After

Chapter 16

A month. It's been a month since Dinah left her and each day is worse than the last. One would think Lauren would at least get slightly used to the constant abuse: sexual, physical, and emotional, but she hasn't. As if Lauren already hadn't endured enough, they began a new kind of torture a couple weeks ago: electrocution. After the first time she was electrocuted, Brad informed her he tried this on Camila when it was just her to see how effective it was. He was obviously pleased with the outcome.

Currently, Lauren is tied up in a chair with Brad and James smiling in front her. An active electrical wire is being slowly brought down to meet the metal fork embedded in her leg. Electricity meets metal and Lauren screams. Her heart races and her body shakes and the men torturing her just laugh. They laugh as she cries, screams for someone to save her, but no one does. Nobody cares.

They finally stop, untie Lauren, and bring her back to her room. James leaves but Brad stays, and of course, Lauren knows exactly what he wants. "No, please Brad. I don't want this, please don't."

"You can't stop me, babe." Brad grins, unbuckling his belt.

Lauren cowers away from his looming body, wanting him to leave her alone. He kicks her torso and she cries more. She is already weak and his constant kicks aren't helping. Within a minute, she is left too weak to move away from him, which is when Brad begins to unclothe her. He commands her to stop crying and trying to fight against him but she doesn't quit. She doesn't know if she would be able to live with herself if she just let him do this to her. She has to at least do something to help herself.

"You know what, I'll stop for now." He pauses before exiting the room, "But when your friend gets here later, just know it's because you haven't been obeying."

"No. Wait, I'll obey. Just don't hurt my friends, please."

"Too late. She'll be here soon. Very soon."

"Camila! We're out of eggs!" Ally yells across the apartment.

"I'll get some tomorrow Ally. I'm really tired." Camila responds from her room.

"I was going to make something special that involves eggs though." Ally complains.

"Ugh, fine. I'll leave in ten minutes." Camila playfully shouts.

"Thank you!"

Camila throws on a pair of white jeans and simple black top as well as some black converse, and soon Camila is ready to leave. "By Ally, I'll be back in twenty." The distance to the store is short, so Camila decides to walk. Since it's been so long since Lauren was taken and there have been no attempts to take any of the girls, that the police know of since Lauren has been gone, the police have given Camila permission to make small outings without a police escort. Therefore, she is the one who has to make all the grocery visits.

She walks down the busy street to the closest store to her. She feels uneasy, her heart is racing, sweat is covering her face, hands shaking from fear. Something is off, she knows it. Just before stepping into the building, someone taps her shoulder. She turns around quickly, fearing the worst, but is only met with a police officer. "Excuse me Ms. Cabello; I was actually on the way to bring you and the others to the station. We have information on who has Lauren, would you like to step into the car and come with me to pick up your friends to take to the station?"

"Oh-oh my gosh. Yes. Yes! Let's go!" She jumps up, following the man quickly to his car. He opens the door to the backseat for her and she sits down. This could be it. This could be the day she sees Lauren again. The day Lauren is rescued. "Thank you. Thank you so much for this."