She's making her way here through that other hallway. Damnit! Nothing here! Okay... The sound was coming from the direction of another door over there. If I hide behind where the door swings open, maybe... Quietly as I could I hopped my way to the door. The minute it opened, I pressed my hand to my mouth to suppress any sounds of fear that might escape. The door opened a little over halfway, and I could see Max's elongated shadow creeping over the island's counter in the middle of the room. With every bit of strength I could muster, I threw my body against the door, slamming it into the back of my predator. With a cry she was thrown forward into the island, and her head hit the corner just hard enough to make a small cut on her left cheek. Stunned, I stood there with my hands over my mouth in shock, only for a moment. Max turned her head toward me. A small drip of blood began to form on her cheek where she was cut. Her eyes glared daggers at me.
Shit. That made her angry. In an instant, I was out the door she came through. She picked her self up from the island's countertop, and aimed at me as I ran. I darted to the right just as she fired another shot across the hall. It hit the wall. I heard her groan loudly as I ran through yet another door to yet another hallway. I ran down it to the end into a large, open room with a huge, crumbled staircase that went up to the second floor. Nope. I've seen too many slasher movies to be dumb enough to go upstairs. Instead, I ran towards the door to the left. The right side, I remember leads down that original hallway I went through when we came here.
Max loved to take me places. Last week, she drove us three hours away, only to take us hiking through the forest. It wasn't a park. There were no trails, no benches--nothing. She just parked in a wide spot on the side of the road, and into the woods we went. We hiked for almost an hour. I don't know how she knew what direction to go in, but after an hour, we ended up at a little river. There was an old, stone bridge with an almost Roman-style arch that crossed it. Just right there in the middle of the forest! There were no trails on either side of the bridge. But on the other side of the river? The most beautiful little open field I've ever seen. Big, pink flowers along side the river bank, and simple, well kept, green grass in the middle. I asked her who kept the garden, but she just shrugged. "It doesn't matter" was all she said.
We kissed on the bridge and watched the rippling waters flow under it while she wrapped her arms around my waist from behind me. Then we slowly made our way to the other side. I tripped over a stone that stuck out and fell face down on the bridge floor like a bag of hammers. Luckily, I caught myself, but cut the palm of my hand doing it. Max just picked me up, carried me to the open field and lowered me in a sitting position on the grass while I coddled my hand like a wounded puppy. She pulled a first aid kit out of her pack, put disinfectant on the cut, and pulled out a Band-Aid with pink butterflies on it. She gently covered my wound with it, lifted my hand to her soft lips, and kissed the Band-Aid without breaking eye contact with me. "There. All better, little one" she said softly. The sound of her sweet voice drove me wild, and I took her head in my hand, and pulled her to my yearning lips.
No butterfly bandages this time. I discovered her secret only moments ago - that she was a hitman hired to put an end to my life. She was so cold when she told me. Excited. Then, just "Run". I don't understand. I don't need to. I've just got to find that front door where we came in to make it out before she catches me. Come on, Emily. Where was that damned door?
I made it to the door left of where I came through into the open room. Turning the latch I swung open the door - and there stood Max, in her black tuxedo, white shirt buttoned down past her cleavage and a skinny tie casually knotted, with a long, heavy coat covering her. The red of her bloody cut contrasted the fair skin of her beautiful face. The short spikes of her dark hair bounced as she lifted her arm and took aim at my torso.
"On the farm, it's rabbit pie day."
She sang it as she pulled the trigger. I couldn't help but scream as the intense pain seared through my left shoulder. I stumbled back, an expression of absolute shock took over my face as I gazed into Max's beautiful blue eyes - the deepest blue, like deep in the sea as the sun gives way to the darkness of the depths. So cold. So dark. I was always too lost in the depths of her eyes to see the cold darkness underneath.
This is it. The game is over, and I've lost. Max has taken all my self will, all my love, and now my very life. She smiled in a wicked grin as I stumbled back, and lost my grip on this world. Gravity took control as I looked down to my shoulder, the green paint already beginning to drip down my velvet skin as I fell back.
I don't know how, but Max gently caught me as I fell back. She gently laid me back down to the ground, set her gun on the floor, and then caressed my cheek with her smooth hand, looking deep into my eyes with a gentle glare of deep affection.
This is my game. Even when I lose, I win. She might have me in her arms - and she'll have me however she wants - but I would submit to her tender arms any moment of the day. My heart is full and my body burns with anticipation even as my shoulder burns from the impact of the paintball. It only heightens the senses.
"Now you're mine, little rabbit."
