Reduced to Ruin

Chapter 5

I gave the now warm 7-Up to Dan and lay back down. As much as I wanted to stay awake and watch my captors' every move, pain and exhaustion consumed me. I just wanted to turn off my brain. The overload was unbearable.

I closed my eyes, but my mind wouldn't settle. I placed my left arm over my face, forcing my eyes closed. Darkness wasn't settling me. The demons kept penetrating. After a few minutes I stared at the ceiling of the van.

Whoosh—Whoosh—Whoosh—The glow of the streetlights ripped through the cab of the van. The pain was too great to ignore. Not only was my eye swollen, but my shoulder really ached, and I could feel the road rash and bruises all over my legs and arms. I could barely bend my left knee.

I glanced over and James was staring at me. Dan was curled up at the end of the van. With his size, that was the only way he would fit in such a small space.

"You can't sleep?" James asked.

I didn't move.

"Are you in a lot of pain?"

I kept staring at the ceiling as tears inched down my temples, and my chin quivered. A tear entered my ear and slipped down into its curve. I would've given anything to be able to disappear like that.

James crawled over to my side and whispered, "Would you like something for the pain? We have Valium, Ibuprofen, Tylenol . . . whatever to help you relax."

I wondered why he was being so nice to me. I worried the medicine must be laced with something stronger. Then again, if they wanted me dead, they could've accomplished that long ago. I must've been alive for some reason. I shut out the possibilities.

"No, thanks." There were the manners flaring up again.

"I don't think you'll be able to sleep without it. And we have a long way to go."

"Where are we going? Please tell me."

He sighed. "Your new home."

"Home? Where?"

He paused a moment. "It's a beautiful place. Secluded. It's a nice home in Kansas. Lots of love. And if you let it, we'll have a great life together. I promise."

We'll have a great life together . . .

Neither of us spoke for a minute.

"Why . . . Why were you at the bar last night?"

He thought for a moment. "Let's just say I was looking into the eyes of my future."

He sensed my confusion, so he added, "I knew what our plans were. I couldn't help but get a sneak peak, so to speak. I really enjoyed seeing you last night, in your own element." He chuckled. "It's funny. You weren't interested in me at all, but Lisa sure was. You even had to make up a boyfriend."

"How do you know I don't have a boyfriend?" I defended.

His eyebrows raised. "I know you don't."

I was too afraid to press him about how he knew. He scrambled around in a bag next to the cooler and pulled out a bottle.

"You need some sleep, Corrine. We've all had a long, exhausting day. And I know you are in a lot of pain, no matter what you want to claim. So, take this."

He took two pills out of the bottle and handed them to me with a bottle of water. I didn't move.

"They're Valium, trust me. Look at the label." He pointed it toward me, as if I could see it in the darkness—or would believe him anyway.

"You need it. I know your head really hurts. Dan has a mean punch, and he got you good. And look at your scrapes." He moved the blanket and pointed to my knee and elbow, the dried blood that had seeped through the bandages.

"You and I both took a mean tumble. My leg's pretty bad, too."

"Poor thing," I mumbled sarcastically. If he heard it, he chose to ignore it.

"What else hurts?" he asked, concerned. I hesitated.

"My shoulder," I choked out.

He inspected it, softly pulling my hair back while I stiffened and looking at the area. I flinched, not wanting him to touch me.

"Yeah, that's going to be pretty bruised tomorrow, I bet. It took a lot of the fall."

He again offered me the two Valium and the bottle of water.

"Take it." He stared at me, and I could see seriousness in his eyes behind those wire-rimmed glasses. It wasn't a request.

"Are you going to kill me?" My voice cracked.

"No, sweetie. If we wanted that, we would've done it already."

"Are you going to torture me?"

He chuckled. "No. Take the pills."

I sat up a bit, trying to maneuver without the use of my right arm. James put the pills in my hand and helped me drink the water. If the pills weren't Valium and these men were trying to kill me, a part of me felt death would be a blessing. I would've loved to reunite with my mom in Heaven.

Don't let them take you to the second location . . .

James gently laid me back onto the pillow. I looked into his eyes. He seemed so kind, so mature. So normal. Yet, here he was, a kidnapper. And God only knew what else.

"You just rest. It's getting late, and we're all tired. Before you know it, you'll be home."

"Please, I beg you. Please. Just take me home. Or drop me off right here. I swear to you, I'll never tell anyone a thing about what's happened. I'll say I can't remem—"

"Corrine, no. It's best if you—"

"No, seriously, I swear on my mother's grave, I will never tell anyone about you."

I meant it, too. Maybe.

He crawled back over to the other side of the van and rubbed his face in exhaustion. He sighed.

"All I can say to you right now is the sooner you accept your destiny, the better things will be, for both of us."

"But, I swear, I won't say—"

"Corrine—"

"I'll make sure—"

"That's enough!" he yelled. Dan opened his eyes.

There were so many unanswered questions, so many things I wanted to know that wouldn't be answered that night. I stared at James and somehow knew he was going to tell me, eventually.

I kept blinking, massaging my aching eyes. I was speeding toward my future, with no controls. I lay crying.

As the Valium took hold, I focused on the music Tyler was playing in the front of the van. I heard him singing to something and finally placed it as a Beatles melody. I tried to calm down.

I slipped further and further away from the van to a place I would have loved to be. Far away from this nightmare, into my old childhood bed, at my parents' house, where I could see Christmas lights streaming through my bedroom window onto my blankets, filling me with security and comfort.

Thank you for reading Chapter 5! I'd love your vote and/or any feedback you'd like to give. Have a great day!