Page 50 of The Fight For Survival

So damn cold.

I'm not in the van anymore. Wherever I am is dark and cold. The ripe smell of ammonia from old piss and the coppery smell of blood invades my senses, making me gag. I'm sure if I had anything in my system, it would be all over me by now. With a muted groan, I sit myself up, resting my back against the ice-cold brick wall. It's then I realize I have been stripped of my clothing.

What the fuck?

Blinking against the darkness, my eyes slowly adjust. Cell bars act as a door. The rest of the room is made up of bare brick walls. The floor is concrete and, by the smell, filthy. Moving to stand up is challenging when your hands are tied behind your back. At least my legs are free this time.

Walking towards the cell bars, I have to squeeze my eyes closed, the pounding in my head causing me to stop in my tracks as dizziness takes hold. Once the pain subsides, I continue. When I get to the bars, I see... nothing.

Fuck

One dim light is flickering, threatening to put me into complete darkness. There is nothing to help me determine where I am besides the sound of a dripping pipe and the odd skittering of a rat that tells me I may be underground.

How am I going to get out of here?

The sound of feet stomping down some stairs makes my assumption of being underground correct. I back up from the bars and wait. Maybe if I'm in the darkness, they can't see me when they open the cell door, and I can escape.

With your arms behind your back?

Fuck fuck fuck

My weak plan is shot to shit when four men appear at the bars. "Finally, you're awake. Thought maybe Jason hit you too hard, and our fun was over before it really got started."

Through the fear and pain taking over my body, a small zap in my brain sends some recognition to the front.

Jason.

With ice-cold dread, I discover who has me. It'sthem. The monsters who ruined Kane. I hold in the snarl that is threatening to escape my lips. I don't want them to know that I know who they are. The jingling of keys gives me the sense to back up as the man who spoke opens the cell door, and the four intimidating figures take up the space. I can't make out much of their features through the dim lighting, but they look to be in their late forties.

I continued to back up because I couldn't feel any more vulnerable if I tried. I'm butt naked with my hands tied behind my back, for fucks sake. "What do you want?" I demand. "What belongs to us," the one that has done all the talking so far replies. "That stupid motherfucker let what was ours leave. After nearly six years, we found him and wanted him back." Kane.

Keeping them from focusing on me, I question. "Wanted him back? as in, you don't want him any longer?" My back is against the wall now, but the men have shadowed me the whole time, so all I've done is cage myself.

Fucking idiot.

"He's changed, you see. Not the boy that was so willing before. Trying to tame him will be near impossible... unless he had an incentive." There's an unwanted tremble in my voice when I ask, "and what's that?"

"You. Well, we were planning on taking the woman as he seems so taken by her, but she's not the only one we have been watching. When you left that house alone, it was the perfect opportunity. Now, all we have to do is leave a few breadcrumbs."

I do not want to know what those breadcrumbs will be. Something tells me it's going to involve pain. For me.

This is bad.

How the fuck will my friends find me? I have no idea where I am. I remember them mentioning going back to Seattle, so maybe I'm home. Will they look for me here?

"What are you going to do when he comes looking?" I ask, preparing myself for the answer.

With a smile so sinister, I'll be giving myself a pat on the back later for not pissing myself, he says. "After we've had one last good time with him. We'll kill him. And after you've been forced to watch every little thing we do to him. We'll send you with him. But while we wait, we may as well have some fun together. Right?" With those last words, the men surround me, and I know that even if I somehow get out of this alive.

I'll be forever changed.

The end… for now