Strangers

Two

It was almost morning, but Jenny was laying awake in Tom's big house. There were muffled voices coming from the living room, which was close to her room. It was her father and a team of guards discussing what other security measures should be taken.

The girl sighed and opened her eyes, staring up at the dark ceiling. How should she sleep knowing that her mother had been kidnapped from her own office and was now in the hands of criminals. Criminals who might also come after Jenny.

Taylor and Jenny have had a complicated relationship that has only gotten worse over the past few years, but... No matter what, Jenny has now realized that she loves her mother. Whatever she was, always at work, strict, sometimes unfair, but her mom. For no matter what, they had rare moments of intimacy that meant everything to Jenny.

Like a few months ago when Taylor had a day off and they flopped all morning on the bed watching a movie. And then they went on a picnic in the park. And then in the evening after dinner Taylor braided Jenny's long hair into braids and they talked about everything in the world.

Jenny's lips parted in a smile but very soon trembled and after a while she quietly began to shake with invited sobs as she tucked herself into her pillow.

~~~~~~~~~~

Taylor was being strangled. Again. The man's hands clamped tightly around her neck, keeping oxygen out. His fingers rested on the bruises he'd left yesterday, making the whole process even more painful.

"Stubborn bitch," he muttered, finally leaving the poor woman alone.

Taylor just coughed and licked her parched lips, which were smashed and covered in dried blood.

She didn't even want to think about what she looked like now, because her face felt like one big bruise. It was much worse than it had been since the accident.

Taylor ran her tongue over her teeth, again tasting the blood that was now with her everywhere. Now she was missing one fang, the one the man with the beard had knocked out this morning.

If she ever made it out of this horrible place alive, she would have to get a new one put in.

"I ask again, shall we sign the papers?" A voice rang out, but Taylor didn't even have the energy to answer. She just lay on the cold floor, unable to move because of the infernal pain throughout her body.

"Idiot," the man snarled right at her, but it didn't matter. These men had done far worse things to her.

And speaking of worse... Taylor struggled to open her right eye, which was also bruised, to look at the toes of her right foot.

There were no fingernails on two of her toes. They had been mercilessly ripped out yesterday to Taylor's endless screams. She screamed so loud she blew her voice out, but it had no effect so she stared at the two deep bloody wounds. They said this was just the beginning and they would rip out more. 

Taylor believed them.

Her stomach grumbled softly. Of course, Taylor hadn't eaten anything in two days. Only occasionally these monsters would give her a few sips of water so she wouldn't die before her time. But that was it.

"Are you relaxing beautiful?" There was a sneer in the tattooed man's voice, "You're about to get hurt."

At one of the blows Taylor just passed out again, but it even brought her some relief.

~~~~~~~~~~

Another day went by without Taylor. Joe rubbed his eyes tiredly. He and Michael sat in the living room while his son played a game on playstation.