Sudden

I wake up to the sound of blasting music coming from somewhere…somewhere but I just can’t figure out where. I look around and see nothing but blackness, I try to make a noise but I can’t, realizing that my mouth was covered with duct tape.

My heart stopped.

Realization dawned on me as I remember the last 24 hours, everything coming to me little by little, the mall…this strange guy…a cold dark basement..and now this. I now realize that I was in the back of a car’s trunk while someone was driving.

I screamed.

It came out muffled due to the tape, besides no one would hear due to the blasting music.

I began to squirm and kick wildly and cry, but that was also no use. I thought about my family and how I would never see them again, also how much I love them, my beautiful mom who takes good care of me while providing for me when I’m in need, my awesome dad who I wish was with me right now, to kill this monster who kidnapped me, and finally the purpose of me going to the mall in the first place…my little brother who was turning nine the next day.

Tears began to trickle down the sides of my face as I realized I would never see them again. They’re probably at home panicking, trying their best to figure out where I am, retracing my every step, watching every video camera in the mall, remembering our last conversations, and last but not least…if I will ever come home.

I can’t imagine the pain that I will put my family through if I don’t make it out of this. I just don’t understand why did this happen to me? I mean, what in God’s name did I do to deserve this?

I know I needed to come up with a plan and quick, but as soon as I thought this, the moving car, and its music came to a sudden stop, right along with my heart.

I held my breath, hearing the car door slam shut. I tried my best to unwrap my wrists from the duct tape but it was no use, I had to face what was about to happen.

I heard the crunch of leaves as footsteps began to approach. They stopped in front of the trunk and popped it open. I lay there with my eyes closed, and body slouched, pretending to be passed out. My plan was to just break free and run even though I had no idea where we were located.

I felt his hand slap my face back and forth to get me awake, but I stayed still. Finally, he went back to the front of the car to get something, so I took off.

It’s hard to run with your hands tied behind your back, but when your life depended on it, it didn’t matter.

“Hey! Get back here!” the man yelled.

I sped up.

“I don’t think you wanna do that!” he yelled again.

I just kept running through all of the trees hoping to lose him in the woods, but out of nowhere I felt a hand grab a handful of my hair and yank me back.

“I told you it was a bad idea.” he spat in my face.

He started shaking his head back and forth and repeating those words over and over. I told you it was a bad idea…bad idea…bad idea… or maybe he wasn’t repeating it, maybe the words were just ringing in my head.

I finally got a good look at this sick man. He didn’t really have a face of a kidnapper, he looked like a normal guy maybe in his late thirties. Light blue eyes, thick brown hair, and slight facial hair that was recently shaved, he was kind of…handsome.

What the hell is wrong with me? Snap out of it.

“Please.” I choked. “Let me go…I have a family.” another sob. “Please don’t hurt me! Let me go!” I kicked and fought but it was no use. His grip got tighter.

“Let her go.”

We both looked up, shocked to see a woman standing there with a handgun pointed in our direction. She was probably in her mid-thirties, she wore jeans and a flannel. She had a blunt cut bob in a dirty blonde color. Where did she come from?

“Let her go now, or I’m pulling the trigger.” she said demandingly without the slightest trace of fear.

“Three.” she counted down. “Two.”

I felt his grip loosen. I guess he realized that she was serious.

“Walk on over here sweetie.” she glanced at me.

I awkwardly ran towards her almost tripping over a rock.

“Get in the truck.” she nodded towards a red pickup, without taking her eyes off of the man.

“We’re going to drive away now. I know your license plate number and the police will be after you faster than a bat outta hell. You try anything and you will get hurt. You hear me?” she said,still pointing the gun at the man.

He didn’t say anything.

She slowly backed away and made her way to the drivers side of the truck. She put the truck in drive and sped off.

I stared at the woman. “Who are you?”

She looked at me and smiled softly. “Oh you must be so scared sweetheart. Don’t worry you’re safe now.” she turned her head back towards the road, “I heard the screaming. I didn’t know what was going on.” she said quietly.

I didn’t know who she was or how she showed up at the right time but I was thankful.

“I just want to go home.” I cried.

“You will sweetheart, I just have to get you back to the cabin to make a few calls and I promise you’ll be home before you know it.” she assured.

“Ok.” I sniffed.

We pulled into the driveway of a small cabin dimly lit in the dark forest. We stepped into the doorway greeted by warmth from the fire in the chimney.

“Take a seat sweetheart, I’m going right to the phone.” she continued down a small hallway.

Instead of taking a seat, I slowly wandered to a table stand along the wall containing lots of photos. There were a lot of the woman and a pretty young girl with blonde hair, probably 15 years old or so. I continued to look at the line of photos, realizing that they became more and more depressing. The young girl was photographed in a hospital bed without any hair. The next was a funeral casket with the woman kneeling over it crying. I felt as if I was invading her privacy, so I turned to walk away until something caught my attention. The last photograph on the shelf was flipped over. I couldn’t help but wonder what it was so I turned it over. What I saw caused my heart to stop. It was a photo of the woman and the young girl next to who I assumed to be her father. It was the same man who just had me in the woods. The word family was scripted across the top. I slowly begin to realize that I greatly resemble the young girl in the photo. What was going on?

My heart began to race. I dropped the photo. I had to get out of here. I rush to the front door.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

I turned around and saw the woman standing in the hallway with the gun at her side. She realized I had known.

“You see, Peri, our daughter, suffered greatly. We just wanted to be a happy family, you know?” she said, eyes far away. “We were so happy until she got sick. It wasn’t long after that we knew we needed a replacement.” she looked at me. “That’s when we found you.”

I was shaking.

“You see, Mike, I’m sure you enjoyed meeting him, examined you for weeks. He knew you were the one. Peri’s replacement. It was just a matter of time before we got our hands on you. And now look.” she chuckles. “You’re finally here.”

I had enough of her speaking and quickly turned around swinging the front door opened. I ran out and right into someone standing there in the doorway. It was him.