My Mystery Mate

Chapter 8 ~ Don't Give Up

One Week After Gabrielle Disappeared

 Ugh. My head is pounding. I don’t know what these people are putting in my food, but it’s keeping me asleep most of the time. A guard has been put outside my door, I think so they know if I try to escape. Any thought I had that I would be saved is gone. Nobody will tell me why I’m here, or what’s going on.  It’s so infuriating! One thing’s for sure. Whatever’s wrong with my stomach, it’s not a bug. Pretty much anything these people give me to eat, I puke up almost immediately. The last few days I’ve spent more awake than asleep, so I’ve been able to hear bits and pieces of conversations.  From what I can tell, there’s about 15 other people here, including the two nimrods I first met. I haven’t been able to shower; hell the only time I get off this bed is twice a day to use the bathroom! The only other thing that’s changed are my clothes. The first night I woke up here, I was given a white, long-sleeved dress to wear. It would button up to my throat, but I didn’t want to suffocate, so I only did the buttons up to my collarbone. The dress flows down to my feet, but it doesn’t hide much. It’s basically see through! Well, it was. Now, it’s more of a light brown color, what with me spilling food on it, and sweating in my sleep. Thankfully, I’ve kept the light on most of the time, in the hopes that I won’t be bothered.

 That guy in the parking lot who first scared the crap out of me? His name is Hank, and he’s the boss of the people here, although he’s not the ‘head honcho’. No one will tell me what’s going on, except that the head boss wants me. For what, I don’t know. I’ve seen five or six different men, and they all look pretty much the same. Long, scraggly beards, yellow rotted teeth; tall, heavily muscled and ugly. I’d say they’re about 6’2’’ or so, which is huge compared to my measly 5’4’’. There’s no way I could ever hope of overpowering any of them, and there’s too many others here for me to risk trying to trick someone.

 The room I’m in? It’s pretty small. More like a large closet, actually. Four walls, a door, and a small bed. There’s a boarded up window above the bed, but I’m afraid to pry off the boards, since I don’t know what floor I’m on. I also have no idea what time of day (or night) it is. The house is never really quiet, but there are times when it’s quieter than others. Like right now. Hmm. I wonder what that means.

 Suddenly, I heard a woman’s voice outside my door. I quickly ran to it, pressing my ear against the cold wood. I couldn’t hear anything except low murmurs, and then the fading footsteps of the woman. I heard a soft thump, then the guard’s footsteps growing further away as well. Maybe he was going after her? Silently opening the door, I discovered a pile of clothes on the floor. I quickly scooped them up, shutting the door just as silently. I sat on the bed, looking at the clothes. I discovered jeans, a t-shirt, clean underwear, socks and a pair of boots. After putting on the clothes, I stuffed my hands in the front pockets, smoothing them out. Taking out the paper I found, I read it, my heart pounding in my chest.

 Dearest Luna,

 Yes, I know who you are. Well, more than you know. I know who your parents are, and who you are to The Treasured Pack, although you may not recognize them as such. Your mates, Chance and Damien, have been looking for you since you disappeared, but have nothing to follow. You see, the people who took you have a special way of hiding their scent.

 Look under the bed.

 I did so, wondering if this was a trick or a dream. I found a backpack, with two changes of clothes, two light blankets, and some oddly wrapped food. At the very bottom, I found a bag full of cash, a weird looking light, and 5 large but oddly light bottles of lotion. I closed up the backpack and went back to the letter.

 Everything you need for the next few days is there. Under the mattress you’ll find a small bar. Take that and use it to open the window. Don’t worry; as long as you keep the bar with you, you’ll be safe. It has been…enchanted. It can become anything you need it to-just think of what you want, and the bar will become it. I know, sounds crazy, right? Just please finish reading this letter and you can try it out.