Hell Flower

||13||

I groaned as I woke up. My mouth felt dry and my entire body ached. I blinked, but it was too bright. I closed my eyes again.

Where am I?

My head pounded, and my right arm tingled with pins and needles like I had fallen asleep on it. I tried to flex my fingers, but I couldn't feel my hand at all.

"What the fuck?" I muttered under my breath.

Am I hungover?

My head ached like I'd had a dozen shots last night. I tried to move my other hand to hold it, but my wrist was stuck. Something was caught around it, restraining it behind my back. Shaking my head in confusion, I opened my eyes again, blinking until I adjusted to the light. I was on Make Them Scream's tour bus lying in one of the bunks. The bunk across from me was empty. I listened to see if I could hear anyone moving in the bunk above me, but I heard nothing.

How did I get here? What had happened? I tried to think back, but all I had were flashes of memories.

Running through the woods. Drinking water from a creek. The feeling of wind rushing past me . . . And then screaming. Teeth. Pain.

And then darkness.

I swallowed a huge lump in my throat as I tried to move my arms again, but I couldn't get either of them free. Something rough rubbed against the bare skin of my ankles, pulling them tight against each other. I was still dressed in my jean shorts and tank top, but my boots were gone.

Wait.

Did someone tie me up here?

"Hello!" I called, my voice cracking with dryness. I coughed.

No answer.

"Hey!" I screamed, this time making sure my voice came out strong and clear. "What the fuck is going on?"

Still no answer.

"Somebody untie me!"

Where was Make Them Scream? Why was I tied up on their bus? Had something happened to them?

A haunting voice in the back of my head told me I should already know the answer to that question.

Frantically, I tugged at my wrists, trying to snake them free from the binds, but the more I pulled, the tighter they squeezed like a Chinese finger trap, rubbing my wrists raw.

I flipped my blonde hair out of my eyes, panting as I caught my breath. I blew a stray strand away from my lips. Sweat beaded on my neck and chest. On the other side of the door to the main area of the bus, voices whispered. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but that meant someone was out there.

"Help!" I called. "Hey! Help! What's going on?"

My heart skipped a beat when the engine of the bus shuddered and roared to life. With an ear-splitting beep, beep, beep, we backed up, bumping over the uneven gravel parking lot. I was jostled around in the bed and fell onto my side.

The bus halted, and then we pulled forward, picking up speed.

"Hey!" I screamed one more time.

The door to the room swung open.

"Quit screaming like that," Alex scolded me. "You'll fracture your vocal cords."

I pursed my lips into a frown. "You scream on stage all the time, and what the fuck is going on? Untie me!"

He slid the door shut behind himself and took a seat on the bunk across from me.

"You don't remember, do you?" He rested his elbows on his knees and held his head in his hands, breathing heavily. Finally, he looked up to meet my eyes. "I know what this must seem like, but I promise, this is all for your own good."