Were did the tapes go?
The question went unanswered as he left the family room and headed up the stairs, certain there had to be at least one bathroom up there.
I should just bring the girls over here one at a time to take a shower.
That would be too risky, though. One false move and the girl could get away easily. Again, if he had shackles and connected their feet together that wouldn’t be such a problem, but then with his luck someone would see him leading a girl from the shelter to the house or the house to the shelter. The place was isolated, but not isolated to the point where being seen was unfeasible.
The stairs sighed as he stepped into the hallway, his arms once again having to clear away the cobwebs that crisscrossed the open air. While doing this he noticed another horrible smell assaulting his senses, one which almost felt damp when ascending his nose.
It was coming from the bathroom on his left, specifically the shower.
Jimmy once again covered his nose and mouth with his shirt and opened the shower curtain.
Mold and mildew colored the once white walls.
He looked around for some soap or body wash, but nothing had been left behind.
The same was true with the top of the sink and the cabinets beneath.
The place had been picked clean.
He left that bathroom and looked to see if there was one in the master bedroom. It too was moldy, though this time the toilet was the really gross part because someone, probably Mr. Hood, had left the seat up before leaving the house. A second less noticeable musty smell was present, one which almost reminded him of the zoo for some reason.
Despite the shirt he could barely stand the room and for a moment wondered if he shouldn’t just rinse the girls off tonight and then come back the next day with soap from home.
No, you’re here and it will only take a second to check, so just do it.
Jimmy obeyed, walked over to the shower, and threw open the curtain. This time a bar of soap was waiting, but it was one he would never touch, not even with gloves on, because of the mold all around it, and quickly turned away.
His eyes rested on the cabinet beneath the sink. It was bigger than the one in the other bathroom had been, only one of its doors had been broken off, probably by kids, and from where he was standing it looked to be empty.
He couldn’t see into the second cabinet, however, and quickly got down on his knees and opened it.
Something growled inside and then lunged at him.
Jimmy screamed while falling backward into the bedroom as an angry opossum came at him, teeth glaring, and quickly back peddled himself from the bedroom, his hand slamming the door shut as he entered the hallway.
Panic at what else could be living in the house entered his mind, especially given how dark it was becoming outside.
The opossum continued to scream at him from beyond the door, one which Jimmy knew he would have to open so that the animal didn’t get stuck and die in there.
Catch your breath first.
It took a while but eventually he was able to stand, and was ready to leave the hallway and the house, the idea of finding soap far from his mind now. Before leaving he eased open the bedroom door so that the opossum just had to push it to get out.
Images of other animals entered his mind, ones which could have easily crawled or slithered inside through the broken cellar windows.
Gooseflesh sprang up on his bare arms.
Get out of this house.
Jimmy did just that, his hands scrapping free all the cobwebs and grime that had caught hold of him, his body desperately wanting a shower.
Jimmy looked horrible when he came back into the fallout shelter and for a moment Megan wanted to ask him what had happened, but then bit her tongue as he snatched up the metal bucket from the ground and headed toward the sink.
He was angry, but at what she didn’t know. Still, it frightened her a bit.
Bucket filled Jimmy came back into her line of sight and looked around for something. Nothing seemed to catch his eye, though.
Frustrated he headed over to the shelf with the wool blankets on them and unfolded one. Then, without warning, he pulled out a knife from his pocket, flicked the blade open with his thumb, and started cutting out a large square. Once he was done with that he took the large square back to the bucket and draped it over the edge.
“Samantha, stand up,” he ordered.
Samantha did not reply.
Jimmy grabbed her by the hair and jerked her head back. Samantha moaned. “I said stand up!”
“Leave her alone!” Megan snapped. She didn’t even think about the words, they just erupted.
“I’m not in the mood!” Jimmy shouted at Megan. He then lifted Samantha by the hair until she was on her feet.
Samantha stayed like that for a moment and then collapsed again.
“Fine, be that way,” Jimmy said and walked over to where the rope was tied off, undid the knot, and pulled her up until her toes just barely touched the ground.
“You’re going to kill her if you keep doing that!” Megan shouted.
“I don’t care!” Jimmy shouted.
Samantha started crying.
“Put her back down!”
“Do you want to be lifted up too?” Jimmy asked.
Megan didn’t reply.
Jimmy took hold of Samantha’s shirt and pulled it up all the way over her head and wrapped it around the ropes. He then used his knife and cut off her bra, exposing her completely.
“Stop it!” Megan shouted. “Leave her alone!”
Jimmy turned and came at her with the knife, which he pushed up against her right breast, the cloth of her shirt barely masking the feel of the sharp point as it threatened to pierce the flesh just under her nipple. “Don’t say another word unless you want to spend another night hanging from your wrists, after I whip the shit out of you.”
All Megan could focus on was the knife, her body unable to back up because his other hand was holding her in place.
Please don’t cut me!
Her lips stayed sealed.
Jimmy pulled the tip away and went back to Samantha, his hand setting the knife on the floor so he could scrub her clean with the square of cloth he had cut.
Samantha gasped at the water, which was probably really cold and almost instantly started to shiver despite how warm it still was within the room.
The smell of wet wool hit the air as Jimmy repeatedly plunged the square into the bucket, and then roughly ran it over Samantha’s bare skin, his hand pressing so hard that the fabric left red scratches up and down her pale flesh.
Megan got a chill when he scrubbed Samantha’s groin, her mind thinking he would probably drop pants and start fucking her, but that didn’t happen. Still, she didn’t want him touching her like that — no way — and would do whatever she could to prevent it.
Samantha’s cleansing ended eventually, her naked body completely raw looking from the wool as it dangled from the ropes.
Jimmy put the square back in the bucket and came toward Megan.
“Don’t you dare touch me,” Megan said.
Jimmy stared at her for a second and then said, “You don’t want to push me right now, I’m not in the mood.”
“And you don’t want to touch me right now because I’m not in the mood!”
Jimmy shook his head and grabbed at her pants to undo them, his hand struggling with her jeans as she twisted and turned. The quick movements hurt her wrists, but the pain was worth it given the satisfaction she gained by making things difficult for him.
Without warning Jimmy grabbed her throat and squeezed.
Megan tried to breath, but nothing got through and she gagged.
“Stop fighting me!” Jimmy ordered and then let go.