Invisible

"How're you doing?" Ashton asks me. Me, him, Alec, and Jake are sharing a room. Quinn's in here too, fruitlessly trying to calm Alec down, who has now reverted into some state of shock. Jake's comatose too, he hasn't spoken at all.

"Stupid question," I say tonelessly scrolling down the page. The ranch is in Savannah. Not to far. Its owned by Reginald Craven.

"What are you looking at?"

"Porn."

"What the hell?"

"This guy's pictures were all in his house."

"No. Don't you think the police-"

"The police are going to burn in hell. I've already got directions."

'No. Fuck no. what if you get killed?"

I just stare at him.

"Aaron-"

"No, lets go," Jake says spontaniously. "He's got a point about the half-ass police. We'll take Quinn's car, its the biggest. Quinn, keys."

"I'm going too, and you aren't driving my car."

"I want to go," Alec says.

"No," we all say together.

"What the hell?!" Alec snarls. "She's my friend too!"

'Yeah, but babe..." Quinn says.

"You fight like a chick," Ashton says bluntly. "You aren't going to help."

"Like any of you will. what if the have guns? We'll all die anyway."

"Thats why none of you are going," I say pointedly.

"Hey! How can you leave me behind?! I'm always your backup for fights!" Jake protests. "And if Corrie dies, you'll die, and you're my best friend. I'm going."

"Same," Ashton says. "If Corrie and you both die, Alec will die, and then what the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Same,' Quinn says. "I'm not going to wait here."

"And I'm certainly not," Alec says indignantly.

Thats how we all end up in Quinn's car, Jake driving because Jake is an amazing driver. He drives perfectly, even when drunk.

One solitary thought.

Corrie. Corrie. Corrie. Corriecorriecorriecorriecorrie.

"Turn here, I have to piss."

They give me wierd looks, but pull into the gas station anyway. I get out expressionlessly, and they all follow me, except for Ashton who stays in the car.

I knock on the window, motioning for him to get out. He does, looking at me suspiciously. "What now? I thought you had to piss."

"Sorry, man," I say regretfully, before punching the living daylights out of him. He falls back against the car and slides to the ground, successfully unconscious. The only person that saw me is swearing and running inside, so I pull Ashton out of the way and leave.

"YOU STUPID SON OF A BITCH!" Jake screams at me, running after the car, trying to catch me.

I drive twenty miles over the speed limit again, even if I'm only fifteen minutes away. I narrowly avoid dying twice when I ignore stop lights.

I don't pull into the ranch. I park the car a little ways down the road and walk, climb over the gate, and trudge up the long gravel road. The house comes into sight. The barn comes into sight. I walk over to it.

Inside is the creeper van. My heart clenches. But there aren't any girls, and only a little blood by the van. What if its still Corrie's?

I head towards the house, avoiding the front door, but otherwise I don't hide. I'm thrumming with adrenaline and rage. This son of a bitch was going to die. If it kills me, he's going to die. The nerve. Hurting my little Corrie.

I see the cellar doors, but they're chained shut. they're the old fashined ones, that are tilted and low to the ground. But there's a little window, too, and I crouch on the ground to look through it. I think I might be sick. In the dim light, I see several huddled shapes. The junk has all been pushed to the side.

I tap the window. The girls all look up, and I wave at them. they gape at me. I can only see three of them, as my sight is pretty limited. I don't see Corrie.

The girls look desperate now, begging me to help them. I know what they're saying, even if I can't hear them. Two more girls huddle into my vision, but I don't see Corrie.

I nod at them, then get up and head for the (unlocked) back door. Idiots. For a set of kidnappers, they aren't so careful. Dumbass bastards. But they are inside, and finding Corrie is my main priority, and getting her out alive. The cops can save the rest of them. No, they're coming with me, I can't do that. And Corrie would never let me.

I walk past a laundry room and a bathroom before I hear the tv and the voices.

"-you can't crash here for long," someone was saying. "I got out of that shit for a reason. I have a family to think of now."

"I know, I know. I'll be out of your hair by tonight. I just need somewhere to figure out where I'm going."

"What happened anyone."

"One of the bitches got loose and got ahold of my phone. Called her boyfriend. They traced the number to my house, I bet."

"Did you kill her?"

"No, she's an amazing fuck. Really knows what she's doing, never fights, and knows her manners, but she cries a lot. I didn't think she'd be the one to get out. Pretty little thing, and young too. I was going to sell her tomorrow, but I had to beat the shit out of her for the phone thing. Her will is broken now, hasn't said a thing since she woke up. It'll be weeks before I can take her to J."

My eye is twitching in anger.

"How much do you reckon she's worth?"

"A lot. A real piece of work, but she's covered in scars."

"Scars?"

"All over. she'd be a jackpot if it wasn't for them. And she must've been a cutter, there are parallel lines on her arms."

"She was the one you put up stairs?"

"Yep. Don't want her with the others. Punishment, she hates being alone in the dark, I've seen. You can have her tonight, for payment."

"I might take you up on that. How bad is she hurt?"

"Nothing that'll stop you. I used those electric collars. Didn't even damage her hair to bad, she has some amazing hair."

"Quit winding me up."

"She's tight too, but she can't be a virgin. And she'll scream if you tell her too."

"God, I think I might go get her now."

"Go ahead, she's got nothing better to do. I've got to go change the plates on my van."

I hear the sound of someone going upstairs, and moments later a large door opening and slamming shut. Safe to say that I'm alone, I venture into the living room. It looks normal.

A muted thump from upstairs. Oh Corrie, wait just a minute Corrie.

"Who the hell are you?"

I whirl around. A boy, probably eighteen or nineteen is standing in front of me. The perfect country kid, plaid shirt, dirty eans, faded baseball cap.

"Aaron. and you?" I ask, completely relaxed.

"Anthony Craven."

"Your father owns the ranch."

"Yes. Why are you in my house?"

"Do you know whats in the basement right now?"

"Junk and shit."

He really might not know.

"Lets go see. where's your basement?" I smile my award-winning smile.

"What the hell?"

"Just go with it, you wont be disappointed."

"Freak," Anthony mutters, turning around and leading the way to a small door. He opens it and we go down a flight of stairs. "What the...?" He asks when he sees the huddled group of girls, all tied up, to each other. A fact I missed.

"You know that man that got here, a few hours ago."

"the friend of dad's."

"He's going to sell these girls as sex slaves, I imagine. Do you know what your father is doing right now? Fucking my girlfriend."

"W-what the h-hell?" His mind is clearly on overload.

"You want to help? Point me to the nearest gun and get these girls out of here."

"Are you going to kill my dad?"

I shrug. "Not planning on it. But he's still fucking my Corrie."

As if on cue, Corrie screams at the top of her lungs, and the sound is very muted, but I don't even wait for the gun. I'm running up flights of stairs, to where I can hear noise coming from the attic. I open the trap door and nearly fall trying to get up the ladder.

"GET THE FUCK OFF OF HER!" I scream, lunging at the man on the bed. I knock him off of Corrie and into the wall, which is coverd in junk that rains down on top of us as I brake his nose. He manages to shove me off of him, but I land on my feet and lunge at him again, slamming him into the wall and punching him again. "THAS MY GIRLFRIEND YOU WERE JUST RAPING!" I scream at him. I grab him by the shoulders and hurl him across the room. He falls out of the trapdoor and lands on the ground heavily. I check him, he isn't moving.

Corrie is sobbing on the bed, tied by the wrists and ankles. There's semen inside her legs, on her breasts, and on her chin. there's blood splattered on her legs and body. Her hair is matted with what looks also like semen, blood, and God knows what else. Bruises mat her body, as do small scrapes.

"Corrie," I say brokenly, rushing over to her, fumbling with the knot for her left wrist. "Shh, angel, its going to be all right. I found you, I'm here now, I wont let any of them touch you again. Corrie, I love you."

I get the knot out and work on the other one, leaning over her. As soon as her left hand is free she wraps it around my kneck, her entire body shaking with sobs. I manage to untie her and lift her into my arms. She's sobbing into my shoulder, with her legs wrapped around my waist and arms strangling my neck.

"This is all my fault," I sob, burying my face in her really diirty hair. I manage to get us both down the ladder, sidestepping Craven. He's breathing, but there's a lot of blood, and his jaw is broken.

I carry Corrie down the stairs, gripping her tightly.

"Th-the other g-girls?" she whimpers.

"They're down in the basement. His son, he didn't know, I think he's helping."

He is. Anthony is cutting knots with a kitchen knife.

"You're all right!" One of them sobs when she sees Corrie, who is hyperventalating into my shirt and doesn't answer. Its only a matter of time before she passes out.

Though I know the monster that took her is still here, and all I want to do is run with Corrie, I have to help the other girls.

"I'm going to put you down, I have to get the other girls out, alright?" I gently lower her to the floor, but she wont let go, and starts screaming into my shirt. "Corrie, baby, calm down i have to get them out too." I pry her off my shirt and she curls into the fetal position, rocking back and forth and breaking my heart.

I start fumbling with the knots on one girl's ropes.

A door slams upstairs. Corrie doesn't even hesitate, throwing herself at me and shaking so hard I shake too.

"REG!" The monster screams.

"Corrie get under the stairs," I say, my voice deadly serious.

"Aaron we have to go," she sobs, but I shove her under the stairs anyway.

"Don't move."

The other girls scatter, curling in corners, hiding anywhere. The one who talked earlier hid with Corrie.

"Anthony, give me that knife."

"Aaron," Corrie sobs.

"Shh, angel."

"Aaron, I love you."

"You know I love you Corrie," I say, locking eyes with hers and smiling faintly. Her eyes are wide and terrified. "Don't be scared."

Footsteps. I grip the knife tight in my fist, my entire body deadly calm. He was not going to touch Corrie, not ever again.

The basement door opens and Anthony takes a step back.

The monster gets two steps down the stairs, then locks eyes with me. I grin in what I'm sure is a rather insane way.

"Who the hell are you, and what do you think you're doing," he snarls, coming down a few more stairs and scattering dust over Corrie and her friend.

"I'm saving my girlfriend," I hiss, grinning ever wider.

He lunges for me, jumping off the stairs rather unexpectedly, tackling me to the floor, the knife clattering off.

"ANTHONY GET THEM OUT OF HERE!" I scream.

"Aaron!" Corrie shrieks as I barely stop a punch.

"Corrie, go!" I yell, my head banging into the floor.

"No! Aaron! GET OFF OF ME!" She shrieks. "AARON!"

Footsteps. Safe. She's safe.

"You're going to die," I say softly, my hand curling into his hair and yanking it back. He screams and I smash my head into his face, gaining the upper hand. I roll on top and hit him again and again, one foot holding down his obviously dominant hand. I punch him again and again, yelling at him all the while. "You hurt her and raped her, you monster! Corrie! My Corrie! You've got some fucking nerve, and you're going to pay for the moment you set your eyes on her!"

I didn't know he had the knife until he sunk it into my leg. I scream.

"You stupid mother fucking kid!" He It growls, throwing me off. My leg lances with pain and I see stars.

I bet Corrie went through much worse.

He advances on me, prowling. I tighten my hand around the handle of the knife. "No, boy, you're going to die," It continues.

I yank the knife out, not feeling the pain and he doesn't notice. I stare right into his eyes. "Really?"

The knife goes right into his middle, and I feel blood pouring onto me. It looks down in shock, and falls to his knees right in front of me. "You're never going to hurt her, or anyone else again."

He collapses to the side and I stagger to my feet. I get outside where I can hear Corrie screaming. When I'm on the porch, I see her, being restrained by Anthony and the girl, and having a panic attack, screaming terrified nonsense. They only got about halfway down the drive way, and when she sees me, she goes limp for a moment, then brakes loose suddenly and runs towards me, now in Anthony's plaid shirt. I wish I could run to her, but the pain in my leg really is getting too bad. I sink onto the top steps and Corrie stops right in front of me, not crying. She stares at me, mouth open in horror, eyes wide. She's looking at my leg.

"Its not so bad angel," I whisper.

"I knew you would save me," she whispers, sinking to her knees in front of me.

"I would die for you," I murmur, pulling her face up to mine and kissing her softly. "I love you. More than anything."

"I love you too." She says against my lips.

I pull her to me, holding her so close I can feel some of the bigger scars through her shirt. She begins to sob again and I do too, burying my face in her hair, which smells like sex. My poor little baby. "Oh Corrie, I'm so sorry, I'm not ever going to let you out of my sight again." I keep up this kind of talk as the guys and the police show up.