Lost

0.1

I hear the sound of my camera snap as the picture is taken. I've been trying to snap the perfect picture all night. I love photography but sometimes it can just be frustrating. Not having the perfect lighting or angle. I also like to take pictures that really has a meaning behind it. If it doesn't mean anything, then there really is no point.

I continue to walk down the path of the dark, calming forest. I've loved coming here ever since I was a kid. I'd play hide and seek with my brother and we used to try and jump from tree to tree. That's until my brother fell and broke his arm about 3 years ago. He was 16 and I was 14. His name is Jaden and we get along pretty well. My mom seems to have this weird thing for names that start with the letter J. Her name is Jane, my dad's name is Jordan, my brother is well, Jaden and mine is Jess. I wouldn't say we're the perfect family, but we're okay.

I spot this green bench in the middle of the path and decide to take a seat and just have a look around. As I take a seat I pull out my phone to check the time. It's 5:03. I've been walking around this place for 3 hours... I don't think I'd be able to count how many times I've lost track of time in this place on both my hands.

As I start to walk back because it's about time for supper, I keep hearing leaves crunching in the distance. It could be anything but with how thick this forest is, I still get a little jumpy. I keep telling myself it's just a cat or the wind is blowing leaves around. Then I hear them get closer. I take a glance over my shoulder and see nothing so I walk a bit faster. My heartbeat quickens and I'm sure if someone was standing right beside me, they could hear my heartbeat.

I hear things again and just as I'm about to whip around to catch what it was, I feel a hand on my shoulder. I freeze in place and I feel the blood drain from my body. There are deep breaths coming from behind me but I'm too afraid to turn around. The firm grip on my shoulder doesn't leave and I feel as if they're purposely trying to dig their fingers into me.

"Sorry, love. Did I startle you?"

I jump out of my skin as I hear a dark raspy voice from right behind my ear. I could feel them breathe onto my neck and smell the mint of their breath from here. I slowly turn around to be met with bright green eyes. I can see the forest reflect in them. I then see a sharp jaw line and some beautiful skin. His hair is a dark brown with a tint of gold and it reaches his shoulders. I've never seen someone so beautiful.

"Don't be sorry, I wasn't paying attention to begin with" I let out a nervous giggle to make it seem a tiny bit more believable. There was this erie vibe about him I didn't like. But I'm assuming it's just because he scared me. Another thing, he also seems quite nervous, which is making me nervous too.

"I uh.. just found something pretty cool while I was wandering around here and wanted to show it off. You were the only person I've come across so I thought I'd ask you" He scratches the back of his neck and looks around. Why would he be asking me this? And why would I follow this random stranger?

"I would love to, it sounds great," his eyes darken and he smirks "but I'm actually late for supper right now and my mom is most likely worried about me because I've been out here for about 3 hours so.. yeah." His face falls and he actually looks kind of mad when I slowly back up and point behind me.

"But-" he pauses to think and pulls at the roots of his hair while tugging his bottom lip between his teeth. "It's right over there, at the edge of the tree line. It won't take long at all!" He urges pointing to the edge of the tree line for me to see kind of where he means.

I take another step back and think. I kind of want to see what he's talking about because I haven't really seen anything around here in all the time I've been here. But the bad feeling in the pit of my stomach won't go away. Why would I trust him to begin with? What if he does something to me?

Before I can decide, he's roughly pulling me by my wrist towards the direction he previously pointed in. I'm confused and scared because his grip won't loosen and it's starting to ache. I stumble over countless rocks and twigs that were messily displayed on the ground. I can see the trees starting to spread out so I know we're getting close. The nerves start to kick in and the thoughts start running through my head. What if he actually does do something bad? He wouldn't, the trees aren't thick therefore there's a likely chance of people seeing.

My thoughts are interrupted when he speaks and motions me toward an old tree house looking cabin. The door is locked up and the wood looks like it's had better days. It's pretty cute although it is plain. He still hasn't let go of my wrist as if I will just float away. If only..

He tugs me again but this time we're headed for the staircase that leads up to the small balcony thing. It's not really a staircase, It's more like a plank of wood someone set down just to have a way to get up. I look to the left of me hoping to see no more trees but instead I see a hill and I notice the trees carry on afterwards. So we are alone, in the middle of a thick forest and near an abandoned little house, which I noticed now, has no windows. But I don't need to worry because the door is locked. Nothing could happen.

I see him examine the lock as he thinks about maybe getting it open? I glance around nervously. "Look, this really is great and all but I do really need to get back home now, my mother will be worrie-" " No! I need your help to get inside, I'm really interested in this and I want to know." When he looks me in he eyes, it's like he's begging me and I can't just leave him alone, I'll feel guilty later.

"How can I help? It's obviously locked and we don't have the key. Besides, it's abandoned, there won't be anything in it" when the words leave my lips, I can see him grow angrier and angrier by the second. It looks as if he glances past me but after a while I realize he's looking at the side of my head. He slowly lifts his hand and takes the bobby pin out of my hair. My hair falls down and rests beside my face and I watch as he tries to pick the lock anxiously. Just when it looks like he's about to give up, it pops open. He grins widely and opens the door, waving his hand as to invite me in.

I hesitantly step forward, taking a peek in. Just as I guessed, nothing. I lean back on the door frame and cross my arms above my chest. "See, just like I said, nothing. Now, I seriously need to get home now. Thanks for the journey-" I'm cut off when two large hands push me back into the room. I scream out and land on the ground with a large thud, hurting my wrist in the process.

The tall man stands in the doorway chuckling at me. "Oh, sweet girl. You're not going anywhere, anytime soon." His voice is deeper and laced with confidence. He walks towards me and pulls some rope and tape out of a bag that was placed in the corner of the room. It was way too dark in here to have noticed before. I slide all the way back until my back hits the wall. He walks painfully slow until he reaches me and kneels down in front of me. He takes my camera off from around my neck and grabs my phone from my back pocket. At this point, tears are all over my face and I'm repeatedly saying 'no' hoping he'll leave me alone.

"Don't fight this. It's your fault you trusted me. Didn't your mother ever tell you not to follow strangers, my love?" He reaches out to put tape on my lips but I scream and thrash around as an attempt to stop him. I don't get very far before he pins me to the ground and successfully puts the tape on my lips. He then flips me over so I'm laying on my stomach and my cheek is pressed to the rough floor. He ties my hands and sits me back up against the wall, tying my feet.

"There." He gets up and looks at me smiling. But something seems wrong because he kneels down again, examining me. Before my mind can process what's actually happening, he's taking the tape off.

"Any last words? Chose wisley." He glares at me and waits for what I have to say. I cry even more before spitting out. "Please, let me go" he chuckles before replacing the tape. He takes my jaw between his thumb and index finger before saying the words that will be engraved in my mind forever.

"You're too beautiful to let go"