One Out of Four

Chapter 7.

This took place when Linda was a 19 years old before she became a social worker. She's sat on a bench at the bus station, watching the sky. She anxiously waited for the bus to arrive.

Approaching her was a man with a stack of newspapers, offering one to Linda.

"Here," he said.

Linda accepted the newspaper with a nod and replied, "Thanks."

Two women took seats on either side of her, surrounding her.

The man continued, "Here you go," distributing newspapers to the ladies, and then walked away.

Intrigued, Linda opened the newspaper, and her eyes locked onto the headline.

Newspaper Reads: Man Gets Kidnapped.

Linda gasped as she read the article. "A man, Marco, gets fired after missing three weeks of work. Employees suspect he was kidnapped."

Linda gasps, in shock, "Oh wow, that is terrible."

Her commentary didn't sit well with the ladies on either side of her.

"Shh," they both said.

Not wanting to disturb them further, Linda drew the newspaper closer to her face, her eyes widening with concern.

In the present, Linda yells, "You're Marco?"

Marco's muffled response reached her ears.

Determined, Linda pulled down the rope, revealing Marco's anxious face. She removed the apple that had gagged him.

With the ability to talk, Marco yells, "This lady is insane!"

Carefully, Linda bent her knees and began unwrapping the rope that had bound Marco's body.

"What happened to you?" Linda asked, concerned for his safety.

Marco mentions, "It all started ten years ago."

The Past - The night things folded.

Marco and Diana found themselves locked in an intimate embrace. Diana perched on the kitchen table, her legs wrapped around Marco's waist.

Marco became uncomfortable and left their lips untouched. "Wait," he said.

Diana, her voice a sultry whisper, asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's late," Marco told her, nervousness rising.

Regrettably, Marco extracted himself from Diana. "I should go."

Diana tried to pursue, "Wait! You should have a beer first before you go."

Marco seemed unclear about Diana's actions. "Umm, no, that's okay."

Unsurprisingly, she continued. "Please, I insist." Diana moved closer to Marco, giving him a peck on his cheek.

Diana smiled. "You're really cute. Can you wait on the couch real quick?"

Marco's gut feeling let him down. "Sure," he said, feeling turned on.

Marco settled onto the couch, waiting for his drink.

Diana, with a spike in her heart, poured a toxic substance into the wine glass filled with beer, stirring it with her finger.

Diana whispered, "Perfect," showing no remorse for her actions.

Diana entered the living room, holding Marco's drink, then handed it to him. Marco, unsuspecting, accepted it.

Marco smiled. "Thank you."

He took a sip.

"Take another sip," she chuckled, a sinister undertone hidden beneath her charm.

Marco, under her spell, took another small sip.

"Aw, baby, you can do better than that," Diana pointed out.

Marco, unable to resist her, took a long sip.

Diana's laughter filled the room.

Marco's breathing grew heavy.

Marco, feeling frightened, said, "I should go."

In a hurry, Marco made it to the front door and flung it open, but before he could escape, he heard Diana's voice repeating. "Where do you think you're going?"

Marco's vision got blurry. "Wha- what did you do?" He slurred through his words.

Marco collapsed to the floor.

The Present:

With fear in his eyes, Marco adds, "She even told me that her and I were forever. But I- I don't want that. I can't anymore. It's too much for me."

Linda feels for Marco. "I promise to get you out of here."

Marco smiles, then it fades. "Just promise me something."

"Anything," Linda says with determination.

Marco says softly, "Put Kyle and Kacey in a good home."

Onto Kacey and Kyle:

Kacey and Kyle sat on the bed in a small, cheap hotel room.

Kacey turned her head to Kyle. "Thanks for coming with me. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I don't want you to leave me."

Without staring back, Kyle said, "Doesn't matter," his tone demonstrating numbness.

Kacey saw Kyle's passion to give up. "Kyle, I'm really worried... about you," hoping he comes to the realization that he is not okay.

Still looking at the floor, Kyle said, "Kacey, I'm hungry. Can you get me a burger?"

Wanting to cheer her brother up, she nodded her head. "Yeah, sure," she stood up.

Before opening the door, she turned back and said, "Are you going to be okay?"

Kyle nodded his head in response. "Yeah."

Kacey closed the door behind her, getting a burger for Kyle.

Meanwhile, police cars and an ambulance surrounded Diana's house.

Diana, now in handcuffs, protested her innocence as a police officer directed her into the car.

Diana shouted, "He's lying! I didn't do anything!"

The officer closed the car door, and another officer stared at Diana in disbelief.

Trying to avoid the commotion that she started, she goes, "Where is Kacey and Kyle? Are they in school? I have to take-"

The police officer softly interrupts, "Ma'am, we were notified by the school that they did not show up today. We have other officers on the search."

Diana is in shock. "What! Where could they be?"

At the hotel room, Kacey re-entered with a burger for Kyle.

Kacey said, "Kyle, I brought you the-"

She dropped the burger, as she looked at the only person she had left in this cruel, unjustified world.

Kyle was sprawled on the floor with a stab wound to his neck and stomach, surrounded by a pool of blood.

Kacey rushed over to Kyle, screaming her lungs out. "Kyle! Why, Kyle, why?" She sobbed uncontrollably.

Spotting a bloody knife sticking out of the bed, Kacey's anger flared.

Kacey shouted. "You're just a kid!"

Kacey tenderly touched Kyle's cheek, her thumb smeared with his blood.