Tori's Wrong Turn

Tori was forced to take a detour. Big mistake!

"All men kill the thing they love." Oscar Wilde

Tori drove along a lonely road, a detour that seemed to lead to nowhere. Biting her bottom lip, she wondered, Maybe I should turn back - something doesn't feel right. She kept seeing black shadows. Her stomach twisted in knots as they crossed the road in front of her car. Pinching the bridge of her nose, a throbbing sensation alerted her to a headache coming on.

Tori stopped her car to turn around. What am I seeing? She saw an outline of buildings up ahead and decided to keep going a little further. The hazy day made everything look eerie. The temperature seemed to drop as she passed ancient, deserted dwellings. Tori looked up at the sky, Please God, guide my way... What are my tired eyes seeing?

Tori closed her eyes, then opened them. Yes, there's a body hanging in midair, arms splayed outward. She closed her eyes again, hoping the horrid, twisted sight would disappear. She opened her eyes, nope, the body was still there! She bit the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood. Her stomach rumbled as she opened the car door to throw up.

Tori leaned back in her seat and passed a hand over her face. I need to get out of this dreadful place! She began to back up when something tapped on her window. She swung her head towards the sound, but there was no one there. Was this place haunted? She peered back at the poor soul hanging there all alone. Why didn't anyone bother to cut him down? Tori said a quick prayer for the poor soul.

I sure don’t want to meet anybody who lives in this town! She spotted an enchanting light ahead that seemed to beckon her forward. "Nope, I'm out of here!" Tori tried to back up again, but stopped abruptly when a dark shadow appeared in the back of her car. Her hands clenched on the wheel. Why do I keep seeing black shadows?

She screamed when her car door jerked open. Damn! I forgot to lock the door when I threw up!

“What’s wrong? Don’t you like our little village?” The man seemed to stare right through her; his abrasive behavior made Tori's jaw clench. He smelled like coffee and cinnamon, but his persona was cold as ice.

Tori pointed a shaking finger at the person hanging high. "Get out of my way, I'm not staying here when you do that to your citizens!"

He smirked, “Nobody leaves here!”

Gathering all her courage, Tori glared at him, thinking about her family and friends back home. “I’m not staying here!” She began backing up again.

“Yes, you are!" He pulled her out of the car. "My name is Sam, let me show you to your room.” He took her by the arm.

Wrestling with him with all her strength, Tori kicked and screamed for help. "Let me go! I'm not staying in this horrible place!"

He laid her on the ground, trapping her arms and legs. "Carl, give her a shot to calm her down."

"What are you doing?" Tori saw a big man stoop down over her... feeling the prick of a needle, she squirmed and screamed until darkness overcame her.

Tori woke up in a strange room; her arm hurt. Remembering what had happened, she ran from window to window to find a way out. She tried the door... locked. Defeated, she sank back down on the bed. "Please God, help me!"

A knock on the door made Tori jump. When the knock sounded again, she walked over to open the door. A beautiful young woman stood with her luggage and handbag. “Hi! My name is Delilah. Here are your things from the car.”

“Thank you! Do you happen to know where my car is?”

“No, I’m sorry, I do not.”

“Please don’t lock the door, I would like a chance to look around.”

“I can show you around tomorrow. But orders are, I must lock this door.”

"No, no, don't!" Tori cried.

The lock turned, and once more she was imprisoned. “What am I going to do?” Tori whispered. She glanced around the room once again before walking over to the bed. She must have fallen asleep because she woke up to another knock.

It was Delilah. "Hi, I'm here to take you downstairs for breakfast." She showed Tori the way to a remodeled kitchen. A lady, Delilah's mother, brought them a plate of toast, eggs, and bacon.

Delilah talked as they ate. "This place is my home. I was born here twenty-four years ago. By the way, you never told me your name."

"I'm sorry! I was so angry about the treatment I got from Sam and his companion." Just thinking about it again made her jaw clench. "I'm Tori. We're almost the same age, I'm twenty-one."

“Great! We'll become good friends,” Delilah laughed. She held the outer door open. "Come on, I will show you around my town."

Tori thought the village looked less daunting in the morning light. The first thing she checked was if the body was still hanging. Thankfully, it was gone!

Delilah asked. “Well, what do you think of our little village? Isn't it amazing!"

Tori hesitated... “You were born here, so, naturally, you’re proud to live here.” Tori looked down at her feet. “I miss my hometown, my family, and my friends.”

“I’m so sorry Sam is holding you prisoner! He seems to have taken a liking to you.”

“What! He sure didn’t show it! Plus, you don’t imprison someone you like." Tori snapped her fingers. "Wait! Did he hang that body up for all to see?"

“I can't say, or I'll get in trouble."

"Fine! How would you like being locked up?” Tori crossed her arms over her chest.

Delilah avoided eye contact. “Come on, I’ll take you back to your room.”

“Better yet, you can take me to my car,” Tori demanded.

Delilah backed up. “Sorry, I am not allowed to do that.”

“All I can say is I sure ended up in a bizarre place!”

Back in her room, Tori began to pace, trying to think of a way out of this mess. If I befriend Delilah and make her trust me, maybe I'll be able to roam free instead of being locked up.

Tori turned at the knock on the door. Maybe Delilah changed her mind, and she's back to help me! She ran to open the door. "Did you chan...?"

Sam stood looking at her. “Who were you expecting?" When Tori stayed quiet, he took her by the arm, "Come on, I’ll take you to dinner.”

Tori wrestled her arm back and turned back into the room. "I'm not hungry!"

"I don't take no for an answer. You're coming, or I'm carrying you downstairs to dinner."

"Fine!" Tori brushed past him.

Sam ordered Lasagna. Tori ate with her defenses up. Sam seemed pleasant enough as he kept the conversation going. His next few words sent ice down her veins.

“As you know, I am on the lookout for another wife. You and I will wed tomorrow.”

Tori nearly fell out of her chair. “After the reception I got from you and your bulldog, why in the world do I want to marry you?”

“You don’t have any choice in the matter. You are going to be my bride!”

“If I say no, I'll end up like that poor soul I saw hanging high... Right?” Tori got up, but Sam stopped her.

“You are not getting away! Get that through your head right now!”

"Who did you hang up high for all to see?"

"That was my wife who disobeyed me. If you want to end up like that, you'll be next."

Chills ran through Tori, as she shook her head.

That night, Tori asked Delilah to show her where her car was. “You'll lock me up in my room again, so what harm will it cause?”

Delilah rubbed her temple, then nodded. "That's true, follow me!" They walked down a lonely street until they reached an alleyway. "Your car is here.”

“Are the keys in there?”

“Sure! No one drives cars around here. We don’t go anywhere, so why do we need one?”

Tori walked over to her car. She tried the doors, and they opened! The keys were in the ignition, and all appeared just as she had left them. “I have to get out of here!” She didn’t realize she spoke out loud until she heard Delilah gasp.

“I have a home, and I need to go back. Plus, Sam wants me to marry him tomorrow!”

“Wow! He sure works fast! Okay, I’ll help you.”

“This won’t get you in trouble, will it?"

“It might, but I like you. I don't believe in keeping anyone against their will."

“If you can get my bag without getting caught, that’s all I need.”

Ten minutes later, Delilah brought the bag. “So far, so good! Now... all you have to do is follow this alleyway to the end, turn right, and you will be on your way.”

“You want to come with me?”

“I sure would like to see what’s beyond this place, but I cannot leave my elderly parents.”

“I understand! Goodbye, I hope to see you again somewhere beyond this place.”

“I do too!" The two women hugged goodbye.

Tori started the car and drove down the alley, turning right onto the same lonely road she had driven before. She was on her way home! She turned on the radio. All was well! I don’t think I'll go down any detours from now on!

The car began to sputter before coming to an abrupt stop. “Now what?” She looked down and noticed her problem. I had half a tank of gas!

Her car door opened, and Sam pulled her out of the seat. “I drained the gas out of the car. Sorry, you are not going anywhere! You are getting strung up.”

“What!” Tori’s legs gave way, and Sam had to hold her up.

“I told you that you're never leaving this place. I gave you a chance to become my wife, now, you just gave me your answer.”

Back at the village, Tori saw Delilah hanging high. “Please take her down!”

“No can do! Now strip!”

"What!" Tori began to strip as tears fell onto her naked body. "Can't you just make this a lesson learned for Delilah?"

Sam pushed her forward, "Just keep moving! Pain will become your middle name."

Tori swayed back and forth as she stood beneath Delilah.

Sam put the rope around her body and neck, then pulled her up next to Delilah. Tori saw the pain in her eyes and whispered, “I’m so sorry!”

I wonder if I will become one of the shadows roaming around. A shock wave interrupted Tori's thoughts, making her body stiffen in pain. Tears of joy ran down her face when they stopped. Just when she began to relax, another one exploded through her system. It kept going on and on - just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, a massive shock wave sent her body into convulsions... then she felt herself falling... Am I still alive?



1,883 words
Written for: "Into The Darkness " 
The cover picture was the prompt.