The door opened slowly, the teenager boy peeks through the small crack, and he holds his breath. Nervous and thoughts racing frantically in his pounding head, he is thinking quickly “Which would be the best escape route to get away before they kidnappers realized he was gone?"
He listened to see if the three people, two men and a woman who kidnap him were still in the cabin. He listens; all he could hear is the clock ticking loudly. Each click was making his heart race faster, his breath rapid, he tells himself, he needs to calm down. He is hesitant to implement his plan. He wonders "Does he stay in the closet or take a chance and sneak out of it and make a run for it?.” He can’t remember how many days have passed since they put him in the closet. He has been marking off his planner. Counting the x's he thought this was the eighth day he had been held captured.
He observed the routine the kidnappers settled in and how they equipped it with the comfort of home, enough food, bottles of water, an extra flashlight, and a sleeping bag, with items for activities to keep his mind stimulated. He did not like there was an empty bucket available for him to use as a bathroom, yet they keep it clean, and replace it at meal times. He felt he was a dog locked in a cage for being naughty. He realized with time the kidnappers have a schedule and would unlock the door to bring him peanut butter sandwiches and some milk, twice a day, and some fruit later at night.
What he observed, was the rules were strict, they requested he put the blind fold on before unlocking the door. With his eyes blinded, his other senses became hyper-alert, his ears and ability to smell odors enhanced. He realized the kidnappers by their foot stomps, heavy and delicate pounding, there were two men and a woman; who did not communicate much. They just gave him a silent touch and quickly took care of his needs. He lost track of time, he was not afraid anymore. He just wanted to go home to his mom and dad, two brothers and sister.
He thought back to the day they kidnapped him. "Earlier in the day, he was walking home from school. Thinking he had a good day, he received a B on his report. Shot the final basket to win the game in gym class. The girl with the soft fluffy red hair, partially falling and covering her beautiful emerald eyes sat close to him in the auditorium that morning, her presence was intoxicating and comforting to him. Every time she came near him, he lost all sense of reality, he only saw her, smell her dainty perfume and his heart would pace faster and, it was difficult to create a word.
Her flash of a smile to him, had him walking on thin air, light hearted and happy., That and other events made it a good day.
He was oblivious to his surroundings, walking deep in thought about the happiness of his day. He did not realize there was a large van following him since he left school. As he reached the corner, the van stopped suddenly. He did not have time to react, the doors opened, and he saw a figure heading towards him, it frightened him. A big burly man’s hands were grabbing him. He reacted quickly to the assault and tries to become free from the kidnapper's grasp. The muscular man gripped his neck tighter, and wrapped his hand around his throat. Threatening him with a violent shake to prevent fighting.
Michael realized he was defeated. He went limp, and the man release his gripped on his throat. He heard his neck cracked as the pressure was decreased off his jugular vein. He gasped and gulp in oxygenate air. The man lifted the boy as he was a feather into the van.
Another man, thin and bony, but very powerful, waiting inside, helped the first, load their package into the van. Mike was about to shout, and the second kidnapper put his hand over the boy’s mouth and grabbed his arms, and forced his arms behind him, with no mercy he tied him up with strong thick rope. He felt the ropes cutting into his wrists. The hewn rope braids were cutting off his circulation. The second man held the boy’s head stiffly and placed a smelly blindfold on him and told him to be quiet, or else”.
Michael trying to maintain his fear, thought to himself, what is happening?.” Who are these people?”. What do they need?. They quickly blindfolded him and tied his limbs. The man told him to lay down, be quiet and pushed him down roughly into the gritty carpet. Mike using his five senses smelt the odour of stale cigarettes and alcohol reeking in the musty van. He moved his face and felt the hairy carpet under his cheeks. Touched around with his fingers felt the texture of the carpet and then the cold metal floor. He took deep breathes to calm his anxiety down and listened to all the sounds, to scope out the environment.
All he heard was the sound of tires rolling on the road, quiet breathing, sighs and clearing of throats., He was getting more scare as the van travelled further away from where they kidnapped him.. He feels tight and starts to wriggle to loosened his muscles, the thinner man told him to stop and lay a hand on his chest, slightly pressing him down as a warning, into the edge of the old rust flooring, the jagged broken nooks scraped and pinched his arms, with pressure, cutting his skin He felt the pain and the sticky feeling of blood. He was cut and bleeding. Michael got the message and stopped moving.
He was exhausted from the ordeal his eyes kept closing, from when the first man put chloroform on a cloth and told Michael to inhale if he knew what was good for him. He knew he was trapped and could not fight it, the odorous chemical was winning. He felt himself slipping into unconsciousness, his mind escaping to flashbacks. He saw his family’s faces as they were flashing before his eyes. Mike was deep day dreaming about escaping, he was breathing quietly. To quietly.
The man frightened they killed him. He places a mirror under his nose to check if he were breathing. A slight vapor appeared on the mirror. The men sighed with relief.
He knew that they will be driving another two days to take Michael to their master, and required him to be alive, or they would be punished, and he did not want any part of this cruel ruler’s ideas of punishment. Hell on Earth, as he had seen other experienced, when lower into the pit, and the unknown creature below tore the victims apart, to be a rise out of the pit, all bloody, gourd and half eaten or just a broken skeleton, with stripped flesh missing and barely alive or dead.
He observed the boy was shivering in his unconscious state, he found a blanket, covers him up. He re-checks the food supply, water, and peanut butter sandwiches to make certain enough food was available for the journey from New York to Florida. He was ordered to keep the boy hydrated and feed.
The driver was complaining he was thirsty and wanted to stop for a cold beer, before the start of the long drive to state to state down the east coast. The second kidnapper furious with his brain dead partner told him “No way Jose” he did not want to be arrested by the authorities. They both, one grudging decided it would not be a good idea to stop anywhere to buy supplies or drinks, to keep driving to their final destination..
They agreed from their hideout, they gather enough provisions to keep driving, and would celebrate after delivering the package.
They traveled on I 95, taking Michael further away from would be an Amber Alert. They knew they had at least had twenty-hour hours to escape before Michael was officially declared missing from New York City. The kidnappers turn on the police scanner listened for reports of missing children. Be able to keep updated with if there were announcements of Michael missing.
After a few hours, Michael awoke, groggily, felt the sunlight tapping his closed eyes; his opens them slowly, to realize his eyes are still blindfolded. His mind gradually coming to consciousness, he knew the kidnappers sedated him with chloroform, he smelt it on his skin and with insight knew he needed to be careful around these strangers, they were serious. He was feeling nauseated.
He wriggled his body slightly testing his awareness and balance he moves his head. He had a pounding headache. He moved his legs they felt like lead weights, stiff, have not moved in a while. He stretches to get the circulation going again. Opening his ears, he listens; all he could hear was a train whistle in the background, geese flying over ahead as they made their honking noises.
He moved his hands, still tied behind his back. The ropes were not as tight as the beginning of the trip. While he slept, someone had loosened them. He moves his hands and his fingers; he felt the surface underneath him. He realized he felt the same carpet, and he was still in the van.
His mouth was parched; He licks his dry cracked lips. He tried to make a sound, his voice was croaking, he tries to pronounce water. He needs water to drink. He hears the rustling of feet coming towards him, and the van stopping, heard the door opening and lighting coming inside penetrated the blindfold, hurting his eyes. It was the late afternoon sunlight tap dancing into his hazel eyes, sensitive to light without being blindfolded. His eyes strung. .
He closes his eyes to adjust to the blinding rays and slowly opens them, to adjust to the bright light.
The man came over him, checking his pulse, commenting to his partner, “He is still breathing we should carry him inside before someone comes along and sees him.” One of the men took hold of Michael 's body roughly and slung him over one of their shoulders. Michael groans from the maneuver. The impact did not help his nauseated stomach. He felt like vomiting. But no liquid or food was in his stomach.
He is awake he heard the one carrying him replied. He croaked “Water, need water.” The deep baritone voice "Yes you will get water, be quiet." Michael felt his body shifted to go across the man’s neck like a dead deer, hold tightly against his shoulders and carried across a large lot of land. He ordered the other man to bring in the food and supplies into the cabin.
The man walked dodging the holes in the ground. Michael sniffed the air he smelt pine and other woody odors. Felt the warmth of heat from a stove coming at him, as he entered the doorway to the hideout they choose to keep him hidden in. He felt himself lifted and placed down into a soft chair, exhausted, he sank into it.
The man gruffly pulled him up, shaking him. Mike went limp, and the man released his grip. The burly man told him if he behaves and did nothing dumb everything will be okay." Michael felt his kidnapper coming closing, shoving a cold item against his parched lips. He sensed the droplets of the moist bottle lip of the refreshing cold water on his lips. He tried to drink it in one gulp. The man told him not to gulp, take small sips. Michael was grateful for the water. He heard the man and did not want to lose this precious liquid. He took a sip and then another. Next, he smelt the peanut sandwich coming to his mouth, ; the man broke it down into chewable bites. Michael realizes he has not eaten in two or more days, realizing at that moment how hungry he is.
Next, he smells the banana, coming into his mouth, which he slowly chews, savoring every bite. After finishing his snack. Michael felt the presence of the kidnapper’s bodies, on both sides. He heard their breathing and then felt one of them approaching him from his side.
The man roughly grabs his arm and pulls him up off the chair. Steer him towards what felt like steps, the man tells him to lift his feet, they were walking up stairs. Michael hands now tied in front, he reached out to locate the banister. Balance himself and gripped the rail. Silently counting the stairs, he counted twelve steps. (continues at later date) .....