Missing

18

Chapter Eighteen

The van jostled and shook me around as I tried to tackle with the ropes that had been wrapped around my wrists and ankles- it all seemed to cliché to be true. But every sound, every time I hit the sides of the van trunk made it clear that it was no dream, no storybook plot- it was really happening to me. The little 16 year old who had taken on more than she could manage. A few small tears fell down my cheeks as I tried to escape from my fate, the one that I knew was to come. I didn't know who the people were, what their motives were but I knew they hadn't taken me for innocent reasons. They were going to hurt me.

Slowly I slipped into a sleep, just to escape the reality that suffocated me. I tried to forget the sound of the roaring engine that burned into the night, I tried to forget about the images of torture that I knew would be my destiny. I tried to forget that I hadn't told my parents that I had gone, that they would be worried sick. I tried to forget about school, how my education would be over. I just tried to forget about the life I had.

***

"We're here," a voice bellowed from above me, I couldn't see who because the bag was still on my head but some slivers of sunlight made their way into my eyesight. Little rays of uneducated hope.

"What do you want with me?" I cried to them, hoping that I they would listen to me. Instead they chose to ignore me and I was hoisted to my feet roughly, forced to walk despite the restraints on my ankles. I could hear their snickers behind me, their enjoyment at my pain. More tears fell, soaking the cloth that covered my face; in many ways I was glad that it was there, it meant they couldn't see me being weak.

In front of me, I heard a lock click open and soon I was walking on what felt like a soft carpet in a warmed environment. A brute like hand lead me to the living room where I was thrown on a chair and finally I got to see who my capturers were. I was blinded by the sudden light but as my eyes adjusted I could see the evil people that were stood before me. There were more people than there had been in the van- that I was sure of. The other people must have already been at the house.

I counted them, 13 people stood in front of me. Some were ridiculously young and others were older, I felt like I didn't get the joke. That I would find out that it was some practical joke, I couldn't understand why a five year old girl was standing in front of me!

When the silence became uncomfortable, one man who had particularly bad tattoos spoke up, "Kansas you may be wondering why you are here." The sound of my name coming from his gruff voice cased shivers to erupt throughout my body- how did he know my name?

"How.. how do you know my name?" I said in a whisper, my voice shaking from fear. I felt like fainting, the adrenaline too much for me to cope with, the stress overloading my body. I felt like my insides were shutting down one by one.

"Mark," a woman said with a grimace, like his name hurt to say. Some looked disgusted at what she said, at the mention of his name.

"What about Mark?" I stammered, I didn't understand how it all added up. Why had they taken me when they obviously had a problem with Mark?

"Has he not told you everything- Miss Detective?" the ugly man said, coming closer to me and thrusting his grimy hand under my chin making our eyes meet, "He owes us stuff." It was then that his words rang in my ears, his reason for running away. The three families that he couldn't give the organs and other things too, the ones that said they would take his organs. But that realisation did not shine any light on the situation, I didn't understand why they had taken me instead of Mark.

"Why did you take me then, if Mark owed you the things?" I wanted to wake up, realising that it was all some bad dream. But it was all too real.

A woman stepped forward, she had that mean look on her face that some women possessed. Her hard features made her look even more intimidating, I felt some hairs begin to rise the more she stared me down.

"Mark is clever- you must know that. A Mastermind. He knew we couldn't use his organs- they were ruined from his excessive drinking and drug habits. But he did know we could kill him so he ran. What he didn't quite think of was what would happen to the poor soul who tried to find him. The one that would be seen as an easy target, the one that we could track down to get back at him. Its nothing personal dear- you must know that?" she gave me this sickening smile that brought some bile up from my stomach; I was merely a pawn in their game. Just used to get back at Mark, like my life was worth nothing to them.

"Come on Kansas, you can't let our children die," someone said from the back of the room and everyone turned to look at a woman; she looked very normal, like someone I would see in my neighbourhood. She seemed so out of place in the gang of sinister people with malicious thoughts.

"My twins need a kidney each," another woman spoke up, she was holding up too small children who both looked sickly, the sight was enough to make me turn away. I didn't want to be guilt tripped into donating all my organs, I didn't want to die.

"My daughter needs a liver," another woman called, her voice melancholy. She had a gaunt features as she clutched her child to her chest so I couldn't see the girls face.

"And my daughter needs a heart transplant," the hard face woman said, smirking at me. I knew what they were thinking, all the smiles confirmed my thoughts. They knew they had the solution to their problems sitting right in front of them, that their children's anguish would be over shortly. There are worst reasons to go, I thought despondently to myself. At least I would be saving lives, even if it wasn't with my consent and it would result in my death.

I would be the only one to not have a happy ending.