Seized

Throughout my whole life, I experienced blackout just once because I read in a book that people who were skinny, too white with a brown spot in their right arm, and constantly fainted when food hasn’t been eaten for four hours meant that they had leukemia. The thing is I had all those characteristics, so I didn’t tell anybody, and waited for the day I die. I went in a huge depression, and I didn’t eat at all for the whole day –which made it all worse. Finally, Heidi decided to take me to the doctor. He spoke to me and asked me why I wasn’t eating. I admitted I had leukemia. He asked me why, and I told him I read it in a book, and I told him everything I read. But the doctor laughed. He said the brown spot I had on my arm was a simple birth mark. I had some stomach condition that I have to eat every four hours because I’d faint. That’s all. I forgot the name of the condition, but I’ve been keeping myself very healthy ever since. Now why did the book lie? The book didn’t lie. The book had that additional page written by Jacob. It was all part of a prank he pulled on me. He won, but I beat him up. I got grounded anyway. Oh yeah, I was only nine years old.

I heard a sound from far. It signaled me bad news: I was awake. I still felt numb, so I waited a few minutes until it went away. I opened my eyes. I looked around trying to recognize this room, but it wasn’t familiar. I sat up and looked around better. The walls were some tan color with a medieval design. I tested my legs as I touched the floor so I wouldn’t fall, but I could walk fine. I walked toward the window and examined the view. I was in a second floor. The back of the property had a small garden with a few trees and benches under each of them. There was a sunset going on, and this made me think... For how long have I been unconscious? I knew it was dark when I fainted... And that reminded of the whole event.

I felt the sting I felt when I fainted at the back of my neck, but it was far away. I touched it, but I snapped my hand away as the pain inflicted. I looked at my clothes. It was stained with something red. Drats. Don't tell me that's...

Eek! Stop wasting time around here, Shery. You need to find the exit to this house and go back h- wait, I'm not going home. I rather stay here.

But if the house belonged to the one who almost killed me, that Brandon guy, I had to leave fast. The one that came later with the flashlight recognized me from somewhere, and that meant they were kidnapping me for some reason...

I had to leave the place before they decide to keep me. I opened the door slowly, hoping, wishing, and praying it made no sounds. Luckily, it didn’t, but I had to trust my speed to help me out. I walked quickly toward the stairs, carefully not to make them creak.

I kept my gaze on the stairs the whole time, until I reached the bottom and I mentally celebrated.

The celebration of milliseconds...

“Hey, you!”

I shot my head up to see two men standing far back in the end of the room. Good thing they were far away. The bad part is that they were two... And two mad men.

I didn’t stay frozen. I reacted quickly and ran back upstairs. Even if I didn’t have much defense in the room, I’d have time to think and, hopefully, jump through a window.

And, hopefully, land alive.

I didn’t enter the same room, but that didn’t matter much. As long as it had a lock. I slammed the door and tried to lock it. My hand was shaking that I almost couldn’t manage to lock it. I turned and looked around. Not long after, the men were hitting the door and yelling. “Open up!” “We won’t do any harm.”

I’d pee in my pants of laughter if the situation allowed it, but I didn't. I’d pee in my pants of fear. It distracted me for a while, but I didn’t keep my attention about their entrance. I looked around for something to defend myself. Nothing. Just an umbrella and they might break it.

There was a dresser next to the door. I pushed it to prevent their entrance and to give myself some time to look around. It was heavy, but whatever. I rather die breaking my bones than get eaten.

Wait! Which one’s worse?

Suddenly, the hitting and yelling stopped. Did they give up?

I kept around looking, in case they decided to break the door with their heads. I opened another door. It was the bathroom. Nothing useful. I opened the dresser. Just a bunch of clothes. AH! MALE UNDERWEAR!

Yet, underneath all the shirts, there was a sword. What for? I don’t know. I just knew it wasn’t a toy or plastic. It was a real sword. Really sharp and shiny. I could use this.

I turned around and sat on the bed, holding the sword with a tight grip with both hands, gulping and taking deep breaths, waiting desperately for their sudden break through the door.

My sudden absurd confidence kept me with hope, but danger was closer than I thought. There was a sudden break of crystals, and it didn't come from the door, nor outside.

Someone broke through the window, and managed to get make an entrance. How is that possible, from the ground to a second floor?

"Hell, no." The man that came in was obviously furious. But this one wasn't the one chasing me now. Still I recognized him. He stepped inside.

I got up from the bed and almost forgot about the sword. I just pointed it out.

Before he could launch toward me and once he noticed me trying to defend myself with the sword, he couldn't resist laughing.

"Brilliant. I never expected anyone to do that." He smiled and crossed his arms. I gulped and looked at the door, which had the dresser in front of it. And even if I could push the dresser away BEFORE this man could catch me -which was impossible-, there were two men out there. I was completely trapped. Damn it.

So, let's go for the window!

I dropped the sword, tried evading him and run past him to get through the window and jump out of it, but it turned out to be an epic fail. "Just where do you think you're going?" He caught me on time and, with incredibly strength, carried me and threw me on bed.

"Shit." I shouted as I landed on the bed. He stood in the same place, unharmed and perfect, and laughing. I recognized the laugh. He was the one from the alley. The Brandon fellow.

"It's you," I said, horrified. I crawled back on the bed, but I touched the wall.

"I'm not gonna harm you, but if you try to get away, I will," he said, calmly, and probably honestly. But I was desperate.

I ran for the window again, just to be held back again and pulled toward him. I punched him several times and struggled to be let go, but the attempt failed.

"What's going to make you stop?"

"You letting me go." My voice didn't come out firmly.

He only held me tighter. "Anything but that."

I groaned and stopped struggling. I kicked his shin, only to hurt my foot. He snickered and said, "You're fun to watch."

With an incredible ease, he pushed the dresser from the door as if it was a simple box. I watched him, silently amazed, but scared more than ever. He opened the door and pulled me out along with him. The two men that were chasing me were standing there, one of which carried a baseball bat. Oh, shoot.

"Let me guess. You broke the window," said the one who didn't hold the bat. He had light-brown hair in a low ponytail. His eyes were red. In fact, the eyes of the three men were all red, and they were all pale and young. It seemed like they were in their 20s, and incredibly, incredibly handsome.

"It was an emergency. I'll fix it later." The one who held me pushed me toward him. The man caught me, but he didn't grab me as roughly as Brandon.

The one who held me now said to him in a firm and a tad furious voice, "Brandon, Deangelo said to treat her with as much respect possible."

"We should, but she is going to be difficult to control." Brandon stared at me like I was something despicable. I glared at him. He added, "So you better start controlling her now, Rick, if you don't want her to get away."

Brandon started to turn away, but he looked over at the guy with the bat. "Speaking of which, were you thinking of taking my door down with the bat?"

The man who held the bat looked at it and chuckled. "Not a good idea, right?"

Brandon snickered again and entered the room and locked it.

Rick sighed and turned to me. "I'm sorry about that. I hope you forgive him."

I opened my mouth to say something, but closed it again. Under any circumstances, I'm not forgiving him. First of all, he strongly disrespected him and, second, he almost ate me. I mean, I'm inside a house of a cannibal.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Rick. If you need something, I'll help you out." He pointed at the other one. "He's Lucas."

Lucas waved and smiled friendly. "If you need a laugh, come find me." I smiled nervously. "Never mind Brandon. His ex-girlfriend gave him a hard time a week ago and he's mad at everyone."

For kidnappers, they're quite stupid. I'm against kidnapping and I've never done any kidnapping before, but I know that kidnappers should never give away their name in order to avoid getting caught.

"You're Shery Coleman, right?" Rick asked.

I hesitated, not knowing whether I should accept the fact that they know me and they caught the right person, or deny it to protect myself. Although denying it would be kinda stupid to do so. I stammered while trying to say no.

"Of course, you are." Rick cut me off. "Would you like a glass of water? It might help you. Plus, I'm sure you're hungry."

I hesitated again.

"We won't poison it." As if Lucas read my mind.

"Sure." My voice trembled.

"At least we know she talks." Lucas grinned when I glanced at him. I don't know, but aren't kidnappers supposed to be harsh and brutal, just like Brandon? I mean, Brandon isn't harsh, just... annoying.