castaways

~15~

*one week later*

                 Hazel was lodged up in a shelter, she's found a place that had let her stay with them for a few days but unfortunately her time was up and she would have to move onto the next place today.  She's been supplied with water and minimal food but it was better then nothing.  She now found herself walking along another sketchy neighbourhood, they only got worse as she moved further into the city, but everyone she asked for directions either tried to snatch her up or tried to make a move on her, she's not safe out here.  She made sure her pace was quick, it's something the girls in the shelter she just left had advised her to do, if her pace is quick then people don't have time to stare, it's sad but simple. 

                   She didn't even have to walk far before she found a sign which advertised another shelter, she laughed in shock to herself and followed its directions but she would soon come to realise how stupid her decision was.  She knocked on the big warn down door and before she could gather her thoughts she was dragged into the building, she thrashed around in someone's arms but it was no use, she felt the sharp sting of a needle go into the inner elbow of her arm, the part where doctors put IV lines into patients arms in the hospital.  She became numb, not unconscious, but numb and limp.  She fell to the floor and dropped the small bag of food she was holding as she saw the mans face, he looked rough and scruffy, the beard wasn't a look but she was paralysed almost so she could move.

                      She was terrified but her face was numb so she couldn't show any emotions, yet she felt everything, the man sighed and picked her up over his shoulder as she fell limp in his arms again.  She just watched as he carried her through a hall and into a room with nothing but a messy bed inside. He placed her onto the bed and left her there, not giving her any sympathy at all, she just laid there as stiff as a board.  She just figured whatever he injected into her arm wasn't beneficial and she could only hope it would wear off soon. She was left there the rest of the night, her senses slowly started coming back, first she could wriggle her toes, then she could move her arms, then she could move her back and neck. But she didn't have enough strength to stand up on her own, so she had no choice but to stay sat on the bed until someone found her.

~~~~~~~~~

Emily grabbed her phone anxiously, she thought it was a little weird at first when hazel didn't come to school, especially after what happened last time. But then she talked to Stacey and she was told that hazel was in a summer camp and that she'd be missing from school for at least a week or maybe even longer, she was bummed to hear the news but then again it wasn't really hazels choice since she knew her friend, hazel hates summer camp. Of course this was a week ago, and at first she thought nothing of it but now that she comes to think of it, hazel never really mentioned any summer camp, in fact she was planning on hanging out with Emily the first day she didn't come to school. She thought it through then shook her head, no, she's just overthinking everything now...

She un-dialled the '911' number from her keypad and put her phone on the bed, but she made a promise to herself, if hazel isn't back in school within the next few days then she's going to the police wether Stacey says it's nothing or not. Emily's worried and she's tried her best not to worry Jamie or josh with it all, but she can see that they're beginning to stress over their friends disappearance too. She sighed and laid down before staring at the ceiling, ever since hazels moved in with her mom things had been happening more frequently, not necessarily bad things, most of the time it was just Stacey being controlling and not letting her leave the house like Norman used to let her do, she sighed and closed her eyes before falling asleep. Fully unaware of the situation hazel had gotten herself trapped in.

~~~~~~~~

                 Chris sighed and looked around at the eerily quiet house, "when'd you say hazzies coming back?" He nodded at Stacey.  His wife looked up, "uhhhmmm, I think she said she was gonna come home in a few days. Her family's got a cabin near the lake and they're all having a blast apparently" she laughed a little, completely taken aback by his worry.  Chris nodded, "good, it's getting a little too quiet around here. She's a good kid" he smiled and wiped the crumbs off his baby's hands.  Stacey nodded, she had actually somehow managed to push the memory of seeing her daughter standing there in the rear view mirror as she willingly drove away, "yeah, great kid..." she agreed at last.  They turned their attention back to the film as Chris also sat there, fully unaware of the mess hazel was stuck in.

~~~~~~~~

              Hazel was woken up by a few adults as they walked into her room with a tray.  They stopped ext to her bed as hazel backed away from her, "oh don't be so bitter, it's all gonna be over soon" the tallest man laughed and placed a tray with a needle full of liquid on it next to her bed.  She shook her head as the woman next to him pinned her down, "no... please" she cried as the man injected the orange liquid into her arm.  This time was a little different, she didn't go limp or numb, she just felt like she was floating on the ceiling.  The man nodded, "it worked, looks like this dosage isn't strong enough then" he huffed.  The woman nodded, "mmhmm, we'll try the next dosage tomorrow" she smiled as the trio left the room, leaving hazel to feel the emotions of this drug on her own.

She laid there staring at the ceiling, it was almost as if she was floating outside of her own body and looking down on herself. She also was in a state, she had blood stains all over her volley ball shirt, bruises, dirt, cuts and tear stains all over her body. The amount of times she's had to pick fights and get away from people in the last week was unreal, she'd lost count before she even started counting. She was beginning to accept that she wasn't meant to live a happy life anymore, and that she was just meant to fill a space on this planet. She just wanted to disappear...