Hell's Embrace(Arisha) Hell's Embrace

Peppy Palmer squinted through the dark, blinking rapidly to fight back the overwhelming exhaustion flooding through her. She was far too terrified to fall asleep yet too exhausted to stay awake. It has been around 36 hours straight of being tied to a wooden chair, stiff and aching. she yearned to stand up and unfold her knees, to wipe the drool down her chin and chest, to unclench her jaws or to breathe in fresh air which didn't reek of urine mingled with blood and metal. Her throat and tongue yearned for moisture. She yearned for company in the pitch black isolation of the storage unit. Her heart froze in terror as something scurried across the wall. Mice, she tried to convince herself. But your own imagination betrays you when you're cold and terrified.

Peppy stared across the corrugated iron walls which confined her. The waves jutted out like a ribcage and gave the impression of decay where the rust had settled in. The black masses of the sheds content was reminiscent of childhood fears or of fallen soldiers on a battle field.
Peppy shut her eyes to seek comfort from the penetrating dark, and quickly opened them as she felt even more unsettled. There is nothing she could do to fight the fear of her fate. Tears trickled down her eyes as she mourned the losses she had suffered in the past eight months; The knobbly old land lady, Miss Morrison, the Jones family, Janitor Hughes, her sister Kelly, her baby niece and nephew, and her own mother. She should hate the man who killed the people she loved, or at least grieved over the loss of. But all she felt in regards to him is the anguish of losing him- Of no longer feigning ignorance to validate the continuation of her relationship with him.
But right now the horrible truth she had earnestly avoided glared at her- the truth that her handsome, brutish and red headed boyfriend was a cold blooded murderer and she is the next victim.

*****

43 hours and the bastard still hadn't made an appearance. Peppy wished he would get it over and done with rather than torture her with her own mind. Shame and fear consumed her to the point it broke her willpower to live. She felt herself slipping in and out of reality into the place between life and death.
Her belly ached from hunger and her throat burned from overbearing thirst. She craved a warm embrace more than she had ever craved in her life. She wanted to climb into her mothers bed or to kiss the foreheads of her niece and nephew, she wanted to hug her big sister and let her know how much she loves her, despite their countless petty fights.
Peppy's heart sank as she came to the realisation that she was dying- alone, abandoned and unable to bring her family and neighbours the justice they deserved, and for this she hated herself.
Sunlight sneaked through the rusted cavities of the shed.
it must be a nice day out, Peppy thought to herself. She missed the kiss of a winter's sun on her bare skin and the dew which hugged the grass in the morning. It was on a warm day like this eight months ago she had first set her eyes upon the red-headed Seth Cliver- bare broad chested and glistening like a god in the golden rays of the sun. Peppy had been mesmerised.
She had spent hours at the mirror dabbing her skin with make up in an attempt to imitate Seth's careless grace. She even practiced smiling his crooked smile.
How was she to know who he would become? Seth had been kinder to her than anyone else had ever been in her life time. He didn't care that she had "barriers" or was "intellectually challenged." He didn't laugh at her or feign concern by speaking to her as if she was a child. How could someone so gentle kill in cold blood?...

Peppy's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of heavy thuds- footsteps approached. Peppy's heart pounded in terrified anticipation as the door swung open.

Seth Cliver, the 'average' country boy, stood in all his glory.

Peppy tried not to gulp- this is it...the inevitable closure.

*****

Tilly Palmer was away at the hospital giving birth to the twins and her sister Peppy was home alone with their mum, helping cook dinner. It had happened in a flash- one moment her mother was crying and the next Peppy found herself livid and hurling insults at her mother. Seth had appeared that instant and Peppy didn't remember how it happened but only the gruesome aftermath of his visit.

Two barely recognisable dismembered human remains lay on the linoleum floor. Peppy's insides twisted in fear and disgust as she stared at the blood soaked bodies of her poor mother and the unfortunate land lady, Mrs Morrison, who had picked the wrong time to stick her nose in. Peppy wanted to warn Mrs Morrison with a scream but she was utterly terrified and unable to move as if some invisible force rooted her to the ground. See hated herself for it.

The following afternoon Peppy tried to scream again as she heard Tilly turn the key to the front door, but no sound escaped her. Tilly's glowing face twisted into horror at the bloody sight of the two bodies. She let out a blood curdling scream and it all happened again in a flash. An hour later, Peppy found herself staring at Tilly and her new born twins' remains piled next to their mother and Mrs. Morrison.

It was the janitor next, who had always harboured a soft spot for Tilly. The idiot allowed himself in and once again Peppy was rooted to the ground, unable to scream as his dismembered body laid next to his lover, babies, Mrs Morrison and Peppy's mum.

It wasn't until the following week that Seth struck his next victim. Mr Jones, the son of Mrs. Morrison, had come to visit her and when she didn't answer the door, unwittingly came inquiring about the whereabouts of his mother. The old fool had run and led the killer straight to his wife and three children. Four bodies were added to Seth's collection.

All of a sudden Peppy found herself able to scream, she screamed and screamed, until her throat and chest burnt. Footsteps approached up the wooden stairs and a balding middle aged neighbour appeared in the doorway. He froze and stared at the bodies in disbelief and then at Peppy. "It was him," she cried, pointing at Seth.

The middle-aged neighbour wisely bolted across the hallway and down the stairs.
Moments later sirens blared outside their apartment.

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