Never Bend

Chapter 2: Confusion

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One has to be strong inside to blossom and acquire their own identity. We all have it within us. Be strong.  
MJ1
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Annie
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My eyes widen. My heart purrs, pumping blood through my body and setting my senses on high alert. I can feel a presence lurking nearby in the shadows of the room, but I can't be sure what it is. Could it be Julie? Maybe Mum hasn't come back yet and she's having a nightmare.

I sit up, "Julie," my breathing stops, an electric shock seizes my body. As I raise my body, an arm catches me in the middle and another covers my mouth.

My body stiffens and I raise my hands trying to push them gently away, still hoping that they belonged to my brother. He was sometimes a jokester, but this was unusual even for him. Still, hope remains. My fingers reach his hands and my skin crawls. This is not Luc. Who is holding me? Now on full alert, adrenaline coursing through my veins, I fight back. I kick my legs and arms, just hoping to get away and find a hiding place where I can call for help.

My heart skips a beat. It was bad enough seeing the man's shadow above me. Suddenly, another set of hands grabs my legs and pulls them firmly to the end of the bed. My heart is beating so loud that I can't hear anything else.

Any hope of stopping this is now gone. My worst nightmare has come true. This nightmare was actually happening. Fear fills my eyes.

A gag is now in my mouth. My body grows cold, sending shivers down my spine. My hands are tied so that my skin jerks in pain with every movement.

I try to look at my attackers, but the moonless night prevents me from seeing anything, and every struggle causes pain in my limbs.  They pulled the restraints tightly into place. My frail body is no match for their muscular, overpowering physiques.

Left alone for a second, they look at each other as if having a conversation, giving me a chance to escape. "Roll out of bed," was the best idea I could come up with, and I did, only to be catch by a hand pinning me to the mattress. In my nightmares as vivid as this ones, I was strong, here I was powerless. My strength wasn't enough, I couldn't scream...

"There's no way I can make it out of here," I tell myself, a sound like a wounded animal came from the back of my throat, but I was quick to muffle it.

My body shakes uncontrollably, my mind goes blank and all I can do is try to control my breathing as it's getting harder and harder to fill my lungs with air. Anxiety, asthma and panic attacks, they were the shackles in her life. One never came without the other.

"Think... find an outcome." I repeat to myself.

The apartment building has only two suites, and since the neighbors are on vacation, there is no one to come to my rescue. My siblings were asleep and I didn't want to put them in danger. That left my mother, but was she even back from her job? Helpless, I let tears fill my eyes. Anyway, what could my mother do against two grown men?

My body shakes, my breathing is far from being under control. How can I find another outcome, when I already know the end of this tale?

A scream of fear comes out of my mouth, I bite the gag in my mouth. My body is lifted and thrown over a shoulder like a sack of potatoes, turning my insides upside down.