Azure

Light danced across my vision when I finally came to. Fluttering my eyes open, I was met with the interior of what looked to be a minivan. It took a few minutes before I fully regained my senses, only to realize that my hands were still cuffed behind my back. Still... That's right. I was kidnapped. Memories of what had transpired before I blacked out raised a feeling of panic within me. Frantically, I searched my surroundings only to find that I was alone for now. I let out a sigh of relief at the fact, allowing myself to relax for the moment.

In an attempt to shift around into a more comfortable position, a sharp pain shot across my shoulders. A strangled groan rumbled in my chest as I tried to ease the pain of both my body and mind. God, my head was killing me. It must've been because of whatever it was he gave me. My breathing came in short labored puffs out of my nose and it was then that I noticed my mouth had also been gagged and taped. Once again, I fumbled around, trying to sit up when my eyes caught a glimpse of the clock on the dashboard.

4:37 AM

Three hours had passed since my kidnapping. An uneasy feeling settled within my stomach however as I really took in my surroundings. A lot could be done within that time. A shudder ran through me as I shook my head, trying to rid my mind of the possibilities.

The minivan was parked in the lot of what looked to be a motel. You'd think... being a kidnapper and all, he would have picked a place that was a little less conspicuous. I stretched my neck to peak out the window to my left. The motel's sign stood tall in its obnoxious neon red. The light didn't help to ease my throbbing headache the slightest. Wincing in pain, I squeezed my eyes shut to try and suppress the building nausea. Now was not the time.

I looked out once again only to spot a head of scruffy brown hair and a shock of a smile exiting the check-in building. My heart rate spiked as I kicked myself back, trying to go back into the position I woke up in. My eyes clenched shut as I tried to suppress the trembles that violently shook my spine. Maybe if I pretended to still be unconscious, I could catch him off guard.

The sound of the door sliding open had me instinctively curling in on myself. That was my first mistake. I mentally cursed myself as I felt his hand curl around my arm, jerking me upright. My muscles protested at the sudden action after being in an awkward position for such a long time.

"Upsy daisy." Alex. That was his name, or at least that's what he said it was right before I blacked out, but that's the only thing I'll acknowledge. "Look at you. You're all messed up from your nap. Here, let me fix your hair," I stared at him wide-eyed as he reached out to smooth my hair down. His voice was sticky sweet when he spoke and I suppressed the urge to puke all over myself, instead shying away from his touch. Alex frowned at that, this time pulling me closer more forcefully and keeping me in place with a tight grip. He clucked his tongue as if he were chastising a child, "That's not nice." He spoke in a soft and low tone. It gave me chills.

"Come on. I already checked us in so we can go right into our room now," Alex flashed a smile, moving his hand closer to my face. I flinched again, only to find that he was going to remove the gag from my mouth. His fingers curled around the edge of the tape, but he didn't pull just yet. Leaning in so that our noses just barely touched, he said, "I'm going to take this off now. You can't scream though. Someone might hear," Alex's eyes wandered around me face as if admiring a painting. He cast his eyes down, speaking with a regrettable tone, "I don't wanna have to kill you. That's what happened with the others," then he smiled, "But you aren't like that. I know you love me. Right?" I could only stare in horror, frozen in fear.

That was my second mistake.

His eyes hardened, face expressionless. Any sign of the kind smile he had earlier was wiped away. This time, he grabbed me by the shoulders, lowering his body and angling his chin up to look at me, "Right." His voice was strained and forceful, as if there was only one answer. As if I were to say anything else, the outcome would not be pretty. I felt tears prick the corners of my eyes, but I furiously blinked them away, nodding in sheer desperation.

I hadn't noticed I was crying- sobbing until his arms wrapped around me in a warm embrace, shocking me into silence. Hiccups shook my body all the while his hand soothingly rubbed my back, "Shhh, I'll keep you safe. Don't cry." That's right. As long as I listened to what he said, I would be okay. I just had to keep this up long enough until someone came looking. I just had to play along and I could survive this.

I inhaled deeply, finally calming down. Too afraid to push him away myself, I waited. When he finally decided that it was okay, he pulled away, flashing me that warm smile again. I resisted the urge to grimace. "I'll be taking this off now," he frowned slightly, "It'll hurt, so please bear with me." I braced myself for the pain, but it wasn't anything unbearable. My lips were already numb after being gagged for so long. He removed the cloth that had been stuffed into my mouth, tossing it onto the asphalt. I couldn't help but gag as it exited my mouth, frowning at the dry feeling it left.

Suddenly, a water bottle was thrust into my face, causing me to almost fall back in surprise, but his hand steadied me. The sound of a laugh, had me snapping my head up to meet his gaze, "Silly, it's just water. Your mouth is dry right?" I sucked in a breath, unable to find words. Instead, I gave a hesitant nod, but suddenly the thought struck me. What if he had drugged the drink? I didn't want to pass out again. My head was still throbbing from whatever it was that he gave me earlier. He must've noticed my hesitation because he reassured me that it didn't have anything in it. He didn't plan on knocking me out unless I caused any trouble. I was still iffy about drinking it though, but figured I'm already here. I might as well.

I graciously took a sip out of the bottle, by his hand of course, moving away once I was done. I didn't have much of an appetite for anything but the cool water helped to sooth my parched throat a bit. Alex put the water bottle away, moving back slightly before holding his hand out. "Come on, Let's go in," I stared at him questioningly. Taking his hand would be a little bit difficult at the moment. When he realized his mistake, he smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand. "Oh! I forgot," he chuckled, "My bad." I gave him an incredulous look. His behavior... was so childlike.

Alex grinned, helping me out of the van and guiding us to our room. My handcuffs never came off.

-

The room wasn't anything special. A single queen sized bed was pushed up against the far wall. It had an oak finish and teal bed sheets that matched the wallpaper. The carpet was a shade of lime green, but if you asked me, it looked a lot more like barf. In the corner to our left was a stand with a small LED TV and next to that was the phone with a list of numbers to call if you needed anything. There were two night stands, one on either side of the bed with a matching wooden finish and two small chairs and a table in the corner to our right. The door to the bathroom was also located on the right wall.

I allowed myself to walk further into the room, surveying the area that I assumed we'd be staying for the night. Though looking at the time, I didn't see a point. Behind me, I could hear the click of the door closing and the hairs on my body stood up in response. We were alone together behind closed doors. I could hear his steps approaching and before he could get too close, I whipped around to face him, eyes wide and alert. Alex stopped abruptly, eyes narrowing before taking a step further. I fumbled back, tripping over my own two feet before falling onto the bed.

That was my third mistake.