Free Town Darling by Holly Copella

onto him bareback.  The
intruder sprang to his feet as Casey sent the horse into a gallop.  The
intruder slashed his knife as they passed, slicing Casey’s leg and the horse’s
hindquarters.  Storm popped into a buck, thrashed his hind leg in response to
the pain, and suddenly reared up, causing Casey to topple off his back.  Storm
raced down the driveway as blood ran down his leg from the gash.  Casey
appeared dazed while slowly moving to her hands and knees and watched the horse
disappear down the driveway.  Her attacker punched her on the side of the
head.  Casey collapsed to the ground and appeared to be out cold.  He slung her
over his shoulder and carried her back to the house.
    †
    I t was a little after two
o’clock in the morning.  The police blazer drove along the dark back road past
thick woods and large fields.  It was a peaceful, quiet night with just enough
humidity to bring about a storm closer to morning.  The massive gray horse
suddenly galloped onto the paved road in front of the blazer.  The police
blazer slammed on its brakes and skidded with a loud squeal.  The horse reared
up in the middle of the road directly in front of the vehicle with blood
streaking its hind leg then bolted across the road and continued into the
nearby field.
    †
    T he masked attacker carried
the motionless Casey into the kitchen and tossed her onto the table.  She
slowly woke with a look of disorientation.  He placed the knife to her throat
and grabbed for her jeans.  Casey suddenly became alert, gasped with horror,
and kicked him in the thigh.  She once again missed her intended target.  He
was thrown backwards all the same, allowing her to leap off the table, and run
for the backstairs.  The killer knocked her forward into the island counter,
spun her to face him, and grabbed her throat.  Casey clutched his wrist while
she gasped for air.  He moved the knife to her pants and attempted to cut off
her jeans.  With every ounce of strength she had, she punched him in the face. 
He suddenly thrust the knife into her lower abdomen.  Casey gasped from the
sharp, excruciating pain of the knife piercing her body and stared into the
killer’s eyes.  The front door suddenly burst open to reveal Deputy Holt with
his gun aimed.
    “Police!  Freeze!”
    The intruder turned toward
Vaughn with the knife dripping blood still in his hand.  He slowly raised his
hands preparing to surrender.  Casey’s knees buckled and she sank while
clutching the counter and her bleeding abdomen.  Vaughn saw Casey clinging to
the counter with her blood-soaked hands and appeared horrified.  His look
suddenly hardened.  He straightened, turned toward the killer, and, without
flinching, shot him three times in the chest.  The intruder flew backwards
through the archway and into the dining room.  Vaughn appeared alarmed and ran
for Casey.  She looked at him with an almost blank expression, gasped
painfully, and sank.  Vaughn caught her while staring into her eyes with
horror, lowered her to the floor, and immediately applied pressure to her lower
abdomen while holding her.  Casey clutched his neck with her bloodied hands and
sobbed.
    “He killed them!  They’re
all dead!”
    Vaughn stared into her eyes
with his mouth hanging open in apparent shock.  He fumbled for his words.  “An
ambulance is coming,” he finally gasped.  “Just stay with me, okay?”
    Casey clung to him, buried
her face into his neck, and fell silent.  Her blood-covered hand slowly fell
down his chest.  Vaughn tensed with horror while staring at the motionless
woman in his arms.
    “Casey?  Don’t you dare
die!” he gasped.  Tears streaked his face.  “Don’t do this to me!  Please,
Casey, stay with me!”
    She didn’t respond; just
remained limp in his arms.  Vaughn held Casey’s head to his neck and sobbed
softly.
    †
    L ess than thirty minutes had
passed, although it seemed longer, before the paramedics raced Casey out of the
kitchen