SHE'S MY WIFE

Chapter 30: Flashback

"Shhh, they're still outside"

"Who are you?" Zander whispered

"My name is Mark and you just have to follow what I say. Okay?" the man said moving away from the door.

No it wasn't okay. His mother had told him not to trust strangers and he wasn't stupid. He knew this man was with the others. He'd seen them talking earlier when he tried to escape. They had taken him to a house and put him in a room but didn't lock it. So he'd come to the conclusion that they were either stupid or there was no way out of the house and it didn't matter if his room was locked or not. Zander hoped it was the former because he was worried about his aunt. Was she dead? He'd seen them shoot her before they took him.

That had been one of the times when he wished he was a grown up so he could defend her. The other time was when they first arrived at the house and he saw his father with his hand around his mother's neck. He'd wished Hendrix was there so they could defend his mom. In all honesty he'd hated everyone except Mel. He hadn't understood why they left their house to go and live in that big mansion. It was cool and it had a swimming pool, gym, game room and other cool rooms but no one wanted them there. He preferred their small house where it was just him and his mother. But since she had insisted they live there, he had no choice but to listen to her. 

It hadn't been so bad. Having a dad and an uncle and an aunt. Even a grandmother and a nanny too. They all had to be worried about him, especially his mother. She freaked out when he skipped a meal or came home from school with a scratch from playing football. Zander knew for sure she was somewhere crying her eyes out and he hated that. If this man would help him go back to her then he could trust him for a few minutes.

"Okay, as long as you promise to take me back home. I wanna see my mother"

"Don't try to resist or run away. Do what they tell you to do without complaints"

"Why? They kidnapped me. Didn't they? Why do I have to listen to them?"

"So they won't kill you. Haven't you watched any movies about kids who get kidnapped?"

"I only watched rom-coms with my mother. The GE kind"

"Whatever, just do as you're told and you will be able to see your mother again"  Mark had left, locking the door on his way out.

The room only had an old chair in a corner. The place was dirty and smelled horrible and he was sure there was mould on the walls. His mother would freak if she found out he'd stayed in such a room. She always overreacted when she found dirty clothes all over his room. When he got back, he'd have to shower first so she wouldn't know where he'd been. Zander watched as the men who took him leave then scrunched up his face when he saw a woman with them. His aunt Gwen's friend was with them. He was clever enough to know that woman and his mother weren't friends. Why was she there? And shaking hands with the men who took him? Sitting back in the chair he thought about his father. Would he come for him?

"Hey, wake up" someone shook him. Had he fallen asleep?

"What do you want?"

"Nothing. I wanted to make sure you're alright" 

"I'm hungry"

"Lucky for you we're heading down to the kitchen. It will be over soon"

Zander sat up "Can I go home already?"

"We'll leave. I just don't know where we'll end up going. Come on, we need to head down to the kitchen"