Ebenezer Girl

Part 1

Hands tied together, tape shutting my mouth and a bag over my head; definitely a hobby i have recently discovered. Pretending to be kidnapped? I wish this was pretend but unfortunately it is probably the day I meet my unfortunate end.

"Take the bag off her head", a deep voice and slightly croaky from a cigar that they must be smoking since it is all I can smell and breathe. They lift the bag up and I look straight at this man in front of me. Sharp dark blue suit with a trench coat and his hair was slit back formally. He looked oddly like a lawyer.

"Your name is Alice Walker, a student at UCL currently studying English Literature with French. Probably terrible at the French because the British care nothing for it. Don't blame ya." His cigar died. Sighing he grabs another and lights it immediately and stares back at me. "I'll cut the birthday cake now Alice, we need you"

My eyes pierced I glare at him. I don't know this man. I don't know where I am. Seconds ago I thought I was going to die and I wasn't against the idea...

They remove the tape from my mouth and the air comes back into my system, I take a moment to slow down and practice inhaling slowly to compose myself. "Who even are you?", I ask.
"Norman.. Norman Miracle" 
"And why would you need help from a normal girl like me"
"Ordinary.. that's a good start"
Huffing I jolt my head moving it away from my eyes. Norman inhales the fumes, "you see I work for this business, it's practically naked eye. It's called Ebenezer" -
"Stone of help",
I interrupt.
"good girl... guess I shouldn't expect less from a literature student". He sneered at me and my face didn't change an inch, as I owed this unknown man no reaction for kidnapping me and suddenly asking for my time. "We sell pharmaceuticals, or as you'd call it drugs. Recreational drugs; primarily cannabis and MDMA", he pauses and gets closer to my face.

"Do you take drugs Alice?"
"I used to, only analgesics when my mother was going through a surgical recovery"
"That's quite impressive, you don't strike me as a junkie girl"
"I'm not... I did say 'used to' didn't I?"
He backs up and smokes the last bit of his cigar. He looks in contemplation almost as if he is taking one of my exams, "We need you to help us expand Ebenezer further by selling at your university", he says aloud as I struggle a bit annoyed. "That's criminal! I'm not doing such a thing!" I shout.

Norman holds my shoulder leaning forwards on his dark oak chair, "we're not forcing you love? We have an offer" he looks me in the eyes. "I heard your mother made a little mistake and she bumped a cyclist with her car a bit too hard, and because he is the son of someone so important!", he gets up from his chair and rubs my chin up to look up at him. "The only way you can save her is with money, and do you have that money Miss Walker?"

How did they know about my mother? How did they even know about my place of study and my name? I have so many questions but the only thing that pops into my head in this current moment is the money.

He's right about me not having the money. If there's one thing that would bring this world together is financial stability. And no I'm not communist I just believe some people deserve more money than others, for example: Healthcare assistant compared to an Influencer. Call me old fashioned but there's a clear reason why I believe what I believe, if you had a heart attack on the way to work who'd you think would do their best to save you? Maybe I'm biased (my mother is a nurse assistant and works too many hours).

"How much would you give me?" whispering almost in tears because of my desperation being raw and exposed to these cruel men. "20k on your first month", Norman replies looking down at me over his shoulder whilst he stands. Biting my lip in frustration, I squint my eyes and nod, "l-let me think about it please"

"So be it... here's my personal card. If you tell anyone about this Miss Walker", "we will destroy you". The tape goes back on followed with the bag around my head and suddenly I was on a cold dark road all by myself , They drive off  in a very dark car but because I don't have my glasses I can't see the number plate from a distance.

Keys twinkling my dorm door unlocks and my eyes gloom focusing on the untidy lifestyle I live, "Alice where have you been you look like a mess?" my friend and accommodation buddy Filipa asks with a worried expression. "I'm okay! I promise just a long outing at the club last night" Saving it. she stares at me grimy; "you do realise you've never been clubbing before?". I'm startled due to my nature I had completely forgot I'm not a clubbing girl. Filipa waits for a response, "I- went with a boyfriend"
"boyfriend?"
"Yes"
"No"
Filipa sighs and walks off as I close my door.

Sitting on my bed I drop back and spread my arms. This experience made me want to re-evaluate what I'm doing for myself and how I even got here in the first place. Norman had dark blue eyes the type that look very close to Lapis if the sun shun down on them, it made me wonder why a possibly thirty year old man was working in such a dangerous business? Does Ebenezer make the clients and employees rich? Sitting up on my bed pulling my laptop to me I begin to research in the dark web. 'Ebenezer', 'Norman Miracle'

Nothing. Absolutely nothing came up. In just a cami top my body flops back on the bed, my eyes blink slowly from emotional exhaustion. I wish, My mother was here. But sadly she's back in Manchester trying to help the boy she almost killed in that accident, all the family of that boy do is spit on her. I don't blame them but...she's still my mother.

*

This felt like a dream, it must be. Opening my hazel eyes looking down at small handed me, "Alice I don't think I can do it, I'm so scared! What if my parents find out! Alice please!". The girl grabs onto me tightly holding onto dear life panicking, she breathed as if she was going to die. And that's when I realised she was Carolina; my friend during secondary school, pregnant when she was fourteen. She never told me the father and frankly I didn't want to know in case it made her uncomfortable and silence her from telling me anything. We were at the abortion clinic and all the nurses had fuzzy faces to me, maybe my recognition wasn't needed for this dream. Holding Carolina's hand she cries, and cries. I just wanted her to be okay and my wish never came true; frankly I think Carolina got worse.

All I could hear was her tears of fear. And weak voice of giving up.