Empty

Chapter Three

     As he dragged me away, I tried to get a good look at him as best as I could in the darkness of the night. The fact that there were no lights in the back roads made it that much more difficult for me to see my assailant. Despite that, though, I could tell that he was a very physically fit man by the way his hardened arms feel against my petite figure. To top it off, he towered over me like I did all of my friends. I felt so small compared to him that it wasn't even funny.

     He wasn't saying anything either, which made it harder to tell if he was wearing a mask or not. To be honest, I was absolutely terrified. There I was—walking to a friend's house—and next thing you know, I'm being dragged off by some lunatic into the darkness. I couldn't even call for help, despite how much I wanted to scream for somebody to come and rescue me.

     I knew that rescue wasn't going to come, and perhaps he knew that, too, but that did not keep me from having hope in my heart. Perhaps Elizabeth or even Lazlo would realize that something was amiss. Doubt lingered over me, though, and I wasn't even sure that I believed my own words, but if I was to survive the night, I had to trust my own instincts. It was now only he and I, and I wasn't about to let him break me.

     My body went limp against his as he continued to forcibly push me toward his van. Once we were there, he opened up the back and forced me to climb into it. With a whimper, I crawled in hesitantly and flinched when he stopped me before I could climb in fully.

     "Give me your phone, child." He said, and the very sound of his voice caused goosebumps to form uncontrollably all along every single inch of my skin. Reluctantly, I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and handed it to him with very shaky hands. "There's a good girl." He cooed, and I swore up and down that he was smirking at me. "Now buckle up, sweetie. It's going to be a long ride."

     When he closed the back doors of the van, I slowly sank myself to the floor until I was on my knees. My shoulders heaved and uncontrollable—yet, not audible—sobs force themselves out and cause my body to shake. I could hear him start the engine and as the van moved and started traveling down the street—far away from where Elizabeth's house was—my heart sank.

     It was then I knew that I had no hope for rescue. Nobody was ever going to find me, and that was just something I had to accept.