New Friend

“We have all the time in the world.” The large scruffy man said as he tightened the knots around the terrified woman’s wrists. “All the time in the world.”

Tina wanted to scream but the balled-up rag in her mouth and the duct tape prevented that. Snot clogged her nostrils making it hard to breathe. Wide eyed, she looked around the room for a way to escape or some other help.

The walls were made from logs that had no bark and were heavily varnished. The sparce furniture was rustic cabin furniture, hand made with care and skill. One big open room with a ladder to a loft above, a small open kitchen to one side, and a closed door possibly leading to a bathroom. A fireplace on one wall with a roaring fire in it heating the room nicely. Big fluffy flakes of snow seen outside through the big window on the far wall added to the cozy atmosphere.

Under other circumstances, Tina would love a setting like this. Curled up on the sofa with a hot cup of coffee or cocoa and a good book. However, being kidnapped by a psychopath kind of killed that image.

Tina was seated on a decently comfortable couch made of sturdy branches and thick cushions. She was tied to a wrought iron bar that was attached to the log wall just above where she was seated. The heavy-duty screws solidly secured the bar to the wall so that no amount of tugging would budge it. She had enough slack that she could stand up if she wanted to but not go much further.

A blank faced redhead girl was seated at the other end of the couch, tied to the same bar. While she did have a couple of old and faded bruises on her, she did not look like she was seriously hurt. She wasn’t bleeding or anything though she did have that blank faraway expression of someone who was off in their own world. Wondering what the redhead had gone through to be that checked out of reality just scared Tina even more.

“Might as well make yourself comfortable deary. You’re going to be here a good long time.” Her captor declared as he moved into the kitchen. He was a large man. Not quite six foot tall but he was broad like a football player. He was scruffy with a couple weeks of beard growth and unkempt greying hair. He wore heavily worn overalls and a thread bare flannel shirt. As scruffy and worn as he was, the man was clean.

Once in the kitchen area he took some vegetables and meat out of a cold room and started expertly chopping, prepping some sort of stew. Humming along to the 80’s pop song playing on the small radio on the counter.

Tina saw a box of tissues and a plastic cup of water on an end table next to her. Stealing a glance at the man in the kitchen, she reached for the tissues and blew her nose. She saw him look at her and he gave a slight nod to her. She hesitantly removed the gag from her mouth and took a drink of water.

“If you’re done with all of that caterwauling then you don’t need to put it back on.” The man said before resuming his chopping. “Its not like anyone can hear you screaming your fool head off or anything. It just really grates on my nerves and gives me a headache.”

“Who are you? What do you want with me?” Tina blurted out fearfully.

“It gets lonely up on this here mountain. I like me some company at times.” He pointed his knife at the redhead. “Felicia don’t talk much anymore, she doesn’t even cry during sex anymore, so I reckoned it was time to find a new friend.”

Tina visibly shuddered at that and started picking at the rope around her wrists. “You can’t just kidnap someone because you are lonely you psycho. Let me go right now and I won’t tell anyone what you did.”

“I see you have some fire in you. I like that. I wish Felicia was still like that. I don’t much like it when they break.” He stopped chopping his vegetables and walked over to Felicia.

“I will miss you girl. You were my favorite so far.” A single tear running down his cheek as he slit her throat.

Felicia did not resist or make a sound though for a brief instant a look of relief flashed across her face. Tina sat there in shock, horrified by what just happened. Once the reality of what just happened sunk in, Tina screamed a blood curdling scream.

The man left the room and came back a minute later with a syringe in hand. Tina fought when he grabbed her bound wrists in one hand and stuck the needle into her upper arm with the other. Tina’s struggle slowed and then finally stopped as the drug took hold. She was not unconscious, but her mind was extremely cloudy and fuzzy.

Tina watched the man cut Felicia loose and carry her body outside. Realizing that she was alone in the cabin, she struggled against the drug to untie her hands. She could barely move them. the drugs were doing their job. Everything had a dreamlike quality to it as she tried in vain to clear her head.

The cabin door opened revealing the man, covered in blood. “I ain't much of a host now, am I? leaving you all alone like that. My sincere apologies miss, but you can’t just be leaving a fresh kill laying around. It’s got to be hung up and dressed.”

Horrified by what he was saying but unable to form a response, Tina just sat there and moaned. She watched as he went into a side room. He kept talking to her from the other room, but Tina could not understand what he was saying.

“Here, you need to eat something.” He said, holding a spoonful of stew up for the girl.

Tina was startled. Didn’t even notice him come back into the room or dish up some stew. Time was spotty with the drugs making her brain fuzzy. She opened her mouth for the stew. It was really good. Suddenly she was starving. She ate vigorously, regaining some strength with every bite.

“You really like my Beth Stew, don’t ya? Old family recipe it is. Passed down from my great great great grandmother. Don’t get too used to it though. That’s the last of Beth. Looks like we are gonna be trying some Pamela Stew tomorrow.”

He wiped some dribble from Tina’s chin as she puzzled together what he just said. She just ate a person. One of his victims.

“I had that there needle ready in case Felicity needed some quiet time. It was probably too high a dose for you. Again, I apologize miss.” He spooned some more stew into her mouth.

Tears streamed down her face, and she silently screamed internally as she registered what else he was saying.

“Not to worry Miss. We will get the dosage right so you can still think and talk. Then we can learn all about each other. We have all the time in the world.”