Man in the Wall (Who is he?)

Chapter 5 - No one told me to run

Steven leans against the wall while Frank goes to sit on the desk. The both of them watching us like hawks.

Just as Marcus reaches to open a file, something triggers in his head. He turns to Steven and exchanges a look as if to say 'you know what to do'. They further communicate telepathically, at least that what it seems likes. Steven nods his head before pushing himself off of the wall and making his way to the door. Once he exits, Marcus tucks the files back under his arm and removes his smartphone from his jeans pocket.

Really? SUBWAY SURF?!

And here I thought we were falling behind schedule. Goodness, what is wrong with me? This is no resort nor am I on vacation. These aren't my hosts. I have to leave.

'I cannot conform my lifestyle to their established ways!'

I never thought I'd one day apply my uncle's statement to a real-life situation, and he's in prison. Nothing completely major. He was an English teacher at some prestige university. But had so little faith in all five of his classes, he took the answer sheet of their finals and gave everyone a copy.

Of course a 100% pass rate was going to raise suspicion. Long story short, he got sent to prison for 6 months.

The family was livid. They labeled him irresponsible and a good-for-nothing incompetent fool for throwing his life away like that. Mom and dad took it the hardest as they were the closest family to uncle Stanley.

My parents!

Heaven only knows what they're going through right now. Surely they're worried sick and have reported me missing. I've never arrived late home from school before and I know I've been here for quite some time. How long to be exact, that much I'm unaware of. It could have been a day or two, depending on how unconscious I was. It could even be the very same day for all I know. Since here are no windows in this room allowing through an outside scenery, I cannot tell the time of day.

Poor Jess must be in such a frantic state, raging war at the police station alongside my parents. Well, one can only hope. Jess and I have been best friends since we were ten years old. This year would mark the eighth year of our friendship and I want to see her again. I really want to go home, I need to get out of here. I don't care if it's been hours or days, I miss my life and I want it back.

If only Nick could contain himself and not allow his indecent hunger to overpower him. We would not have fought, I would not have ran and I would not have ended up here. This is entirely his fault!

Then again, no one told me to run.

So I am partially at fault here too. I guess it's just easier to put the blame on someone else, rather than to admit to my mistake.

The fact that I'm caught up in a situation like this in the first place is completely bizarre. I have prepared myself for every possible outcome in life. Or so I thought, because being kidnapped never in a million years crossed my mind.

After an estimate of 15 minutes, Steven walks back inside.  Marcus exits the game he's playing and puts his phone away. Frank hops off of the desk to make his way next to us and I notice my palms becoming clammy. Steven and Marcus share a quick nod before Marcus turns towards again and removes the files from under his arm.

He flips open the first file and reads a name out loud, the girl who voluntarily got into their vehicle steps forward. In walks a lady in her early thirties, wearing a nurse uniform. She swiftly takes hold of the file from Marcus, scans through it for a lengthy period of time then turns to Frank who now hands the girl over to her.

Next is the girl kidnapped from home, the one who ran late for her exam. The lady who comes to fetch her looks to be in her late twenties, she too scans through the file for a while. That's when I realize that we are each being assigned a nurse for the 'Triple E'. Most likely to keep individual records of our progress.

Then it is boxing girl's turn. Her nurse looks about the same age as the previous one. She takes a quick glance at the file before they both exit. The soaking wet brunette is after her, and I suddenly remember that I don't know her story as to how she got kidnapped. Her nurse is in her thirties as well. I notice a suspicious pattern with their ages.

Do they volunteer to do whatever it is that they have to? Or were they kidnapped as well, I wonder.

"Vivian Harper Maldonado," Marcus calls out as he opens my file. I step forward. I was most likely the last one to be kidnapped as I woke up last and my file was right at the bottom.

How did they get our names?
How do they know anything about us?..

In walks a lady in her early twenties. As she takes my file, Steven bounces off of the wall and takes three steps before he's standing next to her.

"Shame, you're going to have it the toughest," he says not caring if I hear him.

"Why?" she replies still scanning the pages as if not really interested in what he had to say in this particular moment.

"Well, if you take a sec and look over to the unsightly shipwreck, you would see exactly what I mean." He says before looking up at me. At that very same moment her head shoots up in my direction.

"Oh it's nothing a few tweaks here and there can't fix. It's all basic really," she says, then looks back down to my file. "Of course you wouldn't understand the term beauty is painful because if you did, you wouldn't be so quick to judge." As she finishes, she snaps the file close. That's when Frank grabs me by my upper arm and hands me over to her.

She takes my arm gently, her hand now replacing Frank's. Steven goes back to the wall and Frank to the desk. Marcus makes his way over to the remaining girls towards the left side of the room, on the far end of the door.

Their faces hold every heart-breaking emotion, even though some of them try to hide it. However none looks confused, indicating that they know what he's going to tell them to do.

I take one more look at the girls. Hoping to recognize their faces, so that I could identify them once I've escaped.

Then we exit the room.