No Escape

Chapter 7: Scream

Scarlett's P.O.V.

I shakily forced myself to tug on the loose door handle. The knob wobbled under the pressure and bent downwards.

"Please help me!" I begged through the door, frantically attempting to open it.

"Hello Scarlett," A voice whispered from directly behind me. I immediately turned towards the voice and placed a hand over my lips once I released a shriek of terror.

Samuel and Gary emerged from the dark shadows and slowly strolled towards me. I didn't have time to run so I placed my arms over top of my head for some sense of protection. I screamed as loud as my vocal cords allowed as their footsteps grew closer. I begun begging them for mercy and pressing my body further against the white painted door. The paint crumbled at my movement and I could tell it had broken off into my greasy hair.

I had fought bravely since I was kidnapped, but now was it too late. I was at the point of no return. I remember a period in my life when I would've stood up and risked everything before giving them the satisfaction that they had won. I was once ambitious and optimistic towards my future. The positivity evacuated my body entirely and left me as an empty shell of the person that I once was. Everything I cared about was ripped from my grasp within the blink of the eye. Nobody was left to care rather or not I died.

I went as limp as a rag doll when Gary's arms engulfed my body. Samuel and Gary both chuckled in a devilish manner. I bit down on my lip and focused my concentration on holding back my cries. I knew my death was upon me and there was nothing I could do to stop it. The least I could do was die with my last remaining bit of dignity.

I watched closely as Samuel's knife entered into my side. A sharp pain erupted through my body and made me tremble against Gary. My bottom lip was beginning to bleed from how much pressure I had put onto it. I continued to watch as Samuel continued to pull the knife out of my fragile skin and press it back in repeatedly. Blood was gushing out of my wounds and I could taste the sour metal in my throat. My vision grew blurry and purple circles begun to form around me. My last view was Samuel finally letting the knife slip from his fingertips and hit the floor with a thud. I was content with the darkness that finally overcame me.

I was nothing.

A husky voice disturbed me from my nightmare. I awoke from my slumber and shifted as Alex's arms tensed underneath of me. My eyes snapped open and I blinked a couple of times to regain my proper vision. Once my eyes focused, I stared up at Alex's concerned facial expression. His eyebrows were knitted together in confusion while the skin on his forehead was bunched into two curved lines.

I scrunched up my face in disgust as an unknown odor captivated my senses. I glanced around the room to make sure I was no longer in the room that my nightmare had occurred in.

"Scarlett?"

My head begun to pound and I pressed two of my slim fingers to my temple. I slowly set up but Alex left his arms dangling out in front of him incase I lost my balance. I searched my memory for any remembrance of the events that had lead me to this moment.

After the discovery of the air vent, a sense of exhaustion overcame me. I was so caught up in the possibility of escaping, I wasn't even paying attention to my well-being. Alex was the only one taking notice of my health. I wish I had the ability do something to thank him for his gratitude. He was such a selfless person and he deserved so much more than this.

I had to transfer high schools once I moved from Ireland to America. When I first arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina, it was in the midst of summer. I still had a few months to prepare before school was in session. I was hesitant and nervous because I knew my strong Irish accent would turn me into an easy target. Alex insisted to be my tour guide throughout my first day and to protect me from anyone who made a snide comment towards me. Alex and I hadn't been as close as we are now but he still treated me with the same amount of respect and care. He found pleasure in teasing me about my accent and used it to his advantage for a flirting tactic. He is and was extremely flirtatious and straightforward about his emotions. It didn't take long for me to warm up to his likable personality.