Short Stories

4. Kidnapped

"If I take your gag off, do you promise not to scream?" Max asked.

"Mmph," said Kelsi. Max took it off and held a glass of water in front of her lips.

"Drink this, you have a long day ahead of you," he said.

Kelsi drank the water without an argument. She was dying of thirst. It has been almost an hour since he took her and threw her in the basement. Or was it two hours?

"Why did you take me? Who are you? My family doesn't have any money," she said in a shaky voice.

Max stared at her. His icy grey eyes bored into her like they could pierce her soul. She shivered.

"I am Max and this isn't about the money, I have plenty of it," he said.

"Then wha...why?" she stammered.

"You will find out soon enough," he said and started to put the gag back on but Kelsi turned her head to the side.

"Please don't. I promise I won't scream. I can hardly breathe with that thing in my mouth," she pleaded.

Max thought about it for a second. "Fine, but if I hear one peep out of you I'm shoving it back in your face," he said.

Kelsi nodded. She didn't want to aggravate him. She took a good look at her kidnapper. He looked about her age, maybe a couple of years older. He was tall and slender. Not exactly skinny or muscular but in good shape. His thick black hair almost reached his shoulders. His face had a hard expression which made him look kind of scary, Kelsi thought.

He left the room. Kelsi tried to wiggle out of her ropes but they were too tight. She had to try her best. She refused to die in this cold dark room. She looked around to see if there was anything she could use but the room was completely bare.

She stopped moving as she heard the door open.

"Trying to escape?" he raised his eyebrows.

"No..." she whispered.

"Good, because that would be a really stupid thing to do," he said. He came closer to her and she saw he was holding a knife. What was he planning to do with that?

"You said you won't hurt me," Kelsi said quietly.

"Did I say that? I don't remember," Max smirked and raised his knife. She closed her eyes and waited for the pain which never came. Instead, she felt her ropes loosened. he cut the ropes off of her.

"You are letting me go?" she said, sounding hopeful.

"Why would I do such a thing?" he said and grabbed her arm and started to drag her upstairs.

"This is ridiculous! I am not some kind of animal, let me go!" she cried but Max just ignored her.

"When you are done crying I am going to show you some things," Max said.

She squinted her eyes as the light in the house was suddenly brighter compared to the basement. She waited until her eyes adjusted then started to look around the house. It was just an ordinary-looking house with very little furniture. The first room she entered was the kitchen. Max was sat her down on the dining table.

"Eat," he said and pointed at a sandwich that was sitting on the table across from him.

"I am not hungry," Kelsi said and looked away.

"I wasn't asking, just sit and eat it. Don't worry, it's not poisoned," Max said.

She sat down and took a bite of the sandwich. She didn't realize how hungry she was until that one bite. She quickly finished the whole thing.