13 days

02

I wake up gasping for air as I soon realise how cold the cement ground is. I looked to see that I was locked in a cell, like a prison.

"Let me out!" I screamed, gripping the bars, and realised he wasn't down there—the man who had taken me.

"It's no use; he will just do stuff to you," I heard someone say, and I looked over into the next cell—the one that separates us by bars.

I saw a boy who looked a bit older than me. He had dark, messy hair; his clothes were torn, and he was covered in bruises. I couldn't help but let a gasp escape.

"How long have you been down here for?" I stuttered as I slowly walked over to the bars where the boy was sulking.

"Six days," he sighed as empathy filled my body, and I sighed before looking back out of the cell.

"What's your name?" I asked him as he gave a faint smile before scooting a bit closer to the bars.

"I'm Jack, and you?" He softly asked with all his strength. He looked like he was being starved.

"Elizabeth," I sighed softly as we heard footsteps down the stairs.

"Elizabeth, act asleep! Go to the corner and pretend to sleep!" He pleaded as I looked at him, confused.

"Elizabeth, he won't do anything to you if you're asleep! "Please act asleep over there. Scoot away from the bar and act asleep!" He pleaded, and I went to the other corner and pretended to be asleep as I heard the footsteps getting closer and closer.

"She's pretty "Isn't she jack?" the man who had grabbed me asked, his arm thudding against the bar.

"She is pretty; she's been asleep for awhile," Jack urged in a calm tone as I heard the man speak before opening a cell. It was Jack's cell.

"Please I've had enough - it's painful" I heard Jack plead as the cell door closed, and I tried not to cringe.

I then heard screaming as I tried not to cry; all I wanted to do was survive—take Jack out of here with me.

"Stop! Stop!" Jack shouted and then it was over—I heard Jack whimpering as the cell door opened and closed.

Then I heard the sounds of the stairs creaking, and I knew he was gone—Jack.

"Jack I'm sorry I shouldn't have pretended" I cried as I saw his weak body with the blood leaking through his clothes.

"I'll be okay. It just hurts," he sighed as I leaned up against the bars.

"We'll make it out of here together," I pleaded, trying to give him hope that we could escape.

"I'd like that, but he's smart, really smart," Jack urged as I looked around.

"We will be okay Don't give up, Jack; the moment you do, he wins; we don't deserve this, no one does.I urged as tears rolled down my face, and I looked around for anything that could help.

"There's no point in checking if all the cells are empty," Jack urged as I found a latch, and my eyes lit up as I pulled it open.

"Food, there's food," I exclaimed as I examined the crackers, which appeared to be slightly stale but still edible.

"Jack, there's food." I smiled and handed him a pack before closing the latch as I heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and I sat down trying to figure out what to say.

"You're awake," the man said, smiling at me as he looked at me through the cell.

"What's your name?" He asked me, and I immediately knew to lie to him.

"Maryanne," I lied as I looked at Jack, and the man weirdly smiled at me.

"Maryanne—you can call me Dean," the man smirked as I nodded.

"Are you hungry?" He asked me, and I shook my head. I was afraid he was going to do something bad.

"I'm good, thank you, but do you think I could use your phone? It's  my little brother; he's sick. I just want to call him and my aunt; tell my aunt I won't be home for awhile; tell my brother everything will be okay. Please" I begged making up a lie and he sighed before denying my request. Shoot! It didn't work.

"It'll all be over soon," Dean assured me before going upstairs as I took a deep breath. I looked around the cell more, looking for anything to help me out.

"You're a great lier, you know that right?" Jack smirked weakly as I chuckled.

"We can do it, Jack, we can make it out," I urged as I sloughed up beside the bar where he noticed me, and I shook his hand reassuringly.

"So what's your story?" I asked Jack as he sighed.

"Think about it: seventeen quarters back for the football team. One day you'll be coming back drunk from a party because you just won a pregame. only to be snatched and taken here, then meet a girl around a week later. The week I was here, I thought a lot about the things I regret—"I spend most nights crying fair warning," he said with a slight chuckle, and I was amazed at how he can make light of this situation.

"Okay, my turn. Sixteen is working at the cafe to support her family. "Walking home one night after an eight-hour shift only to be tricked and stabbed with a needle, I'm most likely going to cry tonight," I teased at the last part as I took a deep breath before looking at Jack.

"Tomorrow will come, and we will start trying to think of how to escape," I assured him before I sunk to the cold floor, taking deep breaths before shutting my eyes as tears rolled down my face.