The Hidden Box

In the Dark...

Sarah

My captor didn't say a word. He just looked at Bill who was coming to his senses and shouted for him to get off his ass to help lift up the boxes with him. The fact that he wasn't saying a word to me frightened me even more.

Matt went ahead and helped them remove the boxes while I stood there with my jaw hanging. Why was Matt helping them? I shook my head. Nothing made sense. I quietly stood back as all the men were brought back up on their feet. Throwing me nasty looks, they all left. Including Matt. But he had a sorry look on his face instead.

I was too busy noticing this shocking act of betrayal to notice the old man standing  next to me. His eyes were almost red with anger and hatred & suddenly I felt really small. He held my arm so tight that I would not be surprised if it became limp and white due to all the blood drained out from it.

Captor(I had no other name to call him) dragged me across a dim lit hallway past several rooms with locked doors made of raw wood. This place had the looks of an unfinished house. I tried looking into rooms whose doors were slightly open as we passed by because I couldn't rely on my ears to hear Matt's voice since the thumping of my heart was too loud. 'Since when had I started trusting Matt so much?' I thought to myself. It was not so much out of love than it was out of helplessness. I had no other choice.

My thoughts were interrupted as I was shoved into an empty room with a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling. It smelled strange and suffocating. I couldn't even register what the smell was just as I couldn't figure out anything else since this morning.

Suddenly, Captor pushed me so hard that I banged into a wall. He took a piece of tape out of his pocket and covered my mouth with it. Then he held my hair and pulled it down so that my head would be tilted upwards, facing him directly.

"How did you do that?" he asked me through gritted teeth. Captor's breath disgusted me, it smelled like tobacco and morning breath of the worst kind. My mouth was taped didn't he realize that? How could I tell him anything? Without waiting for an answer, he banged me head into the wall. Again. Tears filled my eyes and I could feel blood rushing rushing to the spot really fast. A bump was sure to be there.

"Are you dumb? Can't you speak up?", he jammed my head into the wall yet another time before I fell to my knees.

My head was throbbing and my vision became distorted. Captor didn't want answers. Definitely not. He just wanted to hurt me. Maybe his crooked mind felt it wrong to hurt a person without proper justification or it could be that this specific treatment was specially reserved for me. How sickeningly sweet, I thought sarcastically. He kicked my stomach  out of nowhere and I felt like puking & before I could get a hold of myself, he did it again. My puke literally came up all the way to my lips before going back again.

"C'mon! Get up and face me! You took out so many men out there! Can't you contain an old man like me? Where's your strength now?"

Even if I did try that crazy thing I did back there, there was nothing in this room, except a light bulb. Even if it did go off, I was too dizzy to be able to reach the door. With tears streaking my face, I somehow willed my shivering hands to join, pressed my palms together and tried to plead with him to stop through my eyes, so that he would let me live. Looking at my joined palms, he spat on the floor next to me. My whole body shook with pain and my head felt as if it were filled with slush. I had fallen to my side and was on the floor now. He kicked my arms as my  eyes closed. I couldn't be brave anymore. I couldn't function like this. The last thing I saw was a dark figure switching off the light I didn't care anymore. I didn't care........

My heart had shattered and no one could repair me.

Matt

After Bryan and Sarah left, I went into a room to wait to speak with him.

It wasn't hard to find Bryan whereabouts. I had connections with him since way back. All I had to do was pick up the phone and assure them that I was on their side. They didn't have to know the tiny details.

It was Bryan's idea to treat me like a prisoner in front of Sarah. He would use me as a tool to find out what he wanted. Again. I wasn't surprised. It was last night that Bryan figured out that Sarah was different. Just like the rest of us. He confirmed his suspicion by locking her in a room filled with boxes, though it could have easily been a coincidence. I didn't consider Bryan to be some sort of genius.

Honestly, I was impressed by Sarah though. She didn't even know how amazing she was! No recollection of the past - not even who she was yet she took on a couple of goons. All by herself. That's my girl.

I wondered if Sarah noticed me walk away with the others or not. If she did, it would break her. It didn't matter that she couldn't remember the beautiful moments we'd had together. I was the first person she saw after losing everything, even her own self. I was the one person standing by her. If she found out......... NO. She won't know. Bryan wasn't so stupid to expose me. He had enough brains, though not much. He couldn't, wouldn't let her know.

Suddenly I remembered! Sarah had seen me remove the boxes! How could I be so stupid? I'll tell Bryan to cover up for me. I'll tell him to say that he had told me to help and if she says otherwise, he could say that she was probably too dazed to hear.

No matter what though. I loved Sarah. She was my support. She couldn't break down. My Sarah was strong. Stronger than me even! Just thinking about her made me shiver with delight, the way she felt in my arms. She was a diamond. Not only in the sense of beauty but in strength as well. She would never break down. No matter what.

Just then I saw Bryan walking passed the slightly opened door.I rushed to talk to him but could make out that he was furious. I couldn't see his face but the wise thing to do was to stay away from him for a while. He would probably go have some alcohol or go out to gamble. I didn't care. Though, I was worried about my Sarah. Who knew what she was going through. I sneaked up the hallway from where Bryan had come. It led to a closed door.

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What do you all think? Good so far? I really really wanna know your views on Matt.. And Captor....Do you think Matt expects too much out of Sarah? Captor now has a name. Bryan. I always thought of that name to be associated with a tough looking guy. I think the older brother in Home Alone was called Bryan? I don't remember.... Hope yo all are enjoying the story. Though I do admit it getting a bit dark. But rest assured it gonna have its share of sappy moments... just not right now. ;) Take care you all! Enjoy Summer!

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