Codename: Jumping Spider

Sharon Dylan was stirred from her sleep by a noise. There was something eerie about the noise. Dazed, she tried to open her eyes, but darkness flooded her vision. It was pitch black – everywhere. That was when she realised she was blindfolded. She squirmed slightly, only to flinch in pain as the ropes around her wrists rubbed against her delicate skin. She was tied to a chair, and the ropes were tied so tightly that she could barely feel her hands, let alone move them. Alarm bells started to go off in her head, and she let out a low whimper, trying hard to remember how she had ended up like this. The last thing she recalled was leaving a party with a cute guy. What was his name again? She hadn’t even bothered to ask for a name. Could she be any more stupid? What was she thinking, anyway, leaving a party with a stranger without the slightest sense of self-preservation? She bit her lips, unable to recall anything else. How on earth did this happen to her? A low chuckle echoed through the room as the eerie noise continued, coming nearer to her. Suddenly, she recognised the noise. It was the sound of someone sharpening a knife. A knife. She swallowed hard. A quiet voice spoke, sounding nearer to her than she had expected. “Hello.” Her back stiffened at the unfamiliar voice. It was a guy’s voice – that was for sure. But whose was it? She couldn’t be sure if this was the cute guy who brought her away from the party. Somehow, this voice sounded different – colder, crueller. Feeling unsettled, she started to wriggle in her seat, only to make her wince from the pain at her wrists again. A fearful gasp escaped her mouth as a heavy feeling tugged at her chest. This wasn’t going to end well. The voice spoke again, sounding gentle. “Hush, my dear. Stop squirming around, or you will hurt yourself even more. I have no intention of inflicting pain on you.” The gentle, quiet tone of her captor’s voice sent a chill down her spine. She took in a shaky breath in an attempt to calm herself. She swallowed again and opened her mouth to speak. She tilted her head in the direction where the voice came from and asked, “Who are you?” Her voice was trembling a little. “Wrong question, darling.” She could hear the smile in his tone. Tears pricked her eyes. Was this some kind of joke to him? Maybe it was, given the fact that she was still in her party dress. Whatever he was planning for her, he wanted her to be awake to go through with it. Her gut told her that this wasn’t going to be a rape but something much, much worse. She drew in another shaky breath, suppressing the urge to cry. She tried again. “Why are you doing this?” Her hands shook violently. Her heart was banging against her ribcage, beating so fast and hard that she felt out of breath. “Try again.” His gentle voice sounded closer to her. She bit on her lips hard, whimpering. What was he trying to do to her? Wait. That was it, wasn’t it? She bit back a sob as she asked, “What’s going to happen to me?”