CLICK
I didn’t know how long it had passed when suddenly we all heard an announcement in the room which startled us all in unison.
“So, Ladies and Gentlemen… It’s time to clean your dirty asses…” A dark yet robotic voice came from somewhere in the room and subconsciously I looked up at the camera knowing that that kidnapper is watching us all the time.
“So, now get into pairs…” He laughed maniacally and it sent chills down my back in fear.
I am terrified to face this man again.
As soon as his voice vanished, everyone started to make pairs. The two old men made their pair, and the two young men made theirs, Miranda made a pair with Lily, while I, George, and another young man left behind.
George stuck his body with mine, terrified. It’s hard for the little boy, he's hardly nine.
“Looks like I’m left alone.” The young man said in an obvious manner as his eyes averted from George to me.
“He’s scared,” I told him, holding George tighter in my arms letting him know that he is safe in my embrace.
CLICK … CLICK …
Just as we all are done pairing, after a few minutes the door flew opened showing the same mask man, he looked around with a stern gaze and then beckoned the old men pair to step forward, they did and he then handcuffed each hand of them together so they won’t be able to run or try to harm him.
The man looked skillful, he did his work with only one hand while with the other he was pointing his gun at us.
His eyes never went down to the old man's pair’s hands, instead, his gaze was fixed on all of us in caution.
After he was done inspecting, he recklessly pulled the chain and the pair left the caged room staggering because of his hard pull on the chains.BOOM
The door closed and everyone breathed a sigh of relief, sitting back in their own position, exhausted, frightened, and hopeless.
CLICK
After at least five minutes, the door opened and the pair returned unharmed but refreshed. They washed their faces and looked awake now.
The two young men then followed the kidnapper.
BOOM
As soon as the door got closed, the young man who didn’t come up with any pair turned to the old man's pair and then asked anxiously, “Where did he take you? What did you see?”
The two old men blinked their eyes in confusion, while one remained silent in fear, the other one spoke after a while, “He… took us to the bathroom… and then unchained us, kept one knelt on the ground with a gun on his head while the other uses the bathroom.”
“What’s the route? Is it a maze? Did he take you from the stairs? Are there any more men with him?” The young man asked, he looked eager for the information.
“It’s a straight narrow path from here to the washroom… And I don’t see anyone else besides him.” The man revealed and I subconsciously looked up at the camera. What this man is doing will put him in great trouble.
“Hmm…” He nodded his head thoughtfully, his finger tapping his chin as he was lost in thinking, and just when he decided to open his mouth and put himself in major trouble, the door clicked indicating another pair had returned.
BOOM
Miranda and Lilly left and again the young man started to get information about our surroundings not knowing that the kidnapper is watching his every move.
“Shut your mouth or you’ll get us all in trouble.” I hissed at him and he gave me a pointing look.
“What? We are five men and he is alone, we can take him down.” He started encouraging everyone while I shook my head in distress.
“He…” Before I am able to tell the idiot about the secret camera on the roof, the door opens from outside revealing Miranda’s and Lily’s frightened faces. What happened to both of them? Did that man…? Different weird and bad thoughts occurred in my mind as their steps approached me.
“Are you ok?” I asked Lilly, as I held her shoulders and scanned her body.
“She is a little shaken from the gun…” Miranda revealed in a low voice, her eyes pointed at the gun in the kidnapper’s hand reminding me of the old man’s words, he kept the gun at the man’s head, so this is it all about her fear, not any assault that I had faced before.
I moved my legs in discomfort remembering the awful experience with the psycho man and suddenly he was in front of me, “You… And you…” He pointed at the young man and then at George.
I was supposed to make a protest when he knowingly pointed his gun straight at my chest making me back up in fear.
BOOM
The young man and George vanished from our sight, Lilly looked at the door with worry, heavy tears pooling down from her eyes from worry.
“Don’t worry, he won’t harm George.” I held Lilly, comforting her with my words when in reality I have no idea if that man is capable of hurting a small child or not.
But, he is a psycho and he could do anything. Again, the hair on my body stood in panic but there is no way I could know if George is safe outside with him.
This time it was taking longer to return, and my heart started to sink with each passing minute.CLICK
My heart nearly jumped to my throat when the door clicked and revealed George.
“George…” I exclaimed and then rushed to him, “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” George looked at my worried face blankly and then shook his head indicating to me that everything was fine.
Thank God.
I had just released a breath of relief when the kidnapper took the harsh grip on my hair and then dragged me out of the caged room mercilessly.
“No…” I heard Geroge’s fretful cry before the door was slammed shut by the kidnapper and then the rustling of the keys was heard as he locked it.
Dragging me to the narrow path, he opened the left side door this time and pushed me inside.
BOOM
“This…” I gaped in horror when I saw the young man tied with the chains, his hands were held up chained at the roof and his eyes were covered with a blindfold.
Hearing my voice, he let out an anxious cry, “Help me… Help me…”
I gulped, looking around. I realized he had brought me to the washroom. It's quite big, there is a long wide rectangle-shaped tub in the left corner, and there is a shower room in the center with mirror doors to see through.
This place looked well furnished, not like an abandoned place at all.
On the side, I saw the open cabinet which had many things that people would need in the bath and shower.
If this man is so well, why would he kidnap us for the money? Somehow my nerves started to panic as I started to realize that this kidnapping might not be his plan to demand the money but for his own strange desires or ability.
I was lost in making the worst scenarios of this case when his robotic maniac laugh made me jump in fright.
HA HA HA
“Help… He needs your help…” He said in complete mock and then walked towards him. He held his face and squeezed his cheek painfully which made him squeal from pain.
“Ahh.”
The kidnapper loaded his gun regardless of his painful cries to help, “You Mother F**ker tried to convince people to fight against me…” The man gritted his teeth but his voice didn’t match his temper at all.
“No, please, I have a wife… I have a family.” The man cried out in grief but the kidnapper remained untouched by his words, he held the gun up keeping it at his Adam Apple and the young man instantly stopped swallowing his saliva from the terror of dying.
BOOM
I saw his finger moving to pull the trigger when I cried out impassively. “Please… Stop…”
VIOLET“Time to wake up,” Greyson says in my ear.I open my eyes and blink rapidly, trying to make sense of where we are. Not on the sidewalk anymore, that’s for sure. The air is warm, absent of a breeze. I’m sitting with my arms over my head. I tug, but they don’t move. Something holds firm around my wrists.A rattling to my right draws my attention. He stands at a wall of windows, pulling a chain to open the vertical blinds. We’re in the dance studio, and the lights are off. My eyes catch on myself in the mirror, but it’s hard to reconcile what I’m seeing with the truth.I’m naked to my waist, my wrists tied to the bar just over my head. My skin pricks, goosebumps rising on my flesh. I force my attention away, back to Greyson. He still stands by the large windows, but his attention is now on me. He’s got the blinds open. Moonlight streams in.“What are you doing?” I scoot backward until I’m as upright as I can be. My back bumps into the wall, and I tilt my head back to get a better
GREYSONViolet, Violet, Violet.I can smell her sweet, floral scent in my room like she rubbed herself along my walls and my sheets. There’s no imprint. No sign of her at all except for the smell. Something I don’t think I could concoct in my imagination.I sit on my bed and inhale again, not wanting to exhale.My father calls me. I consider sending it to voicemail, but the last time I did that, he showed up at my game.Him. At a game.I haven’t seen him witness me play in years, let alone speak to me after the fact. It probably has something to do with our clashing reputations. Can a beloved senator really have a bloodthirsty hockey player for a son?Since our next game is at home, I don’t want to risk that. Coach Roake acted like he walked on water, and I was once again reminded of the complex power my father holds. It goes far beyond his domain of New York.I don’t know if there’s a place his influence can’t reach.“Hey, Dad.”“Greyson,” he greets me. Brisk and businesslike, even t
“When did you get here, Violet?” Paris asks.I tilt my head. “What?”“When. Did. You. Get. Here?”Greyson snorts. “She’s more welcome than you.”You know… when I want him to stick it to her, he doesn’t. He lets her climb all over him and sit close and flirt and fawn. And when I’d rather be anywhere but here, he tells her to shove it.Lovely.“Grey,” she tries.Oh, hell no. “You did not just call him that.”Her expression darkens. “Why, did you lay claim to that nickname?”I cross my arms. “As a matter of fact, I did.”Jesus. Who would’ve thought I’d be arguing about a nickname… this whole night is a mind-fuck. And in the back of my head, I have Senator Devereux’s secretary reminding me of my agreement with them. The fact that my aquatic therapy costs hundreds of dollars that I don’t have to spare, and they’ve been footing the bill.“You’re nothing special,” Paris snaps at me, flipping her hair over her shoulder.I roll my eyes. I’m sick of her attitude, but I don’t have the energy to
Willow rushes me after my first class. She almost crashes into me, skidding to a halt inches away, and drags me into the bathroom. She checks each of the stalls and then locks the main door.“What the hell, Violet?”I jerk back. “What?”“What. The. Hell. Violet.” She glares at me. “You should give a girl some more warning before you go off script.”I drop my backpack and shrug, helpless and more than a bit confused. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Are you going to tell me or just keep scolding me?”“This.” She pulls her phone out and shoves it at me.It’s a blog for the CPU Hawks. All sorts of athletic team write-ups, reports, and coverage of the games… plus notices put out by the publicist. Rebecca Dumont.“We met with the publicist the other day,” I say slowly.I click on the most recent post that went live twenty minutes ago.Didn’t take long for Willow to find it—and then me. I’m not sure what I’m expecting to find. I told Rebecca that the previous article posted in the
VIOLETThe trip organizers rented out one of the conference rooms for breakfast. There’s a congregation of CPU students in the room, spread out across tables, at the buffet line. I ignore them all, though, in my hunt for Willow.I never ended up texting her last night, and I feel a pang of guilt. It eases slightly, though, when I see her sandwiched between Knox and Amanda.Grey stops beside me. Hearing that I’ve used a nickname he likes—especially coming from me, I guess—does weird things to me. Good things. Strange things. It’s a step in a direction I wasn’t expecting. Like our truce. Like pretending not to hate each other.I’m pretty sure I have frostbite on my ass, though.“Hungry?”I glance up at him. “A bit.”He smiles. “Go sit. I’ll grab us something.”“No, it’s okay.” I head toward the buffet.He snags my wrist. “Vi.”“Grey.” I narrow my eyes. “I have a weird relationship with food, okay? Don’t fight me on this.”He appraises me, understanding lighting his expression. He finall
GREYSON I rise before Violet. I quietly brush my teeth and pull on different clothes, then sit on the unused bed. I grab her phone from the charger and open it, still sort of miffed that she hasn’t thought to put a password on it.Some people are far too trusting.Like Violet, asleep in my bed. I glance back at her and take in her hair scattered across her face, her full lips, parted as she takes in long, deep breaths. Her eyelids twitch, like her eyes are moving in a dream, and her fingers are curled into her pillow.Other than her tense grip, she seems relaxed.My hand aches, but I’ll deal with that later. Both hands are still wrapped. People kept commenting on them last night when I was trying to keep one eye on Violet. The normal rush from being at the center of attention didn’t come, becauseshewasn’t paying attention to me.When the hell did my brain flip to only giving a shit about her?I don’t like it.I go to her texts, and a conversation with Mia Germain catches my eye. The