Repairing the Hurt

Chapter 17

Owen and I finally release each other when the van stops.

We're both blinded by flashlights when the doors open.

Hands grab my ankles and pull me out, and I'm once again dragged somewhere.

I know we drove South, and we weren't on the road too long so we must be on the outskirts of Charleston. I explained as much to Owen before the doors opened.

I hear him being dragged out as well, but don't look back.

There's a gated door in front of me, extremely out of place in the middle of the woods. It seems to rise out of the ground with a chain link fence surrounding it. Easy to climb, but they never added barbed wire. That would be a no brainer for me if I wanted to keep people inside.

That means people never get this far.

One of the ski mask guys opens the gate and the one holding me hefts me over his shoulder, carrying me through the fence, then through the door.

I hear them struggling with Owen, no doubt having to drag him instead of manhandling him like me.

The door opens and the silence I hear worries me.

He carries me through the doorway and down a set of stairs, sure of his steps, as if he's done this a million times.

We silently walk through a tunnel for what seems like an hour, but I count the minutes, a habit I picked up from Kota, and we move for less than five.

Noises can be heard now, yelling and banging, roaring. I try to twist and look behind me at the direction we're going but can't see anything.

Owen's being hauled after me, a man on each arm. He's being dragged backwards and all I can see is his back, his shoulder blades pronounced as the men carry him at an angle.

The tunnel gets louder. The initial dirt smell is now giving way to alcohol and urine.

Why does everything smell like urine?

Trash begins to litter the edges of the tunnel and the light grows brighter, as well as the sounds of yelling and banging.

We exit the tunnel and enter a vast space. Looking around, I see many people walking around and laughing, but their backs are turned toward me. They all seem to be congregating around something large, taking up most of the room, but from where I am, I can't see it.

I can tell Owen's trying to look around, but he's seeing much less than I am.

We're carried past the area and into another dark, narrow space. Descending another flight of stairs, we finally come to another gate, this one padlocked.

One of the men holding Owen releases him and pulls out a key, unlocking the gate and ushering the other two men inside with us.

They leave the gate unlocked as they carry us further. I hear movement in the semi darkness, and then I'm thrown to the ground.

I hit my shoulder and make some noise, causing a reflexive tensing for Owen. The men holding him make the mistake of thinking he's about to rear up and the one who dropped me hits him.

It takes everything I have not to stand and rip him apart.

They drop him and walk away, relocking the gate once they're through.

I rush over to Owen, "Are you okay?"

His face is already swelling from being hit a few times, turning green.

He gives half a nod and looks me over, ensuring I'm okay.

Then we stand and face the room.

About ten sets of eyes stare back at us. Hollow and sad, or full of malice.