Marked by Creed

Chapter One Hundred Eighteen: The Hole

-----Emma’s POV-----

The car smelled bad now.

Like old food and plastic and something that made her stomach twist. Her nose burned. Her wrists hurt. She couldn’t move her legs right. The plastic around her hands and feet pulled tight if she tried.

Zip ties.

She didn’t know what they were called, but they bit her skin like little teeth. She’d cried at first. She kept crying.

Then he yelled.

“Shut up!” he screamed, voice like thunder cracking.

She flinched. Shrank into the seat. Her tears made her shirt wet. She curled her knees as close as she could but the ties made it hard.

“I said quiet!”

Then came the tape.

Rough. Silver. Sticky.

He pressed it over her mouth so hard her lips ached.

Everything after that was silent.

Except for the engine. And the road. And the sound of her heart pounding in her ears.

She wanted Mommy. She wanted Daddy. She even wanted Lily to yell at her for being annoying. Anything. Anything but this.

She couldn’t see much. It was getting dark outside. Trees passed by the window. Then nothing. Just more dark.

Then the car stopped.

The door opened. Cold air hit her skin like knives.

He didn’t say anything.

Just reached in and grabbed her.

One hand on her arm. One hand in her hair. He yanked.

She whimpered under the tape. Tried to make a sound. Tried to scream.

Nothing came out.

He dragged her. Through sticks. Through dirt. Her feet scraped rocks. Her knees hit things. She lost a shoe.

Then he stopped.

There was a hole.

Big. Black. Deep.

An old well? A pit? She didn’t know.

She tried to shake her head. Tried to beg. Tried to say please.

But the tape held tight.

Then he dropped her.

She fell. Hit dirt. Rolled.

It was cold. And wet. And smelled like worms.

She screamed into the tape. It was a sound no one could hear.

She looked up.

The man stared down at her. His face didn’t even look like a face anymore. Just shadows.

Then he slid something heavy across the top.

Wood. Maybe metal. It scraped.

Then—

Dark.

Black.

Nothing.

Emma lay on her side, her cheek pressed to dirt, heart hammering so hard she thought it would explode. Her body shook.

She couldn’t breathe. Not right.

She couldn’t move. Not right.

She couldn’t cry loud. He would come back. He would yell again.

So she cried quiet.

Tiny, shaking sobs.

Mommy, she thought. Please come get me.

Daddy, please come find me.

The dark stayed.

The quiet stayed.

And she was alone.