Dawn's Pendant

9| flaming hands

Samelia. Samelia. Samelia.

Christina jerked awake from the white void that wanted to trap her in its serenity. She still didn't understand the purpose of this void or the angelical voices that continued to whisper that name. Right now, none of that mattered.

She gulped in the stiff odor of stale food and dingy fabrics. Sweat ran along her face from the hot suffocating air and a nasty throb resided in the back of her head. She tried to move, but her hands were tied behind her back and her legs were cramped together. The clutter of possessions the kidnappers took almost lied on top of her.

Oh, God I'm in the trunk!

Anger and panic flushed through her veins at warp speed. She began kicking the walls of the trunk with determined force.

"Let me out of here," she shouted hoping someone would hear.

The trunk groaned making her heartbeat quicken and an unnatural hotness blister beneath her skin. She continued to kick and squirm knowing for sure she will fight to the death.

"Someone help me," she screamed.

Voices arose within the car. The car did a few sudden turns and jerked to a stop sending her and everything into the back wall. The ignition turned off. Doors opened and slammed shut. She shuffled into an awkward position, hopefully to kick in defense.

"Jesus help me," she said as the trunk unlatched. It flew open and a flood of daylight blinded her from the figures standing there.

Someone grabbed her ankle and she fell into a horde of kicking. "Let me go," she screamed.

"Tu adoshki," the gunman said cursing her in a foul name. The two figures finally got a good hold of her and pulled her awkwardly out of the trunk.

She squirmed and pulled, but the bulky driver had her tight in his grip. She blinked away the light splotches to see where they had taken her. They were in the middle of a wooded area with bare trees some still covered with snow. No one or building was in sight and a crispy wind blew around them. She then realized the two burglars had taken off their masks.

The gunman, probably in his mid-thirties, had spiky black hair and a growing beard. A corner of his lips was curved in a clever smile of nothing good and he wore all black clothing. His partner too wore all black, but he was a remarkable sight to look upon. If he wasn't in the robbery and kidnapping business, he could possibly succeed as an actor.

She gasped noting the obvious. They have intentions on killing me.

"Let me go, please. I didn't do anything to you people," she said.

"No you didn't," the gunman said. "But we have our orders." He then gestured to the man restraining her. "Take her into the woods."

"Hala, what are you doing?" the blondie said to the leader.

"Business," he grinned tapping his gun perched in its holster and followed.

The driver grunted and literally dragged her deeper into the woods. She screamed for help hoping someone would hear.

"Scream all you want, lovely. No one is in earshot for miles," he sneered.

His partner grabbed his arm, "We are supposed to take 'er alive."

He yanked out of his hold and scuffed. "Hush boy and play along."

"I didn't sign up fer this," he muttered staring at her with a reflected fear.

"Don't worry, you'll be back in Valeera with your boring life very soon," he said.

Christina furrowed her brow. "Valeera? What is this place, Valeera?"