The Deceased

Chapter Twenty Nine - Beaten to near Death

"You're supposed to be dead!"
I cant believe it. All this time we thought she was murdered she has been trapped in here.

I started to feel sick, for her. I've been in this shitty place for three days and already I'm starting to give up. She's been here for so much longer.

"Oh my god," I whisper to myself. "You're alive."

Does that mean Jean could be alive? Or any other victims of Vlads? My head was spinning.

Sara just sighs. "It's the same with everyone he brings. I'll tell you what I told them. Yeah, I'm alive. Did you guys assume that when I was reported missing? How stupid are the police in this town?"

"Sara..." Jesus christ she obviously doesn't know. Of course I shouldnt expect her to. She wouldn't have access to news from the outside world. "Sara they found your body."

Silence is between us for a long time. Not long enough that i thought she had left but long enough that i was beginning to miss the company. I wait for her to reply, because i cant imagine how confused she must be after hearing that. I mean, how is it possible that her body was found and yet she is here, alive.

"He didn't want anyone to look for me." It was more of a realisation than a reply, and I didn't feel as if it was directed at me.

"Vlad?" I ask

"Obviously," she snaps, angry my question interrupted her thoughts. "I dont know how he did it. I thought they just gave up on me. Didn't care."

"Hold on," I rush to reassure her. "Your parent's never gave up. They identified your body and they have never been the same." Or so i hear. I was never close to her family, and having been at school for such a short time before she was kidnapped, I never got the opportunity to talk to them. But It's not hard to read someones facial expressions, and everytime i walked past them or saw them walking around school to get their daughters stuff out of her locker, I knew they were greiving.

"You'd think your own parents would know their dead child's body. Dont get involved with shit you know nothing about. Im still here, arent I?"

"Sara-"

"They all just left me to die!" Her voice boomed through my ear drums. It knocked me to tne floor. It's been a little while since I've heard anything loud.

"Sara no one knew you were alive. The body...it was you. You were dead. You can't blame anyone for believing you were dead."

Whatever she said next was muffled by sobs. I imagine it was something she held in for a long time. I cant imagine the shit she must be feeling.

It makes me wonder if Vlad did the same thing for me. Do my parents think im dead? Are they even looking for me? Is anyone looking for me?

"Tell me what I have missed," she whispers, sniffing away her outburst of feelings. "Do we still have the same teachers at school?"

It was a difficult question to answer. The last time i went there i wasn't exactly welcomed in with open arms. Since then alot of things could have changed.

"I assume so. Alot has happened since..."

"I was kidnapped," she presses on.

I had a growing wonder of what she looks like now. Its been so long, and the idea that Vlad has looked after her just seems too wild an assumption. I imagine her perfect hair knotted, her eyes red around the edges from crying. Skin dirty. She wouldnt have been able to pluck her eyebrows or shave her legs.

"I want to know everything," she says. "Vlad leaves during the day for a couple of hours, so we have time. Tell me what has happened since ive been in here."