The Owls Who Watch

Chapter 6 - On The Road

Kevin had lost track of time since he was kidnapped. It hadn't taken long before he gave up on caring about where he was going or what would happen next. The rage, hatred, and terror had faded away, only to be replaced with ambivalent apathy. The only thing he cared about now was getting as far away from that house as possible. It all happened so suddenly. He couldn't remember how he was strapped to one of the sides of the van, nor what the van even looked like. Perhaps he was still drunk. The lack of light only complicated his attempts at comprehending his surroundings.

He couldn't care what they were going to do to him. Part of him hoped he would be dead come tomorrow, while another part of him was relieved to have finally escaped his despised former life once and for all. The irony was funny. It made Kevin chuckle. That chuckle turned to laughter, which turned hysterical. "I'm free. I'm finally free! I'm freeeeeee".

The hysteria only ceased when thumping from the front of the van followed shortly after by the muffled voice of the man who yelled "Shut up!".

Kevin shut up and began to recall the man and the woman. It had felt like hours since they had taken him, and he had no idea where he was going. Paranoia returned as Kevin began to speculate his fate. The unstable thinking turned towards the painful bruises he had received.

The front seats remained somewhat quiet. Muffled conversations could be heard only now and then. The rough road, the generally loud car, and sounds from the city outside only muffled the pair's conversations further. It was when the sounds of the city had ceased and the van slowed down that he may possibly hear them. Kevin realised he could move, but only barely. He shuffled towards the front, stretching to place his ear against the wall which divided him from the abductors. He sat in that uncomfortable position for many minutes, growing more desperate for any hint of his fate as time passed and joints ached.

After what felt like half an hour, Kevin heard the man speak. "We'll have to stop when we leave the motorway."

"I'll talk to the boy when we've stopped then", the woman replied, followed by something inaudible, "you messed him up badly".

"He was carrying a weapon, was I supposed to allow him to kill that woman?"

"Would he have though?"

"She had the bruises and the tears to show what he's like. Why else would they have wanted to be rid of him?"

"We both know why— ". The woman quieted her voice as if to prevent Kevin from hearing. Why what?

"Anyway, everyone's all got what they—"A loud lorry drove close to the side of the van and deafened the rest of the conversation even further. By the time the lorry had disappeared, the two were silent. Despite the situation, the woman's hint of scepticism brought a shred of relief, no matter how minor it was. She still can't be trusted.

After a while, the sounds of the motorway began to die down, and several sharp turns of the van were made, forcing Kevin to hold onto the chains that tied him to the wall to prevent himself from falling over or throwing up. After a while, the van slowed down to a halt until it stopped altogether. The man was the first to exit the vehicle, causing Kevin to panic and shrivel into the corner the best he could. Clanking sounds were made outside, and something was inserted into the van. When this had stopped, he could hear the man walk away before the woman left the vehicle and opened the doors to the back of the van. Artificial lighting from the outside blinded Kevin's eyes for a few moments.

The woman gazed at him for a few moments. "He's gone to pay, I thought we might have a chat". Kevin was silent. "There's a queue, so we have a moment. I'm Tessa". Behind the woman, Kevin recognised a petrol station. The area had less smog than Glasgow, allowing more light than Kevin was used to. There was only one other car, with a fat man managing the petrol pump who kept staring at him with seeming amusement. Inside the car, Kevin could make out a woman and some children, pointing and staring at him. Tessa turned around, realised the source of his distress, and entered the van, closing the doors behind her.