2. TAKEN

LETHU

Something was trying to kill me in my sleep.

It posed as a blurring sound repeatedly attacking my ears. I groaned, my hand patting until I found the source just on the pillow next to my head. I fought the urge to throw the phone against the wall. My fingers tapped until I hit the right button, the monster shutting the fuck up.

Another groan pulled from me, burying my head back in my pillow to close my eyes. My body was tucked so perfectly and I felt like a burrito, toasty warm. I could hear the faint rumble of thunder and the rain beating down against my window. Skipping work had never been so appealing. The devil in me whispered and advocated for the idea over and over even when we knew missing work was not an option.

The sound came again, a bloody war I tell you. I screamed at this point. Whoever set this second alarm was the devil’s spawn. I giggled because however that second alarm was set, it saved my life more than once, actually every day. The second alarm ripped the fatigue away just like that, leaving me smiling as I turned it off then I shuffled out of the cocoon of covers. There were some things I learned never to question as I grew up. Like how I would always leave my phone in the charger yet wake up with it on my pillow every morning or the second alarm I never set. I had a lot of theories but the truth was, I probably did it all in my sleep as my father had suggested when I let him know there was a ghost in my room.

I rolled over, giving Mr. Bubbles one last hug. There was just something about him and my bed that always drew me in. Sleep, lord, I loved sleep. I would always wake up satisfied, always happy. My smile grew wider, pulling the covers off to jump out. I wiggled my hips sinuously, giggling at my actions. My heart drummed with nothing but pure happiness and I was blushing, even though I couldn't explain why.

I flapped the flat sheet with this amazing scent hitting me as it always did. I gave up figuring out its source years back. But I never switched my laundry detergent nor any of the toiletries I used since I was sixteen. It was coming from somewhere and I did not want it to go away. I made the bed, rushing to the bathroom.

My tune picked up, the water pouring from the shower. I connected my phone to the house speaker with a jam coming up. Nothing would stop me from throwing my own concert of one. My toothbrush was in my hand. I sang and slid across the floor with the beat dropping. Then they wonder why I was always late for work. It was a pity they didn't know that I doubled as a rock star in the morning and a lawyer during the day.

I jumped around, rushing to rinse my toothbrush so I could sing the bridge of the song. The high note hit and I was there for it, sounding like a chicken screaming for help which left me giggling harder. I stripped off my silky sleepwear. I don’t know what prompted me to wear such a thing but all I know is that every time I went to bed, something sexy was on my body. I never questioned myself, I just did what my heart told me to. 

The concert was rounding up to a crescendo in the shower as I threw everything I had out. My wits came about me some thirty minutes later. I jumped out of the shower, frantic, pulling this and that before throwing everything on my body. I wore my heels as I hobbled down the stairs, recalling the file I was supposed to read through the night but gave myself to sleep instead. I shook, exasperated with myself. I was so not getting a permanent position with the firm. I sighed. I could be more serious about life but I slacked off a lot. I did the bare minimum and Dad would be so disappointed in me if he was still here.

There was no time to eat my breakfast. I ran out of the house as if it had caught fire. There was also no time to go back into the house to grab my umbrella. The rain wasn’t that heavy anyway so I could wing it. If I missed the bus again, I could forget about the internship I'd slaved away for. I don’t know, it was disappointing now that I was actually doing the job. The thought that I would be doing that all my life depressed me. I loved being a lawyer so I don’t know why I suddenly hated working at the firm. I was one of three assistants to one of the big lawyers in the firm but looking at him, I did not want that life.

My heels clicked as I sprinted out, my hair already a mess of curls flying in all directions, with my shirt untucked and my bag barely held in hand. I turned the corner only to catch the last glimpse of the bus as it was gliding down the block. My hand came at my face, sighing.

“Shit!” I stomped my feet, getting side eyes from parents who had just put their kids on the bus. I apologized but I could not help cursing again. I quickly pulled out my phone, looking for someone I might call but it was useless. The only useful number in my phone was my Dad’s, if only he was still alive. I huffed, running my free hand through my hair. I was a disheveled mess. What kind of lawyer would I even be, always late? I needed to take life a bit more seriously than this.

'Lethu Ferraro, you need to get your shit together girl'. I talked to myself in my head, not making me feel better at all because I might have also been crazy. I groaned, looking around for a miracle but suddenly there was this sleek Range Rover turning the corner.

My heart thrummed in a nervous beat. I thought of flagging it down but I shook my head. I would just wait for the next bus, they weren't likely to give me a ride anyway. I brought my phone up again, just staring at it like the idiot I was but then, before my eyes flickered up.

The Range Rover stood idle right before me. It was such a sexy car, all sleek and straight lines. Someday I'd spoil myself with their latest model. The dark-tinted window of the passenger’s side opened and there, staring back at me was an adonis. He wore a baby blue shirt. It wasn't fully buttoned, so it beckoned my eyes to the elegant arch of his neck and the firm beginnings of his pectorals. A sexy man in a sexy car. It should have been a crime. The car surely suited him, my eyes lying on the Rolex around his wrist, and hell, I knew it wasn’t fake. I bit my inner cheek, barely functioning.

“Morning,” he greeted, polite and smooth.

That voice for crying out loud!

“Do you need a ride?”

God was clearly working overtime to make up for my stupid decisions. I needed to stop it with the hour-long showers. I blinked over and over again, almost swallowing my tongue.

There was something off about all this but such a decent and good-looking man could not do anything bad to me, right? What would he even do with me? I am just a Betty and surely he had a girlfriend way hotter than my washed-up ass.

I bit my lower lip, I was super late.

“Uhm, yes, where are you heading?” I asked, giving my brain time to come to its senses.

“City, I have a meeting at nine with the Screwz group.” The man said.

I did not even know how I was able to hold a straight face and keep my voice firm. A sharp breath nearly escaped me. The Screwz group offices were just a street from my firm so he would drop me right at the door.

It was God sent.

“Okay, thank you.”

There I was, opening the door myself. I hopped in, closing the door and that was when I noticed the two other men sitting in the back seat.

The car began moving, my heart drumming nervously. I did not want to offend anyone, so my glances never lingered on any of them for too long. Both men seemed preoccupied with their phones. I was uneasy now, and getting in the car seemed like a dumb move.

A voice was telling me to jump off but a more rational part told me to stop overreacting. I sat back, not sure if to slide the seat belt on or not. I decided against it, if anything happened, it would only hold me back.

The tension in the car grew heavy as it moved down the road. The window was rolled up, and I was startled. Damnit! I was freaking out and when the doors locked I was holding on by a hair string to my calm.

I am just overreacting, most cars lock themselves when having moved for a few minutes, right? I told myself, trying to relax but who was I kidding, I probably looked like a chicken in the rain.

Even swallowing became hard as the car drove passed familiar surroundings. I did not know why that comforted me because the trees would not jump out and help me when something happened.

“I need to take something from my colleague, it’s not far from the road.” The man broke the silence, the car already turning off the road. I gulped, nodding my head at that with familiar grounds left behind. The fear was at the neck at that point. My hand was shaking so much. It crawled to the handle slowly but surely, ready to just unlock manually and jump out any second from then. I was shaking so hard yet not trying to alarm anyone. I did not even know what the other two men were doing behind me. I felt as if they were watching me.

The car hit what seemed to be a large pothole. I was jostled with a yelp, losing all focus only to scream out as hands came over my mouth from the back. I kicked out, trying to squirm out of their hold. By the time I realized a cloth was pressed on my mouth and nose, it was too late. I had already inhaled enough.

I was petrified by the fear coursing through me. I tried fighting it, tried holding on to consciousness but it was a war I was never going to win. How could I have been so stupid?

No one would even know.

No one would even care.

No one would find me.