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He shifted in his slumber, the horrible feeling gripping him almost to the point of paralysis.
He felt sick... Never in his life had he ever felt quite so helpless as he did now, and it certainly was not a feeling he enjoyed or welcomed. He seemed to have lost all control. He would run, but it seemed as though the sidewalk would start moving in the opposite direction, causing him to be stagnant. He would open his mouth to yell, to scream out her name, but he was rendered speechless...
... Complete and utter helplessness was his new and closest companion.
Jay suddenly awoke, his breathing hard and fast as he instantly sat up in the hotel bed. He was drenched in a cold sweat, and quite nauseous. A cold, clammy knot of fear was present in his belly as well.
He raised a hand to his face, finding it moist and cool. His heart must have been pumping at least a half-million beats per minute. God, he felt as though he were going to be sick. And if his heart didn't slow down...? The blond man wondered if it were possible for him to have a heart attack at such a young age.
Jay rose from the bed, issuing a groan as he stood up. He should have known it would prove to be a futile effort in trying to get some sleep tonight. And how *could* he sleep? His wife was gone - missing. Even while he'd been sleeping for the past two and a half hours, he'd been plagued by the visions in his head.
Jay moved toward the window, seeing that it was still pitch dark outside. That didn't surprise him one bit, for, after all, he knew he hadn't been asleep long at all.
He parted the curtains and glanced out the window, down at the dark street below. Where *was* she?
"Damn it, Nora..." he whispered. "... You'd better be all right." He let out a weary sigh, fear gripping him in its clutches.
He wasn't in any way religious, but he prayed that Nora was okay.
*
Paul scowled as he stood in the doorway of the tiny motel bathroom. He wanted to keep an eye on the bitch, and no way was he going to trust her, even though the window in the dingy little bathroom was tiny.
Nora visibly shook as she washed up, terrified of what he might do. He was so unpredictable, he could do just about anything without a split second's notice - including snap. She was well aware of his temper and violence - and she did *not* want to be on the receiving end of especially the latter ever again.
A terrifying thought struck her. What would he do when she had to go to the bathroom? Would he force her to do her private business right in front of him, with his beady prying eyes watching her? That thought was sickening enough to cause her to suddenly gag.
The brunette didn't test these worries just yet, as she had plenty more where that came from. Now, she had to wonder about the sleeping arrangements - not that she would be *getting* any sleep. She was all wound up and on edge, and would worry all night about him attempting something.
He followed her as she exited the lavatory, his eyes watching her sharply as a hawk.
"Wh-where am I supposed to sleep?"
"I don't give a rat's ass *where* you sleep, as long as I get the bed." He frowned as he went on. "Your husband's asshole best friend crippled me for life, and I need to keep this damn leg elevated at night."
Nora actually felt a small measure of relief. Thank goodness for small favors - he obviously didn't even *want* her in the bed with him. In that case, she would take the chair. Wordlessly, she went to it and settled as comfortably as she could manage.
"Oh, no... Not so fast," Levesque muttered.
She stiffened as she watched him come toward her. He reached for his bag on the way and brought it over.
"You don't really think I'm gonna trust you, do you?" He pulled some twine and a roll of duct tape out of the bag. Nora's eyes widened. Well, she'd feared this would happen.
Chuckling sadistically, Paul yanked on her and began to bind her.