Turn for the Worst

Chapter 17

Is this real life?

Emma moans and struggles to open her heavy eyelids, not that she wants to. She's literally in a living nightmare and she'd rather be in a drug-induced coma her captor has created to continue enduring his abuse of her. She doesn't know how long she's been out and it's clear that nothing has changed except her restraints. Her hands are still handcuffed together and she's chained hands and feet to the bed. She's also been gagged with duct tape to prevent any further noise.

It takes a little while before Emma feels that the drug is truly wearing off. Her stomach is uneasy and her head is throbbing. Two doses of the drug are not good for her body, it drains any strength she has and deprives her of food for long periods of time. Obviously, she has to keep fighting, but at the same time, the more she fights, the more this guy will drug her.

Emma's not sure what she can do next except cry. She's in the dark again; she has no sense of time or space. She can hardly make a sound and her joints have been restrained to the point that her body is stiff and is aching. The only sense that doesn't seem to let her down is her hearing. She begins listening above her, for any sign of life. There's nothing, but silence.

Emma continues to cry, her sobs muffled by the tape, feeling so utterly helpless. She had little hope and her mind lists all the possibilities of what could happen to her. There have been kidnap victims who have been with their captor so long, they develop Stockholm Syndrome and never leave. She thought that maybe this man was breaking her down so she gave up trying to escape. There are those who bear their captor's children and are held for so many years. Emma did not want to be one of them. She knew that most abductions usually ended up with murder within the first 48 hours, but as far as she can tell, it's been much longer. She hopes that this man wasn't torturing and raping her before he killed her. She thought of her son, and her boyfriend, and her friends, they would never know what happened to her. So many questions swirled in her head, but the biggest one was why? Why of all people did he pick her?

Why? Why? WHY?!

...

It's a little while before the sounds of footsteps are heard above her. They are the same footsteps of this man that creak along till they reach the door. The sound of keys jingling and the doorknob opening, casting the same amount of light and the same shadow down the staircase.

Emma tries to prepare herself. She doesn't know what this man was going to do. Was he back for more? Or was he bringing her food?

Emma begins moving, trying to make as much noise as possible, to get anyone else's attention in this house. Anyone besides this monster. She yells as best she can through the tape and bangs her chains against the bed, making a clanking noise.

"Shut up!" the man orders as he shuts the door and comes down the stairs.

Emma refuses to listen and carries on. She had to fight, he would not break her down.

"I said SHUT UP!" he orders.

Emma can't see him, but she's crying and trying to remain brave. She's preparing herself to fight once again, even though she's at more of a disadvantage than before.

"SHUT Up or I won't feed you," the man's voice practically snarls.

Emma wants to carry on, refusing to give up, but her stomach growls and her joints protest her noise making. She knows she needs the nourishment, so she stops.

"That's better," the man says.

Emma can hear him put something down beside the bed.

"You're lucky the wife and kids are at work and school, otherwise I'd be getting the juice again."