Chapter 3

Meredith

I slowly regained consciousness, feeling the sheets first and then the faint scent of booze. Booze? My brain gets alarmed, and then I remember I was already at the dormitory.

 

I allowed my eyes to stay closed for a few seconds. It’s not like I was in a hurry to go anywhere. School doesn’t resume for three days, and all I had to do during this period was job hunt for a side job that'll occupy most of my evenings after school.

 

Finally, my eyes flew open, and my face turned to the side. I jumped in fright, not expecting anyone to be on Kayla’s bed. When I finally stood up to get a better look at the body, I found Kayla herself lying down looking completely buzzed out, probably a bit hungover, so I was careful not to rouse her.

I'd only been here twenty-four hours and all I could say about her was related to alcoholic beverages.

I tiptoed into the bathroom, shutting the door as quietly as possible. I grabbed my brush from the small sink and rinsed it, pressing out a little paste on it and brushing myself while looking into the mirror.

The bathroom was quite cosy and wide enough for both of us and even a third person to fit in. So far, everything has been good-looking. The dorm room was painted white and a light shade of purple. Her side was decorated with cutouts from posters and magazines; my side remains plain as I have yet to put anything up.

 

I rinsed the brush and stripped, getting into the shower and regulating it to the perfect temperature. My body could definitely use hot water to feel very relaxed.

 

I got dressed as quietly as possible. The last thing I wanted this morning was for both of us to get into a useless argument and get in each other’s bad books. Something inside me still wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt and say that maybe she was not as bad as she seemed.

I knew it was very unadvisable to go out on your own in a country you’re new to, but considering I had a pretty good memory and I’d only be moving totally around the school area, it’s no big deal.

 

Using my key, I locked up behind me, leaving her to continue her sleep.

Eldora School of Business, Italy, was a prestigious school in every ramification. It was hard to graduate from college and not get a good job, plus the school itself had everything any business student could ever desire, including a small company where most interns go to intern.

 

It would be difficult to get a side job here as the business is only open to people with degrees, and the cafeteria certainly does not need helping hands.

 

As I walked out of the big, silvery gates, the security officer gave me a small wave, which I returned with a warm smile. Maybe the people of Italy would be nicer than the folks back home. Outside the gates was quite deserted for a weird reason, but I didn't have time to worry about it because up ahead I saw a cafeteria with a sign that read ‘new workers needed. But just as I was rounding up the corner of the building, I felt someone drag me from behind and press a handkerchief over my face, and while I struggled to break free, I felt my consciousness slip from me.

_____

As always, my sense of feeling returned first, and I registered. I was sitting on a cold stone floor, my eyes flying open as my last memories returned to me.

 

All I could see was pitch darkness and the muffled sounds of sobbing coming from all corners of the room. My heartbeat accelerated, and my heart almost flowed out of my mouth in panic as the sound of metallic doors opening was suddenly heard.

A girl in cuffs is pushed into the now dimly illuminated room and forcefully chained to the wall. Wanting to take advantage of the situation, I quickly rose to my feet in an attempt to make a beeline for the door, but the cold and forceful grip on the chains around my feet threw me backwards, and like a veil had been removed from my mind, I suddenly realised I’d been kidnapped on my first day in Italy.

 

I stare in horror as another man joins in and the lights are turned on, illuminating everything around us.

 

What was in it was no doubt a house with old goods stacked on shelves all around and a massive pillar in the middle of the room.

 

One of the masked men clears his throat, and all our attention may turn to him.

"I’m sure you all know your purposes here? You’ve watched a lot of films to know where you’d end up after today. But you," his massive index finger pointed in my direction, and I suddenly began to struggle to breathe.

 

"Me?" I cough out hoarsely.

He nodded, and the corners of his eyes wrinkled as though he were smiling.

 

"Your purpose is different from theirs." An alarm goes off in my head.

Drugs! Human trafficking! Sex slaves, I slumped to the ground in a pleading posture.

 

"Please no,"  I said, my voice quivering, the hairs on my neck standing on their ends, and my mind filled with the horrors that awaited me.

 

Please, you cannot do this to me," I begged. I want to play the tough girl and pretend not to care, but the reality of my situation is too heavy to let me reason like a normal person.

 

"Shut up, you’re making so much noise," he said, retreating and switching off the light. A wail escaped my throat as they began to walk away.

"I swear, if you don’t release me now, I'll make your life hell when I am free. I’d tell the police. You’d pay; just release me now and let’s put all these in the past," I said with as much venom as I could muster despite my fears, and all I was given as a response was a chuckle, and the door slammed in all our faces.

 

"We are so fucking doomed."