I was standing in the queue at the bank, when I received a call that would change the trajectory of my life.
I fingered the gold cross that hung around my neck, a present from my father for my twelfth birthday. I let it drop onto my chest as he breathed the words down the line. Every single hair on my body stood up in fear.
"You only have 4 hours left, you better get a move on Amy. I wouldn't want my lucky charm to disappoint me. Tick Tok".
My father called me his lucky charm as a kid and the sharp words coming from the mystery man's mouth sent a cold shiver down my spine.
As I inched closer in line at the bank, I knew my time was running out. The mystery man on the line had taken my mum hostage after my dad had lost at a poker game and left me instructions when my mum failed to return home and dad no where in sight. He owed a lot of money from an unknown gambling problem and I had decided to make a deal with the devil to try and clear his debt.
"Next please," the lady called, jolting me out of my racing thoughts.
I walked to the booth as she asked how she could help.
"I'd like to withdraw everything from this account please" I said sliding my id and the account card towards her. She gave me a puzzled look.
"Are you sure miss?
"Very", I said smiling at her.
"You'll have to follow me to a private room".
Once we were in a room she asked me again if I was sure again and my answer was the same. She returned a moment later with bags of cash. I ran out of the bank and loaded it into my car, taking off as fast as humanly possible without drawing attention to myself.
After what felt like forever I was on the road and following the map with the directions the mystery man had provided on the phone. I only had half an hour left. I felt sweat coat my body as the panic I had been holding off started to set in.
After turning off at route 54, the map led me to an abandoned warehouse, dust coating every inch of the place. I was pulled further into the nightmare, the deeper I got into the building when the smell of blood entered my nose. Every one of my senses was consumed by the bitter, metallic taste that filled my nose and my airways. I couldn't breathe.
A hand touched my shoulder and a cold shiver ran up my spine once again, panic setting in.
"I've been waiting for you", he said, hitting my core.
I turned to look into the eyes of my mother's capturer.
Black soulless eyes stared back into mine before everything went black.
Time had officially run out.
