I have other writings I am working on. I like playing around with short story ideas. I am hoping to publish another collection at some point. Here is a peek at something that may get added to that.
I love my neighborhood. It has a lot of great outdoor spaces for walking and hiking. There are some great trails that you can get lost in and forget that you are in a large city.
Sitting on my patio now listening to the cars rush by on the closest street and I decide it is time to get lost.
The middle of the day is not a bad time for this. The sun is up but the trees create a great cover once I dip down one of the more private trails. It’s also nice during the work week to come and feel like you have the trail all to yourself. Kids are in school and adults are working so I am alone and get to enjoy the peace that comes from getting away from the busy streets.
Most of the time I use this space to quiet my mind but it can also create focus on one particular thing. I usually have an imaginary conversation with someone trying to work out an issue or daydream about one or two people.
As it happened, this was a daydreaming day. I imagined what it would be like to touch a particular person. Walking along has me all in my feels and getting wet from the thought of him.
I didn’t even notice the sounds of additional foot traffic, the leaves and branches crunching underneath more than one set of feet. It is really kind of bad how situationally unaware I can get when I am out walking and breathing in the outdoor air.
By the time I noticed, they were already close enough to grab me and throw a hood over my head. I tried to start kicking and screaming, but it was difficult with his forearms around my chest and torso. He just started dragging me. There was a nearby clearing off the path that was a bit hidden and evidently, he was someone who knew it was there. He made quick work of getting me to a flat spot and then in no time at all wrapping my wrists together with tape. He forced them over my head as I tried to breathe. I was getting close to passing out from hyperventilating through the hood.
“Don’t pass out on me yet. I want you awake so you can feel all the ways I will use and abuse your body.”
Lisa Gray 