The drive
Since I was a kid, I always had been and still am into music.
3 years ago I wanted to learn a new instrument so I was searching high and low for an accordion. Struggling to find one, I decided to ask my cousin who had an accordion. To see if he could help me find one.
Long story short, he told me that I can keep his.
That Friday week, me, my mum [Rosaline] and my sister [Samantha] hopped in a taxi to take the 1 hour drive to my cousin's house.
It was on our way back home when the horror began.
It was around 12 in the night as we stepped out into the cold rainy night and climbed into the taxi van.
The driver was a older man with glasses and a thick trimmed beard.
"Are you all ready?" He asked in a heavy middle eastern accent. "We sure are mum replied with a sweet smile.
Around 30 minutes into the ride, the chitchat had come to a stop and Sam and mum had layed back into for a quick nap.
I started to feel drowsy. As I daydreamed about playing the accordion on a stage with a band, with a crowd before us, I rested my head on the window by me and hugged the accordion into my chest. Glancing at my mother's and sister's sleeping form, I smiled and closed my eyes.
But not before I cought the driver looking at us through the rearview mirror.
A few moments later i heard a quiet sound of a phone ringing.
Hello? It's Yusuf, I've got two women for you."All senses of sleep escaped my body and I was fully awake now. Fully paying attention to Yusuf. "Young girl, around 16, beautiful blue eyes...
"Other woman is around 50, beautiful, has lots of gold, looks pretty rich."
"There's also a little kid with them a boy."
I was shocked at what I was hearing. I couldn't believe this was actually happening. I thought this type of things only happened in the movies and fairytales. Not to us, not to my family, it was not going to happen to my family.
I pretended to be asleep as Yusuf continued with his conversation. "Yes boss."
"You want them now."
"Their all asleep."
"Alright boss, I'll get that done."
"See you soon."
He had ended the call and it was all quiet now. But I knew I had to do something.
I lifted my head from the window opened my eyes and looked out the window trying to figure out where we were. We had been on the road for more than an hour that was for sure. we should have been back in town by now. But all I saw was nothing.
There was nothing beside trees and woods, not a single car. This place was deserted.
Turning my glaring gaze towards Yusuf I demanded: "stop the van."
I wanted to get out this van and away from this son of a bitch.
Keeping his eyes on the road he smirked and slammed his foot on the gas peddle sending the van into overdrive. "You think your smart son? Hahahaha! Stupid young boy."
I grabbed him by the colour and shuck him vigorously making his head wave wildly.
"It was a fucking order! I growled into his ear while gritting my teeth.
"Alright. This is what you asked for." He calmly said, smiling at me.
The van came to an abrupt stop and I jerked forward slamming my chest and face into his chair pain blasted in my face and my ribs felt like a 100 kg weight was thrown at them. Right after that, I was then thrown backwards into my seat banging my head on the headrest.
Sam had been thrown off her feet and onto the floor. Mum awoke from violently slamming her head into the window.
"What just happened?" mum asked with a panicked voice and a horrified expression. I helped Sam up from the floor as she cradled her shoulder. "Did we get into an accident?"
"No we didn't." I said angrily. "This weirdo driver did that on purposwe and he's some kind of human trafficker!" I pounded my fist on Yusuf's chair. "You're going to hell for what you do."
Chaos began when Mum and Sam broke through the revery of what I just told them.
Mum looked at me with fearful eyes.
"Mum lets get out of here please." Sam begged with pleading eyes.
"Okay lets get one thing straight." Yusuf said while steely staring us down. Number one," he fished into his pocket and pulled out a pack of sigars which he took a cigar from and put it between his lips.
"You guys will not be going anywhere."
"Without me of course." He continued as he lit his cigar.
You lovely women will be coming with me,"
"And what in hell makes you think that we will?! Oh dear lord why didn't I think of this earlier!" Rummaging through her hand bag she got out her cellphone. And immediately dialled 999.
"Give that to me!." Yusuf commanded.
Mum screamed we heard the voice of a woman "999what is your emergency?" Yusuf's horrified eyes turned below his seat. Then he quickly checked his coat.
"YES! Please help me someone has kidnapped me and my two children and he has us locked in his van we can't open the doors and he said he wants to give us to somebody!!!"
Yusuf opened his door and got out, closing the door after him. Running like crazy he headed to the back of the van.
I through myself over the drivers seat and attempted to open the door but it wouldn't open. I banged, kicked and push but it wouldn't open.
I could still hear the operator on the phone with my mum.
"Okay mam do you know where you are?"
"No! We're on a road with woods surrounding us!" "We were in coventry for a visit and booked a taxi to bring us back to Nottingham, but the driver is a psycho murderer or human trafficker I don't know what he is just please come help us!"
Sam was shaking with her knees to her chest and mum was hugging her.
I could tell mum wanted to cry but she held it in so that she doesn't make me or sam more afraid.
"Alright mam, what is your c name and your children's?"
I could hear the woman typing down things.
"My name is Rozaline Bragato, My sons name is Crisstophor Bragato and my daughter is Samantha Bragato."
I cloud hear things being moved around from the back of the van. There was a slam, like a pear of doors had just been thrown closed.
"Alright mam, please keep calm we will trace this call and get help to you as soon as possible." "Thank you! Thank you so much!." I went to my mum and sister and we all hugged each other.
Yusuf came rushing back into the car.
He looked furious! His eyes cold and tight his hands balled into fists.
Sam screamed and mum tried opening the door.
I could hear the woman on the phone.
"Mam! What is going on?!"
Yusuf grabbed the phone out of mum's hand, opened his door and through the phone onto the road.
"What have you done?!" He growled.
He reached into his coat and pulled out a gun.
He rolled down his window and shot right at mum's phone making it explode in shards of plastic and mettle. "All of you! SHUT UP! Or the next bullet will Be to your brane!" "Only speak when I ask you to! Understood!?"
Wimpering, Mum nodded while Sam jumped onto Yusuf and started scratching at his face. "Sam don't do it! He'll hurt you!"
He tried to get her off him so he punched her in the gut and she fell back with her head colliding with mum's face.
"See what you did! You made mum get hurt now!? Blood was slowly streaming out of mum's top lip and nose. "It's okay Honey I'm fine."
"What did I say?!"
"You don't get to talk unless I ask you too!" "One more word I hear coming from one of your mouths! i'll make you put a bullet in the back of your head's!"
"Got it!?"
The 3 of us just noddedas he got into the drivers seat and drove us to what would be the end of us...
After around 10 20 minutes of him driving and us being his silent servents we stopped outside a rundown building in the middle of nowhere.
I had no idea where this place was. Question swarmed through my head.
Who was this man?
What is going to happen to us?
Will we be alive? Will I ever get to see my family again?
Will we get to go back to our home?
Yusuf pulled over to the building and got out the van.
He came back with 5 other men. Each with a gun holstered on their belts.
"Bring them out."
"I want to see them."
Sam jumped to the steering weal and started honking. "Sam! Stop you're going to get us hurt!" I shouted while she kept pressing down on the steering weal and honking. As if she could push these men away and this nightmare away. It's like she was trying to push the unwanted away.
"Sure hell she is going to get you hurt"
A short man grabbed me and through me out onto the ground.
