Faith Heights

Chapter 22

I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of creaking. At first I thought it was the howling, but that no longer instilled fear in me. This noise instantly set my heart rate into a fever, and sent me bolting upright in bed. The creaking sounded frighteningly close, like a cluster of footsteps just outside my room, but the dim hallway was empty.

Just as I laid back down, the creaking began again, moving closer. I heard hushed whispers in the corridor, and sharp shadows gathered outside my room. I scrambled up in my bed as quietly as possible- but my breath was turning alarmingly ragged.

I fumbled around in the dark for my glasses and the bedside lamp. I felt the lamp's switch under my sweaty fingers, but before I could flick it, I was forced to suck in a painful breath.

A sudden onslaught of hands grabbed at me. They wrestled me against the bed, covering my mouth before I could scream.

I kicked, bit, punched, but it was no use. I couldn't tell how many assailants there were, but at least three, all male, grappled at me to keep still. Masks covered each of their faces, cheap plastic sheaths you'd find at a petrol station on Halloween. They pulled me from my covers and tied a thick piece of cloth over my mouth, almost making me gag. One of the looming figures tried to force me to stand, but I managed to free my leg and kick him where it hurt the most. He keeled over, groaning momentarily, and I scrambled for the door. I didn't make it a foot into the hall before the other two were on me again, dragging me backwards as I tried to splinter my feet into the ground. 

How could no one have heard the noise? Had these men done the same thing to the other students on my floor?

When they finally had me securely pinned, the kidnappers lifted my feet and shuffled out the door. I could hear sounds in the hallway, following us. The scuffled noises were followed by muffled wails as we slowly descended down the stairs, the other students jumbled amongst these abductors, too. My head was being yanked back to the ceiling and my surroundings only darkened as I was pulled outside by my goose bump-riddled limbs. In just a singlet and shorts, dragged outside in the middle of winter, I was half hoping I'd freeze to death before they achieved whatever it was they were planning.

Just when I was sure I was going to be slaughtered and chopped up into millions of tiny pieces to fertilize the next generation of forestry around the school, I heard more stifled screams. I managed to jerk my head to the right, and made out the silhouettes of other students being carried from their beds, from the scholarship wing's dorms. The kidnappers – each cloaked in black – carried us across the lawn and into the forest, deeper and deeper into its onyx depths. I tried to think of defense maneuvers I'd seen in movies, certain that at least some of Steph's athleticism had been included in my genetics too, but I was unable to move. The grips around me weren't painful, but relentless, as if made of steel.

They stumbled over the uneven forest's ground, jostling me every few steps. They swore each time, and I thought I recognized the voices- but the fear ruling my thoughts wouldn't allow me to process the familiarity.

Just when my kidnappers began panting with the effort of dragging me through the patchy terrain, one of them whispered, "Here. Put her down. The others are just behind us."

They dropped me to the ground unceremoniously. I screamed as much as the muffled mask would allow. I sat there, hating my utter uselessness as I tried and failed to push myself to my feet. 

The terrifying sound of screams - stifled by hard splashes - had me shaking out of my skin. Before I knew what was happening I was lifted back up again, and the cloth was removed from my mouth. I didn't have time for my eyes to adjust to my surroundings before I was being swayed back and forth, cruel laughter polluting the frigid air.