Out of the Darkness

Chapter 6

As the truck rolled over the bumps in the road, we jostled around in the cramped cage. I heard the humming of the engine in my ears and could make out a few details of those around me with what little bits of light slipped through cracks in the crate. Sitting next to me was a young boy - probably around fifteen or sixteen years old, with short black hair and brown eyes - and two girls huddled together in the corner, one with red hair and the other blonde. Every time the truck hit a bump, the blonde girl would let out a small scream of fear.

"Do you know where we're going?" A timid voice spoke up from beside me. I jerked my head toward him; it was the boy's voice. It sounded so fragile, as if he hadn't spoken in ages.

I shook my head.

"My name's Adam," he said. It sounded like he was trying to remember who he was by talking to me.

Adam? A laugh escaped my lips. How ironic.

“Is something funny?" He asked curiously.

"No," I replied. "You just reminded me of something. It's not important," I added quickly.

My gaze shifted to the two girls in the corner; I couldn't tell if they were still awake or not. Adam continued to gaze at me expectantly.

"My name is Kathrine," I finally offered, trying my best to break up the silence and thoughts racing through my head. "Most people just call me Kat."

"Hi Kat," he said with a hint of a smile.

There was a brief silence, before Adam's voice broke the silence again. "What's your favorite colour?"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. We had been kidn*pped, held against our will, and this was his question. I gave him an incredulous look and muttered, "Green."

Adam nodded slowly and replied, "Mine's red." His voice was so sure, as if he already knew I was going to ask him the same question.

"How'd they catch you?" Adam asked, breaking the silence once more. His words made my heart skip a beat and I felt a shiver run down my spine. How could I even begin to explain how helpless and scared I was during my capture?

"It's okay. You don't have to answer." He said as if reading my mind. "They caught me when I was walking home from school. They jumped me, tied me up, and threw me into a truck."

I didn't reply to him; I no longer wanted to talk to him. But then Adam reached out for my hand, gently squeezing it as if understanding my pain without needing words. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes as memories of that night flooded back.

"I'm sorry," Adam stated with regret for having brought up the subject.

Silence fell between us once more, leaving us to ponder our fates. I wondered what happened to the others that were held captive with us. Were they going to the same place? Or were they taken elsewhere?

Suddenly, the girl with crimson hair shuffled toward us, her face a mask of trepidation and doubt. “I’m Anna,” she said in a timid voice, awaiting my reaction.

I gasped, my gaze wide. It was unmistakeably her voice - the same one I had heard from the cellar and my dream. No, it wasn't a dream, it had actually happened. I didn't know what to say to her. I had told her that we were going to be OK, but I knew my words were empty. I only said them in hopes of lessening her fear.

The blonde girl moved to join us as well, until all of us were closely gathered together. She didn't introduce herself; she only took her place beside Anna and looked at me questioningly. They both stared at me intently while silence filled the air. I wasn't sure what they wanted from me.

“You said we would be alright,” Anna eventually broke the quiet that surrounded us. “Do you still believe it?”

Her eyes met mine eagerly, searching for an answer from me. The only thing I could reply was, "I'm sorry."

Anna's expression grew more distressed, and tears appeared in her eyes. Instantly regretting my response, I grabbed hold of her hand in an attempt to rectify the situation. I would not offer her false sentiments this time.

“I also said we would stay together,” I offered tentatively, trying to raise her spirits.

She nodded.

"Then we'll get through this together," I promised firmly. "I honestly dont' know what the future holds, but I do know, that there is strength in numbers. If we stand together, then maybe we have a chance."

I wasn't so sure either of us believed it. Nevertheless, it felt good to know that we weren't alone anymore. We held each other's hands tightly for assurance and encouragement. Without hesitation, I intertwined my fingers with Adam's as well; his shock was visible.

“Together,” I said to him.

He nodded.

"Together," Anna added.

"Together," Adam followed.

We sat there, holding hands, united in a moment of uncertainty. I wasn't sure what our fate was, but I hoped that we would be able to survive this, and some day have our freedom once again.

My mind raced, my heart pounded in my chest, as the eyes of my captor flashed through my mind. My mind filled with thoughts of those evil eyes - one dark, the other milky white - igniting something within me, something dark that threatened to consume me with its hatred.

It was then, in that moment of unlikely camaraderie, that I made up my mind: if there was a way out of this predicament, then I would find it. Not only for myself anymore, but for Anna and Adam too.

But as I looked around me, I felt myself wavering. Could I really do this? Would we be able to find the strength together to escape and exact our revenge? The questions swirled around my head until exhaustion finally took over and I drifted off into a restless sleep.