Your Head on my Wall

{TW: Abuse, and Physical Violence}

There is trash everywhere, take-out boxes strewn across every surface, and beer bottles and cans, lots of them, everywhere. On the dining table, the counter, the side tables, and all over the floor. It's all I see as I open the door and step out of the basement for the first time in four years.

Last night, I had been half asleep when I heard the familiar sound of the key grinding in the lock of the door. And the man, my kidnapper had come down the stairs with water and a sandwich with smelly cheese and slightly moldy bread. "Here's your food, eat, you have to look at least somewhat healthy when I bring you to the station tomorrow morning." He had said, I was shocked, I get to leave? That means I leave on my 18th birthday, so I finally can leave this wretched place. "Your parents have raised the price for you again, whoever finds you and brings you into the station, gets one-hundred thousand dollars. Ha! What a waste of money on someone like you, though the price will be good for me" He smiled. Placing the food and water next to me on the floor, looking down on me, he grabs my chin roughly. "Do not tell anyone about who I am, or that it was me keeping you hostage all four years, or I will, I swear on God, I will have your head mounted on my wall." I remember those words so very clearly. I had only nodded my head, and he pulled is arm back, and slapped me. "Use your words, what do you say." He commanded me. My cheek stung, and my eyes started watering, but I managed to squeak out a little "Yes sir." He slapped me again. "What else? You are supposed to say something else," I cocked my head at him. "You. Ungrateful Brat." After each word, I was rewarded another slap. "Yes s-sir. Th-thank you sir." I stuttered. "Good, now don't do anything stupid or you'll be stuck here another two years," Two more years! I could not last six years in this place, I've nearly died at only four. After his little speech he stormed up the stairs, and slammed the door, without locking it, but my mind was to busy racing, his words a loophole in my head. 'Do not tell anyone about who I am, or that it was me keeping you hostage all four years, or I will, I swear on God, I will have your head mounted on my wall.'

Now, here I am, standing at the top of the stairs, in the house I've been locked in for four years, with no restraints. I walk to the window and pull back the curtains slightly. Today, October 19, my 18th birthday, the day I escape. The trees, a beautiful ombre or orange, yellow, and red, piles of the colourful leaves on the ground, and scattered across peoples lawns. Is this really what Autumn really looks like? Its so beautiful. I wat to go outside, go se-. There's a loud thud that interrupts my thoughts, its the man. I try to get to the doorway to the basement, maneuvering myself around the trash, but I'm spotted before I can get there. He lifts his hand and I see a hammer. He throws it at me, and I narrowly miss it. All I can think of right now are his words from last night. 'Do not tell anyone about who I am, or that it was me keeping you hostage all four years, or I will, I swear on God, I will have your head mounted on my wall.' The hammer hits the space in the wall next to me, cracking the drywall, and forming a small hole. After that misses me, he picks up what looks like a very very old wooden lawn chair and hurls it in my direction. I try to jump out of its path, but it hits me square in the back, sending me tumbling towards the stairs, but before I fall back into the basement, I grab onto the doorframe, I feel Blood dripping down my back, there must've been a nail, that hit me. "What did I tell you!" He shouts, surprisingly, he's not drunk. Again my mind is full of last night conversation. 'Do not tell anyone about who I am, or that it was me keeping you hostage all four years, or I will, I swear on God, I will have your head mounted on my wall.' "Don't tell anyone or lit anyone find out you were the one holding me captive?" I say questioningly, hoping not to get hit again. "And?" He snarls. "If I do tell someone, you'll have my head mounted on your wall." I mumble. "What was that?" He says with a smirk. " I said, if I do tell anyone, you'll have my severed mounted on your wall." I snap back. "Good, now, here eat this before we leave." He says, shoving a plate of eggs, ham, and toast in front of me, that are actually cooked well.

I scarf down them as quickly as possible, eager to find my parents. "Now, the story will be, you were on a gravel road just outside of town and I was driving down it when I found you, you had escaped your captor. NOT ME. And were trying to get back to town. So I brought you to the station to show them I found you. I nod, following his instructions. "Remember what I told you." He says with a look.

How could I forget, its been running through my mind all day. 'Do not tell anyone about who I am, or that it was me keeping you hostage all four years, or I will, I swear on God, I will have your head mounted on my wall.' We stand from the table, beer cands and trash swiped off onto the floor. Walking through the back door, the tells me to get in the van, the same one I was taken in. Yet now, I sit in the passenger seat, buckled in and we drive to the town police station downtown. On the way there, the man calls the police, saying he's found me, and bringing me in.

Police are waiting outside and we exit the car, they hurry me inside, calling my parents as they ask the man many questions. I learn his name, Nick Johnson. In all four years, I'd never learned his name. The officers take me to a private interview room, and ask me questions about what happen. I tell them the story I was given by them man, yet the refuse to believe me. 'Do not tell anyone about who I am, or that it was me keeping you hostage all four years, or I will, I swear on God, I will have your head mounted on my wall.' I can't tell them, yet I have to, I ask to go to the bathroom before answering any questions, but instead, I go to the space behind the interview room, where they can see you, but you can't see them. The officers in there shove me out but I tell them not to let that man anywhere near me, or in the room I'm in, or the room their in too for that matter. The nod and lead me back to the room. Once I sit down I tell them everything. Once I tell them about what he said to me, 'Do not tell anyone about who I am, or that it was me keeping you hostage all four years, or I will, I swear on God, I will have your head mounted on my wall.' They are shocked, but immediately report to other officers to place him in a holding cell for now, and when my parents get there, they explain everything that happened for me. My parents are shocked as well but to happy to see me to scream at the officers about getting revenge. We leave the station and as we pass the holding cells, I catch a glimpse of the man in there, but you can hear his yelling. 'Do not tell anyone about who I am, or that it was me keeping you hostage all four years, or I will, I swear on God, I will have your head mounted on my wall.' I look down, and pray that I won't have to see him ever again, and that I can keep my head on my body. I smirk though I fooled him, and escaped, finally maybe I can get a chance at a free life without worry of harm or death.