The Trapped

19

- B L A I R E -

11.09.16 // 6:43 a.m.

Duct tape is bound around my mouth tightly, my hands are tied around my back and my feet are bare, padding softly across the cement as T drags me by my hair.

I don't cry for help, I don't do anything because I know no one will hear me anyway. My eyes are dry from tears and my body is numb, tired, and worn out.

     "You have seen the beautiful garden, Rose, but what's a garden without a zoo?" T asks as he turns a sharp corner and stops in front of a large red curtain that spreads out at least eighty feet.

It is about twenty feet high, the dark red color blending into blackness the further it went up. The bottom tickles the tops of my toes as T silently pushes it open to reveal a black area. My heart is hammering in my chest, threatening to break loose and my palms are sweaty as T claps his hands twice and the lights flicker on.

The blood singing in my veins goes cold and I take a step back from the sight in front of me. T places a cool hand on my back and pushes me forward.

"Don't be scared, my love," he whispers into my ear, sending a trail of shivers climbing down my spine. T has people dressed in costumes–animal costumes. They are all in metal cages that are lined up, much like an actual zoo.

T grips my hand and pulls me, but I restrain, shaking my head, my screams being muffled by the tape on my mouth.

"C'mon, Rose!" T slaps me across the face, the stinging sensation warming throughout my whole body. He pulls me again and this time I oblige, earning a small grin from him. I gulp nervously, feeling sweat start to trickle down my forehead.

The people stare straight ahead, all of their eyes dull and lifeless, their shoulders slumped and their facial expressions could only be described as broken.

As soon as I step over the line, the whole place lights up like wildfire. People start banging on the cages, others are gawking like birds, some just sit there and lick their hands. I begin to shake as tears spill over my eyes.

"You're sick," I mutter under my breath, even though T couldn't hear me due to the tape over my mouth. We come to the end of the trail and the place goes silent again. People stop screaming and banging, they stop licking and pretending to play, they stop it all as if it never happened in the first place. They just sat there and stare into nothingness with their empty eyes.

We continue waking and enter a dark cave and around the corner, I can see the slight reflection of blue water gleaming off of the dark walls.

A young girl, not any older than thirteen sits on top of a fish tank. She has dark blonde hair covering her face and she wears something that could resemble a fish costume. Her eyes are red, her hands pale blue and shaking at her sides as her feet dangle around in the water.

"Lucille," T whispers harshly at her and she glares at him with dusty green eyes through the small slits in her hair. She rolls her shoulders back, cracks her neck, and in one swift motion, jumps into the fish tank.

"Welcome to the aquarium, Rose. We are scarce on fish right now, as you can see, but we will get more soon," T says to me as Lucille flips around in the water like a fish.

Suddenly, the rope that holds the fish tank top open snaps. The top falls down with a loud thud and locks it shut.

Lucille looks up worriedly and swims to the top, banging on the lid with her small hands. I struggle to get out of T's grip, so I can help her, but he holds me by my shoulders, enabling me to move. Lucille is banging on the glass now, screaming and shouting. Bubbles float out of her mouth and I can hear her pleas breaking through the thick glass that caged her in.

I close my eyes, but T grips my chin tightly.

"Look, Rose! I want you to lookup. Open your eyes!" He growls at me and I snap them open.

Lucille is holding her breath as long as she can, too long in fact. She opens her mouth, gasping for air that will never come. Her chest starts to thrust forward, over and over again until she stops moving in all. Her hands fall to her sides slowly and her head dips down, hair still floating in the water. Tears are streaming down my cheeks, hot and heavy. T smiles triumphantly.

No, she can't be gone, she was just a little girl.

T grabs me by my hair again and drags me into another room right outside of his cave, leaving Lucille's body to shrivel up in the water.

She was so young, it's not enough time, she needs more time.

There are two large metal poles in the center of the room, each has handcuffs attached to the top that dangle lazily.

That poor girl, she will never experience all the good things in life.

T unties my arms and lifts one of my limp hands to cuff it. The metal is digging into my wrist, but the pain that is swelling in my chest is so much worse.

She will never learn how to drive. Never go to high school. Never travel the world. Never fall in love.

He does the same with the other wrist so both of my arms are in the air, making my muscles burn. T grabs a whip that sat untouched in the corner of the room. It is black with a thick leather handle and a long thin rope.

"Now, be a good girl, and don't scream."