From the Smoke Club to the Ridge, the Smoke Screen Unveils (Part 5) | 20 August, 2024 @mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2470 | Prompt: one last bullet

Part 4...

Either the cave or the lake cabin. Not ideal either of them as an escape route. I chose the caverns. The place where an untold number of women's lives ended. But I had to risk it. If only Jordan were still alive.

Why I thought at that moment that Jordan would protect me when he was apparently part of the ring of terror was absurd.

My ankle hurt. But I couldn't allow it to hinder me.

Not able to retrieve Jordan's or my keys from his dead body, I grabbed my backpack and swung it hard at Melvin. He didn't expect the assault, so stumbled backward.

Gave me just enough time to run. But I didn't get far. The pressure on my ankle was excruciating, Behind me, I could hear him breathing heavily and cursing loudly.

A sense of dread overcame me as the next second, my mouth met dirt as I fell to the ground. The next instant, I could feel my body being dragged along the graveled path. My ribs hurt as did other parts of my body rubbing against rocks and debris.

My mind went blank.

I woke struggling to breathe. The bandana tied too tight around my face blocked out my location. But I didn't need to see. My weekend trips to the lake cabin and searching nearby the cliffs, sights, sounds, and smells returned.

I was in a cave.

Now Part 5:

Yes, I was in a cave. I remember now. Dragged there by Melvin. Left for the cave dwellers to feast upon at their leisure.

The details of this particular cave, I recalled from my visit a year after the last murder. The cave rose no higher than ten feet. Its narrow tunnel system stretched deep. The dreary interior shrouded by darkness captured only a small ray of light that filtered through. Damp and cool, I sensed the slimy rock walls.

After the incidents, cave access to tourists halted.

I gasped remembering a notation in one of the case files. The echo of music from afar, the only survivor told. I kept telling myself to keep calm. Panic was the death of reason; and survival. But with nothing to occupy my mind, dread crept up and instilled fear that overshadowed the feeling of helplessness.

Again, I tried to wiggle my wrists free from the restraints. However, they were bound so tight blood trickled down through the torn flesh onto the ropes. The rocker position Melvin tied me in didn't afford any forward movement over the rocky floor.

Flickers of light continued to waffle through the blindfold. As a faint lemony aroma became prominent, I inhaled slightly, then held my breath to capture the scent.

As soon as I exhaled, thoughts of citronella candles burning on my balcony to ward off mosquitoes surfaced. Would I be bitten beyond recognition by those pesky insects I had an adverse reaction to? My next thought sent shivers. How did Melvin know of my unique condition?

The answer slowly materialized. Jordan shared the details of our life together with this madman. No time to beat myself up over Jordan. A grave error in judgment on my part.

My thoughts raced as did my pulse knowing that Melvin would return soon to check whether I was in the same position he left me.

To make any type movements would draw more scrutiny and perhaps tighten my restraints.

Moments passed slowly. I turned my ear toward the inner tunnel to the cave so that I could hear any approaching movement. Prowling animals may well dwell there.

A faint sound drew near. Holding my breath again, I listened as footsteps drew near with a trail of music. The distinct aroma of brewing coffee followed.

I counted. Several shots were fired as bullets bounced off the cave wall. Why would he risk the noise being heard. And why leave one last bullet?

The answer would be revealed soon as Melvin stepped from the shadows of the cavern tunnel.

"And how is my lovely Tracie this evening?" Melvin's voice spiked in a lighthearted tone as he approached. He continued, "I've a special surprise you won't even guess."

How absurd his manner that didn't reveal the fact he'd knocked me unconscious and drug me into this cave earlier.

Besides that, Melvin was dressed in a tailored suit. White dress shirt, gloves, old-fashioned bow tie, and polished shoes. His black hair was meticulously laid back. Not the same shade as the first time we met on the cliff standing beneath me with an axe in his hand.

I felt as though I was being treated as a female waiting for a romantic date. Melvin confirmed this when he strutted toward me, untied the cloth around my face, and brushed my dirty cheek with a kiss, leaving the scent of cigar. The Smoke Club.

Stunned, I jerked a sharp breath, but didn't answer, nor did I attempt to scream. I felt it wasn't in my best interest. He pretended not to notice, then replaced the cloth around my face and walked slowly away toward the music box. A vinyl album held high in the air cast shadows against the wall as he studied the label before placing the record's yellow disk on the turntable.

I watched with disbelief as Melvin waltzed around the cave, his hands fixed in a dance position as if twirling an invisible partner, all the while smiling. His large teeth hung over his lower lip. Why hadn't I noticed that facial feature.

No mention of this ritual by the lone survivor. I dared not disturb it lest he return his focus on me.

My wrists hurt as the ropes dug into my torn flesh. But it didn't prevent me from grabbing at the rope ends. I could feel a slackening, so I continued facing Melvin so as not to arouse suspicion.

It wouldn't have mattered. Only Melvin's physical presence was there. An unknown time and place captivated his mind as he paused to increase the volume. The fact that his dance moves were unrecognizable compared to the delicate classical music didn't stop him. All manner of cave dwellers must have paused to view his bizarre behavior.

I could only surmise that Melvin was locked in a fantasy. A time and place in which he experienced happiness. It didn't matter as long as the thought occupied his mind. Loosening the restraints was the only urgency to occupy my mind.

No sooner had the music rose to a crescendo that it suddenly ceased. Instantly, Melvin grabbed the stereo and hurled it across the opposite cave wall. The box crashed upon impact. He stomped the stereo until it lay shattered, continually screaming a female's name I didn't recognize.

But I did recognize his next words. Only then did a spasm of worry cross my face.

"Jordan was greedy; no, covetous. Nothing but crumbs. Now, I've got you all to myself," Melvin spat with venom in his eye.

I gasped with disgust as his words shook me to the core and confirmed what I'd recently suspected. Jordan was the mastermind; Melvin, the apprentice. And his twisted mind saw me as the prize withheld.

Melvin spun toward me and clinched his fist. His advance was swift. Unlike before, his hand shook. His distorted face and erratic breathing loomed large as he grabbed the weapon and pointed it toward me.

The hour has come I immediately thought.

I may never get this opportunity again I silently calculated. I didn't have time to untie my hands. My feet were free, and that was all I required to test my martial arts. I had planned to distract him by requesting a cup of the aromatic brew. The time for niceties had come and gone.

Once in striking distance, my foot landed squarely in Melvin's crouch. A swift second blow landed in his face. He staggered back, but the blow didn't fell him.

Damn, this beast is powerful. I kicked again with the opposite foot to his midsection.

This time Melvin fell backward; the weapon still in his hand. I hurriedly stood upright with the help of the cave wall. With hands tied and adrenaline rushing through my veins, I commanded my trembling legs to run as fast as my hurt ankle would carry me. It was a good thing I'd already explored this particular cave. Around one of the tunnels I hobbled without looking back.

But I could hear Melvin's footsteps in the eerie quiet. A prickly sensation shot up my spine, so I zigzagged around another tunnel forcing my pain to bear with me. I had no other choice. Either stop and die or keep moving.

I dared myself the luxury for a moment to glance over my left shoulder.

The pain was so intense that I winced, not realizing as I hobbled along I'd started crying. I didn't want to die in this cave as other females before me. But I couldn't move another step. Dead tired from lack of food and drink, I stumbled and fell face down, lying on the jagged rocks.

Wrists still bound, I rolled over onto my back and stared Melvin in the face.

I watched his tortured expression that exhibited a single-minded focus; continue to add to the carnage from past years. With his chest protruding and jaw clenched, he raised the axe in one hand; weapon in the other.

I closed my eyes. My heart hammered in my ribcage.

For some odd reason, in that moment, I thought of Jordan and wondered whether he ever possessed any true feelings during our relationship.

My last thought, though, was not of myself, but of those women before me and how they must have felt at that moment when they knew all hope was lost that someone would come to their rescue.

Overwhelmed with fear. I lay there. All my defense training hadn't helped. I couldn't think of any other action to combat this terror and could no longer see anything but my death at the hands of a maniac.

In that moment, I knew there was no pleading or reasoning with Melvin. He was a cold-blooded serial killer. I stared mindlessly. I would become another victim for the case file. My story would never be told. Yet still, the greatest tragedy of all. was that this killer would live to stalk again, without anyone knowing a motive behind his madness.

The end I'd hoped to evade as an investigative reporter had caught up with me.

From the depths of my being, my sister's face flashed before my eyes. She was the reason I became a reporter. She was my hero as she fought with every fiber she possessed before succumbing to her killer, although not at the hands of either Jordan or Melvin.

In a flash, with renewed strength and adrenaline, I found a nearby large rock, placed it between my bound hands, and thrust it hard toward Melvin's face. The motion caught him off guard. The rock landed a decisive blow. He fell backward.

Struggling to stand, I finally rose. As if rewinding a movie scene, unexpectedly, Melvin fell toward me in what I felt was a hard shove. Instinctively, I grabbed his lapel. We both tumbled backward and landed on the bottom of the cave wall.

From under his massive body, I managed to peer over his shoulder. The blurred image behind him came into focus and shocked me to the core.

There standing in the cave was Jordan.

[to be continued]

For my theme, I was inspired by and utilized the @daily.prompt's publishing of:

20 August 2024, @mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2470: one last bullet

24 June 2024, @mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2413: the hour has come;

And,

8 July 2024, @mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2427: occupy my mind

For your convenience if you'd like to return to the beginning of "From the Smoke CLub to the Ridge, the Smoke screen Unveils" drama, I set out below Chapters 1 - 4:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Good luck everyone with whatever your endeavors.

SOURCES:
a) JustClickindiva's Footer created in Canva utilizing its free background and images used with permission from discord admins.
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c) Purple Butterfly part of purchased set of Spiritual Clip Art for my Personal Use
d) All Community logos, banners, page dividers used with permission of Discord Channel admins.
e) Ladies of Hive banner used with permission of and in accordance with the admin's guidelines
f) Thumbnail Image created by me in Canva.
g) "Flames." What is Apophysis 2.09. https://flam3.com/

English is my native language.
If translation included, I use DeepL to assist my readers.
Thanks for your patience an understanding.