The vast open country served as a double-edged sword; any light piercing the darkness was plain and quick to spot even at a distance, but without light, any shadows lurking in the darkness had plenty of places to hide. The Sheriff and Taylor moved toward Kai's home with grace and greed in mind. Once they were close enough, they turned off the lights on the car and left it running for an easy and quiet escape. The rest of the way they walked, the outside lights marked their destination to walk to as they stealthily navigated to the house. Their fluid and untraceable movements mirrored the experience of lurking in the shadows many times.
They crept from window to window, figures moving soundlessly through the night. They used the very lights outside the house, meant to ward off danger, to guide their steps, skillfully avoiding anything that might give them away. The new moon hid its face in the darkness, refusing to witness the unsettling scene. Each careful glance through the glass went unnoticed.
But the absolute terror lay in the cracked windows. The family inside had been living here for years; never did they think twice about letting the cold night breeze slip through; they never considered how those small openings offered perfect vantage points for watching eyes. Blissfully unaware, they slept soundly, believing their home was a fortress of safety. It was the kind of scene that made you glance over your shoulder only to find nothing there. But what you didn't realize was that whatever slithering figure watching you had already moved on to its next objective.
Taylor hooted like an owl, alerting his dad. " Hoot, Hoot, ho hoo. I found her," he whispered. Taylor was a Boy Scout in middle school, not to mention that he and his dad went hunting all the time. Taylor's room was full of trinkets like duck call whistles and imitation horns for turkeys and bucks.
Advancing with haste, the Sheriff steps left a trail of tiny leaves and sticks crunching beneath his feet, the ambient sounds echoing the urgency of his mission. The Sheriff paused to explain further instructions, "Okay, this is the plan. Even though cracked, the windows have screens, which might make too much noise when taking them off. Come to the back, and I will pick the lock on the back door; Sarah uses it often, so there is a chance there's only one lock. Take off your shoes and look out for anyone awake. I'll take care of the girl and make sure she doesn't make a peep."
Swiftly and silently, Taylor executed the plan, room by room, ensuring the household remained blissfully unaware. His vigilant stance by the door bore witness to his father's meticulous approach; the Sheriff walked close to the wall, avoiding walking in the middle in case the creaking floorboards were present. All this was a plan to evade detection. Once the Sheriff crept into Kai's room, he saw the poor girl entirely out. Kai had a long, tiring day mentally, emotionally, and physically.
The Sheriff smiled. "So, this is the girl, huh?" he thought. She is a beautiful thing." His hand reached down, removing the blanket. Kai slept with her body covered, exposing only her head and feet. Under the blanket, she wore only an oversized long T-shirt. His eyes grew focused as his hand slowly reached the bottom of her shirt.
Suddenly, Taylor came around the corner, startling the Sheriff. " What's taking so long? Grab her, and let's go."
Swiftly, the Sheriff's arm encircled her. A flicker of awareness flung Kai out of the sleeping state, but before a sound could escape her lips, a cloth covered her mouth, ushering her into the embrace of unconsciousness. With their mission close to accomplished, the intruders planned to retreat as swiftly as the night had embraced them. The next part of the plan unfolded. The Sheriff had Taylor come into the room and lock the door behind him but listen for any other sound.
Kai was heavy, and it was too dangerous to try to carry her quietly through the narrow hallway past her parents' room.
As said before, the screen—its flimsy metal frame and taut mesh—posed a problem. With the wind blowing, a single wrong move, a careless tug, and it would rattle like a death knell through the quiet house. However, this time, it was easier to solve. The Sheriff pulled out a pocketknife, instructing Taylor to pull off two pillows from Kai's bed. He then had Taylor press them against the screen after he raised the window completely. The pillows swallowed the creaks and groans of the frame as Taylor carefully applied pressure, smothering the noise that would otherwise betray them.
The Sheriff's hands produced the knife. With precise, trembling movements, he slid the knife along the edges of the screen, slicing through the mesh. The sound was no louder than cutting a sheet of paper, strands snapping beneath the blade.
Satisfied, they let the mesh fall from the frame. With a quick glance over his shoulders, Taylor confirmed the house remained undisturbed and crawled out the window first. The Sheriff then lifted Kai and passed her through the window, head and arms first. Taylor, on the opposite end, received her. Once successful, the Sheriff then crawled out.
The following day dawned with a mother's concern as she approached Kai's room, only to be met with silence. The door, locked and unyielding, concealed the mystery that lurked within. Sarah didn't remember seeing Kai leave for school, which was rare because Kai always had perfect attendance. However, with the adoption, the baby situation, and now this, Sarah tried her best to have an open mind and respect Kai's wishes for solitude. So, she decided to give her daughter space and left breakfast by the door, knocking gently before retreating. The unanswered knock lingered an echo that cloaked Kai's absence.
As the morning came to noon, the unease deepened when the untouched second meal betrayed the gravity of the situation. It wasn't until Sarah brought it to James' attention, and he went to check in on Kai, that they thought something was wrong. Kai was a daddy's girl, and no matter how she felt, if James were to approach her, her attitude would change. The red flag was revealed when Kai didn't open the door. Immediately, James broke down the door, and the empty room set in the realization. The police were urgently summoned, their arrival swift in response to the frantic plea for help. The Sheriff, a master of deception, assumed his role seamlessly, blending into the investigation with a facade of benevolence and assistance. Yet, behind his seemingly noble facade, he documented every detail, manipulating the threads of information. He even suggested to the worried parents that she may have run away.
Meanwhile, a dark green cabin was concealed in the heart of nearby private woods. A place that Taylor was determined to keep a secret. The walls, once spectators to inside conversations, were undergoing a metamorphosis, becoming guardians of secrecy and silence as Taylor made them soundproof—the once regular room was stripped of everything except the bed. The walls are soundproof, and the windows are nailed shut and boarded from the inside. Preparations were underway for his father's imminent return, who had plans to commence a series of experiments. Within the confines of the cabin, they harbored an idea of the extraordinary abilities Kai might possess.
After taking statements back at the Dean's house, the Sheriff headed straight to the cabin instead of driving to the station to do paperwork or follow up on the incident. Driving back with haste, the Sheriff made it to the cabin in no time. His curiosity turned into a thirst, and he was ready to have another victim. There was always the bonus of seeing if his son's statement was true. Once inside the door, the Sheriff was greeted by Taylor and shown what he had done to the room.
Catching his attention, the Sheriff asked why Kai was handcuffed to a chain. Taylor had gone to the store for a heavy-duty tie-out chain generally used for dogs. Clipped to one end of the room, weaved through the bed's metal headboard, and clipped to the other end of the room. Taylor used two of his dad's handcuffs to cuff Kai to the chain woven through the headboard. He explained to his father that he wasn't kidding when he said she was stronger than your average girl. The Sheriff still thought that it might be a little too much. Sure, the girl's dad is in the Marines, so he expects her to be able to handle herself, but chains. Ropes would have done just fine.
What was done was done; there was no need to complain about it. The Sheriff continued through the cabin to another room. Here, he took off his work shirt and utility belt. He then demanded that Taylor ensure the doors were locked and that Kai was still sound asleep. With the Sheriff getting more comfortable, he was ready to begin. He walked into the room but was stopped by Taylor, who wore confusion on his face.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
The Sheriff stared at Taylor, frustrated that they weren't on the same page. "I'm going to find out how she heals."
"We know how she heals, a kiss," Taylor barked. We need to know what she can heal. I can do that; she's my age. Cut me, and I can see if she heals me. She doesn't need some old man kissing her."
The Sheriff walks up to Taylor and grabs his shoulder. "You never told me you liked her; maybe that's why you quickly turned on Jessica?" He questioned, using his free hand to scratch his beard. "You need to move; I would hate for you to be benched during your next wrestling tournament because of some accidental injury." The Sheriff shoved Taylor to the wall and watched his actions for any defiance. "Besides, you don't know business; the only people willing to pay to be healed from a kiss are people with puddle money. We don't want a puddle; we want an endless reserve.
The Sheriff then stated that he didn't have many defects, so he needed a fresh cut, prompting Taylor to grab the knife. Not worried about Taylor's intrusive thoughts, the Sheriff talked about how they could extend their testing if it were successful.
With a small cut on the Sheriff's arm and Kai still unconscious, the experiment started with a kiss. But a peck didn't do anything to the wound, causing him to doubt and look back at Taylor. Next, the Sheriff decided to take it up a notch and shove his tongue down Kai's throat, waking her up. Immediately, Kai began to fight back, but the resistance wasn't enough. As the results started to show, the cut healed. Witnessing in real time, Taylor was able to see the small cut disappear.
"It worked," Taylor shouted.
The Sheriff rose from Kai to tell Taylor what he felt, leaving Kai to scream at the top of her lungs. At first, he didn't care, but after not being able to hear himself think, the Sheriff quickly turned to slap her as hard as he could. Not engulfed in rage like last time, Taylor almost jumped to check on her. His father was doing too much and straying away from the plan, so he quickly reminded him that he had finished setting up the soundproofing, so the slap was pointless.
The Sheriff then refused to apologize or wipe the blood from her lip. Instead, he continued to escalate; he now wanted to know in what way, besides kissing, she could heal a person. Witnessing the Sheriff unbuckle his pants, Kai turned to Taylor, staring him in the eyes, breathing heavily with anger before spitting blood on the bed. Immediately, Taylor turned his head and closed the room door behind him, blocking his father's unplanned actions from the other side.
From there, over and over, Kai was ravished in different ways, even forcing Taylor to drive to the store for a "Gas station pill" until the Sheriff was satisfied with the unbelievable results. "Her gift is extraordinary, along with many other things," the Sheriff expressed, coming out of the room and wiping sweat from his face and body with a towel."
He explained that her body fluid was the way to retrieve her power, adding that any way to get her body fluid would work. He laughed, wiping his mouth. They witness a power that mended wounds, banished burns, erased bruises, and knit together broken bones, all tested firsthand by the Sheriff himself. Under her divine influence, the miraculous unfolded before their eyes, and the Sheriff's morals remained clean and clear, telling himself he was undergoing this torment to discover treatments for humanity. Taylor noticed that his dad had yet to realize that his aging facade underwent a subtle change. The Sheriff's skin tightened, wrinkles fading, and even the traces of gray hair vanishing quickly. The Sheriff looked as if Kai had not only healed him, but she had shaved off about five years.
However, a few lines still needed to be crossed, in which the Sheriff was hesitant to do so. He wanted to know if she could help reattach severed limbs. Could she cause a person to regrow severed limbs? Another, what about paralysis? The Sheriff wasn't very fond of paralyzing himself and possibly being stuck like that forever; even more, if he were to chop off a hand or a leg, he was the Sheriff who wouldn't notice.
Taylor didn't have any ideas when it came to testing paralysis; that was something that they would have to find out by having someone test it themselves, and if it worked, it was perfect. If not, there is no harm in a one-time refund. Aside from that, Taylor quickly devised a plan to cut off one of the Sheriff's toes and keep it on ice. That way, even if she couldn't get him to regrow it, maybe she could reattach it. Push comes to shove; it was an easy part to hide.
Ultimately, it was a plan that saved their operation because it didn't work. Every miraculous talent had its limits, and Kai's divine abilities could not summon back lost limbs, but she could reattach them. This was a reminder of the boundaries that even her extraordinary powers could not breach everything. Yet, a glimmer of hope persisted—the potential for healing if the severed limb could be reattached.
Satisfied with their experiments, the Sheriff instructed Taylor to clean the room and bathe Kai before the duo released their new business. From the moment Taylor entered the room, his usual masculine confidence was dimmed by the shape of Kai and the room. It wasn't that he was new to this, but knowing that this wasn't how it was supposed to go. Then again, what was he to expect?
While cleaning the room, Taylor tried his best to avoid eye contact, not that Kai was trying to look at him anyway. The closer he came to the bed, the more awkward he felt until finishing, and now it was time to clean Kai.
Taylor had brought in a pair of scissors, a pot of hot water, soap, a towel, and a folded hospital gown. Even though she was dirty, Kai didn't have a smell like he expected. Setting down on the bed, Taylor set up the supplies and began. First, he grabbed the scissors to cut off the shirt that was now stained. He then put the pot of water on the ground closer to his leg and ringed the cloth. Fear was absent in Kai's face. After what happened to her, she didn't mind if they killed her. However, that didn't mean she gave up, either.
She was smart and didn't let anger overtake her strategy. With a controlled breath, Kai relaxed her body just enough to make Taylor think she was ready to comply. Kai then began wiggling her wrists to show they ached from the restraints. Starting with her face, Taylor bent down to the floor the first few times to wet the towel, drain it, and then wipe her face. After things seemed to go well, Taylor brought the pot of hot water onto the bed so that he didn't have to continue bending down.
Again, Kai shifted, the restraints digging into her skin. She hoped she didn't need to speak and that the slight furrow of her brow and the tension in her shoulders were enough to show how much they bothered her. With a sharp breath, she spoke quietly, "I'd prefer not to be restrained like this. I understand my position; I can't scream. It would be pointless; if I run out the door, you can just shoot me and whoever you have coming as a guest or customer if I harm them. That would be stupid of me because there is a possibility that you, your father, and that person can harm me." She paused to stare at the side of Taylor's head before continuing. "The last thing I need is three people whooping on me at one time. Two is more than enough to get the point!" Referring to him and Jessica trying to kill her, but Taylor didn't know what she meant, for he never saw Jessica's involvement. And so, he didn't respond and continued wiping her down.
It wasn't until then that she grew angry, and without thinking, her foot shot out. She kicked the pot of water, sending it flying. The splash of boiling liquid hit Taylor's arms and chest, and the room silenced his shocked yelp.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" he yelled once again, engulfed in rage. He looked back to find the pot and didn't hesitate to throw it at her, landing a hit on a space between her eye and cheek.
Flowing with adrenaline, Kai barely felt the hit. Even though her left eye was now bloody, she snapped back quickly. "What's wrong with me? That's your question? Please. I bet you've been planning this since you saw me at school. Is this what you wanted? Just waiting for your father to say it's your turn, huh? You're disgusting."
Taylor's face twisted with anger. "You sound stupid. If I wanted to do something with you, I could've done it at the waterfall."
"I sound stupid? Says the guy who walked around her the whole time like a sad puppy, acting like you're forced to do this. What, did you think you'd kidnap me, see if I could heal, then offer me a business proposition, a Partnership? No, you're stupid! You're lucky Jessica helped you because you would've lost if it were a one-on-one. I promise you that. Unchain me if you feel otherwise."
Taylor's expression shifted, confusion breaking through the fury. "What do you mean Jessica helped me? How?"
Kai's eyes narrowed. "What?"
"You said Jessica helped me."
"I'm trying to fight, and you're asking me about Jessica like you don't know?" Kai snapped, her voice rising. "Unchain me!" All I need is one time, even if I don't escape."
"I don't know! I thought you were panicking, freaking out. I was trying to get you to stop." Taylor's voice was steadier now, but his eyes were searching.
"Panicking?" Kai scoffed. "My dad's a Marine. I've been swimming in open water since I was four. Why would I flail around helplessly in a pond? You had my leg, and Jessica was under the water, holding me down by my bra the first time and again by my legs when you had me by the throat. I couldn't balance myself. I wasn't panicking because I struggled to swim; I was panicking because two people were jumping me! I was trying to continue to think steps ahead, even though the odds were clearly against me, and I was dying from water, which I love."
Taylor said nothing; he grabbed everything he came in with as Kai continued to taunt him. She asked if his pride was hurt because he thought he took her on by himself. Heading to the door, he opened it and left; frustrated, Kai let out a roar like a lioness. All was absorbed by the soundproof cabin.
Days later, after the news of the new business was released, news of her inexplicable powers spread like wildfire, reaching the corners of distant lands in the underground black market and criminal communities. Desperate for relief and healing, men sought out the Sheriff, making appointments to be blessed by the divine girl. The money came from all directions; the town bloomed like all the town attractions had a new deal; little did anyone know that the flourishing city was now a playground for criminals. With new people entering and exiting the city, this also kept the other police busy and not concerned about the Sheriff's disappearance. The opportunity of sex trafficking was already an attraction, but adding healing made a whole different market. Phone calls from top competitors rained in, making offers to the Sheriff to take the girl off his hands while he lived a life of luxury.