Chained - Jenlisa

Abducted

Lisa gazes intently at me and touches my hand. "Of course."

I gently squeeze her fingers and smile. "Then let me come with you to meet these people."

She hesitates, but nods and opens the front door for me. She points down as we're in the hall then leads me to the elevator. We drop down to the ground floor in a minute, Lisa growing increasingly agitated by the second, and remain side by side as we come into the lobby. Everything looks normal, but standing in a small huddle are a group of women, perhaps four or five of them, the elderly woman from the shop leading the pack. I don't feel as threatened by them knowing that they chose to wait down here rather than come up and storm the apartment. That earned them some of my trust. Some of it.

"You remember me?" The old woman asks as she steps forward. Apparently she's to speak for the group.

I nod and step forward, too, and Lisa tenses. "I do," I tell the old woman. "Why have you followed me to my home?"

"I want to make use of this." She pulls a baggy from her coat pocket- the baggy with my hair in it.

"Perhaps we should retire to somewhere more private?"

Sucking my bottom lip into my mouth I peer around the lobby and find only one other person around not involved in this, and they're checking their mail. They barely glance my way from the corner of their eye. They're keeping an eye out, but I don't want them to have to do something they might not be able to handle. "Fine," I mutter. "We can... go upstairs."

Lisa inflates but bites her tongue and doesn't challenge it. I appreciate her trusting in me and hope she remains compliant as the next part comes.

I wave for the old woman and her group to follow me to the elevator and wait for it to be available.

Another resident comes out of the elevator in a minute and jerks back, surprised, when he sees us all waiting outside. He lowers his head and pushes through us, murmuring "Excuse me, excuse me," and trying not to be a bother. We let him pass then shove ourselves into the elevator. I stand in the back corner, Lisa surrounding me, and everyone else finds their own space. From my position I can finally see how many women there are, five, and one of them is cradling a little boy in her arms, no older than two.

Lisa visibly relaxes before me as the toddler burbles in discomfort and his chubby hands reach at nothing. She makes weird noises as we ascend and the child grows less agitated, and even giggles. His mother pats his back and turns enough to look at Lisa, and to my surprise, she gives Lisa a grateful smile and nod.

Finally we reach our floor and everyone steps out into the hall. They all wait for Lisa and I to lead the way. I take the group to the apartment and allow them all inside, the whole affair awkward. Lisa stands in the kitchen where she can see everyone and I stand by the island while everyone else stands or sits in the living room.

"So," I drawl, my shoulders up to my ears and my palms showing at my sides. "What kind of favor do you want?"

The old woman sits on the edge of the couch with no one around her. "I want to borrow her." She waves her hand vaguely at Lisa and raises her eyebrows.

"What?" I cross my arms over my chest defensively. I assumed she'd get to the point right away but her favor is plain disrespectful. Not only that, but dismissive. "First, she's not a thing you can just borrow, and second, why are you asking me? If you want her help you ask her."

The old woman smiles at me. It irks me how condescending she appears. "You must give her permission."

"I don't control her."