The Secret

Chapter 3: The Drive to Nowhere

I threw my phone across the small circular table I was at. My heart racing, panic filling my entire body. How could this be happening. How could a picture be taken in the hotel room. There was absolutely no way. How did they have access to my phone? What was happening. People began staring. I had to get out of here, I couldn't make a scene. I ran to the nearest bathroom stall and sat there running through the entire day in my head.

"Nothing had happened." I whispered to myself. Repeating that sentence trying to calm myself down. Rocking back and forth, breathing harder and harder as sweat began to surface on my forhead. I grabbed my phone, looking again to make sure I wasn't going crazy. There it was the same picture, with the same caption. This was a nightmare I couldn't wake up from.

A call popped up from and unknown number. I shakily answered "Hello?"

"Good morning, Harley, I do hope you enjoyed your coffee." A disguised voice was being used. Like talking through and old microphone toy. How cliché. "I know that you're in the bathroom, if you would be so kind to come to the front desk, a change has been made to your flight plans. I do hope you have safe travels." Without saying anything else the call ended.

I was being followed. I was being watched.

I opened the stall door, peaking out and looking both ways. I walked out of the bathroom and looked all around me. Panic filling me more and more with every step I took. Looking at all the faces walking by, trying to spot someone, anyone, that could be familiar. But there was no one. I hurried to the front desk. Panic filling my voice "Hi, there I was just checking to make sure I had the right ticket for my flight."

Confusion filling the front deskman's eyes "Um, okay? Can I see your ticket?" As he checked my ticket, he looked at me with more confusion. "I'm not sure how this happened, it says your flight was changed from today to next month, and the original flight is completely booked. Is there anything else I could help you with today?"

Confusion filled my head, and he could tell something was wrong. "No, thank you."

I walked away trying to find any type of reasoning of what could be happening. My phone chimed an alert. "Your uber driver has arrived in a black sedan." More confused than I ever had been I walked out of the front entrance and saw Arthur standing there.

Arthur smiled, happy to see me "I thought you were on a flight home. Change of plans?"

"Yes." I answered with no emotions.

"Well alright then hop on in!" As I began climbing into the sedan Arthur chimed "Say, don't you need your suitcase?"

My jacket. Liam's Jacket.

I rushed inside cutting in front of everyone. I didn't care. I needed that jacket. That was the only thing I cared about. Fuck everyone else, I needed that suitcase. "Excuse me I gave you my suitcase, but my flight was changed, I need it back now please!"

"I'm sorry, but the suitcase has already been taken to processing, you'll have to fill out this form and we will have it either brought to your address or you can pick it up."

More panic than ever I exclaimed "I need that suitcase now! Please!" The front desk deskman's eyes looked at me as if I was growing another head.

"Ma'am there's nothing I can do. I'm sorry. It will only take around two days." Two days without his jacket. Without the smell of mints or the scent of his cologne. Tears began to fill my eyes as I filled the form out.

Walking back to Arthur, I climbed into the car and broke down. Arthur looked at me through the mirror and he could tell something was wrong. "Would you like me to take you to your destination now? Or would you like a minute?"

"You can take me now." My voice was shaking. My entire body was shaking. What was happening to me. Why was this happening. I then realized I had no idea where I was being taken. I couldn't ask Arthur, or he would be concerned. I gripped my seatbelt and watched as the airport faded away.

*

I jolted awake, checking my surroundings. Where were we? Fields rolled by that I had never seen before. Not a house was to be seen as we kept driving. "Arthur how long have we been driving?"

"About an hour and a half, we are almost there though! I didn't want to wake you, you seemed like you could use the sleep. Plus, you paid a decent amount for the ride so I was trying to make it nice and comfortable!"

I kept checking my surroundings. I looked at my phone.

No notifications. No service.

Ten more minutes had passed as I gripped my phone tighter and tighter with every minute that passed. Trying not to look panicked as the time kept passing. Up ahead I could see the top of a building. Yet it wasn't just a building it was a gatehouse. The guard walked up, asking for windows to rolled down. My window slowly came down, the icy wind cutting across my face. The guard motioned for the gate to be opened, and it started with a jolt. Arthur rolled up the long driveway and up to the front door. I checked my surroundings, and no one was to be seen.

Arthur looking at me handing me a slip of paper, "If you need absolutely anything you don't hesitate to call me! You have been my favorite customer!"

I thanked him and exited out the vehicle. The mansion looked like a skyscraper to me. The front door opened and a man standing there in what looked like a butler uniform. "This way." The monotone in his voice made it seem like he had been doing this forever and was just ready to go home. We walked through the hallways; the hallways were bare except some random lights and paintings. It felt abandoned.

We entered what seemed like a lounging area. A giant red carpet draped across the floor with leather couches on both ends of a wooden coffee table. Infront of the fire was a chair facing the opposite direction. A hand reached out and a familiar voice spoke.

"To start off, it wasn't me. Would you like a drink?" Harry asked.