Page 29

* * *

I stand in the middle of the woods. The trees are full of life, shaking in the breeze. My mother comes up to meet me. I take her hand, tugging her along the dirt path. She laughs as I try to pull her faster, but she’s stronger.

We make it to the top of the mountain, and my dad waits for us. He is taking a photo at the overlook.

“Hey, you two, get over here so I can get your picture.”

My mom and I skip over to the overlook and pose for the picture. I stick my tongue out and hold up a peace sign. My mother rolls her eyes at me, giggling at my nonsense. We have never been able to take a serious photo.

I run over to my dad, begging him to let me see the photo. He bends forward, showcasing the image to me. The photo holds the beautiful landscape, but my mother and I aren’t in the picture he just took.

I look up to him to ask him to retake it, but he is gone. I spin around, searching for my parents, and they are nowhere to be seen. The sky has turned black, and I am alone at the overlook. I take off sprinting down the path. I hear a whisper in my ear.

“I will always catch you. You can’t run from me.”

I jolt awake, sweating profusely. The clanking of metal greets me. The chains are still attached, and I am still in this Hell that is my life.

I haven’t had a nightmare in a while. I forgot how real they can feel. I hate that I would rather be living that nightmare than my actual life right now.You’d rather be dead.

The door swings open, and I see Tristan walking towards me, holding a glass of water with a straw. He stops in front of me, shaking his head in disgust.

“Drink this.” He holds the drink out in front of me, and I drink the entire thing. At this point, I don’t know how long I’ve been here. So, I will be willing to drink whatever they give me. Me. It would be pretty pathetic of me to die of thirst.

I lean back against the wall, unable to feel my limbs. I start counting my breaths again. I’ll fall back asleep eventually. I stare at the ceiling as I count. My vision starts to blur, and the room begins to spin. Did…. Did he drug me?They are going to rape you.That is the final thought I have as the darkness takes over yet again.

* * *

It has been two days or ten. I’m not sure. My body fucking aches. I feel like I have been beat to shit. I have a throbbing headache, and I have to pee.

I have been peeing where I am because they don’t let me move. I fucking stink. I have refused to do number two, though. I will take it with me to the grave if I have to.

I have been drinking whatever they bring me, even though it is spiked every time. They don’t want me awake because that means I could escape. Not that I would even know where to go. I don’t even know where the fuck I am.

I do know that they haven’t moved me from this position, so that means I probably wasn’t raped, but whose to honestly say.

I don’t think anyone will find me. They would have already come by now.You’re going to die here.I wish I had a piece of paper so I could at least tell my parents I love them. They would be so disappointed in me right now.

If I do make it out alive, I can never tell them this happened. I could neverlet them down like that.

I lay back and begin my breathing ritual, waiting for the darkness. The darkness has become my friend.

13

Dante

“Why the fuck did you let them go out?” I’m screaming at Lucien on the phone.

“Astra was inside the club with her the whole time, man. She didn’t see her leave. I stayed out front the entire time. She never came out.” He rushes out.

“You mean to tell me she just vanished,” I challenge.

“She obviously didn’t just vanish, but we have no lead. She’s gone. I’ve been looking for her for four days.”

I hang up the phone before I lose my goddamn mind. I call Silas.

“Hey man, what’s up?”

“Silas, I need you to pull all surveillance footage from The Midori Nightclub last night. Watch from 8 o’clock on. See if Evelyn did anything unusual.”