Along the Horizon.

Rachel came over early because she insisted on 'making me up'. If that meant not doing my hair, make up or even picking out my outfit then it was fine by me. It turns out yellow was my color. Rachel put me in a dress from the back of my closet. Her being surprised that I had something cute and girly was offending to me.

Even in a simple white bathing suit and her braided in a messy fashion down her back, Rachel still managed to look like a goddess. It bothered me less now that Logan has confessed his love, but it still annoyed me how perfect she looked without even trying.

"Ready to go meet your mother's boy toy? I hope he's hot," Rachel laughed.

Logan was outside, bare back with his swimming trunks hanging loosely off his hips. He was holding a conversation with a guy I didn't know but by the looks of it, it must be Chandler's dad. They look very much alike.

"Mr. Turk, this is Maggie. My girlfriend," Logan said wrapping an arm around my waist.

"You're Chandler's dad, right?" I asked, trying to make conversations. I was never good at introductions.

"I hope so," he laughed. Oh, he was certainly Chandler's dad. He had his sense of humor and his laugh.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm good friends with Chandler and your wife is my brother's teacher," I said all of this, though he probably already knows.

"Chandler and my wife have told me all about your family," he pauses. "Lots of good things."

I smile politely and excuse myself to welcome some of the people my mom invited from work. I stand off to the side, and watch everyone mingle with each other. Logan has taken on the role of chef., with my mom's Kiss the Cook apron tied around his neck. Chandler is lounging beside him in a shaded chair, tossing a football up into the air. Rachel has joined the life of the party. She carried on conversations with people years older than her with ease.

"You must be Margaret," A male voice said from behind.

I whip around to see a man that could only be in his twenties. His black hair, freshly tousled and white teeth beaming.

"I'm Paul, your mothers friend."

"Yeah, hi. Nice to meet you. Please call me Maggie," I stick out my hand from him to shake.

"The pleasure is all mine," He smirks.

I feel an arm wrap around my waist. I look back at Logan, who is staring at Paul has a put-off glare.

"Logan Wheeler, I'm Maggie's boyfriend," Logan sticks out his hand like mine once was. Paul takes it with a small laugh.

"Oh yes, Karen told me you were staying with them. How sweet," Paul’s tone was bitter.

Logan and Paul stare at each other, neither one backing down. This was becoming a pissing contest and I was trapped in the middle, secured by Logan's arm gripped to my waist.

"Oh Paul, when did you get here?" My mom’s voice broke the tension.

"Just a few minutes ago sweetie. You told me that you had a beautiful daughter but that was being modest," He kissed her fully on the lips. I looked to the ground in disgust.

"Paul, you are just so sweet. I want you to meet my son, Brady," Brady was once hiding behind my mom is now gripping on for dear life to Logan's legs.

Logan scoops to pick him up, patting him soothingly on his back. "Don't be shy, B-man. I got you."

Paul is looking awkward. My mom must have not told him much about Brady. Like Brady wasn't like normal kids his age.

"What's wrong with him?" He asks bluntly. I scowl along with Logan but my love struck mother just laughs.

"Brady is autistic. He doesn't like meeting new people," My mom tried to explain.

"I think he just doesn't like some people. He talked to me the first day I met him," Logan turned my brother into a prop. I jabbed his side lightly.

"Well you must have the magic touch. Maggie why don't you introduce me to your friends over there?" Paul asks nodding to Chandler and Rachel who are staring at us seemingly.

"Sure," I feel Logan’s grip get tighter but he makes no move to stop me when I walk away.

I introduce Paul to Chandler and Rachel. Chandler has the same reaction as Logan did. Rachel smiles, being friendly as always. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh no, it is a pleasure to meet you," Rachel's hand is still locked tightly in the grasps of Paul’s.

I quickly leave, Rachel could manage her own. I spot Logan with Brady still wrapped tightly around his torso wading in the shallow section of the pool. I smile, pissing contest over. I make my way into the house where all the food is being served buffet style. My mom is talking to a coworker, sipping casually on a glass of wine. Once she sees me, my mom waves me over.

"Isn't Paul great?"

"Um, sure mom. Logan doesn't like him, and neither does Brady."

"Oh Brady will just have to warm up to him."

"Not if he stays attached to Logan's hip," I mumble but my mom has gone back into host mode.

I am sitting in a lawn chair, just finishing my plate of food when Logan and Brady walk up to me, trailing drips of water behind.

"Hey, I want to talk to you," Logan starts.

"Hey Mags, sorry to interrupt but I was telling Paul about the cars you have. He really wants to see them. Mind if I show them?" Rachel asks. She is always so nice.

"Sure, keys are in my purse," I draw my attention back to Logan.

"Look, I don't like Paul."

"I figured that out."

"No, I really don't like him. I don't want you alone with him. Got it?" Logan's voice is stern.

"I wasn't going to be alone with him. But if it makes you feel any better than I won't even speak to him."

"Good," Logan bends to kiss my lips softly before traveling back up the drips of water with Brady in tow towards the pool.

I people watch for another half hour, I scan to find Rachel and Chandler. I spot Chandler in the pool with Logan but Rachel isn't to be found. Is she still showing Paul our cars? Maybe they went for a drive. Tingles went up my spine. I hope she didn't.

I get up and head back into the house. The garage door is locked when I go to open it. That's weird. It is never locked. I pull a bobby pin out of my hair and jiggle it into the lock until I hear a faint click. I swing the door open, horrified at what I'm seeing. I start to race towards the backyard but I'm wrapped from behind and pulled back into the garage.

Rachel is laying on the hood of my car, her bikini bottoms shoved into her mouth and her top tied securely around her wrists that are above her head.

"What do you think you're doing?" Paul’s voice is husky.

I start to scream. Mind blowing cries for help. Paul picks me up and slams me against the hood of the car, next to Rachel.

"Shut up stupid bitch; want to die, just like your daddy?" I let out a cry as he mocks my dad’s death.

Picking me up first, Paul throws in into the front seat of my car. Rachel is next. Her body is throw across the back seat of the car, her head hitting Brady's car seat. I see Paul pick up the keys from off the concrete floor and walk around to the driver’s side.

"Let's go to a real party, yeah?" There is evil in his eyes.

"Why? Why are you doing this?" I plead.

Paul doesn't answer. Instead he just flies backward out the driveway and down the street. Fifteen minutes and we leave the nice parts of town and enter dangerous parts of the ghetto.

I plead when him again. "Why are you doing this? Is it money? My mom will give you money, whatever you want."

"Oh Maggie, it started out with the money. Then she showed me a picture of you. That's when it changed. I had to have you. An emotionally damaged girl that I could mold into whatever I wanted. But I knew that her protective boyfriend would never let me be alone with you, so I settled for your nice, delectable friend. Then what do you know. It's my lucky day cause here you are trying to save the day."

What the fuck? My head was spinning. I was in a car with a mad man. I look back, Rachel is still lying motionless.

"Is she dead?"

"I hope not. She won't be any fun dead," Paul laughs.

The ghetto is behind us now; we are heading into a land of nothing. I moved to cover Rachel's naked body with a kids blanket kept in here for Brady.

We pull off the main road and onto a dirt one. It's not long before Paul is making us get out. There is another car. A beat up old Camry. He opens the trunk and pulls out red buckets used to store gasoline. Then Paul orders me to climb in. He drops Rachel's body in then watched as I crawl in beside her.

From the darkness I hear gas being thrown against medal. Oh my god, he is going to burn us alive. I bang frantically on the trunk, trying to escape. I hear the car go up in flames. This is it, I'm going to die. Then the sound of an engine starting, this engine. No, my car is going up in flames. How will anyone find us?

I try to count how long we've been driving but I lost count. I feel Rachel start to move beside me.

"Rach?" I whisper.

She is muffled. I remember her bikini bottoms in her mouth. Quickly I pull them out then untie her hands. "Where are we?"

"In a trunk. Paul has us."

"Oh Maggie, I'm so sorry. I was just trying to be nice, but then he locked the door and he, he-" Rachel began to sob.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm going to get us out of here."

I help Rachel back into her bathing suit. I search around the trunk in hopes of finding more clothes to help cover her up but no such luck.

Finally the car comes to a halt. The trunk pops open and Paul is staring down at us with a white toothy grin.

"I'm glad you're finally awake. Get out."

The sun is setting now and the air around us is chilled. I don't know where we are. There is an old shack in the middle of the vass wilderness we are standing in.

Paul directs us in through the doors of the beat up house and into a back bedrom. Rachel grips onto me tightly. It pains me to see her like this, normally Rachel is so strong and in control. Now she has to rely on me to help.

"Okay, lights out for both of you," is the last thing I remember hearing before Paul holds a cloth up, covering our nose and mouth.

I slip slowly into a world of unknown.