door left.

The one for the handicapped.

John stopped in his tracks.

“In there?” he pointed to the handicapped sign on the door just three feet in front of them.

Laura turned and smiled at him, “Yeah.”

“Why there?”

“Why not?” she shot back.

“What about the others?” he nodded back towards the other bathrooms.

“Too busy, someone might walk in on us. There’s less chance of anyone using the handicapped bathroom.”

She smirked at him and raised an eyebrow.

“You’re not
scared
, are you?” her voice dropped to its deep sexy level again.

“No!” John replied quickly, puffing up his chest.

“Anyway,” she continued as the squeezed his hand and pulled him towards her again, “The toilets are special in there. Higher than normal. Easier. Helps us do what we want to do.”

She leaned forward and licked the tip of his nose with her hot, moist tongue.

“You ready?” she whispered.

He nodded, “Ready and willing.”

“Good.”

She turned, walked to the door and placed her hand out to touch it. “No turning back?” she whispered over her shoulder to him.

“No way!” he replied.

She pushed open the door and entered the bathroom.

And, blindly, John followed.