Chapter 70
1130words
"Um…" I wanted to say something, but immediately drew the words back into my mouth; biting down on my bottom lip nervously.
With hampering movements I slowly raised up my arms. As the best that I could I coiled my arms around his broad back. Mark went rigid in my arms and I could feel my heart hammering away against my rib cage as I tightly shut my eyes.
'I must be crazy for trying to console my stalker.' I sighed in resignation as I looked up heavenward and slowly started to pat him on the back.
"There…there…?" The words came out drawled with a perfect mix of hesitation and confusion.
The vibration that slightly shook Mark's body as he let out a low chuckle in the crook of my neck could be felt beneath my fingertips. "You're so cute." He said softly.
"Shut up." I grumbled shyly, but the patting on the back didn't cease.
He pulled himself away and stared at me with fondness in his eyes. "How can I not find you cute when I see you trying to console me?"
I sputtered embarrassed. "I-I wasn't trying to console you! You were crushing me with those beefy arms of yours and I couldn't breathe, so I only patted you so that you would release me." I rambled fast hoping that he wouldn't notice the slight high pitched wobbly voice of mine as I folded my arms in front of my chest, turning away from his smiling face.
He snickered. "Uh-hu let's just say that." His voice didn't sound convinced at all and the mirth in his eyes was only growing causing the blushing on my face to intensify.
"Whatever." I mumbled as I stomped away from him.
"Where are you going?" He asked, laughing at my behavior.
"Trying to see if there's a way to escape from this hell hole." I answered in a grumbling voice.
"Okay! Have fun in getting to know the house!" He waved off cheerfully. "I'll prepare dinner in the meantime." He added as I went on the red carpeted covered stairs. I grimaced at the traitorous sound of my rumbling stomach at the mentioning of dinner.
…
I had already exited the fourth bathroom as the seasonal aroma of the dinner slowly started to engulf the whole house. Ignoring the intensified rumbling sounds of my stomach I was astonished at the amount of rooms that were present in this giant house.
"For what does he need four bathrooms?" I mumbled annoyed as I let my fingers run through my hair.
That was the umpteenth room that I just came out from and there just seems to be no end to this rooms. It's a maze. Some rooms had no windows at all which only set a shiver down my spine questioning myself for what those rooms where used for. And if there was a room with a window that window would be locked with the same finger print lock as the one from the living room. No matter how hard I try to bust down those windows they will just not crack.
It looks like I'm really stuck here.
I sighed frustrated as I rested my hand on the doorknob of the next room that I was going to enter. Expecting it to be another bathroom I idly turned the doorknob.
Through the crack opening of the door I could only see void. Worried and scared that it was going to be one of those creepy rooms I only stuck my head inside to quickly scan the room and to just leave if it was one of those rooms.
Instead I was taken aback by the shimmering light of the sunset that was trickling trough the curtains, basking the black wooden desk with its light. Rows of wooden bookcases that were dyed with the same color of the desk were covering all the walls with books neatly lined up. I was amazed by the serene ambience of the room, but the thing that really caught my eyes was the silver laptop which laid on top of the desk.
As if compelled I trudged towards it. I quickly whipped my head around incase Mark was standing behind me before flipping open the laptop. Turning it on I was curious to what I would find only to be slapped in my face by the screen that was asking for a password.
Tilting my head back I let out an inaudible groan. "Seriously?" I frowned displeased.
"Password…Password…Password…" I kept chanting that over and over again as if I hoped that the answer would hit me like a sudden wave.
I groaned frustrated as I ruffled my head. "Seriously what could it be? It's not like the password would be his birthdate or something…hmm?"
A sudden realization hit me and I leaned back muffling my mouth with my hand, as I started to mutter to myself. "Not his birthdate…but maybe mine?" I wondered.
"No, no, no." I said as I shook my head in denial. "There's no way that he would use that as his password, right?"
Eyeing the monitor I questioned myself if Mark would really do something stupid like that. Not able to withhold my curiosity in a hunkered position I let my fingers type in my birthdate and pressed enter. Seeing the loading screen for so long I thought that the password was wrong and exhaled relieved.
"Yeah!" I exclaimed. "There's no way that Mark would…huh?"
My words got derailed as the loading screen flickered to the home screen. A picture of me as a kid playing in the meadow was seen in the background.
Questioning thoughts were racing through my mind wondering how in the world he got his hands on that picture, but those thoughts got overshadowed by how flabbergasted I was that his password was indeed my birthdate.
'Damn Mark for an ingenious killer you're sure are stupid.' I thought, shaking my head as my jaw hung slack.
"Hmm…let see." Gathering back my focus I let the cursor roam around the screen searching for something that I may be able to use against Mark.
"What's this?" I queried when I let the cursor hover around the folder that was nameless. It only had a chess piece on it. I clicked on it and nausea started to roll in my stomach, wiping away my previous hunger.
