Chapter 1
It’s the second day. The cloth tied to my eyes is quite rough that it has bruised my eyelids. I can’t feel my orbs in their sockets. My feet are itching too much and I have started to loathe their presence. The floor under my feet seems so cold and rough, I think I might have bruised them too by rubbing them on the floor.
I hope it all is just a nightmare. Since I really can’t see anything, I can very much stick to the possibility of being in a lucid nightmare. I satiate myself by thinking I’ll just wake up in an hour in my warm sheets, take a nice shower and head to breakfast where my mom will serve the freshly baked cakes and warm tea. I’ll take my time eating and gossiping about school stories.
My eyes are a wet mess now.
What kind of nightmare is this? I literally can’t see anything but I know what kind of place is this. I screamed too much, tried to get free of the ropes that are tying me to the chair. I even tried to move the blindfold but it didn’t budge. I had only detected the presence of an old woman who had come to feed me. Her hands were so frail and she smelled so good. She only spoke to me when she was here to feed me. I bombarded her with questions whenever she came with food but she didn’t answer any. She only told me if I will not eat at time, I’ll starve. Her voice was so delicate and calm. She fed me some kind of porridge yesterday, which didn’t taste so bad. It smelled warm and fresh.
I can only make the account of day and night with the help of the window at the ceiling. Even if I have been temporarily blind for a day now, it has quite much increased my other senses. My heart palpitates so much whenever I hear some kind of sound. Every second, every minute and every hour my heart shivers with the fear of any kind of imagined torture.
I’d been kidnapped.
My father is a billionaire businessman, having a lot of properties and sources of income throughout America. He owns the biggest automobile company in whole USA. He brought us up on luxuries, really made me feel no less than a princess. He is a really nice father, even sometimes it occurs to me if he really would have compromised anything for my good education. Maybe. Certainly not.
The Automobile Company is not his only source of income. He had plenty of businesses, even with mafias and other kind of organizations. There were always threats from foreign illegal organizations, demanding more than my father could actually offer. That was the reason, we always moved with guards, couldn’t visit public places frequently and were not even allowed the use of information technology. There was never too much of danger for our family and my father continued his deals, bribes, and other kind of businesses. Sometimes it felt to me that he is being selfish by focusing solely on his business but I knew I’m not at his place. Of course, he is doing that because he wants to feed and give a shelter to his family. He thought he had grown quite expert in dealing with illegal organizations that he started to cut their profit and added to his own. He started deceiving them.
He didn’t realize how much our lives were at risk. Threats grew more, guards often reported more intruders and one day I really saw him blaming himself for all this. Still he didn’t tell us how much vulnerable we were. Still I was stupid enough to obey him all the time. He said that he is going to increase the security and didn’t allow us to leave the house. I didn’t complain. In fact, I never had complained before. I had always considered the fact that he loves me and my mother a lot and whatever he does, is always to ensure our safety and well-being.
Although I often saw my school friends using phones and other devices, I couldn’t do more than sneaking and peeking but too little. I, myself have no keen interest in- what they call- “social media”. I had other sources to contain my interest. I’m seventeen and some of my friends really don’t like me for my lack of social media interest.
It was the day before yesterday. A friend of mine, Camilla visited me that day. She told me that she is giving a party to all of us and that she really wanted me to join. Camilla was one of others who didn’t mind my restrictions. I told her about the recent security breaches at my house and that I were not allowed to leave the house for a few days. But she insisted too much and told me to sneak out somehow. She said that I am wasting my teenage years being stuck at a place. That really changed my mind. I was so over whelmed that I didn’t think twice about that. I assured her that I will come. It was nine exactly when I dressed up. Just a full sleeved black top and blue jeans. Pulled my hair into high ponytail and wore tennis shoes. Kind of sneak out outfit.
I was capable to deceive the security systems. I had enough knowledge to get away from that. I was just on my way to Camilla’s house when I sensed somebody following me. Only then I realized how abandoned and dark, the alley to her house was and how stupid of a decision I had made to leave the house. Only then I realized, how naïve I’ve been kept. I started running and the figure behind me did as well. My breath was so much accelerated and my mind was so much scrambled with fear that I didn’t realize that I was not on the path to her house. I had missed turns but right then I just wanted to get away from the stalker. It was nothing important that where I was going.
The alley was so dark and there were no lights. It was difficult for me to see. I stumbled on something rough and hard and fell ruthlessly, quite aware that my knee and elbow have been scratched. The figure came running to me. I remember he was wearing a mask on his face and his hair were quite messy. He reached for a bottle in his jeans pocket and took out a handkerchief too. His actions were very much calm as he knew that I’ll not stand up again or resist anything.
Indeed I couldn’t. I had fallen very badly and my legs had become soar from running. My lungs were begging for oxygen screaming that the mouth is still too small to fulfil their need. Tears started flowing from my wet eyes and strained my cheeks. I was quite much like paralyzed. I tried moving from there on my hands and knees and screamed a lot. When my screams grew louder, the mask man grabbed my elbow and forced the handkerchief on my mouth and nose. I knew his trick. I resisted his hand on my elbow. I kicked him with my feet but my frail efforts couldn’t overpower his strength. I could try not to breathe but my lungs were dying for need and I couldn’t help but breathe.
Breathe and you’ll get life
I’m literally dying.
Breathe and enjoy the scent of fresh air.
I can’t smell anything.
Breathe and see the life inhabiting your limbs.
I can’t move my limbs
Breathe and see the colors of nature.
It’s dark all I see.
