Stolen

Part 23: Trunk

"Oo, what's this?" the female robber said tauntingly, dangling Mr. Kobalt's car keys from her pinkie. Marilynn let out a strangled scream, writhing in her bonds. They'd be in trouble with the police if the robbers took her father's manager's car!

She fell onto her arm, and the rope pressed against the gash on her leg, which was by now a bloody mess. Another scream through the gag when searing pain erupted at the contact.

"Don't like it?" the woman said, casting a sideways glance at her bound form. "I'll add a bullet hole if you don't stop struggling right now." Marilynn hadn't seen a gun on her, but no doubt she had one. Trying to regain her lost breath, she worked herself into a seating position and leaned against the wall, watching helplessly as the robbers stripped the house of valuables.
They left for the back rooms, and when they returned, their canvas sacks were bulging. She started to panic as she realized they were going to leave her here. What would Father say if he found her like this?

The robbers were almost out of doors, bags slung over their shoulders, when the female said, "Neil. Wait."

"Hmm?"

"We should take her with us," she said, nodding at Marilynn. "She knows what we look like, she might tell the cops." Neil, the man robber, closed the door, stepping back inside to consider her. The glint in his eye made her feel vulnerable, tied up and in her jean shorts and white tank top. It made her wish she hadn't taken off her hoodie for the dishes. "Yes, good idea."

Wait, what? They were taking her with them?

The woman handed her sack to Neil and heaved Marilynn's body over her shoulder. Each of her steps jerked the breath out of her chest and her shoulder dug into her stomach. The floorboards changed to the gravel of the driveway under her.

She heard the car trunk open before she was thrown into it, and the door closed, leaving Marilynn trapped in darkness with barely an inch on either side of her to move. The bags of loot clanked onto the back seat somewhere above her, soon after which the car engine revved into movement. It felt like eternities in the darkness, which felt almost tangible. She couldn't even turn over to take the weight off of the rope scraping against her leg wound.

Then, the car stopped; she heard doors slam but no one came for her. Marilynn's heartbeat was on the rise now. Had they forgotten about her? What if they planned to - to kill her?

She strained at the ropes, but they were secure; only when they started to chafe her skin did she scream desperately, in pain, through the gag.