Escape {COMPLETE}

~Chapter Seven~

Erin's P.O.V.

I awoke in a dark room. It was pitch black and I couldn't see a single thing. I moved my hand in front of my face; still, nothing. My mind felt so foggy, I knew there was something wrong...but I was so groggy I just couldn't put my finger on it. I had no idea about how I had gotten here.

I dare not move, in case I touched something I didn't want to. Or something that could hurt me.

Slowly, I became aware of a sharp pain in my arm. It felt like I was being stabbed. That was nothing new, I always had stabbing pains. But somehow....this was different.

Suddenly, a voice burst forth from the empty blackness surrounding me.

"Hello, Erin. Welcome."

Erin...oh, that must be my name....that's what was wrong! I thought. Oh, well thanks for reminding me, strange mechanical voice....although it probably wasn't good that he knew my name. He might've been the one who brought me here.

"I am indeed the one who brought you here. And yes, its a good thing I know your name...well, good for me."

Oh my god, can he hear my thoughts??

"Yes," The voice hissed. It seemed to come from everywhere and no where at the same time. It frightened me. I was ironically reminded of Saw.

"You will be held here until I can gather all of your little friends. My ultimate plan will be unveiled once you're all here." An evil laugh echoed against walls that had to be somewhere nearby. I closed my eyes tight, though it made no difference. It was just as dark on the inside of my eyelids. It was suffocating.

"I know everything about you, and all your buddies. I've been watching you your whole lives." This sent the goosebumps into overdrive, and I shivered. Hard. "But...don't be afraid. I'll take very good care of you here. Better care than that evil step-dad of yours..." His voice grew coaxing, almost sweet. "or much worse, your real father." My heart ached as he named off the sadness in my life. "Or, would you like to go back to them? The family that doesn't even care about their stupid little daughter?" The tears crept back behind my eyelids and slid down my face of their own accord.

"They think of you as a fat, stupid child who can't take responsibility for anything. You are NOTHING!" I sobbed harder and harder. "Don't cry, little one. You are something to me." Suddenly the lights flickered on and I was sitting in a room. A beautiful, glorious room...

The carpets had roses woven in them, the articulate patterns popping against the maroon walls. There were fancy chairs with fluffy upholstered seats and a couch with two red cushions. A roaring fireplace cracked and sparked to my left, and to my right was a bookshelf reaching all the way up to the ceiling. I was sure there were at least a hundred books. I looked down at my arm and it was bleeding. Like someone had cut it. There were no windows, no doors, and then I suddenly noticed someone seated on the couch.

It was a handsome boy, looking to be fifteen or sixteen. He was extremely handsome. I instinctively patted my hair down. He jumped, startled, when he saw me. "Er...hello...." He murmured softly. He seemed very shy, and very thin. I wondered how much food I was gonna get while I was here. I sighed. I didn't really care.

"Hi," I muttered back. "mind if I sit here?" I indicated the chair beside his side of the couch, farthest from the fire. "Sit wherever you like," He replied, sweeping a bony arm around the room. "I'm Blaze, by the way." He reached out a hand towards me and I took it. "I'm-"

"Erin, I know. I heard him." He murmured. I caught my breath. "You heard everything?!" I hissed. He solemnly nodded. "Is it true? What he said, about your parents?" I huffed, blushing. I turned to look at the fire instead of him. "No, I mean..." he softly stuttered. "My parents hate me, too..." I instantly warmed up, facing him once more. "R-really?" He sighed, closing his eyes, his head falling.

I stood up and sat beside him, gently laying a hand on his arm. "I'm so sorry...." He wasn't crying, but he looked close to it. Just seeing that, and thinking about my own family, made my own tears make a comeback. "I know how much it hurts...."

"No, you don't!" He growled. "My father beats me, everyday, over the littlest things. 'You're spending too much time inside! GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY!', he'll scream..." I scooted closer, hoping he wouldn't mind. "My father ran out on me when I was little. He tried to kill me and my sister, more than once..." I murmured. "My mother married my step-father just because she didn't want to be alone...he hates me. He hates everyone. My mom doesn't care when he screams! He hit me over the head with a metal flashlight before and just carried on as if nothing ever happened." I didn't know why, but I found myself pouring my heart out to this boy. I felt as if I could trust him.

We just sat there, for God knows how long, telling each other our innermost secrets. We cried, we prayed, we did everything we could to make ourselves feel better. I was happy that I didn't feel alone anymore. There was someone here who dealt with almost exactly what I deal with...I don't feel alone anymore....

Nick's P.O.V.

I immediately called my friends and told them about Erin. We were planning on making a search party, since the damn police were just sitting on their asses eating donuts, as usual. We were all frantic, worrying our brains out, wondering what could've possibly happened. "Guys, we're gonna go look for her. Right. Now." I demanded. We all agreed, standing up and running for the door. We decided to go check out her neighborhood first.

We walked down her street, stopping at every house and asking if they saw her. We got to the house next door to hers, knocking on the door and patiently waiting until a woman opened it. "Hello?" She asked. "What can I do for you children?"

"We're looking for our friend, Erin. She's been gone since this morning, and we can't find her. Have you seen her around?" I nervously asked as Patrick and Hannah looked around. "Oh, yes, that girl who lives next door? She was walking to Wellington Park earlier today, I saw her yelling into the house. No one must've heard her, because she looked so sad."

Hannah caught her breath and we all thought of what she might've done. "W-was she carrying anything?" Hannah asked from behind me. She was good at making her voice steady. "Just her little pink iPod," The woman answered. "My own children always ask for one..." She dreamily looked past us towards the trees. "Well, thank you very much, miss," Patrick announced. "We're gonna go search Wellington Park." We turned and started to walk around the corner from whence we came. "If you do find her soon, tell her I said hello!" The woman called after us. "Will do!" I yelled back.

We broke into a run once we had turned the corner, hurrying. We were scared. What if the worst had happened? No. I didn't want to believe that. But no matter how hard I pushed it out, it still nagged me in the back of my head.

We looked all around the jogging part, the blacktop providing a 'yellow-brick-road' of sorts to follow. The dog park was filled with little puppies and large dogs bounding around and rolling in the grass, but when we asked people if they had seen her, they all said no. We started walking back towards the entrance on the jogging track, crestfallen.

"Where else can we look?" Patrick murmured the question. No answer came to my brain. "Maybe we should ask the other people around?" Hannah pointed to the Speedway across the street. I sighed. It was worth a shot. I glanced at the small wooded area in the center of the park, and something caught my eye. "Guys..." I started walking towards it, and they instantly followed.

We started running, I don't remember when. But I remember panting once we reached it. We searched the ground, around the small stream, and the trees. "I found her iPod!" Hannah announced, crouched on the ground a little ways off to my left. Patrick and I jogged over to her. "She would never just drop it and leave it here!" She cried.

"Guys....." Patrick's horrified whisper was barely audible. His shaky hand pointed to the very edge of the stream....

Blood. Crimson, sticky, stinking blood. Collected in a puddle beside the stream, leaking into it, turning it slowly red in the one spot. It dripped from a blade of grass, almost tauntingly. A silver gleaming knife was beside it. It was stained with the blood, tainted by its ghastly flow. I thought I was gonna be sick.

"Erin...." Hannah whispered. Everyone's breathing stopped.