Miss Taken

Chapter 1-Now Go Make Me a Sandwich

Chapter 1

I felt my eyes slowly open. There were voices around me, but they were strange and echoing. The world was a blur of distorted swirls of dark colors. Everything seemed so bright even though the room was pretty shadowed.

"...awake...sure?"

Slowly, some of the words began to make sense. My head was pounding, but whether it was from the chloroform or hitting my head when I fell, I was not sure.

"Boss said...let her...I'll go get..."

The words seemed clearer as the fog on my brain began to disappear. When the shapes around me began to take form I realized I was in a dark room, duct taped to a plastic chair. It wasn't a very comfortable chair. I considered requesting a cushion or a blanket, but judging by the expressions on my kidnapper's face, I thought that might not go over very well.

The blond wasn't in here, unfortunately. If I was going to be tortured, at least let it be by someone attractive. Instead, there was a man in his late twenties to early thirties with short curly black hair and dark brown eyes, almost black. He wasn't unattractive, but certainly not as attractive as his companion. Or as young.

"Good, you're awake," he said.

"You're lucky I'm tied up right now, or you would get a fist in the face for waking me up this early. I'm a teenager. I don't wake up before six o'clock for any reason. Ever."

He looked first surprised and then amused. "Well I suppose you get your temper from your father."

I tilted my head. My father was a very patient man. He was very kind to everyone and they all liked him very much.

"You don't know my father very well, do you?" I asked.

He shrugged. "No I don't. But my boss does and he doesn't like him much. Well, perhaps that's an understatement."

"I don't know anyone that doesn't like my dad," I told him honestly.

He scoffed. "You live in a sheltered little world, Princess."

I raised my eyebrows. "Princess? I must say, I was expecting something more creative, even from you."

He frowned. "Look, I'm in charge here. I'll call you what I want."

I shrugged, which was difficult with my hands taped behind my back. "Yeah, sure. But just know that I'm not impressed."

The man huffed. "I don't know what to do with you, Riley."

"I don't know what to do with you either, Bob."

"Bob?" he questioned.

I shrugged, again forgetting my restraints. "I thought we were playing the game where you call people different names."

"That's a game?" he asked.

"It is now."

"My name isn't Bob," Bob said.

"And my name isn't Riley," I responded.

The man looked confused, but before he could say anything the blond entered, holding a damp washcloth.

"Oh, look who's awake," he said in pleasure. "I was kind of worried you'd died."

I knew he was just kidding, but I wondered if that was a possible effect of chloroform.

"Unfortunately, no. I am quite alive and well, no thanks to you," I added with a glare at the blond.

After a moment of silence Bob whispered, "I think she wants you to apologize."

"Apologize? What on earth for?" the blonde questioned incredulously.

"For knocking her over," Bob whispered.

"What? That's ridiculous!"

They both looked back at me. I was still sitting in the quite uncomfortable plastic chair with an expectant, almost challenging look on my face.

"I'm not going to apologize for knocking her over! We're kidnapping her!" he whispered to Bob.

Bob shrugged. "I don't know, Karter. You're not supposed to knock over a lady."

"Not to mention kidnap her," I added.

Karter looked between us as if to see if we were pranking him. "I'm not going to apologize."

"Come on," Bob said. "Just get it over with."

Karter huffed angrily. "I'm sorry I pushed you over, Princess."

"Apology not accepted. And Princess? Really?"

"She doesn't like that nickname," Bob whispered to Karter.

"Well you know what," Karter said. "I don't give a crap what she likes! We're kidnapping her for heaven's sake. It's not about preferences."

"You better be nice to me, Karter," I warned. "Or else you're not going to get any information out of me."

Karter scoffed. "We don't want any information from you. You're a hostage, Princess."

"A hostage with a very uncomfortable chair," I said.

Karter stared at me for a moment, looking almost disbelieving, before raising his hands as if in surrender. "I give up. Bow, I'll be in the kitchen. Don't let her escape."

So Bob is Bow. I can make that transition.

Bow nodded. "I'm coming with you."

"Guys, wait," I called as they started out the door. They glanced back, waiting. "I'm hungry."

Karter scoffed. "Yeah good luck with that, Princess."

I scowled. "I have a name, you know."

"No, Karter, she probably really is. She hasn't had anything to eat all day," Bow pointed out.

"What, so we're making her sandwiches now? That's not how it works, Bow," Karter said.

"It is with me," I told him.

"Yeah, maybe until now. But not anymore," he replied.

"Shut up and go make me a sandwich," I ordered.

"Don't mess with me, Riley," Karter warned, pulling Bow out of the room with him, surely off to make me a sandwich.

"My name is Lauryn!" I called, long after the door had been shut.