The Darkness She Buried

Chapter 1 ✔️

SCARLETT

This all felt surreal. I was trapped. Stuck inside a trunk with no memory of what happened last night. I could only guess that I had been drugged by the growing headache and nausea from the moment I woke up. My hands were bound behind me by a thick rope. My feet were bound the same way. Both were numb from how tightly the rope pressed into my skin. A pillowcase covered my head, allowing absolutely no light to pass through. It was pitch black. I could only listen to the muffled car engine and the extremely loud rock music that played on the radio. I knew the only purpose of it was to hide any screams expected to leave my lips. I wanted to scream in hopes someone would rescue me from this unknown hell, but I held my tongue.  
        The car finally came to a stop after what felt like hours but was probably only several minutes. My heart began to rapidly beat out of my chest and my breathing quickened as an unbearable silence filled the air. Footsteps started to make their way to the back of the car. The second I knew they were right there, I held my breath. The trunk door opened, allowing in a small amount of light through the pillowcase. The strong smell of cigarettes overwhelmed me in seconds. It was as if someone deliberately held a lit cigarette right in front of my face. It made bile rise in the back of my throat. The urge to vomit grew but I swallowed it back, gagging at  the bitter  taste.
The pillowcase was removed from my head, causing me to wince as I took in the overpowering light of the sun. Blinded, I could barely make out the two enormous figures in front of me. One of them loomed over me. A smug look was plastered on his lips as he moved a hand to the side of my head, brushing back a few strands of my hair. The sudden contact sent a shiver down my spine.
He chuckled in response. "Don't be scared. We'll be together soon." That was all the stranger said before his fist came flying towards my face. My mind barely had time to register the sudden jolt of pain before darkness began to take its hold. The man straightened himself before backing away. His last words echoed in my mind as darkness overcame me. "Boy's, grab her."

*   *   *   *  

For a moment it felt as if I hadn't even blacked out. The pillowcase was back over my head. My body roughly bounced on someone's shoulder. The position was uncomfortable and with the tight grip around my waist, it was impossible to shift into a position that was less so. The cold surroundings of what felt like an uninsulated basement only added to the discomfort. Shivers overtook my body. My teeth chattered from the cold. Once I was put down, the chattering and shivering worsened. My knees seemed to have a mind of their own, buckling beneath me. A hand quickly grabbed my arm with a painfully tight grip, catching me mid-fall. They steadied my balance in seconds.
"Search her." A man demanded. His familiar voice echoed in my head as I tried to place who he was.
      Hands started to roughly roam against my body, starting at my ankles and then slowly working their way up to my waist. The way he touched my body made every muscle lock up. My legs were growing sore from how tense I was.
        The hands continued to roam my body for a few more vulnerable seconds before I was suddenly forced to sit on a metal chair. The binds around my wrists were temporarily removed but only for a split second before they were tied behind the chair. The binds around my ankles were permanently removed, so I  took this to my advantage and kicked out in hopes that I would get my assailant. My foot made contact with something firm. A loud grunt followed. The small amount of satisfaction that washed over me was short lived when a strong force slammed into the side of my face. A yelp of surprise escaped my lips as pain quickly formed. My cheek burned hot from the pain and my lip stung from biting down on it. A metallic taste rested on my tongue. My lip was bleeding.   
Someone leaned in towards my face. Their breath smelled of cigarettes. "Actions have consequences. Kick out again and you won't like what comes next."
       "Fuck you. I responded, not thinking about the dangers of my aggression towards the man. He had all the power. I was useless in this vulnerable position.
        Another force slammed into my face and then into the left side of my ribcage. I cried out in shock and pain. My lips started to tingle as they swelled from the blows. Blood dripped down over them as my nose started to bleed. My ribs were aching  and the pain only worsened as I straightened my posture.
       "Enough Tyler! Leave her alone! Xavier won't enjoy discovering she was harmed!" Another man shouted angrily.
He sounded familiar and  his name was on the tip of my tongue. Only that wasn't what caught my attention. It was the name he had said. Xavier. He was the leader of a rival gang to my brother and his friend's gang. Their gangs used to be separate but when Xavier and his own gang came into play, the two joined forces to try and win over Xavier's people. It hadn't worked because of a mole Xavier had planted in their hands. He ambushed them, taking control of the three small gangs to make one huge gang. He had kicked Darren and my brother out of town. The only reason I would be now in the hands of Xavier was if the two were back in town. Xavier clearly must have thought that meant I knew where the two were, which I didn't. I hadn't spoken to Zayn for over a year. A few months before they were kicked out of town.
A door suddenly opened, causing me to jump as footsteps echoed off the walls. A dreadful screech sounded over their footsteps as what must have been a chair, dragged across the floor. The dragging continued until I knew whoever was there was right in front of me. Their chair creaked as they sat down. The sac was removed from my head. I was greeted with the bright lighting of a basement. It took a moment to adjust to my surroundings before I was able to look at the familiar  man in front of me, I couldn't help but scoff at the all too familiar face of Xavier. He was sitting there, smoking a cigarette. 
"How's our new guest?" he asked as he took a puff of his cigarette, blowing the smoke out towards my face. The smoke burned my eyes and the smell filled my nostrils, burning them as well. "Hi." He said casually as he took yet another puff of his cigarette, blowing the smoke in my direction once again. The smoke burned my throat, causing me to cough. Xavier suddenly squinted, leaning forward as he focused on my lips. He reached a hand towards my face. Flinching back didn't stop him from resting his hand under my chin. "Sorry, you have a little blood right here." I winced back in pain as he applied a small amount of pressure to my bruised lip. He pulled his hand back, seeming to be examining the blood for a moment before looking up at me. "Who did this?" I wasn't sure who he was asking since he was refusing to look away from me. He finally turned to the two men standing only two meters away. I recognized them in an instant. Tyler and Caleb. Followers of Xavier. Although Caleb was less of a follower than Tyler was. "You hit her?! She's a woman! I wanted her unharmed! Now get out of here! All of you!" Xavier's rage towards the two shocked me.
Xavier took another puff of his cigarette before slowly standing. He dropped his cigarette onto the floor, smothering it with his foot. As the two others left, it looked as if Xavier was leaving too but instead he walked behind me. I could hear water running behind me for a few seconds before being cut off. Xavier walked back into view, sitting back down. He held a cloth in one hand while reaching for my chin with the other. I eyed him cautiously, leaning back away from him. That didn't stop him from grabbing my chin, pressing the cold cloth to my lip. I pulled back, taking in a sharp breath from the pain. He tried to grab my chin again but I turned away.
"I don't need your fucking help." I snapped.
Xavier leaned back in his chair. A smirk spread across his lips as he crossed his arms. "So she says." He leaned forward, freeing one of my wrists from the binds. He offered the cloth. "Clean yourself up."
I grabbed the cloth, wiping away the blood from my nose and lips. It hurt to touch my face but I didn't care. Xavier silently observed me for a minute before taking the cloth from me. He dropped it on the floor beside me before tying my wrist back to the chair.
"So, have you figured out who I am yet?" He asked with a smirk.
"Yeah. Unfortunately I do. You're the bitch that ruined my life. You took everything away from me, all for your selfish desire." I responded.
Xavier shook his head, chuckling."Well, you're not wrong. Clearly you know he came back, otherwise why else would I have you? So where is he?"
I didn't respond. If Zayn and Darren were really back, then it was for a good reason. They would never reveal themselves even if it meant risking my life. I had been down that road once before. I remembered the last time I was held at gunpoint all because an old friend of Zayn's had a disagreement with him and he took it out on me. I still had the scar that was clear as day, on the right side of my abdomen.
Xavier sighed, standing. "Very well. Your silence will cost you. In the meantime, enjoy your stay."
He left, closing the door behind him. All I could do was scream at him, calling him a coward as he disappeared from my sight. The lights went out, leaving me in complete darkness.