The wheels on the car squeak on the gravel road and it's the only sound I can hear from now on. Harry's car is an old wrecked truck. The heating is broken and I have curled up in my seat and wrapped my arms around my legs to keep me warm. I only wear the large t-shirt and the too big shorts Harry gave me to sleep. I look outside through the window as he drives in silence.

I don't know where he is driving me to and what he has in mind and I know I can expect anything from him. That's why I'm scared. I'm scared because he already proved me several times he was just so unpredictable and totally unstable. So I just brace myself for the worst.

That's when I realize that, indeed, it could hardly be otherwise. It's night and we're completely lost in the darkest depth of the countryside; it's just the best time and place to get rid of something troublesome. Me.

Soon enough, he parks the truck by the side of the road in the middle of nowhere and that only heightens my anxiety. Why would he stop his car here if he really had no bad intentions? I start panicking and look all around me to try to find something, anything that would help me to escape, but it's night and we are lost in the middle of the countryside so obviously, there's nobody out there. Therefore, I can only count on myself to get myself out of this sticky situation. That's when I know it's now or never.

So I reach for the car door handle to open it and get ready to run as fast as I can. I know that even if I would be totally lost in the middle of the night, on a country road, in this flimsy outfit, I'd rather be outside on my own than alone here with him when I don't know what's on his mind. But naturally, the door refuses to cooperate. I keep trying a few time in a hurry but it's useless; he locked me in.

"I hate you!" I scream.

"I know you do, Grace," he says sadly and the way he slowly pronounces every single syllabe frightens me even more. It shows how hopeful of being loved back he have been for months. It would have been heartbreaking if it wouldn't have been Harry.

"Why did you bring me here in the middle of the night? What for?!" I scream at him as I give in to panic. There's a short silence for what seems to be an eternity and I feel like I'm suffocating. Fear is suffocating me.

"I don't let you go but you definitely need to get out a bit," he says unexpectedly in a very calm tone. I widen my eyes, completely astonished, and I'm incapable to say anything.

"Promise me you won't do anything stupid," he adds and I nod furtively as a little smile is creeping on my lips.

I can't believe he is actually going to let me go out. I never would have thought he would have trusted me enough to do that one day. Now let's hope he won't tie my hands up like he used to do when he was holding me back in his basement.

Before getting out of the truck, he turns in his seat and grabs something behind it. That looks like rags but it's actually a brown sweater.

"Put it on. You're too frail and already wounded," he says very seriously with a little frown on his face. "I don't want you to catch a cold on top of that."

I nod and do as I am told to; I put on the too large sweater that falls on my hips. I'm touched by his kind gesture and once again it's absolutely not like him to be that attentive. It's unsettling how cruel and sweet he can be at the same time.

Dawn slowly breaks as a pale light enlightens his face. He gets out of his car and walks to my door to open it. I jump out of my seat and as soon as my feet touch the ground I'm overwhelmed by an adrenaline rush. It's been so long and I am finally able to see the sun rising little by little after all this time I spent locked away in a basement. The fields on both sides of the road stretch as far as my eyes can see and I wish I could run away now. But I know he would be quick to catch me up. He's faster and he has a car.

I look back at him and see him rummaging through his jacket pocket and pulls two pieces of fabric out of it.

"I need to blindfold and gag you so I'd be sure you won't either try to run away or call for help," he says in a hoarse voice as he stretches the black band in his hands. I widen my eyes when I understand. Of course, it was too good to be true. But I just can't accept to be gagged.

"No, please, not the mouth. Okay for the eyes, but not the mouth," I beg. I understand he doesn't want me to run away but if he gags me, I would feel as oppressed as I was in his basement. With my mouth shut and my eyes shut, I would feel completely shut away. I couldn't feel the things around me neither by seeing them nor by smelling them. So what would be the point of all of this then? There's no one to hear me calling for help, anyway. "I won't scream, I promise."

He looks at me in a suspicious way as if he was thinking about it. Finally, he just nods and asks me silently to turn around. I do and he slowly brings the blindfold to my eyes, tying it behind my head. He takes care to tighten the knot and be sure I won't be able to remove it. I can feel his agile fingers delicately pulling on some strands of hair and ensure they won't stay stuck in the knot and hurt me. I pinch my lips together and hold my breath when I feel his index shyly brushing my cheek.

"I trust you, don't disappoint me," he whispers to my ear and that sends chills down my spin. I gulp before turning around, stretching out my hands in front of me. He gently takes my right hand in his and slowly starts walking. "Now it's your turn to trust me."

He's right. I am now completely vulnerable - as if I wasn't already - I'm blindfolded and in the middle of nowhere with him. I can't see anything and all I have to do now is trusting him. And praying he won't betray me. Or kill me.

We have been walking in the nature for a couple of minutes now and none of us have said a word. I can hear the sound of the mud sticking to the soles of our shoes as crows croak from time to time and rodents scurry away when they hear us approaching.

At some time, we both stop walking. The fresh air has cooled my whole body and I shiver with cold but I wouldn't go back to the car for anything in the world.

"Please, tell me what you see," I beg him quietly but seconds pass and he remains silent. I take a deep breath and give up. Why did I even think he would describe me things I can't see? It's obvious he won't. After all, he already brought me here and let me go out, that's a start. I sigh.

"It's very... peaceful," he says and I turn my head in his direction even though I can't see him. I wasn't expecting him to say anything but I stay quiet and wait for him to carry on. "It's foggy as everyday around here at that time but dawn is breaking so it won't be foggy for much longer now." He pauses for a few seconds but he's quick to keep going. "We are completely alone and no one has taken the road we are walking along since the beginning." I nod and he goes on. "The grass is dirty and frozen and the fields aren't cultivated, I thinks it's even too cold at the moment for the cows to be outside."

"What month is it?" I wonder out loud. If he tells me, I could possibly estimate how long he has been holding me hostage for.

"November. It's late November."

Of course, I should have doubted we were in winter because of the cold. But that being said, even in summer there are huge drops in temperature in the countryside during the night. Anyway, it's late November and from what I can recall, it must be a month now he kidnaped me, a month I have been living in a basement without being able to see daylight.

There's a silence and I hear him moving next to me. I think he knelt down but I'm not really sure.

"Open your mouth," he whispers to me.

"Why?"

"Just do it," he demands gently.

I obey and I feel him placing his fingers on my lips. It's only a second later that I find out he inserted a small leave in my mouth.

"What is it?" I ask with disgust as I'm about to spit it out.

"Chew it," he says in an encouraging tone. "Trust me, it won't kill you," he adds and I can hear amusement in his voice.

I hesitantly bite the leave he put me in the mouth. Suddenly, the soft taste of wild mint spreads out throughout my mouth. When I recognise it, I slowly start chewing it more vigorously. It's delicious and I smile.

"Mint!" I exclaim with a smile.

"That's it," he replies in the same tone and it surprises me. It doesn't sound like him.

"Are you smiling?" I ask, astonished, and he takes a while to reply.

"Indeed, I am," he admits much more seriously.

"Why?" I whisper.

"Because you were smiling," he admits shyly. It's my turn to take some time to reply, but when I do that's when I realise that, maybe, he truly cares for me.

"You know, Harry, I don't hate you."

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Hello lovelies! I hope you enjoyed that chapter! Please leave feedbacks, vote, comment and share, it means so much. Ily. Ella. x