Page 48 of Fragments

Damn… That was tough to get out.

Leah goes quiet for a moment before she whispers, “You really wanna know?”

Duh.“Yes. I really wanna know.”

She lets out another long breath over my computer speakers. “Fine… I’ll tell you.”

And I brace myself. Because honestly, who the hell knows what she’s about to say.

She’s married, in an abusive relationship. She’s a criminal, or a con artist.

Seriously, what could it be that has her so closed-off??

“When I was twelve, I was at the mall in Omaha—that’s where I’m from—with my aunt…” she starts, tone serious. Slightly reminiscent, but not in a good way.

And I’m already fascinated, because I never even knew where she was from.

“We were in the food court. I still remember it like it was yesterday…” she goes on, breathy with audible emotion. “I was having an Orange Julius, and one of those cinnamon sugar pretzels. My Aunt Becky ran to the bathroom… She’d taken me out because things weren’t great at home. My parents were fighting a lot, and I didn’t want to think about it, but I knew they were probably going to get divorced. So that day, in the mall, I was just glad to be out of the house. It was a good distraction, ya know?”

I’m nodding, though she obviously can’t see me. I barely even notice that I’m sitting on the floor.

“Anyway, I guess I wastoodistracted,” she mumbles. “I got up to throw away my trash, and two strangers came up to me. A man and a woman. They looked normal… Clean, well-dressed. They told me they were looking for a birthday gift for their daughter, who was my age, and asked if I could point out a store where they could get something nice. They just seemed like regular parents who loved their daughter… No red flags, none that I could see, at least. So I walked away with them to help.

“I was barely even out of the food court when the man slapped a hand over my mouth and dragged me through a doorway. It happened so fast, I doubt anyone saw anything. Last thing I remember, I was in a stairwell with them, kicking and screaming as the man held me still and the woman stuck a needle in my neck.”

What… the… fuck??

Leah releases a heavy breath, and my head is spinning. I can’t even believe what I’m hearing right now. My mouth opens, but I can’t speak. Only listen.

“I woke up in a hotel room,” she says, voice devoid of emotion. “I wasn’t tied up or anything, but there were men guarding the outside, and there was no phone. Turns out, I was in D.C.”

“Washington?” I finally murmur, like a stunned idiot.

“Yea,” she sighs. “A guy came into my room a little while later and brought me dinner. He was kind… asked if I needed anything. Naturally, I was terrified. But he told me if I tried anything… Like, to scream or escape, they would kill me, then my family. He explained the situation to me… totally forthcoming about it all. But I didn’t understand any of it until a few days later, when I met the rest…”

My gut is churning, pulse racing as I croak, “The rest of what? Of who…?”

She pauses. “Luthor, the people who took me all those years ago, they’re called The Finders. Kids who disappear aren’t lost… we’refound, by them. And I’ve belonged to them ever since that day…”

Terror and confused rage coil through my insides, and I think I’m going to be sick. This is all so crazy…Toocrazy. I can barely process it.

I suck in a breath. “What did they… want? Why… What h-happened to you?” Tightness clutches my chest as I await the answer I already know.

Barely audibly, she murmurs, “You know, Luthor… Youknowwhat they make us do. What our purpose is…”

“Leah…” I shoot up and start pacing again. “You’re telling me you were kidnapped when you were twelve and turned into a child sex slave? Is that what you’re telling me right now??”

She stays silent while I walk in circles, hands clenched into fists, overwhelmed by theawfulI’m feeling.

As much as I’d love to believe this is all bullshit, I know in my gut that it’s true. The whisper of doubt, the idea that maybe she’s just a severely troubled person, making all of this up for attention, is snuffed out right away.

I know this girl… In person or not, I don’t give a damn. Iknowher, and she’s my friend. She wouldn’t lie about something like this.

All those hours we spent chatting on PlayStation with our crew, laughing at each other and arguing about nerd stuff… All the late-night phone calls, the FaceTiming and daily text conversations…

They happened through a lens. And on the other side, one of my best friends in the world was actually living in a nightmare.

Leah just breathes for a moment, working up to the words, as if this might be the first time she’s ever said them. “It was worse when I was younger. When they first took me, it was… fucking terrible.Torture. Think of the worst things you can imagine happening to anyone and multiply it by a hundred. For a long time, I wished I was dead… I wished so badly that they would justkillme and put an end to it.”