It's dark, the black nothingness dark. Any light that may be in the room can't get to my eyes that are covered in thick duck tape. I can feel the tape pulling at the skin of my forehead and the hairs of my eyebrows, the little edges curling and peeling where my sweat destroys its stickiness. Each of my hands is taped to an elbow making a little half square out of my arms. My knees are drawn up to my chest with my ankles crossed and bound with the sticky duct tape that's tightness causes it to pull and tug at the skin of my ankles. I remember how this happened. It seemed even unreal at the time. As unreal and frightening as it was I can't help but running over the details of my kidnapping in my mind....
* * * * *
It was the day before finals. Once they were over I would be off to college. I had already applied and been accepted. I was a good student all year round so I wasn't in a panic to cram as much information into my head before going to finals tomorrow. I was walking home like always. The only thing on my mind was some afternoon cartoons and some soda before study another hour or so and then to bed early so I would be ready to go for my last high school finals ever.
I wasn't even paying attention as a white van pulled up beside me. The classic stake out van with no windows and the long back generally for all that spying equipment, an odd thing to see in a neighborhood but maybe someone called a plumber. I kept walking without noticing the van had stopped and someone had gotten out. Before getting much past the passenger side mirror I felt an arm wrap around my throat and press underneath my chin causing me to choke and cough immediately. I started to panic and claw at the arm dropping my books and trying to scream but not being able to because of the beefy arm locked around my throat. The arm stayed tight while a thick, callused hand grabbed my clawing one and twisted my arm to a painful angle behind my back.
I was in a panic as my vision blurred and the pain in my arm became almost unbearable as I waited to hear a bone snap from the pressure and angle. Somewhere in this blur of pain and terror the man dragged me to the van throwing me into the back giving me time to gasp and choke in air while I was lying on my back knees up and leaning on just one elbow trying to keep off the hurt one. I choked and cough trying too soon to scream with little effect before the man climbed into the van and trapped me by closing the door. The man climbed on top of me straddling my waist with his legs and grabbing both of my wrists in one of his giant hands, effectively keeping me from striking him.
His features were barely recognizable in the dim lighting of the window-less van. What I could make out was not in the least attractive. His nose was bulbous and too large for his face. His eyes seemed beady and the fatness of his cheeks and neck were very noticeable. From where I laid, a good body length from his face, I could still smell his fowl breath as I fought my stomach not to heave and gag, which would not at all aid my dire situation.
I remembered panicking as he leaned that foul wide-lipped mouth towards mine. I tossed and bucked not at all wanting to know what the result of those lips touching mine would be. I tossed my head side to side eluding his kiss each time and receiving a sloppy slimy kiss all over my cheeks for my efforts. Finally when I had nearly tipped him off of me, a great feat indeed when trying to throw around this man's considerable girth, he raised his other hand to back hand me hard across the face. My head snapped to the side and star bursts exploded in front of my eyes. All I remembered before passing out from that harsh blow was his weight climbing off my body and hearing an engine start a little while later. Then I passed out wanted very much to have ridden home with my boyfriend.
* * * * *
Drawn out of my recollection of the horrifying events by a small creak from above me, it was like my senses heightened making my skin feel the dampness of what I could only think to call a basement. I could hear every creak and movement of whoever was at that moment coming down the old creaky stairs. My fear made me sensitive to every detail that my eyes couldn't see.
I knew the second the person's feet landed with a soft tread onto the dirt floor of the room. Every footstep coming closer echoed in my ears as though the shoes were great heavy things stomping on a concrete floor, when actually soft steps glided across the soft packed dirt. I huddled closer into the concrete walls of my little corner that I had been tucked into when I woke up. I tucked my cheek against the cold concrete and let out a small whimper. I wanted to scream or cry or curse but my throat ached from the abuse it had received from the kidnapper's huge arm. I curled into a tiny ball trying very hard to push myself right through those concrete walls, trying to blend in, trying to hide, anything.
I jerked away as a hand lightly touched my hair, smacking my face into the very wall I sought protection in. I whimpered and squirmed, waiting for the blows or the rape or both. My whole body feeling like one big nerve all focused on a hand that was lightly smoothing over my hair petting me while I heard a soft "shhhh" from above me. I jerked and twitched again as that hand moved down and pet my cheek softly. This hand didn't feel like the beefy, callused fingers of my abductor and though absurd I relax a little and the trembling running through my body calmed and slowed. I felt an arm slide behind my back and under my drawn up knees and felt myself being lifted from the safety of my corner. Regardless of the gentle touch I baulked and thrashed not wanting whatever came at the end of this trip.
I was rewarded by being dropped from the height of his arms onto the dirt floor which seemed not nearly so soft when hitting it with a fall. I landed on my hip causing me to cry out in a dry raspy noise. I felt tears come to my eyes and trap at the corners of my closed eyes by the duct tape. I lay there in a heap on the floor waiting for more pain to come.
