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Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6,Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14,Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21
Chapter 22. Escape
Marcus visited Rose four more times that day. Each time his touch grew bolder. On his final visit he made her undress before him, running his hands and lips over her naked skin, the fingers of one hand probing her while the other deliberately inflicted pain. He was panting heavily by the time he left her, instructing her to dress for dinner. Rose barely made to the bathroom before she collapsed to the floor, hugging the toilet bowl, as she was violently sick. She desperately wanted to wash herself, but there was no time; if she was late for dinner then the consequences could be life threatening.
Weak and shaking she forced herself to don the new gown he had had made for her. If possible, it was even more transparent that the last. Certainly, Rose felt as if she were naked as she sat down for their evening meal. She nonetheless managed to conceal a sharp steak knife beneath her heavy breasts when he turned to summon staff to remove their empty plates. Feigning a headache she begged to be dismissed. Luckily, his good mood had held and he granted her wish, promising before she retired to see her in the morning. Rose forced herself to smile as she left the room, praying that this time it would be a lie and, come morning, she would be far from here.
As soon as she reached her room she set to work with the knife, cutting into the new blanket she had been given, turning it into strips. She then set to work on her other blankets until a pile of fabric lengths lay before her. Studiously she began to knot them together, creating a rope. She wasn’t sure how strong it would be, but she hoped it would hold her weight for long enough. Looping the makeshift rope round her arm, she turned to the window. Focusing her mind, she imagined the bars bending inwards. Slowly but surely they began to move. As soon as they had shifted sufficiently for her to squeeze between them she stopped. She’d need all the strength she had for later.
Nervous now, she opened the window, ignoring the icy chill that immediately cut through her pointless garments. The gown immediately tangled at her feet, however, and she realised she would never make it if she left it as it was. Grabbing the knife she hacked off the skirts just above her knees. Unencumbered, she climbed up onto the windowsill, threading the rope around the remains of the bars and securing it tightly. She eased the fabric rope out of the window then wriggled round, easing her weight onto it and slipping free of the security of the windowsill. She immediately knocked up against the stone wall, her belly hitting against it uncomfortably. Climbing had been hard enough before, when she wasn’t pregnant, now it felt almost impossible. She couldn’t permit herself to fail, however, so she wound the rope round her legs and began to slip down slowly. The knots in the rope impeded her slide and the going was slow, but eventually she felt her feet hit against the ledge that ran long the top of the first floor windows.
She stopped for a rest, chest heaving in exertion. Her tummy was scratched and bruised from the descent but her daughter’s presence was still strong and healthy in her mind. Regaining her breath, she peered over the edge. The rope reached almost to the next ledge down, the one that ran above the ground floor windows. She readied herself and began to descend again, until her legs ran out of rope. She bit back her instinctive panic and allowed herself to slip downwards, only breathing again when her feet hit the next ledge. Gripping the last of the rope desperately, she leant into the wall, steadying herself for what came next. Finally, she let go of the rope and slowly twisted so that her back was against the wall. Hands flat against the stone, she began to shuffle sideways. It was harder to balance than she’d expected; her belly thrust out in front of her, pulling her centre of gravity forward and threatening to unbalance her at any moment. Concentrating hard, she forced her shoulders back tight to the wall, focusing on each small movement rather than her goal. Finally, however, she reached it.
A large tree stood in her path, its branches skimming close to the building. It was the closest thing to a ladder she had, and her only route to the ground. Praying that her arms would hold her increased weight, Rose launched herself at a branch, grasping it like a parallel bar, before swinging herself down to the next one. She’d almost made it when her grip slipped and she fell. She twisted in the air, forcing her arms out to brace herself, allowing her upper body to absorb the impact rather than her torso. She felt something give just before she rolled onto her back. Pain blossomed and for a moment the world faded to black before fear and adrenalin forced the darkness back. She rolled onto her knees and drove herself upright, shaking desperately. Frightened, she pressed a hand against her abdomen, seeking and finding her daughter. She was scared but unharmed. Rose felt relief flood her and allowed herself a few moments pause, back resting against the tree trunk.
Rose knew what she had to do next, but was afraid to do it. She had no idea what her plan might do to her, or her child. This time she knew what she was risking; the Doctor had taught her how dangerous her new gift was to her and by default to her baby. Still, there was no other way. It had been two months and Jack and the Doctor had not come for her. She trusted them, she knew they would find her if they could, but there was no more time. If she stayed here she risked being damaged beyond repair. She was stuck and so she picked the lesser of two evils. She only hoped that the Doctor would be able to forgive her if it went wrong.
Steeling herself, she reached out to her child and gently asked her baby for help. She had no idea if this would work, but she had hope. Hope was all she had left. She wasn’t sure if her daughter understood what she was asking but she felt a wave of love and knew that would have to be enough.
Grasping at the telepathic energy of her baby and merging it with her own, Rose threw back her head and opened her mind. Pouring all her energy into one thought, she marshalled herself and, with a burst of power she could barely contain, she released a colossal psychic howl into the heavens, calling desperately for her mate. She maintained her scream for as long as she had the strength, stopping only when she had nothing left. Heart straining, ears roaring and head spinning, she collapsed to the ground, depleted.
Chapter 23
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