welcome in this dungeon of a basement.
Feeling her way with her toes and keeping her hand on the wall beside
her, Cassie started back down the steps. She stayed close to the walled side
because the other was open. There was a sheer drop from the far edge of
the steps to the basement floor below and Cassie was not in a mood for
diving into unknown waters.
Nothing materialized beneath her hand. Just one more step or two, she
promised herself firmly. Maybe the electrician who had wired the place
had put the switch in the middle of the staircase.
She was trying to convince herself of that possibility when the step she
had just reached gave way beneath her.
There was no warning, no creaking of wood, no feeling of instability
prior to that instant. She simply found herself stepping down onto a
surface that immediately collapsed beneath her weight.
With a scream she wasn't even aware of making, Cassie lost her balance
and pitched sideways over the unrailed staircase.
Four
« ^ »
Cassie's next sensation was that of being suspended in midair. The strain
in her hands was incredible. It took her a dazed moment or two to realize
she had actually managed to catch hold of a stair tread as she'd fallen
sideways. Now she hung there, clinging desperately to the edge of the
stairs. Her legs dangled in black emptiness and she was vividly aware of a
burning pain in one of them.
She was too stunned to even summon up a good scream, she realized
vaguely. What was below her feet? Was it only a short drop to the floor of
the basement or was it much farther? If she let herself go, would she fall
on a barren surface or into a heap of nail-studded boards, garbage or rats?
Atmosphere. The damn place sure had atmosphere!
When would Justin return from his walk on the beach? If she'd had the
sense to go with him she would not now be hanging by her fingernails over
an abyss! Pain was building in her fingers, reaching to the muscles of her
wrists and forearms. Cassie knew she wasn't going to be able to hang on
for long. She had to find the strength to pull herself back up onto the
stairs. If she could just get her leg up on a lower tread…
Why did her left leg hurt so much? She must have scraped it on the
splintered edge of the staircase. Too bad she'd never mastered the art of
chinning herself. But back in high school it was tough to figure out which
skills you were going to need later on in life. In high school the only truly
important abilities had appeared to be those that got you onto the
cheerleading squad. Cassie remembered she hadn't mastered those, either.
What was she doing reminiscing about four of the worst years of her
life? Grimly Cassie tried to swing her aching left leg up onto a lower tread.
Her breath left her lungs in a near silent cry of agony as a new wave of
pain shot through it. God, she must have really done some damage earlier.
Gasping for breath and willing herself to force back the pain so that she
could think, Cassie hung by her hands another moment while she tried to
analyze her situation. There was still no sound of anyone else in the house.
When would Justin return?
What if he already had returned?
What if he had been the one who had closed the door at the top of the
stairs?
No, that was ridiculous. What possible motive could he have to trap her
in a basement? And how could he have known that the stairs were in such
poor condition? The heavy door could easily have swung shut on its own.
Even as the questions raced through her brain, unpleasant answers
suggested themselves. There in the total darkness it was easy to let her
imagination take hold. It occurred to Cassie that Justin might have more
than seduction in mind. It would be very convenient if she were out of the
way. Not only would he then be free to go back to the plans he had made
with Alison, but Alison herself would abruptly be a much richer prize. She
would inherit all of Cassie's money.
It was crazy,
Feeling her way with her toes and keeping her hand on the wall beside
her, Cassie started back down the steps. She stayed close to the walled side
because the other was open. There was a sheer drop from the far edge of
the steps to the basement floor below and Cassie was not in a mood for
diving into unknown waters.
Nothing materialized beneath her hand. Just one more step or two, she
promised herself firmly. Maybe the electrician who had wired the place
had put the switch in the middle of the staircase.
She was trying to convince herself of that possibility when the step she
had just reached gave way beneath her.
There was no warning, no creaking of wood, no feeling of instability
prior to that instant. She simply found herself stepping down onto a
surface that immediately collapsed beneath her weight.
With a scream she wasn't even aware of making, Cassie lost her balance
and pitched sideways over the unrailed staircase.
Four
« ^ »
Cassie's next sensation was that of being suspended in midair. The strain
in her hands was incredible. It took her a dazed moment or two to realize
she had actually managed to catch hold of a stair tread as she'd fallen
sideways. Now she hung there, clinging desperately to the edge of the
stairs. Her legs dangled in black emptiness and she was vividly aware of a
burning pain in one of them.
She was too stunned to even summon up a good scream, she realized
vaguely. What was below her feet? Was it only a short drop to the floor of
the basement or was it much farther? If she let herself go, would she fall
on a barren surface or into a heap of nail-studded boards, garbage or rats?
Atmosphere. The damn place sure had atmosphere!
When would Justin return from his walk on the beach? If she'd had the
sense to go with him she would not now be hanging by her fingernails over
an abyss! Pain was building in her fingers, reaching to the muscles of her
wrists and forearms. Cassie knew she wasn't going to be able to hang on
for long. She had to find the strength to pull herself back up onto the
stairs. If she could just get her leg up on a lower tread…
Why did her left leg hurt so much? She must have scraped it on the
splintered edge of the staircase. Too bad she'd never mastered the art of
chinning herself. But back in high school it was tough to figure out which
skills you were going to need later on in life. In high school the only truly
important abilities had appeared to be those that got you onto the
cheerleading squad. Cassie remembered she hadn't mastered those, either.
What was she doing reminiscing about four of the worst years of her
life? Grimly Cassie tried to swing her aching left leg up onto a lower tread.
Her breath left her lungs in a near silent cry of agony as a new wave of
pain shot through it. God, she must have really done some damage earlier.
Gasping for breath and willing herself to force back the pain so that she
could think, Cassie hung by her hands another moment while she tried to
analyze her situation. There was still no sound of anyone else in the house.
When would Justin return?
What if he already had returned?
What if he had been the one who had closed the door at the top of the
stairs?
No, that was ridiculous. What possible motive could he have to trap her
in a basement? And how could he have known that the stairs were in such
poor condition? The heavy door could easily have swung shut on its own.
Even as the questions raced through her brain, unpleasant answers
suggested themselves. There in the total darkness it was easy to let her
imagination take hold. It occurred to Cassie that Justin might have more
than seduction in mind. It would be very convenient if she were out of the
way. Not only would he then be free to go back to the plans he had made
with Alison, but Alison herself would abruptly be a much richer prize. She
would inherit all of Cassie's money.
It was crazy,
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