"It's You Again"

30

Sophia's eyes flew open as the van came to a sudden stop. For a moment, she lay there, disoriented, trying to figure out what was happening.

When the doors of the van creaked open, Sophia realized that she was now in an underground parking garage.

The masked figures dragged her out of the van, shoving her towards a dark corner of the garage.

Sophia's body shook as she tried to make sense of what was happening. Why had she been abducted? Who were these people?

Suddenly, a figure stepped out from the shadows. Sophia's heart raced as she recognized the mysterious man from the airport, the one who had given her the task of finding the missing artifact.

"What do you want from me?" Sophia asked, her voice quivering with fear.

The man smiled, but there was no warmth or kindness in his expression. "You've done well, Sophia. You've brought us the artifact."

Sophia's mind raced. She had no idea what this man was talking about. She had never found any artifact, let alone brought it to this man.

Despite her confusion, Sophia didn't let her fear show. She knew that she had to stay strong and figure out what was going on.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sophia said, trying to stay calm.

The man's smile turned into a scowl. "Don't play games with me, Sophia. We know that you followed the clues and found the artifact, and we want it."

Sophia's memory suddenly clicked. The artifact was the small figurine she found during her journey through the wilderness.

"I don't have it with me," Sophia said, remembering she left it in her apartment.

The man looked furious. "Then you'll have to take us to it."

Sophia knew that she had to think fast. She couldn't take these people to her home. They could hurt her family, or worse, take the artifact and use it for evil.

As she stalled for time, she noticed a glint of light in the corner of her eye. It was a security guard's flashlight. Sophia realized that this was her chance. She screamed for help, catching the attention of the guard.

The masked figures panicked, grabbing Sophia and dragging her towards the exit. But the guard was quick to respond, taking them down with his taser gun.

As the police arrived, Sophia broke free from her captors and ran towards the light, towards freedom.

Sophia had once again narrowly escaped danger, and she knew that she couldn't let her guard down. The artifact was still out there, waiting to be found and to be kept safe from those who wished to use it for harm.