"Kelly, Kelly, Kelly." A voice whispered. I looked around to see that I was in my house.
"Hello?" I asked loudly, wondering how I got in my house. Last thing I remembered I was sleeping in a hotel with my aunt and uncle.
I rose up from my bed and walked over to my bedroom door. The floor creaked beneath my feet after every step I took. Why had I never noticed that before? I had a limp due to the stitches in my leg from the gunshot wound. They recommended crutches but they were so uncomfortable and I could just limp my way around just fine. As soon as my hand touched the doorknob, a violent shock rushed through my body. I felt my back hit the floor as I stared up at my ceiling in shock. What just happened? The burning smell of my flesh filled the air.
I glanced down at my hand to see that it was swollen and blistering. Yellowish white pus seeping from reddened blisters on my hand. The voltage must have been high on whatever shocked me. Then I thought back to the tricks Kyle used with doorknobs and my heart started to race, remembering the horrors that were still replaying in my mind.
"Hello, Kelly. Long time no see." A voice echoed my room as I managed to get to my feet
I whirled around and nearly fell over again at who I saw. Kyle walked out of the darkness and shadows of the corner of my room. I backed away from him and was about to call for help when he said, "No one is here but us, Sweetie."
It was happening all over again, he was here, inside my house. Was he going to kidnap me again or worst kill me since he got caught? How did he escape prison and did the police know? My heart was racing a mile a minute as more and more questions flooded my brain. I wasn't ready to see him again.
"How? How did you escape prison?" I asked, tears filling my eyes.
"Not again." I kept repeating in my mind. This couldn't be real, but it was. I felt the pain; I can see Kyle with my very own eyes. I just couldn't understand how this could happen and why the police weren't here to save me.
"You really think a worthless, trashy little prison can hold me? I know every inch of that prison. I can escape from any place I want. Now let's get down to why I'm here." He smirked.
"Get away from me!" I protested when he took a step forward.
He threw his hands up in defense and said, "You know for once, I will listen. You can't go anywhere. So fine, I'll back up." He took a couple steps back and leaned up again the wall, resting on foot on the wall with his arms crossed.
"Now what?" He asked.
"You're one who wanted to talk. How did I get here?" I asked, my own bedroom looking so familiar yet so different.
"I brought you here. You were sleeping in a hotel and I thought you may want to sleep in your own bed after being away from so long." He smiled.
"I'm not finished with you yet. I told you we would be together forever and I intend on keeping that promise." He added, seeing the confusion on my face.
"I'm not going with you. The police will catch you before you can even get away from this house." I protested, my hand still throbbing and bleeding onto my carpet.
"I don't think the police will be looking here when they got a call from someone in Denver saying that I was spotted there. And do you hear me asking if you wanted to come?" He asked as he cocked his head at me.
"How's the leg, Kel?" He asked before I could speak.
"There wouldn't be a problem if it wasn't for you." I snarled.
"I told you, I didn't mean it and that I really didn't want to shoot you." He replied nonchalantly.
"That's bull; you didn't seem in too much pain when you shot me." I spat.
"You have no idea what I was feeling but you know what, you're right. I did enjoy shooting you because all this wouldn't have happened if you dad and everyone else helped put Marcus away. You needed to learn a lesson." He argued.
"No, you are just a lunatic that should be locked away forever." I argued back.
Fury in his eyes, he rushed over to me and pushed me against the wall, making my hand and leg hurt worse than they already did. This just proved how insane he was and how much professional help he needed. At this point, there wasn't any chance of saving him though.
"Maybe I am a lunatic but I'm also a genius."
"A genius wouldn't have gotten caught." I barked.
"Maybe, but I won't make that mistake again, trust me on that." He released my and backed away.
He started to laugh and that's when I got really confused. Something was up, but I wasn't sure what. Why did he just stop? And why was he laughing? Last time I checked neither one of us said anything remotely funny. Maybe he was finally losing his mind.
"What?" I asked.
"I think its funny how we went through everything together and now I'm going to kill you." He said casually.
"What!" I yelled as I backed as far away from him as I could. He pulled out a gun and aimed it at me, causing my heart to skip a beat.
"You see, I could get any girl I want, whether it's by force or not. I don't need you and I sure as hell don't need to waste my breath on you anymore. I don't care anymore; you are nothing but someone in the past to me. Sure we were close but you just have ruined all my plans and I can't let you live. You will just be another dead girl the police find. I'm really sorry Kelly but my mind is set and you will die today and nothing, and I mean nothing will stop that!" He preached.
"Oh my God, you are a lunatic. No, you're psychotic." I yelled.
"You really want to call me those names when I'm the person with the gun? Not so smart, Kelly. Your life is in my hands right now." He grinned before continuing his spiel.
"Do you even know the definition of psychotic? Well, the definition is when someone suffers from psychosis which is a mental disorder in which emotions or thoughts are so messed up that you aren't even sure what reality is anymore. I know what reality is and I think that I'm completely sane and free of mental disorders Kelly so I suggest you think before you speak." He yelled, his eyes filled with fury and hate.
"Say goodbye Kelly!" He laughed hysterically.
He raised the gun higher and aimed it at my head. He took several steps closer, the floor creaking as he walked and then held the gun right up against my head. My heart was racing and I was sweating tremendously. I debated fighting him but even if I wanted to, my body remained frozen. My hand began to shake and I closed my eyes in fear. At least it wouldn't be a painful death. Bang!
***
I screamed at the top of my lungs as I flung myself up from the bed, nearly falling onto the floor in the process. I frantically looked around to see that I was, in fact, in the same hotel room that I fell asleep in. My aunt and uncle ran over to me and asked if I was okay. Fear written on their faces as they stared down at me.
"Yeah. Just. A. Bad. Dream." I said between breaths.
Kyle really seemed like he was actually there. I really felt like I was going to die. I admired my fully healed, non-injured hand, thankful it wasn't actually burnt. I looked at the clock and it was seven in the morning. I had slept more than I expected. Robbins had wanted to begin the interviewing process yesterday but after being shot and the reality of being rescued, it was too much for one day. We were going to meet up today to discuss what happened. Tears filled my eyes as I replayed the dream in my head over and over. It felt so real like Kyle was so close to me. What if he decided to actually kill me? What if he escapes?
"Honey, it was just a dream, you're safe." My aunt comforted, resting her hand on my knee.
While I was asleep, my aunt and uncle went and grabbed some of my things from the house. I guess I'm not allowed back there yet because it's a crime scene and the police don't want me seeing it. My aunt handed me a bag full of my clothes with my toothbrush and other toiletries. I was going to spend my whole day today at the police station so I needed to brace myself. I went into the bathroom and got into the shower. The steaming hot shower relaxed me and was somewhat of a therapy for me.
The whole bathroom was steaming and it felt so good on my skin. I got into new clothes, which also felt good and I ran a real brush through my hair. You have no idea how tangled and ratted my hair was after now brushing it for what, a month or so. It took a good fifteen minutes to just brush it out and that's after nearly dumping all of my condition on it. I wasn't hungry which surprised me because I didn't eat that much when I was taken. I must have gotten used to not eating that much so my stomach shrunk.
Once I was finally ready, which was about an hour and a half, my aunt and uncle drove me to the police station. I was dreading this day and already wanted it to end. I would have to remember what happened while I was with him. I would have to talk about things that were really touchy for me and that I had forced my mind to forget. I wondered if Brooke was already there. I really didn't want to share what all happened to me but if it was needed to put Kyle away for life, then I'd suck it up and put on a brave face, even if I was terrified inside. Officer Robbins was waiting outside as we walked up to the station.
"Hello everyone." She greeted as we walked up to her.
We followed her inside and I wondered if Kyle was here or if he was in another prison already. We walked into the conference room and Brooke and her family were there sitting down already. Another police officer was there sitting with them. He had spiked brown hair, with dark brown eyes that stuck out the moment you saw him. He was a pretty tall, extremely build man who had every characteristic that was perfect.
"Everyone, this is Officer Dole. He was with me when we found you guys." Robbins announced.
"Hi." I muttered under my breath.
Everyone took a seat around a huge table that had about twelve chairs around it. I had butterflies in my stomach and I felt myself getting more and more nervous. The sooner I told my story, the sooner it could be done with and I could try to move on. I fiddled with my hands under the table as we began the session.
"Okay, we need both of you to tell your stories of what had happened when you were held captive, starting with how you were first taken. I'm going to ask the adults to leave if you all would, unless Brooke or Kelly need you to stay." Robbins announced.
My aunt and uncle looked at me questioningly and I said, "You can go."
They nodded and exited the room with Brooke's parents. Brooke decided to go first on telling everything that happened from the day she was kidnapped. The officers asked her to describe the day she was kidnapped first.
Brooke was walking home from school, as she did every day. Nothing seemed different to her and her neighborhood was always a quiet, safe place to be walking around. She heard a car drive up behind her and she glanced back. She had nothing to worry about, nothing to fear. Today was just a normal day for her. The car slowed down when it reached her and the man in the car put the car in park and opened his door. He was a muscular man with blonde hair and brown eyes.
"Excuse me miss, but I was wondering if you had seen a black lab anywhere around here." The man asked.
He was a couple feet or so from Brooke but she still didn't see anything to be scared of. This was just a man who was looking for his dog. The man seemed genuinely concerned but Brooke walked a little faster just to be on the safe side.
"Um, no I haven't seen a black lab anywhere." Brooke replied as she sped up, trying her best just to get home.
"I'm so stupid, I had the front door open for just a second when he just darted out. I know this is a lot to ask but I was wondering if you would mind coming and helping me look for him. It would be helpful to have another pair of eyes looking." He asked.
That was what tipped Brooke off that this wasn't just a man looking for his dog. No one actually asked for someone to get in their car. She understood if he just asked if she had seen the dog but to go as far as to ask her to get in his car was crazy. She wasn't stupid enough to actually accept that offer and decided to walk even faster than before to the point that she was getting out of breath.
"I'm sorry but I really have to get home." Brooke answered, trying to be polite just in case this was her mind making the worst of the situation.
This time she turned the corner and was almost in a jog at this point. She was too scared to look and see if the van had turned and followed her. She didn't hear anything but that didn't mean that the van was gone. She was so close to her house, maybe eight houses away or so. She was almost there. Brooke decided to turn and look behind her to see if the man was gone. But as she turned, a hand firmly grabbed onto her arm.
"Get off of me!" She yelled as she yanked her arm away from the man from the van.
"Big mistake, Brooke." The man snarled in a totally different voice than the nice and sweet voice that he used before.
"How did you know my name?" She asked, fear taking over her body.
He smiled and then pushed her to the ground, causing her to cut open her knee. She screamed for help but he quickly covered her mouth. She kicked and punched at him but he didn't budge off of her. She desperately tried to free herself but it was hopeless. She saw him reach in his back pocket of his jeans and grabbed a rag.
She wasn't sure what it was at first but then as he shoved it against her nose and mouth, she knew what it was, chloroform. Looking frantically around, there was no one around. Most people were at work in the middle of the day. There was no way she could fight off the powerfully liquid that was pressed to her face. The light of day started to fade away and everything went black.
I got the chills as Brooke told the police her story and I felt extremely sorry for her. I felt bad for everyone that had to deal with Kyle. It was hard to believe that Kyle managed to kidnap Brooke in the middle of the day in a neighborhood. How had he done it? After an hour so of Brooke's story, I knew it was my turn.
Several emotional hours later, I was done telling my story. The police asked Brooke and I difficult questions to answer and the interview was over about three hours later. We were able to leave after the interview so the police could make reports for the case. I walked out of the room and my aunt and uncle almost jumped to their feet.
"Is everything alright?" They asked simultaneously.
"Yes, yes but I was wondering if I could go and hang out with Maddie for the day? I need to see her." I asked.
"Of course you can. We'll drop you over at her house." My uncle said.
The car ride to Maddie's was long and torturing. All I kept thinking about the police station and retelling my story. As much as I wanted to forget Kyle, he seemed to just keep appearing in my mind. His piercing blue eyes haunted the darkest part of my mind. Every time I closed my eyes, I'd see him looking down at me. Finally, we arrived at Maddie's and I got out of the car. With my small limb, I started to walk towards the front door. I turned and waved at my aunt and uncle as Maddie opened the door and dragged me into her house.
"I've missed you so much. I'm glad we can hang out." She cheered.
"It's great to see you." I exclaimed as I wrapped my arms around her.
She tossed a bag down on her living room couch and said, "This is everything you love so we are going to have a movie day."
I looked through the bag and inside were several of my favorite movies, some Swedish Fish, which was my favorite candy, some nail polish, and some of my favorite books. Maddie wasn't a reader but she knew I loved to read. If I wanted to read, she would probably attempt to read for a little bit and then give up and play on her phone while I read. This was why she is my best friend.
"How about we watch the Hunger Games?" Maddie suggested.
I nodded and then the doorbell rang. A huge grin spread across Maddie's face and I said, "I'm guessing you know who that is judging by the smile on your face? So who is it?"
"You'll see." She smirked as she skipped to the front door.
This was never good, she looked like she was up to no good. If I knew my best friend, she had something up her sleeve. I waited on the couch patiently, wondering who possibly was at the door. Two pairs of footstep were coming and I turned to see that Ethan was with her. I couldn't help but smile and I was about to start laughing because Maddie always tried to set me with someone. This was probably a plan to get Ethan and me alone together. You just wait; she will end up leaving us alone.
"Hey." I greeted, unable to hide the smile on my face.
"Hi." He replied, his eyes never leaving mine.
Maddie put the movie in while Ethan sat next to me on the couch, closer than normal. It was nice to have him here, even if it was for Maddie to set us up. We had already gotten closer before the kidnappings from track so it wasn't as awkward as I thought. There was a part of me that felt guilty because if he hadn't been with me that day, he wouldn't have been kidnapped. What if he didn't like me anymore because of that?
"Hey, I'll be back but you can start the movie without me." Maddie said as she exited the room.
There it was! She left and she probably wouldn't come back for a while. This was apart of her evil little plan. Typical Maddie. I laughed to myself and Ethan gave me a questioning look.
"It's Maddie, she isn't going to come back for a while." I replied. He smiled and knew it was true.
"So how are you?" I asked, needing to start somewhere.
"Don't you think I should be asking you that? But I'm fine." He asked smiling.
"Ethan, I don't want you to have to be different around me. I'm the same person as before. I'm fine. What happened in the past is the past." I said, knowing this conversation had to come eventually.
"Kelly, no one can just be fine after something like that. I mean, you were kidnapped and also got shot in the leg. You can't just be fine after everything you have been through." He replied, not seeming angry but more concerned.
"You shouldn't either then; you went through the same thing." I replied.
"I was taken for a week and nothing really happened to me except being locked in a bathroom. But you were taken for a month and had worse things happen." He said.
"Can we please just watch the movie or talk about something else. I just got back from the police station and had to go over everything?" I asked, a frown on my face as I thought back on the past three hours at the police station.
"Okay, what are we watching?" He asked, thankfully dropping the touchy subject.
"The Hunger Games." I smiled, causing him to smile back.
"That's the one where that a bunch of kids have to kill each other, right?" He asked.
"Yeah." I said laughing.
It was probably not the best movie to watch since these kids were practically kidnapped from their lives and forced to kill each other, but it was a great movie so it made me happy. We got through half the movie and Maddie was still not back yet. Shocker. What could she possibly be doing right now?
I leaned my head on his shoulder and cuddled up next to him. Part of me wondered if this would be weird since everything with Kyle happened but this felt natural, not forced in any way. Sure, Ethan kissed me when I returned from the Bahamas but that was in the commotion of everything and I was just happy to be home. Would kissing him freak me out? Would he even kiss me again?
He looked over at me which made my stomach flip. The way his big blue eyes stared into mine, made my heart melt. I hoped he would make a move because I knew I wasn't going to. He smiled at me with his huge sparkling smile and then leaned over and his lips softly touched mine. My whole body began to tingle and I wrapped my arms around his neck and he held me around the waist, pulling me closer to him. I had missed him so much; I didn't even realize it until now. I pulled away from him and he questioned me again.
"I need to take this slow, okay? With everything that happened, I just need time." I asked.
It wasn't that I didn't like kissing Ethan, it was the best thing in the world but there was a tiny part in my mind that flashed back to kissing Kyle. The unwanted, forced attraction that made me sick to my stomach. I didn't want to associate Ethan with that but my mind didn't really care.
Kyle was the first guy to really kiss me but I won't count that as my first kiss since it wasn't a mutual feeling of attraction. I just needed some space and I would eventually move on from that part of my life. It was just too soon right now. I thought I could handle kissing him again but I guess I was wrong.
"I understand." He said as he scooted away from me some, which made my heart hurt.
I wasn't sure why I was hurting, I asked him to slow down. For some reason not being close to him made me feel worst than I did when kissing him. Ugh, this was the worst. Why did all this have to happen to me? Footstep echoed the room and I turned to see Maddie walking into the living room. It's about time.
"And where were you?" I asked, giving her a look that told her I knew what she was up too.
"Oh my grandma called and I was talking to her." She replied, not making eye contact with me.
"For almost two hours?" Ethan asked, as he glanced back at the movie credits rolling on the TV.
"Dude, we had a lot of catching up to do." She said laughing.
Maddie could never tell a lie and if she did, she was smile and laugh while lying. The fact that she wouldn't look either of us in the eye also concluded my assumption that she was lying through her teeth,
"What all did you talk about then?" I asked, crossing my arms and staring deeply at her.
"Really, am I on trial here? Can't a girl talk to her grandma without being interrogated about it?" She complained, rolling her eyes.
"Not for two hours." I laughed.
"Next time you are on the phone with someone prepare for questioning Kelly Hunter." Maddie threatened as she took a seat on her other couch.
"If I talk for two hours then okay, fill free to interrogate me." I replied smiling.
"Just get out of my house." She yelled while also laughing as she pointed to the door.
This was a normal thing with us, we would always "kick" each other out of each others houses when one of us got mad. This is what normal was like and what I had prayed for every day of my captivity. This was one of the best days I've had in a while, being with the two most important people in my life. I wish everyday would be like this and hopefully I could move on and every day would just be normal.
This chapter is now edited, this used to be the chapters called "Revisit and Playback" in case anyone is reading them again. Let me know if you see any mistakes. :D