Turn for the Worst

Chapter 41

Emma's entire body is weak from hunger and being bound up in the same position for so long. She's struggled as often as she could, trying to find something, anything sharp that might allow her to cut her bonds, but she can hardly reach anything being crammed in the back with bags in the tiny trunk. She does work on the gag, though, wetting the gauze and working to wet the duct tape so it will come loose. She hopes that she might be able to save herself, call out for help. She's grown upset and more tired with every passing moment that the car has been in motion.

She does her best to remain awake for in case the man stops for any reason. He might want to take advantage of her again or provide her with food. Her stomach growls loudly, her throat is becoming dry and her body no longer has as much strength to fight back. But she will keep fighting, she will not die like this... She did not go through so many foster homes and go through so many hardships to die here, in the arms of a disturbed individual.

Many questions float through her head as the car continues the road, the rumble of other cars and trucks going by. Wouldn't one of them notice something off, try to investigate this man? What about his wife? Would she be helping the police? Unless Arthur killed her... Emma's stomach twists at the thought and a shiver runs up her spine. But surely someone would find the body and the search would be on, wouldn't it? Why hadn't the police at the state border checked the trunk? How has he not been identified already? Would they find where she had been held in his house? Maybe get some evidence and begin tracking him? What about his children? Wouldn't they be considered missing too?

The last thing she remembered hearing was Arthur's voice, talking to someone and then the engine revving to life beneath her. The entire vehicle took off at an unusually high speed and Emma was hoping and praying that the police were giving chase. Did they know that Arthur had her and apparently his children? From the several days in the back of the trunk, Emma had heard conversations between the man and his children. From what she could hear, he had a daughter named Megan and a son named Ben. Both were quite young from what she heard and neither knew what was going on. Why their father picked them up and likely drove them out of the state? Why they were constantly moving around and their father was acting so strangely. It made Emma extremely sick and infuriated that such a twisted man could be a loving and doting father and be able to keep such a secret. Emma had tried to make noise in the back of the trunk, kicking and making what noise she could through the tape, but Arthur's response was to turn the radio up to drown out her calls for help. However, for the past few hours, she hasn't heard any children's voices, meaning he might have abandoned them. Now it was just the two of them, which made everything that much more upsetting and twisted.

As the hours seemed to drag on, Emma began thinking about those she loved. She missed them so much, especially her son. She wondered what Henry would be doing at this moment. Crying probably, wanting answers. Her heart aches at imagining her son waiting helplessly at home while his mother was a million miles away. Did he know what had happened to her? Was he giving up hope already? She prays he has at least Regina or David and Mary Margret there to take care of him... to tell him that everything would be okay... which it wasn't. She imagines what David must be going through, hopefully fighting tooth and nail to find her. She wasn't going to lose hope in the Boston police... not yet anyway. She knew David and even Leroy would work their asses off to bring her home. She thinks about her best friend, has she had their baby yet? Was it a girl or a boy? If it was a girl would they name it after her if they thought she was dead? What would happen since she wasn't there to be the godmother? She thought of Regina, a friend who had been there for Emma since Neal left five years ago, a form of comfort and care. Their friendship was certainly complicated, but surely Regina would take care of Henry and help in any way she could.

Finally, she thought of Killian. His pain would probably be as bad as Henry's. She thought of his eyes, his lively, soulful blue eyes, the ones that had caught her attention from across the bar, a few months ago, which felt like such a long time now. His mischievous half smile that made his face even more attractive to her. His smooth Irish voice, it was soft, but also meaningful, like there was something more to the way he spoke. A deep context and a painful past that he wished to hide from her. She could tell he struggled with his demons, much like how she fought with hers. She had found that he could drink heavily, especially after a hard day at work and he smoked too. She had found his secret stash of cigarettes one time when she went over to the apartment for dinner. She only knew so much about the docks man. He lost his entire family under many different circumstances, the death of his brother, Liam hit him the hardest. Additionally, he lost his last girlfriend, Milah to cancer not long before they met, and it surprised her that he was still able to stand after all the hardships he'd endured. Clearly, he liked to drink his pain away, but Emma had learned a long time ago that this was never the answer. She tried ever so gently to take him off the alcohol and talk to her or even see a therapist if he so desired. It seemed that he wanted to leave his past behind and clean himself up, but she knew he would struggle, especially since she was now gone.

This will push him over the edge, Emma thought to herself. His only hope is to realize that he needs help and reach out to David and Mary Margret. He needs to talk to someone, anyone. He must be saved!

She begins to tear up slightly. Soon there's no holding back and all the pent up emotion comes streaming from her eyes. It's slight relief, but it's also useful. Her tears will weaken the tape around her eyes. She knows she needs to try and escape, anyway she can. Arthur cannot be allowed to fulfill his plans with her. If she doesn't get away, she may never be able to get home again.

Emma continues to squirm and try and loosen the tape on her hands and feet, continuing to cry and wet the tape around her mouth. She needed to get away before he took her too far away from her home.

However, unbeknownst to her and the police, he was actually taking her back towards Massachusetts...

Hey readers, here's the next chapter, sorry if it's a bit shorter. Hopefully, I will be able to update more over the next week since it's reading week for my university. Thank you for the amazing comments.