This Can't Be Love

Chapter 10: Missing Dinner

It is the evening of Thanksgiving, at Bethany's house.

"You know mom, I don't realize how much football sucks until I watch it sober. I swear if it wasn't for those cute butts I'd never watch at all. No matter how drunk."

Samantha is sitting on the couch watching TV as Bethany serves dinner for two in the dining room behind her. Samantha is pretending to be just fine to avoid worrying her mother. She offers witty remarks that are not as quirky as her usual ones, mixed with nervous chuckles and faked giggles. Bethany, however, seems to be paying little attention to what Samantha is saying, if any attention at all.

"Dinner is ready, doll. You wanna turn that off?"

Samantha clicks the remote control button and gets up from the couch. She walks over to the dinner table and sees the well laid out assortment of corn, potatoes, turkey, coleslaw, cabbage, and maccaroni.

"Mom, you beast!"

"Oh please, it's all small portions."

"Yeah, but wow! If I knew you'd be going all out like this I would've given you a hand."

"No you wouldn't, lazy."

"Yeah you're right, I wouldn't."

They laugh very briefly and Samantha pulls a chair to sit. Bethany does the same at the opposite end of the table. Samantha looks at the empty seat to her right and then down at her plate. Bethany's eyes shift with a slightly open mouth as she notices Samantha's look.

"Uh, Sammy doll, I think we should say grace..."

"Seriously, mom?"

"Yes, it's Thanksgiving and we should give thanks. Now just close your eyes and fold your hands."

Samantha does exactly what Bethany asked, Bethany follows the motion and does the same.

"Lord we ask that you bless this dinner and we ask that you bless the less fortunate who might not afford the luxury of a dinner tonight. We also pray, to you, for Aaron and his safety; may he be well where ever he may be. We thank you for having blessed us with each other's company. And we thank you for this meal. Amen."

"Amen."

"Happy Thanksgiving, doll."

"Happy Thanksgiving, mom."

In the meantime, in an unknown location, a drastically different situation is at hand.

A dark room is lit by an accented ceiling light. Directly under the celing light is a woman with a pillowcase covering her head. She is tied to a chair and is wearing nothing but a set of beige colored bra and panties. Her tan skin is glistening with beads of sweat, smudges of dirt and blood patch her otherwise fit and toned body. Her body is more defined than the average person's, with abdominals that resemble beginnings of a sixpack.

She seems to be strong enough to shake the chair, but her feet are tied by the ankles to the legs of it. Her hands are tied behind the chair's back and around a pole that is also behind said chair.

A man's hand reaches for the pillowcase that is on her head and violently pulls it off. The woman's head lowered. Loosened reddish brown hair covers her face as it is still lowered. She trembles a bit and whimpers as she slowly raises her head. It is Detective Carrie Sosa. She has a scrape under her left eye and a small scar underneath the right side of her bruised lip, but she is unable to speak because of a ballgag that is in her mouth. Her bright silvery green eyes widen and she mumbles a series of muffled pleas when she sees the person in front of her.

"Good evening... Do you know what tonight is, detective?"

Into the light steps Aaron, with his face looming over hers. His eyes, slightly red, have a darkened ring around them as if sleep-deprived. His usually clean cut and shaven demeanor is no more. He has a short beard and wavy hair of little care.