Hey y'all! I'm so excited for this chapter but first I wanted to give a content warning, in continuation from the last chapter expect things to get pretty dark and potentially triggering if you aren't prone to mild violence and threatening behaviour. I've tried not to make things graphic so don't worry too much. Also be warned there's quite a few swear words and colourful language present. Other than all that lovely stuff, I hope you enjoy! 😘
Darkness continues to completely cloud my unconsciousness as crazy colourful images flash through my mind. I feel my eyelids slowly flickering open as an unbearable heaviness hangs painfully over my head.
"Fuck," I groan, breathing in sharply as I roll all my weight painfully onto my side.
I'm just trying to recollect whatever crazy dream I was having last night when my whole body lurches forward. Glancing around in confusion, I almost cry out in terror as I realise I'm in the dark rectangular back of some sort of van. Another big bump throws me forward again and I nearly smack my face against the floor, only saving myself by slamming my hands onto the cold, off-smelling metal. I hear the muffled sound of roaring laughter from within the front of the van as we seem to speed up yet again and I shoot backwards as we obviously career down some sort of steep slope.
Ok what the hell is going on? Where the fuck am I?
I seem to be frozen in terror as I curl up into the corner of the cold grey rectangle, wrapping the hem of my long black dress protectively around my ankles. How ironic, the dress which only a few hours ago seemed so magical now suffocates me as, shredded and torn, it sticks against my skin like glue. I glance manically around the back of the van, looking for anything I can use to get out. To beat the living shit out of whoever has me here.
Is this some sort of sick prank? It has to be right? This kind of stuff doesn't happen to people like me, it's just impossible. Right? However, I don't know of anyone in my life that would do something as messed up as this just for a joke.
It's no use. All I'm surrounded by is bare metal walls and an equally empty floor. The hollowness that surrounds me offers nothing except goose bumps that prickle up furiously and make the hairs on my arms stand on edge. Rubbing my limbs furiously, I try to steady my breaths to soothe myself and ignore the intense panic that's quickly rising in my stomach.
Just about then, everything comes to a halt and it's not long before I hear two doors out front slam shut. How long have we been driving for? How long was I out? I can't hear much except the faint sound of crunching gravel that sounds like it's travelling round to the back of the van.
They're coming to collect me.
I scramble out of my cowering position and to my feet in preparation, feeling like a terrified deer that's being hunted down. Feeling my pants rise to an erratic pace, I clumsily pull a damp strand of hair away from my face as I brace myself to face whatever bastards are out there. I fold my arms across my chest and grip tightly onto my elbows as if this will somehow protect me from what's about to come. Whatever that is.
The back doors soon swing open with the most ear-piercing screech and my eyes immediately scrunch shut when a blinding artificial torch light pours through the gap, assaulting all my senses viciously.
"Step out of the vehicle please," I hear a deep voice instruct firmly as I hesitate before shuffling forward slightly.
"Hurry up and get out of the fucking van!" An inpatient American voice booms out. I'm pretty sure that same voice belongs to the mystery guy that knocked my lights out earlier.
"O-ok," I whisper before stepping carefully to the end of the van and hitching myself down onto the hard concrete. The sudden drop in temperature and being attacked by the sharp wind that slaps fiercely against my cheeks is already a big enough shock to the system when, from out of nowhere, a sudden rush of ice cold water is chucked over me.
"SHIT!" I gasp almost inaudibly as the shock of the sudden waterfall almost freezes me instantly, sending piercing stabbing sensations across any bare part of my skin and making my dress shrivel and cling chillingly to my figure.
"Come on princess, we have special quarters all set up just for you," the English sounding man comments dryly, staring blankly ahead with eerily pale eyes as he grips my arm tightly and begins striding ahead.
"Don't you fucking touch me, who the fuck do you think you are?" I protest angrily, suddenly finding my voice and using my free arm to push hard against his shoulder.
"Well it looks like you're more of a fighter than the guy we brought in earlier," the American arsehole laughs leerily, easily overpowering me as he clutches my fist and twists my arm behind my back. I bite my lip to fight back the pained cry that threatens to blurt out. I will not give this little fucker the satisfaction.
"What do you want with me? What have I done to you?!" I demand to know as I refuse to give up fighting insistently against their unyielding grips.
"Oh sweetheart, that's the real kicker, you've done nothing - in fact why don't you ask Mason?" The American guy chortles at his subordinate infuriatingly.
"Whatever he's done - I have no idea ... I can't help you!" I blunder out, now almost on the verge of tears.
"Really it's what he hasn't done. See our boss doesn't like it when he isn't paid back," the other, slightly more gentle guy on my right informs me.
Paid back? What exactly is this boss' line of work?
"Wait, you said something before you took me!" I splutter out desperately as they drag me around the back of the desolate building we've reached and bang open the back door. "How do you know Alex? ANSWER ME!"
"You know I really do like your spirit," the dark haired creep sneers again in his broad US accent before roughly pushing me ahead of him and into the dark building. "But from now on, you'll shut your mouth."
"Hey Caleb, calm down please?" The British one insists, following me inside. "It's not her fault."
"Shut up Cam! I told you we should have got the niece instead! I mean what real leverage is some random family friend gonna give us?"
"And I told you, we scoured that party all last night and from what Mason said, they might as well be the same person. Their families are tight."
"Oh you wanted Cara?" I find my small voice butting into their pathetic bickering.
They both halt in response and stop from marching me through the dim, echoey warehouse lined with random metal shelves and a damp musty smell.
"Did we say you could talk?" The more aggressive Caleb grunts. He tightens his grip on my arm and yanks me up so my tiptoes are painfully perched on the sharp, uneven floor.
"I just find it amusing that's all - I mean if you were hoping you'd have an easier time with her," I mutter stubbornly, my face blank and austere as I stare straight ahead with a face of poison.
"Get the fuck in a shut the fuck up!" Caleb spits, shoving me forward and into a small, bare room just off the side of the main warehouse floor.
The door is slammed behind us as he alone follows me in and I immediately attach myself to the far wall, putting as much distance between us as I can.
"You know I hate this part the most but boss says we have to break you," he replies with a sadistic grin.
"This boss, is he anything to do with Alex? You said he doesn't want anything from me, just Mason. You sure about that?" I challenge through my desperate panting as I stand defensively as far away from his presence as I can.
"You know what who am I kidding, I love this part," Caleb grins back, ignoring my question and turning to retrieve something from a high shelf.
The next few minutes pass by in a blur as my brain does everything it can to block out the searing pain that comes next. The only thing that flashes through my head is the sight of Caleb playfully wafting a cattle prod in front of me. I briefly remember the sudden jolt of the electrified stick as it hit my still soaked skin again and again until I scream at him to stop. The last thing I remember as I crouch down, fighting away the cruel and relentless pain is the blinding white smile of the only person in my life that I've ever wished dead.
***
"Dani? Dani! Please tell me you're ok?"
I shift my head slightly as I feel myself claw out of yet another deep and tortured slumber. Slowly I roll onto my front and lift myself up on my shaking hands, slapping the wet floor beneath me as I come to terms with my whereabouts and my vision attempts to clear.
"Danielle!"
"Josh?" I croak hopefully through my parched mouth as I raise myself up steadily though my limbs are still completely quaking.
I manage to get a quick glance at my surroundings that consist of yet another blank grey room, the only difference is there's a thick set of metal bars between ourselves and the door that I'm guessing is locked anyway. I'm smothered into a tight hug by Josh's familiar arms and right now I couldn't be more grateful for his familiar presence.
"Josh I can't believe you're here!" I shake my head in disbelief. "I thought you didn't come to the party because of me," I find myself laughing into his shoulder as hot tears stream down my blushed skin. I'm pretty sure some are his own too.
"Always so selfish," he laughs back, his arms remaining tightly around my waist as if he's holding onto his only hope at life.
"Wait, what are you doing here?" I suddenly ask in confusion, pulling away to face him square on.
"I could ask you the same thing, from what I heard them saying earlier, I was getting ready to be joined by Cara. Is she ok?"
"I ... I don't know. I was outside of the house. I couldn't sleep and then they just and then they ..." I trail off as the bright glow of the cattle prod flashes back into my brain again before my mind does everything to shove it back out.
Josh simply nods catching my drift as he glances down to where my dress has been ripped over my stomach and is obviously now scarred. Did they do the same to him? Try to "break" him too?
"Then I guess like me you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'd just got to the house for Cara's birthday when I saw those guys lingering around the front, I asked them why they were there and it turned into ... well a confrontation," Josh states simply, shrugging his shoulders helplessly. "I guess they wanted to shut me up."
"Listen," I say, lowering my voice, "they mentioned Alex. Before they took me out, they said that he "sends his compliments" or something."
"Seriously?" Josh asks with an encouraging sense of alertness that shows I've struck a chord.
"Yeah ... when I was at Alex's house a while ago ... when we were dating," I start remembering a time that feels like it was a million years ago when it was merely a few weeks. "Something seemed off, he was always so vague about his family and the whole thing seemed ... I don't know ... forced."
"You think he's involved in all this?"
"Well they kept talking about Mason and how he hadn't "paid". What if he owed them money or something. I mean their family is loaded, it definitely makes sense!" I insist, trying desperately to put the pieces together.
Josh looks at me doubtfully as I realise how insane I must look right now. I'm still pretty damp and I can feel strands of my hair stuck to my skin and pointing out in all directions. I look down with wild eyes at my still trembling hands and sniff. Just a few hours ago, these hands were in Eli's hair. They were wound around the back of his neck as we danced to a Rachel Platten song. What I'd give just to see his face again. I have no idea of the time, or if they're all awake yet. Does he know I'm missing. Are they even ok themselves?
"Hey," josh interrupts my distressing train of thought as he gently moves a strand of hair away from my face. "It's all gonna be ok. People'll know that we're missing by know and if it's Mason they want - you know he'd do anything for you."
It's my turn to look at him with doubt now however I give him a small nod all the same. Turning back to face the door, we huddle together as I block out the events so far that led me here and carry on trying to steady my quaking arms.
Thank you all for reading! As I said it was quite a dark chapter and I found it quite difficult to write however I always love to explore different themes and styles. Please remember to vote and comment and tell me what you thought of it! ❤️