Kidnapping Me

I always knew my fear of the dark was a rational one...

Penny laughed humorlessly. "I know. Wasn't he married to Donna then?"

I thought about it, tapping my chin as I strolled along on numb, frost bitten feet. "Um, I think it goes Hailey six months ago, then Donna four months ago and then Julia."

"What about Pam?"

"No,no. She was before Hailey... Wasn't she?"

Penny giggled lightly. "How the hell should I know, Grace? All I know is that twenty-eight wives are too many for one man in seventeen years."

I nodded to myself, pursing my lips. "True dat, sister." I mumbled. "I'll be home soon. See you then."

"Bye." Penny yawned, hanging up.

I was about to stuff my phone back in my coat when I had a better idea. Running back the way I'd come, I snuck through the back of the Wutherson's paddock. Taking a nice wind-up, I flung my phone as high and as far as I possibly could.

I waited for a moment after it had disappeared into the darkness, and heard a satisfying splash of my phone being engulfed by the murky pond waters. Good riddence. Going back along the street, in a semi-happier mood, I started wondering why I had never bother to run away from home...

It wasn't like I was afraid to live without luxuarys or anything. Penny and I had spent an entire christmas holidays on her Mother's farm in Spain, working with cattle and pigs. It was great. The country air.. the openness. So I could do it- go live on a farm and renounce my throne to Martain Industries, in which case Uncle Rodger would be next in line. Penny was after that, considering she was techincally illigitimate aswell.

No, I think whats stopped me, is the belief that dad would change. That one day he'd want a beautiful wife that would love him everyday, one that wasn't twenty- something with an orange tan. Seventeen years later and I'm still waiting.

I mean, how pathetic is that? Me, sitting on the sidelines, waiting for something to happen, so God to step in and save my Dad. If God was real, he didn't take any notice of my prayers over the years, thats for sure.

As my watch clicked over, telling me it was One thirty, I began to notice how dark it was. How creepy and eeire the houses looked without lights on, without a random party going on, or Limo's driving out and in of their wrought iron gates. It was so strange.

Immediatly, I wanted to sprint home and hide under my covers. I've never been a huge fan of the dark, but really, who was?

You're being stupid. I told myself firmly. Just keep walking. There isn't anyone out there. This is a good, safe neighbourhood. Just... breathe.

Taking a deep breath, I stumbled along the path at a regular speed. Albiet, who ever walked at this pace regularly would have had to have been on Redbull, but I really couldn't careless. I was shit scared of the dark, and I knew it.

Just as I made it back within two K's of my house, the light of a car pooled on the pavement in front of me. The car, instead of speeding past, slowed down to a steady crawl, keeping the same distance away from me, no matter what I did.

Holy shit, holy shit. I thought, my heart leaping into my rib-cage so hard it was almost painful. There is an axe-murderer in that car, and he's going to kill me! My logical thinking goes out the window when I'm scared. Or it could be like that movie, where all the animals get smart and that Penguin with a Machine gun goes after that chick....

Holy shit, a Penguin is going to kill me!

I began walking faster, not that it really matter, shooting glances behind me at the dark mercedes as it crept along behind me.  Couldn't see anything through those ominous tinted windows, and frankly, thats what scared me the most. Abruptly the car came to a stop, the lights shutting off and leaving me in total darkness, bright dots dancing in front of my eyes.

I heard the car door open and shut, the sound of feet on the pavement behind me. Oh, shit. There was no use running, I was completely blind. My eyes started to adjust, and before I knew it, a man in a ski mask had tackled me to the ground.

I screamed shrilly, before he proceeded to stuff a sock in my mouth. I hoped to god that it was clean as he hauled me over his shoulder and started marching back towards the car.

"Good work, Benny." Someone congradulated the man as he open the car door to put me in the back-seat. There was a beat before the same voice said, "Why isn't she moving?"

The man shrugged. "Who knows? I don't think she hit her head when I tackled her." The man's voice was gruff, but light, like he should be teasing someone, not kidnapping me.

"You tackled her?!" The first man pratically yelled. I heard another car door open and shut, and felt myself being lowered to the ground.

Keep still, Grace. Come on. As I felt the first man lean over me, gripping my wrist to feel my pulse, my nose started to tickle. I felt a sneeze coming on. I'd always had the worst timing for sneezing- school photo's, blowing out candles at my birthday, opening presents at Christmas, right before I shake someones hand. You name an awkward moment, and I can pretty much confirm that I have sneeze in all those occasions.

I felt his breath on my face as he leaned over me again. Hold it in, Grace! I commanded myself.

Apparently, that was not going to happen.

"AAACHOOO!"

"ARRGH!" The man yelled as I sneezed right in his face. He fell backwards onto his butt, wiping furiously at his face. "She sneezed on me!"

 I pushed myself up from the ground, taking advantage of the fact the first guy was utterly disgusted and furiosuly wiping his face, and the that the second guy was doubled over laughing, tears streaming down his face.

Leaping to my feet, the second guy, Ben or whatever, looked up at me. "And where are you going?" He asked, amuesed.

"Um..." I said intelligently. "Away from you axe- murderers." And with that I sprinted off into the darkness, very aware of the pounding feet that were following me up the path, and gaining fast.