Along the Horizon.

”Daddy please,” I begged, pouting out my lower lip quivering it a bit. I wanted to drive his prize possession. He didn’t let anyone drive it; he barely let anyone touch it. Today was a special day though. His company was expanding and my parents announced that we were moving, to the west coast. “Please, I really want to.”

“For my baby girl, anything,” My dad kissed my forehead. I giggled as his scruff tickled my skin. He tossed me the keys, said good bye to my mom, and ruffled Brady’s hair before sliding effortlessly into the passenger seat.

Once in the car I pulled the seat belt over my torso and buckled it in, my dad doing the same. “I’m in the mood for some fried food.”

“But daddy, you’re not allowed to have fried food. Mom said so,” I pulled slowly out of our driveway and onto the main road.

“What she doesn’t know won’t kill her. Besides today is about celebration. You’re going to love California; no snow,” I stole a glance at my father. His grin stretched from ear to ear.

The light ahead of us turned green, I took my foot off the brake and slowly applied it to the gas.
*
I woke up in a cold place. I looked around frantically, trying to find something familiar. I could only make out figures and outlines.

“Maggie?” I heard a voice from behind me.

“Rachel, are you okay?”

“Yeah, what is going on?”

“I don’t know.”

A tall silhouette is now standing in the door frame, blocking the light coming from the outside. Then I remembered. Paul kidnapped us from the party. He torched my car, stuffed Rachel and I in the trunk and drove off to an unknown location.

“I’m glad you two are up. Now we can have some fun,” He flashed his overly white teeth again. The look in his eyes made my skin crawl. “Any volunteers to be first?” He laughed a sinister laugh. “No, okay. Since I already had some fun with your little friend Maggie, I think it’s your turn.”

Suddenly his hands are on me, grabbing me and throwing my over his shoulder. This is the first time that I’ve noticed Paul has rid me from my clothing. Immediately I go into panic mode. I start to kick and scream, trying to get loose. I am helpless though.

I am carried into another room. Paul flips on the lights and all air in my lungs have dissipated. A table with cuffs attached to the four corners, is in the middle. Along the walls are whips and painful looking instruments.

I’m thrown onto the table and the cuffs are effectively locked around my limbs, securing me in place.

“Please, please,” I beg, choking on tears. “You don’t have to do this.”

“Oh but I do. I live to see little girls cry out because of me. It brings me a certain pleasure. When your mom showed me a picture of you on our first date, I knew that I had to have you. And here you are, about to beg for me,” Paul said while walking to a cabinet.

I watched him search around before he pulled out a small switch blade. I gasped as he turned, smiling. He was going to kill me.

“I see your scars Maggie. From the car accident, the one you killed your father in, right?”
“I didn’t kill him.”

“Oh but you did. You begged if you could drive his car. He let you, and then he died.”

Tears came out of my eyes like buckets. “Please stop.”

“Oh I love it when you beg,” Paul pressed the blade on my left foot, drawing a small amount of blood. I gasped out in pain. Slowly, Paul pulls the knife up my calf to my thigh, leaving a gash and blood in its wake. He repeats the process with my right leg, watching me scream out in pain.

“Stop, please. Paul, please just stop,” I heaved. The pain was beginning to be too much. I felt every twitch of the blade as he worked on my arms then my stomach.

My brain was fuzzy, like a tv with no signal. Just a bunch of white noise. This was it, Paul was going to kill me. I could no longer move, though I knew I didn't have any energy if I tried.

"Goodbye Mom. Bye B-man. Take care of them, Logan. I love you," I hear myself say, though I'm not sure if I said it aloud or in my head, as I let darkness pull me into its arm.