Chapter 1: The Arrival
The first thing Judy noticed as she regained consciousness was that she was warm. The last thing she'd remembered was lying down in a pile of garbage in some cold back alley. Sure, she could've huddled around a garbage can fire with the rest of the homeless and runaways, but she didn't trust anyone and preferred to stay alone in the shadows. The streets were no safe place for a pretty, young 18-year-old runaway. She could've tried to find a hostel, but she couldn't risk being seen, either. Sure, she was legally an adult, but there was always the chance someone would see her and she'd have to go back. And she wasn't going back, not ever.
The second thing she noticed, however, was that she was naked. Panic instantly set in. She tried to scream, but she was gagged. She was blindfolded, so she couldn't see where she was, but she felt a velvety sheet lightly covering her on top. Beneath her seemed to be some sort of backless leather couch or table. The thing that panicked her most, however, was that her wrists and ankles were bound spread apart from her with some sort of strap. Thoughts raced through Judy's mind. Who had kidnapped her? Why had they brought her here? Where was she? Had she been violated? Was she going to be raped or tortured or even killed?
Judy had been worried about getting raped or hurt from the moment she set foot out of her home and left for good. It was a tough decision to run away, but she couldn't stand to live in that house anymore. Ever since her father died, Judy felt like she had no one left to talk to. If only her mother weren't such a bitch when she drank, which now was practically all the time, maybe she could've survived.
She stopped struggling against the straps because it was starting to hurt and she couldn't breathe through the gag.
How on earth did I wind up here?
Judy thought to herself. A year ago, everything was so normal, so sane. Judy had been just an average B student, high school senior looking forward to graduation and college. She wasn't going to get any scholarships or anything, but with a little extra saving her dad said that they could make it. Everything was great, and then, there was the accident. Mix one part icy bridge with equal part drunk driver, add Judy's dad in the wrong place at the wrong time and shake until her world falls apart.
The worst part wasn't the early evening phone call, the rush to the hospital only to find out it was too late to even say goodbye, or even the surrealism of the funeral arrangements. It was the months that followed, the sad looks from everyone who didn't know what to say, the loneliness of losing her mentor and confidant. No one could take his place. Yes, she'd been a daddy's girl, but her mother was no help. Judy had never really gotten along with her, really, but things were especially bad after the accident. The insurance only covered so much, and with no more other income, Judy could forget about going to college. Her mother wanted her to stay at home after graduation and get a local job, earning income for the "family". There was no money for college, according to her mom, who increasingly drank what little money they had.
So finally, one night, Judy pulled together as much as she could fit in a backpack and headed for the city. But what she had didn't last and it wasn't long until she found herself not only alone, but frightened, spending her days and nights trying to survive on the streets and avoid the glances of everyone: cop, pimp, drug dealer, homeless, streetwalker or anyone who might know who she was.