"I NEED TO ESCAPE!"
My wrists were burning in pain as I rubbed my arms against each other in the hope of loosening the rope wrapped around it. While I'm blinded by darkness, I kept fighting. I endured every bit of pain while I still have the silence that screams I'm safe and clear to do anything. I never stopped rubbing and used my blood as a lubricant. Even in darkness, I felt my surrounding was moving. I kept passing out but the pain of my hands awakens my mind to continue fighting. And a miracle happened.
My heart seemed to explode with its very loud beat when I realized the tie was loose. I immediately freed the rest of it and removed the thick sack covering my head. As the light from the lightbulb hit my face, I gasped for air and wiped away these droplets of sweat while I tightly closed my eyes to adjust. Seconds later I found myself shocked as to what happened to my body. I'm covered with bruises and swelling wounds. When I observed and confirmed that I was alone inside this old cabin, in the blink of an eye I untied my legs from the chair.
With my remaining strength, before everything will be too late, I stood and rushed towards the door. I twisted the knob and pulled it open. Outside, I was greeted by the vast and dark woods illuminated by the moon of this sky full of stars. I ran as fast as I could. I entered the woods and with my own eyes adjusting in the darkness, I ran and ran in the hope of my feet bringing me to the nearest road or place where I could seek help. I accidentally hit some protruding roots of trees and I tripped and rolled over and over. I gained some fresh wounds but I never stopped and kept standing up again and again with the fear and adrenaline rush fueling my body.
"Oh my God!" I screamed using my rough voice as I heard this gunshot echoing in the woods.
I stopped and looked back, but in the darkness of deep woods, I didn't see any movements or signs of a person coming. I'm still shaking and panting when I leaned on the nearest tree and used it as a support to stay standing. Silence once again swallowed the woods, but it doesn't mean anyone's following me.
"Mincy!" a cold and familiar voice of a man echoed throughout the darkness, "If you think you can escape, you're wrong! You're always tied here, you'll never leave this place! We will kill you!"
I cried in fear. My ears were flooded by sounds of twigs snapping and leaves crumbling. I felt them everywhere, I sensed that at any moment they will find me. My feet and legs moved again and dived deeper into the woods. I don't know where I am going, but I just want to be far away from those men. I don't know the time but I hoped to see the sun rising again to help me find the way out of this place.
A minute later, while I'm finding my way out, I froze in fear when I saw these fires floating in the air and darkness from afar. Torches! They're here! Adrenaline once again flushed throughout my body and I ran like never before. I didn't feel any pain, I never felt tired. It seemed like I was jumping my way out because of my bigger steps.
"Light!"
My face lit up with hope when I saw a light not far from where I was located. It's a street light and I'm certain of it! I never looked back and continued running until I ended up on the roadside illuminated by the single orange streetlight. I grabbed its pole to support my body that's about to give up. I chased my own breathe while I'm often stricken by dizziness. I fought and fought to maintain my consciousness awake.
"Mincy! You'll never get out of here alive!"
One sound caught my attention and it fired up my hope of getting out alive. I saw a car heading to me with headlights glaring my eyes. without hesitation, I ran towards the car and positioned myself in the middle of the road while stretching my arms and waving for help. The car stopped immediately before it could hit me. I saw the silhouette of a woman came out of the car and rushed to me.
"M...Mincy?!"
The headlights revealed her face. My heart melted seeing her again. I cried out so loud and approached her with a very tight hug. Seconds later, seconds later she hugged me and rubbed my back. But when I realized the danger I've still into, withdrew and faced her eye to eye.
"I'm in danger, Diana! I need to get away right now! They're going to kill me! Please! Let's go!" I begged.
In fear, she aided me and hurriedly brought me inside her car. I sat beside her and rested my aching body. She never wasted any second and drove me away from that hellhole. I stared at the rearview mirror and I barely recognized myself. I cried, not just in relief of finally getting away, but because I'm too exhausted. I've never been exhausted like this in my whole life.
"W...What happened, Mincy?" Diana asked, stuttering and eyes locked on the road.
"I was abducted. I...I was locked inside that house in the middle of the woods. I don't know for how long...but the pain of how they tortured and raped me felt like forever. T...Thank you, for passing by. I w...would never get out of there alive without you."
"Who were they?"
"I don't know...I don't have any idea," I answered while wiping off my tears, "H...How long was I missing?"
"One year...today."
"Oh, God! What about my parents? How are they? I missed them so much, I want to see them."
"They're f...fine."
"Let's go see them, please."
"Uhm, we need to go somewhere else first."
"What do you mean? Where are we going?"
"Someplace important."
"M...My parents, are they still looking for me?"
"I'm sorry, but no."
"Oh..."
Silence swallowed the whole journey. Diana was focused on the road and thinking deeply, kind of unusual from the Diana that I used to know. On the other hand, I rested my body and tried to sleep, but the pain of my wounds and bruises prevents me. The ride went smooth, everything was fine. My troubles subsided and I believed I'm finally safe.
"Diana, why are we here in this cemetery? Aren't we supposed to go to the local police station?"
"Come, follow me."
She stepped outside and waited for me. Even if I'm wondering, I decided to step out and followed her inside the private cemetery. Everything felt so eerie. There was a pit inside my stomach that I can't figure out. Every step was heavy, the gravity around was different. With the lights of several lightbulbs hanging, I read the name in each headstone, trying to figure out what Diana was trying to say. Until we stopped in this newly made headstone. The paint hasn't aged, the flowers were still fresh, and the candles were newly melted. And when I read the name engraved, my whole life crumbled.
"N...No. No! This is not true! No! No!" I screamed hoping that I will wake up from this nightmare. "No!"
I fell on my knees and hugged myself to ease my aching heart, while I sobbed and sobbed, pouring all of my tears to the ground. I can't breathe, a thick liquid was clogging my throat. I felt like I'm going to lose my mind. I don't deserve it. I don't deserve this.
"It's true, Mincy. I'm so sorry."
"Please, tell me this is a joke!"
"No. It's true. You need to rest now. You died one year ago today, Mincy. There's nothing for you in here. We already moved on, including your family. Your abductors were killed during the raid. You had your justice. You don't have to hold on to this world."
"No!"
In a blink of an eye, everything was blown away by the wind. Darkness swallowed my eyes and a sharp tone pierced through my ears. And seconds later, when I tried to move. I found myself, again, tied to a chair.
"I need to escape!"
— THE END —
