Chapter One
"Please don't do this!" The actress on Criminal Minds pleads to the kidnapper.
I have been watching Criminal Minds since four o'clock this afternoon when my parents left for their business trip that is supposed to last a good two or three or more months. So my logical thinking decides, let's watch a marathon of Criminal Minds alone in my room! Woo great idea!
To be honest, the show creeps me out a little, even though most of these crimes would never happen in real life.
THUNK!
A loud noise comes from downstairs.
Don't think any stupid idea from criminal minds, it's impossible.
Well I guess I'm hungry too, so I guess I'll just go make some popcorn. I pause the show and get up. I open the door to the dark hallway and I walk to meet the stairs, where I have all lights on the main floor turned on. I jog down the stairs and walk to the kitchen.
Walking through the doorway, I walk to the pantry and grab a popcorn package. I walk to the island counter and start to open the wrapper. A little paper rests in front of me and I pick it up.
"Expect the unexpected...
~ P xoxo "
P? What's that supposed to mean? I lightly let go of the note and let it fall onto the counter. I take the popcorn package by one hand and walk over to the microwave high up on the pantry top.
I reach up onto my tippy toes and open the microwave. I plop the popcorn into the heat box and close the door and I punch in the specific time. I relax back off my toes and put the weight onto my heels.
As I'm about to turn around, a firm hand grabs my mouth. The hand pulls me and I stumble back into a hard chest. The persons other hand swings around and puts a rag over my nose and mouth. I try to look around frantically but my vision starts to fade as I remember,
Damn! This was in the stupid show.
~~~
I open my eyes slightly and realize my surroundings. A van? I look forwards and see four boys occupying four seats.
"Your supposed to turn right here!" A raspy voice exclaims from the passenger seat.
"Sorry." The driver mumbles quietly as he turns the vehicle around.
"Maybe Hayes should drive next time." The voice from the passenger seat mumbles.
"Okay where should I turn now?" The driver asks.
"How about the sign that says California," the voice from the passenger seat says sarcastically, obviously annoyed, "because that's where we're going right?"
"Yes Peter." The voice says ashamedly to 'Peter'.
California? That can't be! I live in Oregon! California! That's far. I hiccup accidentally at the facts coming at me. The driver slams on the breaks and all four pairs of eyes turn to me. I close my eyes quickly.
The voice of the person in the passenger seat, whom I believe is called Peter, startles me.
"Pass the rag." I hear him say as I hear the sound of his seatbelt unclicks and footsteps start stalking towards me.
"Going to open your eyes?" The voice asks me, directly in front of me. He grabs my wrist, for which I didn't know why.
I try to resume my casual sleeping act but I think I may have accidentally moved or something because he notices and puts the cloth over my nose and mouth again. I daze off back into sleep again but I start to wonder.
Was this a dream or a reality?
~~~
Sunlight burns my eyelids and I open my eyes. Except I'm not in: One, my home. Or, Two, that van. The van? Why am I associating that with real life, it was all just a dream, right?
I sit up and look around at my surroundings. I was seated on a plush, comfortable maroon bed. I look around at the cream coloured walls and observe the blank walls. Suddenly, something stood out to me. There was a window. An already open window.
I jump out of the bed, in my clothes from yesterday and scurry over to the window. I look out of the window and turn back around. I return my body angle to the window. I swing one leg over the window sill first. Second floor. I swing the other leg around so both legs are dangling out the window.
That'll be a far drop. But people have survived farther story drops so, maybe I'll survive.
Okay. I'll leap in three
two
one
Before I can push off the window frame, somebody grabs me from behind and drags me off the sill.
I come flailing down from the sudden surprise. I lay on the floor, legs bent at a ninety degree angle and the figure stands above me, feet at my shoulder width apart and half a foot away from my head.
I dare to look up at the boy who stands above me. His emerald green eyes look down at me and his brown hair sways to the side on his forehead.
Suddenly he breaks our short stare and walks beside me and crouches down and picks me up and swings me across his shoulder. He walks over to the bed as I pound on his back.
"Put me down!" I yell.
He flings me back from his shoulder and throws me onto the bed.
"Happy?" He says with a smirk. He pulls a little remote out of his jeans pocket and clicks a button. The window closes and I hear a big double click as the window locks itself.
"Who are you?" I ask shakily as he observes me.
"Oouu, a feisty one," He says ignoring my question as he sits on the bed beside me. Ugh.
He looks at me and grabs my chin with his two fingers, forcing me to look at him, "Why, aren't you a pretty one princess." He says rubbing his thumb along my cheek and chin.
"Don't call me princess," I say and tug my chin away from his grasp.
"Now young miss, that's no way to treat me, you do belong to me and I can do whatever I please." I glare at him.
"Nobody owns me and I'm not a belonging." I deadpan to him.
"Shush now princess." He says and puts a finger on my lips. I roll my eyes. "Now we have some rules you need to follow unless you wish to be punished or, hmm, murdered." My eyes widen at his choice vocabulary. "Okay Mikayla?"
"How do you know my name?" He looks at me like I'm stupid.
"That's too easy my love. Well anyways, let's start with rule number one. You obey whatever I say. Always. So therefore, I make the rest of these rules." I huff at his egotistical comment. "I always have an eye on you whether it be one of my guys or me. You never leave the house alone. You never tell anyone your kidnapped. You have no contact with people you know other than people we know of as well. You don't try to run away, but you would be caught easily. Finally, any rules I make up on the spot you follow them. Okay Mikayla?" He asks. I was fascinated at how he thought he had so much authority. How egotistical of him.
"Mikayla?" He says harshly as he uses his two fingers to grab my chin to face him.
"Would you stop that!" I snap and abruptly move my face out of his grasp. He raises his eyebrows.
"Still don't understand the concept, sweetie?" He says sarcastically. "It's this thing called 'I'm in charge, therefore you do what I say or else there's consequences'." He tells me with a smile on his face.
"Are we clear?" He asks harshly inching closer to my face the more I procrastinate the answer.
"I guess you egotistical absolute bagel." I mumble.
"Absolute bagel?" He questions letting go of my chin, an amused smirk appearing on his face.
"I didn't say anything." I confirm slightly shy but confidently.
"Well are we clear?" He asks.
"I already answered you!" I raised my voice a bit.
"New rule. You don't raise your voice at me, missy." He commands, "but yes, I do remember."
"Don't call me missy," I mumble.
"I'll call you whatever I wish." He leans in and whispers in my ear. He gets up walks to the door and stops there.
"Let's go," He demands, "Your going to meet the boys now."