After

Chapter 17

"You-you can't take me. My friends are going to find out and they'll tell the police." Camila cries and bangs on the back door.

"Camila, they don't care about you. They only care about Lauren. You left them when the needed you most and they didn't see you look back." The man replies.

"Then why are they letting me live with them? Why do they act like they care?"

"Because you were captive the longest which means not only do they pity you, but that means you had a greater possibility of having seen something that could give away who was holding you all. They let you stay with them because of pity and information. That's it. And do you really want their pity?"

"I don't believe you." Camila firmly states.

"Do you not believe me, or do you not want to believe me?"

Camila doesn't respond. She knows he is just trying to get in her head but what he's saying makes sense. "No." she whispers but as she keeps saying it, she gets louder and louder, "no, no, no, no, no, no."

"Hey! Shut the hell up." The man commands but Camila barely hears him in the midst of her panic attack. "I told you to shut up!" He yells, grabs something from the glove compartment, turns around to stick it in Camila's face, and spray her with it. She immediately passes out and the man smiles at the newfound sound of silence.

"Oh Lauren! Your friend's here!" James enters Laurens room and commands her to stand up. "Come on, slut, don't you want to see who's here?"

"Why isn't your mask on?" Lauren feebly asks.

"Because this time, she isn't leaving, so we don't care if she finds out who we are." Brad enters the room and smiles, "Now come on, don't you want to go outside and see who will be joining you?"

"You're letting me go outside?" Lauren wonders.

"Yep. Now that we have your friend here too, we aren't worried about you running because you know what happens if you do." Lauren nods her head yes but Brad continues to talk, "Just in case you forgot, let me explain again: Not only will we find you, but we will still have your friend too. We will hurt you until you care nothing about your life except that it will end, and that will happen to both of you, not just one. And keep in mind that we can keep you alive only to suffer more than anyone ever has and we will continue to find more ways to hurt you. Hurt you until you remember nothing from your old life and only remember your new one. The one full of pain and deserved punishment."

"I won't run. I promise." Lauren whispers. She is told to follow them to the front door and immediately obeys. James opens the door and Lauren follows behind him, managing to keep a moderate distance from him, but even being on the same planet as him makes her want to die. Right as the sun hits her eyes, she gasps. It's been so long since she has actually been in full sunlight. She had forgotten how full of life and color the outside looks like. She takes it all in, every sight, very color, the taste; yes taste, of fresh air, the beautiful feeling of smell untainted by alcohol or anything of the sort. She momentarily forgets her struggles, her pain, and what her existence has come to, but within seconds, the fullness of her current life hits her again.

She sees a police car in the driveway and grows slightly excited until it hits her: some of the police may be in on this too. Before she is able to think anymore, one of the men pushes her to the back door of the car. There she sees the one of the girls that she least expected to see: Camila. "You took... Camila?" Lauren opens the door and gazes at Camila. She is passed out but she looks beautiful, at peace, even. She look so different than when Lauren saw her almost two months ago, no blood on her body, no bruises, no tears, no pain. She actually looks healthy. Sadly, Lauren knows she won't be that healthy when she gets inside.