The Cat and Mouse: In accordance with PTRR
I had a basic normal life. I was going to the local college, working a job at the corner cafe, went out with our friends, etc. I would’ve never expected for my life to take such a dark path as it did. Since it all happened, I can’t leave my home. I never went to the police, I dropped out of college, quit my job, I basically dropped off the face of the earth from everyone. All my doors and windows stay locked. I can’t sleep. All the horrible memories taunt me, making me live that nightmare all over again. Certain sounds make me jump and cower, they remind me of him. I fear he’s found out that I escaped and is after me. I know you’re confused and disgusted by now but that’s why I’m telling you this, he never let’s one get away.
It was October, Halloween actually. My coworkers talked me into going to a party with them. The party was up in the woods, classic horror movie situation right? I thought so, we all did but we just laughed about its irony. We had started a bonfire and broke out some beers, some of us getting hammered others not even tipsy. We were all having a great time, staring at the stars, laughing, living a good life. That was until we heard someone walking our direction. If I had known who he was then I would’ve made us all leave in a heartbeat, hell, I would’ve walked back to town if it came down to it. He was dressed so nicely for the remote area we were.
“Are you all lost? You seem to be on my property,” he said in an overly joyful voice.
Our assistant manager Allen chuckled.
“Your property? This is in the middle of the woods,” he retorted, slurring his words a bit.
The man laughed lightly.
“All I’m telling you to do is put out your fire and leave, I don’t have time for this.”
All of them started laughing, I did too. I was a bit nervous though, something seemed very off. The man grinned at us, that was such a beautiful smile. That’s when our campfire was put out leaving us all in complete darkness. Our laughter stopped and some of my friends started shouting about the fire situation and tried walking towards their cars. That’s when the first scream went off made by our friend Martha, it made the rest of us freeze. We then heard a gut wrenching sound, we heard her go silent followed by a ripping sound and a thud. That’s when we all started screaming and stumbling to find our cars. I hid under a truck and tried to stay silent as possible. Soon enough I heard my friends getting killed off one by one until it went completely silent. I then heard the ground crunch right near my ear. Tears streamed down my face as I tried controlling my breathing. This wasn’t happening! This couldn’t be real! I was dragged out by my leg, I started screaming and kicking trying to get away as I was lifted above the ground, shaking and begging for my life. I was sobbing so hard my throat must have been bleeding by then. A lantern was held up near my face.
“Hmm, one managed to hide? What a clever boy, I guess we can let him live longer.”
That was the man from earlier. With the light of the lantern I saw all my friends bodies strung out around the area. Some had necks snapped, others with knives in various places. I looked over at who was holding me and my face went pale. It was this tall man wearing a white wife beater with a chef’s apron, etc. He had dirty blonde hair and wore this demented mask. One side of it was smiling a creepy grin with sharp teeth and the other was frowning heavily. He slung me over his shoulder as if I was a rag doll. I was so tired I didn’t dare fight back, I just passed out.
My eyes shot open to see I was strapped in a chair. There stood that man in front of me.
“What’s your name little mouse?” he asked.
“Don’t call me that you psychopath,” I spat back.
He chuckled at me, how could he find any joy in this situation?
“Let’s get this clear, my second rule is to not talk back to me. So again, what’s your name? Or should I just call you a rat instead?” he snapped.
I kept my mouth shut. This man murdered my friends and kidnapped me, what else will he do?
“My name is Abraham,” I said finally.
“I think the title of a rat fits you better but Abraham it is. Would you like to know my name?” he asked.
I nodded slowly at him, I don’t want to anger him anymore.
“It’s Nicholas, Nicholas Rukhat. You poor thing, you and your friends broke one of my rules so I had to handle it. You would’ve all lived if you obeyed,” he said, standing up and walking around behind me.
My heart rate went up. Is he gonna snap my neck right here? I don’t want to die! Please don’t let me die! His footsteps then stopped.
“Since you’re so good at hiding, would you like to play a game?”
I gulped a bit before responding,
“What type of game?”
He chuckled. His sweet, warm laugh didn’t match his true sadistic nature whatsoever.
“You hide, if I find you, you die. If you win without me finding you for 15 minutes you get your life,” he explained now staring me in the eyes.
I agreed. I had no choice, maybe I could escape. He then undid my restraints and I stood. Nicholas leaned on the wall and crossed his arms, smirking at me as he held up a pocket watch.
“You have 10 minutes to hide little mouse, don’t leave the manor or else its instant death,” he said swinging the watch back and forth.
I left that room and started running down the halls. Where can I hide?! I then saw an iron door. I slowly opened it and went inside then hid behind some kind of bookshelf. I then heard someone walking around in here. Did he trail me that quickly?! I took very shallow breaths to make zero noise. I must’ve been there for a good hour before the door opened and I heard Nicholas’s voice. He walked in and went straight for me before grabbing me by my shirt collar and quickly dragging me out just as the door slammed shut. We both stood there in the hallway. Suddenly, we heard screaming from behind the door as well as very loud pounding on it. It was terrifying to say the least.
“You’ve got me impressed, you managed to not only hide from me but from Artie, and I haven’t given him his pills yet today,” Nicholas said with a pleased smile.
I then heard a very loud thud on the door, I thought it was going to get busted dow.
“Looks like he’s in another episode. You’re very fortunate, he would’ve ripped your head off. He’s rather problematic without the antipsychotics,” he said dragging me to walk with him.
“So I-I get to live?” I asked.
He laughed, what a haunting laugh.
“For now yes. I like playing games like this, it’s fun,” Nicholas said back.
From that day Nicholas kept me in the manor as his toy. We would play a game of cat and mouse where my life was on the line. I would hide, he would try to find me, etc. I hated it. Anxiety took over my body constantly and it would get so bad I would vomit quite often. Whenever I would win and I could rest, I became very paranoid that Nicholas was hunting me, waiting for me to mess up.
The worst part about this manor was the night-time. It’s when you heard all the screams and cries of the people being cut up and tortured. Their begs and pleads for mercy rang throughout the air at every hour. I was kept in a locked room with no window and a door with one key which stayed with that damn guard. The creepiest part about this place is the butcher. He walks the hallways at night, helping the guard make sure nobody has gotten out. I can hear his heavy footsteps and the creepy lullabies he hums as he walks. It’s times like these where I’m glad my door stays completely locked. I absolutely hate the night here. Whenever someone does escape, you can hear them run into Belladonna, if they’re lucky. If they run into the butcher, he starts dragging them by their feet, hair, arms, whatever he can grab. He brings them back to the dark room and punishes them for Nicholas. Once in the dark room you can always hear them scream blood curdling screams until it just goes silent and all that is heard is the lullabies followed with crunching.
I couldn’t take it here anymore. Each time I tried to kill myself, Nicholas managed to be one step ahead of me and prevented it, laughing at my attempt. I had tried getting the lock to my room out of the pocket of Belladonna. She caught me and started to drag me to that mad man. I kicked and tried so hard to get away, tears streaming down my face. I hadn’t been caught before this. That was the day Nicholas chopped my right hand off for trying to steal. I remember how badly the pain hurt. Hell, the worst part about it was hearing my own bones crunch as it was sawed off. I watched as he used my blood to paint his roses. From there he stopped the games for a little bit and made me sit in his art room with him as he dunked the roses in my own blood and talked to me. He noticed how bad my paranoia had gotten and offered to give me a pill to stop it. I wasn’t stupid, I knew those pills would distort my mind.
I guess my paranoia had gotten so bad that I heard voices telling me Nicholas was right behind me. This made my nerves go crazy making me develop a vomiting problem which made me reject nearly all food. Nicholas started the games again. I couldn’t keep this up. I couldn’t keep living like this! So during one game I snuck out of the manor and went into the woods. I eventually made my way into town and caught a train to get the hell away from there. So now I’m here, living seas apart from that awful place and that demented man. I don’t care what his father did to him to make him like this, there’s no excuse for the sickening things he’s done! I don’t care about any excuse Nicholas could come up with to try to justify the horrendous acts he’s committed! I can’t take the thoughts or night terrors anymore! All their screams, the begs, his goddamn laugh as it happens! I fear Nicholas has found me finally. I don’t want to be murdered by him because he wouldn’t just stab or shoot me, no, he would take me back to that mad house and torture me until I beg him for death! So I thought it was time to take matters into my own hands. It’s why I wrote you this letter, so you know why I did it. Why I had to blow my own damn brains out and why I dropped off the face of the earth. I want you to know he’s real, please believe me when I say that. Veronica I’m so sorry and I hope you get this letter sometime soon and understand this insanity.
Sincerely, your friend, Abraham.