Kidnapped

Chapter 5

I turned to the interior of the cell, my first thoughts being: ESCAPE. I quickly examined the cell, observing every possible escape route. There was a small window, but I saw immediately that it was barred and locked, not to mention that it was at least a foot above my head. Two old, rickety beds were placed in the corner of the room, with coarse blankets and dusty pillows, accompanied by herds of tiny bugs that fled as I came near, and enough dust bunnies to take over the world. On one bed was a pile of dirty clothes and blankets.

Two beds? I wondered to myself as I examined them. What for?

Suddenly, much to my surprise, the pile of dirty clothes and blankets moved. Yes, it freaking moved. Since when did Aiden have monsters hiding in his basement? Was this what Kaden meant when he said don't mess with his uncle? I couldn't help but shriek a bit as it rose up to reveal...

A guy.

A normal dude. I mean, sure, he was dressed in old, raggedy clothes and his face was dirty and pale, not to mention the fact we were both in a basement and he'd nearly just scared the living daylights out of me, but still; you know what I mean.

"Um...hi," I stuttered, not really sure what to say.

"They got you, too, did they?" The guy shook his head in regret, as if my kidnapping was his fault, or perhaps some sad tragedy he couldn't do anything about. "I should've known that Aiden would've started getting girls."

"Hold up," I said, confused. "So you've been kidnapped? And there are more...'kidnapees'? And I'm the first girl he's kidnapped?"

"Yes, yes, and yes," He answered blandly. "There's about four more 'kidnapees', as you call them, though there used to be more. Including me. Just guys, and you're the first female I've seen in about six months. To be more specific, you're the first 'innocent' human being in six months, here."

Now, I'm a lot of things, but, to my dismay, I have to say that being 'innocent' is not one of them. I thought I should point this out. "Uh...about that..."

"You are. Trust me," He added. "Once you understand what's here, you'll wish you'd never lived."

"That seems to be a popular phrase around here," I muttered.

"You'll be saying it soon enough," The certain foreshadowing warning in his voice made me look up at him, gazing at him directly.

He was about six feet tall, with golden brown hair that might have glinted if it wasn't so dirty and the light wasn't so dim. His wide, chocolate-brown eyes were large and caring with kindness, but tinged with sorrow and loss. As I looked closer, I saw little spikes of gold flowering outward from the pupil. Under his dirty, torn clothes, I could tell that he was strong, despite his slouching stance, as if he was trying not to be seen.

As I realized that he was studying me, too, I turned away, hiding my blush. "What's your name?" He asked. I noticed that there was a small hint of embarrassment and apology in his tone as he asked the question, and I realized that he seemed to actually be sorry for being sort of rough on me.

"Trixa," I replied blandly, shivering, and rubbing my arms up and down my shoulders, feeling the sharp prickle of goose-bumps. "Trixa Peterson."

"I'm Sterling," He--Sterling, offered. "Here;" I felt a blanket wrap around my shoulders. "You seem cold."

I pulled the blanket closer to my shoulders, but I realized that the reason I was shivering wasn't all because I was cold; the truth was really hitting me.

When I say, the truth was hitting me, I do mean 'hitting me'. And the truth just so happened to be riding in a large school bus.

I stumbled backwards, my mouth opening to scream, but closing again when I found that my voice was gone. My vision was going fuzzy, and my body was feeling sluggish with all the random thoughts cartwheeling around my brain. I had a vague feeling of Sterling catching me--sheesh, now that I think about it, that's twice in one day that an extremely cute boy has caught me and saved me from falling!--and that he was saying my name, snapping his fingers in front of my face, but I couldn't answer, much less pay attention.

Questions were burning through my sane thoughts. What's going to happen to me? Will I be killed, or taken to be someone's play toy, as Aiden suggested? Am I going to go crazy? Will I ever see my family again? Or the sky?

This brought on another whole bucket full of crazy thoughts.

What about my family? They'll be worrying, for sure, but will they be okay? What will they do? Will Aiden go after them, too?

Darkness was closing in, and no matter how hard Sterling seemed to be trying to get me to snap out of it, he wasn't helping. I heard his voice faintly in the background: "Trixa, Trixa, you have to wake up. C'mon, Trixa, don't faint, it's gonna be okay..."

No, I thought sadly. It's not going to be okay. It won't ever be okay again. Not for me.

Then shadows overtook me.