stockholm syndrome | styles

chapter six

I was shocked by the news I had just found out. My parents owed such terrible people money. My mind flooded with questions, "Did they used to work with your parents?"

"I-"

"You need to promise to tell me the truth and only the truth."

"I'm not supposed to even be down here."

"Help me. Please." I looked up at her with my eyebrows slightly furrowed and my eyes widened. I took her silence as an agreement. I repeated my question, "Did my parents used to work for yours?"

"I'm not sure." She said softly, "From what I've heard, your parents were in the same organization mine are. They borrowed a lot of money from my parents and the boss and just...disappeared. When you became all famous, it led us straight to your mother."

I was silent for a few moments. All this information was new and shocking to me. "How much do they owe?"

"I don't-" she groaned and covered her face with her hands in frustration before removing them, "I don't know! You can only get so much information by eavesdropping."

"Do you know what they're gonna do next?" I asked, "Why am I here?"

"Leverage." She said, "They needed something that means so much to them that it would almost kill them to lose. And that's their kids."

"Kids? You only have me." Thank god. I said in my head.

Missie stayed silent, avoiding eye contact with me like she knew something. I stared at her, trying to read her expression before it clicked. "Oh my god," I said, my voice shaky, "No."

"Its just an idea they were throwing around. They can't take her, she's constantly surrounded by the police." She said. I fell silent, trying to fight the tears that filled my eyes. Missie approached me and sat down in front of me. She brought a hand to my cheek, causing me to look up and make eye contact. "Hey, I'm going to try my best to make they don't hurt her. I promise."

—

The next few days were rough, emotionally. I was drained and exhausted and anxious for the most part. I wasn't getting questioned for the time being, which worried me. What if they were planning to take my sister?

I wanted to forget about the vital piece of information that I had found out about my parents. It made me wonder if that was the reason for their divorce. My theories seem to fit to the situation. I was more confused than I was in the beginning.

The only okay thing that was really happening was that Missie would come down and spend multiple hours with me. She gave me the feeling of comfort and security, which was a feeling that seemed foreign for the amount of time I was here. We would talk about random things and joke around; she would make me laugh. She had a great sense of humor. Surprisingly, given the circumstances, I was starting to really enjoy her company.

"Do you go to school?" I asked. I still was curious and had many questions that remained unanswered. If we were going to be spending this time with each other, might as well get to know her.

"No, I haven't for a while. My parents pulled me out during my last year. I didn't get to graduate." She sighed, "They needed me to 'train'."

"Train?"

"Handling a gun, self defense. That type of stuff." She explained as she played with the shoelaces of her sneakers.

"But," I chuckled, lightly.

"What?" She looked up, raising her eyebrow.

"You're so..." I chucked, "small."

Missie tilted her head, "Alright, who's chained up to the wall right now?"

I let out a small gasp, before smiling, which felt like a foreign feeling in my situation. "You caught me off guard that doesn't count."

"I think it does." She replied.

We both chuckled before silence fell between us. "You know," I said after couple moments, "You could do something better than doing this with your life."

"I'm not even a high school graduate." She chuckled, "Plus, if something happens to my parents, I get their money, and God knows I'm going to need it."

"I could help you," I said before frowning, "You know, if I get out."

"If you get out, it doesn't mean I will." She said with a sigh. She turned and moved so she sat next to me, leaning against the wall. "I'm stuck."

I was silent for a few moments, thinking what to say. I wasn't very good at comforting.  She chuckled, "Sorry, I made this kind of depressing."

"I'm getting to know more about you."

"I shouldn't be telling you these things."

"You shouldn't be holding me down here either, but here we are." I said with a small smile, trying to make light of this terrible situation.

Missie chuckled along with me before we both fell silent again. This time I didn't have anything to say. I liked the silence; there was a sense of comfort and peace in it, and I could really use those two things right now.

I felt her head rest on my shoulder. I glanced down at her to see that her eyes were closed and she was probably falling asleep. I smiled to myself, slightly, before resting my head on hers.

I guess a nice thing that came out all this was meeting Missie. I may had just met her, but I knew that if she was with me I'd be safe.