Untold Truth

Chapter 11

I walk into my room and shut and lock it, in case my dad tries to bust in in the middle of the night. He does that often. I lean against my door and put my forehead on it. I want to cry because of all this stress. I push it away. I won't cry over this.

"Karlie," I jump at the sound of someone else in here. I turn around to see Ken sitting on my bed. His hair is a mess and his face has a maniac smile on it. In his hand he's holding a knife and incepting it. What happened to him?

"Mr. Santias, what are you doing in my room?" I ask cautiously but nicey. He gets off the bed and heads over to me. I am forced against the door.

"Shut up!" He yells. "I get to ask the questions here!" He plays with the knife.

I look at him with terrified eyes. What does he want? Does he know?

"You killed my brother." He declares. He knows.

"No, I didn't." I say, gripping a knife I hide on a shelf by my door. He doesn't see me grab it.

"Oh please. He's my twin. We do everything together. We were going to kidnap you for money. We know your father is loaded. My twin was going to come to your house to get you earlier and tonight I would negotiate with him. But the second I saw you here I knew something was wrong. They found female footprints by his body. Who knew Neil O'Connell's daughter was a little badass. But the point is, you killed my twin!" He gets even angrier.

"I didn't kill him. I couldn't kill anyone." I try to say it boldly as possible but it comes out as a weak whisper.

He ignores my last comment and continues, "Do you know what the money was for? It was for mine and Mandy's wedding." At this he turns around and storms off to the bed facing away from me. I walk over to him preparing to stab him if it comes to that.

"I'm sorry. But I'm sure my dad will give you the money if you just ask," I offer. I know that wouldn't work though.

He turns to me and yells, "No! I've tried that!" He looks me up and down as if to see if he could take me on. "But I haven't tried this." At the last word he lunges towards me trying to tackle me but I move to the side and stab him right on the shoulder. He holds back a scream not wanting to wake my dad as he falls to the floor. I am prepare to fight him.

A slender hand comes around my mouth with a wet cloth. "You'll pay," whispers Mandy. I breathe in. I pass out.

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I wake up facing the forest, but not the forest by my house, a different one across town. I try to get up but I can't. I'm tied to a chair with my hands behind my back. My legs are also tied to the bottom. Mandy steps into my view and I try to yell at her, only to discover I've been gagged to. I give her a long hateful glare and I try to break free.

"You are lucky you 'idn't 'eriously 'urt Ken." When she says his name, Ken walks to her side with his shoulder bandaged up. "If you 'ould've, I 'ould've takeen your life."

I try again to get out of the ropes but they don't budge. How the hell did I not notice Mandy in my room with Ken. "Don't struggle, Miss O'Connell. It will do no use. Now I'm going to call you're father and then I'm going to let him hear you scream so he understands my seriousness. If you refuse to scream, well we will make you." He states calmly. I shake my head. I will not participate in this.

Mandy comes around to where I am and whispers, "Don't 'orry 'oney, 'e're only going to keell you." She grabs a fist full of my hair and yanks my head slightly back so I am looking up at her. She runs a finger down my cheek. He nails are very long. "Its okay to cry." She tells me then shoves my head forward and walks to the front of me. I keep my head down. If I do cry, she won't get the pleasure of seeing it.

Ken looks at her. "Mandy we're not killing her yet. He father would want her alive." He puts a hand on my shoulder. "Just give us what we want, and you will be fine." Then he dials the phone. I force back any tears and look up.

"Neil! Hey so here's the deal. I've got here with me your lovely daughter." Pause. "Why yes she has been trouble. But that's not the point. I have her. And I want enough money to pay for whatever big wedding Mandy wants. If you don't bring the money by 12pm tonight, I will kill her." He holds out the phone.

Mandy takes off my gag and says, "Now plead to 'im."

"No," I say. Mandy yanks my hair back so hard I'm forced to cry out.

"More!" She demands. I don't answer and she slaps me in the face.

"Dad!" I yell. I would rather have him beat me then this abuse.

"Not eenof!"Mandy screams. She takes out a little pocket knife and cuts a thick cut into my arm. A blood curling scream escapes me.

Ken picks back up the phone, "See, I'm not bluffing. You have 30 minutes until midnight. Better hurry." He finishes and hangs up the phone. He looks at me sorrowful and says, "I'm really sorry it had to come down to this Karlie. I didn't want anyone to get hurt. But I will kill you if he's not here by midnight." He says like he's actually sorry.

"You bastard." I try to spit at him like in the movies but it doesn't even hit him.

"Oh haha. Feisty. Mandy, put back on her gag, I don't want to hear her." He says.

My arm is bleeding from the cut. I want to get out of here. After what feels like hours of waiting Ken comes up to me. "He has 5 minutes," he whispers.

5 minutes? He's not going to come. My dad is gonna let me die. One tear escapes me and then they all come out. He has enough money to pay the ransom to. I try to get out again but Mandy sees me and slaps me. "Stop crying. Or I'll geev you sumeting to cry aboot." I stop crying.

My spirits rise when I see lights shine on. Mandy and Ken look behind me to what must be a road. I hear a car engine. I listen and hear a car door shut.

"Neil. Good to see you still care for your daughter. Now give me the money or I'll shoot her." His voice is shaky now. I feel him put the gun to my temple. The gun is sort of wobbly on my head. I close my eyes and bite my tongue.

"Here's the money, Ken. Now let her go." My dad says in a bored tone. Like this is childsplay. But then again if he's leader of the Yuris it must be.

"As promised." My hands are untied and so are my feet. I take off my gag and turn to my dad. I run to him ready to embrace him. But when I reach him he says, "Don't make a scene, Karlie." So I just walk with him back to the car. "You have to act like this doesn't bother you, and they won't want to do it again." He is so cold to me that it hurts.

We ride in silence back to our house. I didn't notice before but I'm shaking rapidly. My cut is bleeding pretty bad to. I put my hand on it and my dad hands me a napkin. I press it very tightly against the wound to keep it from bleeding. I feel a bit light headed from the blood I loss.

He parks the car and we sit in silence for a while. Finally he gets out. I follow, expecting some kind of affection. But he just goes into the house and walks up the stairs.

I come inside and go to the bathroom. I clean out my cut and bandage it up. Then I brush my teeth and change my clothes. That's when I remember the note. I pull it out of my shirt and examine it. There's no point in fretting over it tonight so I put it in my pajama shirt. I'll show Jack tomorrow.

I look down at the dress from tonight, crumpled on the floor. It now has blood on it. I don't want to ever be in that dress again. I put it in the laundry hamper and go to my room. I need sleep.