Ivy

Chapter 1 - Stolen

I looked around the busy shopping centre, gripping my bag of cookies firmly with one hand. Mrs Cornhill told me I had to stay with all the other girls but I had lost them in the busy crowd.

I sat in a nearby fountain, waiting for a few minutes but after a while I realised they were not coming back and I needed to keep on selling cookies.

You see, me and the other girls were here to raise money for Amelia's treatment in America. CSFAG was the school I attended and we all banded together when someone needed any extra treatment.

Standing up from the fountain I approached people repeating: "Would you like to buy some delicious cookies and help Cornhills School For Autistic Girls?"

After selling a few more bags I was still lost and confused when a man wearing dark clothing and sunglasses approached me.

"Hello baby girl, I see your selling some delightful cookies," he rasped as he leaned against the fountain next to me.

"Yes sir," I responded nervously. "I have peanut butter, cookie and cream and triple chocolate for only £3. You also would be helping a great cause.

"Well you don't have to convince me any more honey butter." he smiled "But unfortunately I left all my money back in my van. I don't want to leave you here all alone since you look very lost. How about this," he paused, "You follow me to my van, I get my money and by your cookies and then I'll call whoever you want to get you home safely."

I hesitated, worried about W il his plan. Then I realised if I didn't take his offer I'll be stuck alone at the mall with no way of finding Miss Cornhill.

"Thank you sir, of course I'll take your offer," I trop replied smiling.

Outside the mall, we walked through the car park and as we were crossing the road he grabbed my hand and pulled me towards a white van.

"This is my baby," he grinned peering at the van. He reached into the front sit from the window, rummaging around as I stood awkwardly by the passenger door.

"Well I have your money my darling, but I think I must've left my phone in the back of the truck."

"Would you be a darling and get it for me," he continued still rummaging in the front of the car.

Cautiously, I approached the back of the van and opened the two doors. The stench instantly hit me, and my eyes didn't adjust to the darkness that had suddenly enveloped me.

Stumbling around, I groped for the phone along the floor and my hand hit something. Grabbing it, I was startled to her a groaning sound and as I looked closer I saw that a girl was lying half naked on the ground, in fact a lot of girls were lying naked in the ground.

I was horrified but before I could open my mouth to scream the door was shut behind me.

************

"We have a gorgeous batch of girls. For f*cks sake I tried my best Chip."

"Two of them are over 16, one looks like she just come out of a wrestling match and one is from a bloody looney bin."

"It's not a looney bin, it's a home for autistic children and how the feck was I supposed to now that when I first approached her."

I lay silently in the back of the van while the conversation continued in the front of the van. Some of the other girls had woken up on the journey and now were whispering in a foreign language. The van was scorching hot and so I huddle towards one of the walls to try and get a little shelter from the heat.

As I tried to settle down I accidentally sat on someone's hand and the girl let out a little yelp.
"Sorry," I whispered shyly, my voice cracking from barely being used. I don't know how long we've been in here but I was so dehydrated and hungry.