My mouth was dry-sodry-and my eyelids were still heavy as I struggled to pry them open. Waking from my drug-induced slumber wasn't coming easy, and I wondered if I could have overdosed on the sleeping pills and wine. Was I okay? Would I be able to wake up? Was I dying? Would booze and sleeping pills be the end of me? Why was it so hard to wakeup?
Wait... I couldn'tmove...
I couldn't move! My eyes were open but everything was black. Blinking to make sure my eyes were really open, I saw absolutely nothing. Panic sunk in when I realized I couldn't move because I was tied up. My wrists were bound. My ankles were as well, and I was balled up and placed in something that prevented me from thrashing around. Was I in a box? I tried to scream, but a gag, stuffed between my lips and tied around my head, prevented anything other than a muffled whimper from comingout.
I struggled against the restraints and rocked my body against the walls of my tightly-confined prison. There was no room to do anything as my trapped body took up every last inch of space. I couldn't even stretch out mylegs.
OhGod!
Fuck!
Please! Please! Please let this be a dream!
I screamed again, but any noise that did escape from my gagged mouth only bounced off the walls of my dark confinement. There was nothing I could do. I couldn't move. I couldn't see. I couldn't even cry forhelp.
How did this happen?
How did I get likethis?
Who did this tome?
My last memory was falling asleep on the couch as Viv tucked mein...
Oh God, was Viv kidnapped too? Was she bound and gagged in a box as well? That poor old woman. She was too frail, too sick! She would die! Did the monster who did this know she woulddie?
I flung my shoulder into the wall of my prison, hoping I could somehow let someone know I was captive. I screamed, though again, it came out muffled. I gyrated my body with every ounce of strength I had as hot tears ran down my face, and then I stopped when I remembered the knock. There had been a knock on my door before I fell asleep. Viv knew the person...
Pope. Herson.
He did this! It was Pope Montgomery who had kidnappedme!
But why? Why would he do this? Because I was friends with his mother? It didn't make sense, but, then again, there's no sense in insanity. I did, however, have a small moment of relief knowing Viv was not also gagged and boxed like an animal. There was no way Pope could do something so awful to his own mother. But why me? Why would he dothis?
I recalled the conversation I had with Viv in the diner. She had said her son went to prison. He was a criminal. Viv also had said he was a good man... But wouldn't any mother say that? Fuck! She said he went to prison for killing a girl. For killing a girl! Fuck!
"Help me!" I screamed against my gag. Pope Montgomery was going to kill me! "Help! Help! Help!" He was going to hurt me like he had done to the poor girl. He should have never been released from prison. Never! "Help me,
p
lease!" I sobbed as I gasped for air. I was going todie.
Whatever had been used to tie my wrists and ankles rubbed my flesh raw with every movement I made, and the breathable air of my tiny prison seemed to be growing thinner by the minute. My throat was so dry that my weak screams only made it worse. My fight was futile. The rational part of my brain told me I needed to remain calm and conserve my energy. There would be a moment when he would open the box. And in that moment, I would strike. I would give it all that I had. Even if he killed me, I would make sure my fucking DNA was all over his fuckingface.
