Gone

I sat there not speaking, not even giving a single glance towards the racing people around me. Preparing me for my interview and to tell my story on a pre recorded tv interview. I was afraid, not growing up with these people; the same people who say they love me and that they were so worried they would never see me again. The people who call themselves my parents. Not remembering anything from before I was taken from my life was terrifying. I do however remember my time away….from when i was abducted. I could never forget that no matter how hard I try. Not being to help myself made me feel so hopeless and useless. The nightmares i have every night though….that’s when i am the most afraid….afraid they will come back and take me again. In those dreams I have, he does, he finds me and takes me away from trying to live a normal life once again. But then there’s the nightmares I have from my stay there. The abuse, the...the s****l abuse, everything. Then I also see the day I was taken all over again remembering the fear I had every second until I reached the location his goons were taking me. My parents say they won’t come back and that I am safe now. I will never be hurt again, I want to cry every time I think about everything but I try to stay strong but it’s no use, the tears usually win, but only I know the truth. He is coming. He will find me again, and he will take me again. It may be a while before that, or it could be soon, but I know he is still out there….The make-up artist is having a hard time because of my light skin. I rarely got sun. She was frustrated. My brunette hair was put into some beach waves as they call it and hung down to the middle of my back. They split it so that some of my hair is over my shoulders. They had put me into the most comfortable outfit ever. They say they wanted to bring out the curvy figure I have. I am not a stick but I am also not overweight. I am about average. The outfit is very me though. The top is a white tank top with a leopard print scarf around my neck loosely to have a nice pop of color to the outfit. The jeans had a few ripped holes in them but she told me it's the style nowadays. They pulled down the white tank to cover the jeans to the top of my butt and added a nice leather belt and fastened that around my waist. Next they gave me a cute throw over pretty much a wrap and I slipped my arms through. The outfit being completely on, they gave me a dressy kind of sock and slipped them on for the boots I’d be wearing. They gave me a cute pair of boots and slid my feet into them as they helped. The boots were opened toe and only goes up to my ankles, but the jeans cover that. They also zip them up from the side and positioned them so they were comfortable. Best part was that they went well with my outfit and they made sure they got them brown. Being only 5 foot 7 they made sure the heels were only 2 inches; 3 inches at most. Finally my make up artist was happy with my look after deciding the smokey eyes would be the best option for me. She turned me around in my chair and showed me and I looked in awe. My eyes had black eyeliner on my bottom and top lid with a cat eye look they all called it. On the bottom, my waterline she added a little bit of a black shadow to it. The eyeshadow was a nice sparkly silver color to accent my skin tone as well. I saw the beautiful gold color lining the top of the silver on my eyelid with a little dark grey hinted in there as well. She said she blended it in so it looks better. The mascara made the look come together perfectly. Made my green eyes pop out. The foundation on my skin with the neutral colored blush was amazing. Next to complete the look, was the light pink lip gloss that coated my lips with. I barely recognize myself. She helped me up from my chair and took off the robe I had on to protect my outfit. Next, she put on a cute chocolate colored ring on my right ring finger and a bronze bracelet to go on my left wrist. After securing the earrings into my ears, dangling brown earrings with a small amount of gold in them, the only thing they had left to put on was my engagement and wedding band, it was the last touch to my look. One of the girls told me it’s time to go out and sit on my chair to tell my story. So I followed her out onto stage. My thoughts directly went to the dark thoughts, as I call them, again. They were after me but Daniel had to be stupid and try to be the hero. They got him too then. Daniel was my childhood friend, but now we are together. Married. And have 2 beautiful girls together and I'm 3 months pregnant with our 3rd. We ended up falling for each after we got older. He helps comfort me. Only he understands my pain, besides the only 2 friends we both made, the only 2 friends to survive. There were a total of 6 of us, including Daniel and myself, Taelynn and Jason were brutally murdered. Jason was a guard but was disgusted with the things being down there. He had no idea what was going on until he made it to the inner circle as Kaylie said. He and Kaylie had twins Artemis and Jason Jr in memory of his father. He didnt make it when we were escaping, I can’t think about their death. I will start crying and my makeup, which I don't ever wear, will run. I get to my seat and cross my left leg over my right knee and put my left hand down first then my right over my left. When I turned my head and saw him I was in awe. Daniel is 6 feet tall. Brown eyes that could make you fall for him so easily, behind that though was pain. That only I knew. He was dressed up but in a casual way with no tie but a button down tan shirt and a pair of jeans, he had on a pair of brown dressy but casual shoes. His brown hair was one of those messy hairstyles with a bad boy look to it. But I did not care. I loved this man. But my fear is alot stronger right now and I needed him to get to me quicker so he could calm me. Once he sat down he grabbed my hand and I instantly felt better. My nerves were in overdrive and I knew he would be watching this, live. I wanted to break down and cry but I couldn't. I had to be strong. I had to tell my story, warn people of him, to keep their eyes open, and the only way to do that was to relive what I went through. Kaylie and Raela did not want to be a part of this. They did not want to relive the horrors they dealt with. But Daniel and I felt differently, yes we may be nervous but we want people to be aware of him. So they can protect themselves, their children, and their families, but most of all draw him out so he can be caught and arrested for his crimes. That is what gave me the strength after hearing action. I felt invincible at the moment, so before that feeling went away and looking at Daniel once to see him nod as if to say I am ready when you are. I turned my head to look directly at the camera. and before I loose my nerve and run off the stage i began to talk. “My name is Ashleigh James, this is the story of the horrors i had to endure when i was abducted from my family when i was only 8 years old, But i should start on the actual day i was taken, the day my life changed forever, September 10th, 2044. My 8th birthday. I was walking home from school when it all happened…” I began.