King's College (Sequel to Too Young and Blind)

Doubt

Maria

I'd never felt this much pain before. I did suspect that James wouldn't take me leaving for Peggy well but I couldn't even imagine he'd do something this drastic. He had me chained by my neck to a wall in some basement, thankfully I was still in clothes, but it wasn't what he'd taken me in. I was in a red dress but when I was taken I remember being in shorts and a tank top, I don't know where that went and my shoes are gone.

No matter what I told James, I was going to escape and get back to my daughter. I knew Peggy was with her and I could be comforted with knowing she wasn't alone but I needed to get back. I couldn't stay one more day in this hell hole but I didn't even know where I was, which way to go, nothing. In the morning I heard birds sometimes so I guess I'm near a place with trees for them to live in.

James would be with me in the morning and the evening, I know he has a job so that must be where he is. It's been four days so today must be Saturday, he has work today. I just had to wait for him to come to me for the morning and then when he left I could work on my escape plan.

I heard the scraping of the old heavy metal door as James opened it, I figured with the way this room looked like I was probably in some sort of bunker in probably a forest for the birds. I would just have to find a water source and follow it's water flow, a survival tactic I'd actually learned from The Blair Witch Project and I knew it'd work.

The stairs creaked and I looked up as James stepped into the room. I tried to flatten myself against the wall with the chains clanging and clattering against the cold stone floor. I stared at James and he smirked, "Good morning my love." I glared and he crouched down to my level, "Woke up in a sour mood?" I didn't dare talk back to him, I was always scared to speak to him, to begin with. He had all of the power in this situation, if he wanted to he could kill me.

A thought then hit me, "How are you avoiding the police?" I knew since he grabbed me from Washington's there was video evidence of him doing it and since it was at Washington's the law was involved, "And where do you go?" After I realized that I figured he couldn't go to work because he'd be apprehended instantly, "You don't go to work so where do you go?"

James looked shocked again before he swallowed it, "You don't know anything about what's happening out there." He told me and I tilted my head, "You don't even know where the tiny bitch is, do you?"

I didn't mean to gasp but I did, "Susan? Where's Susan? Have you hurt her? Is she okay?" I saw his smirk appear again and I knew I'd played into his trap but I needed to know, "What've you done to my daughter?"

James stood back up, "She's in the hospital with broken bones." He looked down and I slowly got angrier as I realized he had broken her, "Apparently Peggy beat the shit out of her in anger for you being gone. Called her the daughter of a monster, I assume she meant me."

"P-Peggy?!" Was this another trap? Even though I tried to imagine Peggy doing harm to Susan I just couldn't, she has been nothing but kind and loving to her, "You're lying."

"You sound unsure," James replied and shrugged, "Are you trying to convince me or yourself? You want it to be a lie, don't you? Well, it's not." He then turned around, "See you later, babe." He left.

I curled up as escape left my mind instantly, "Peggy...Peggy wouldn't do that." I realized he was right, I wanted it to be a lie and...I don't know what I'll do if it's not. Peggy wouldn't do that, she wouldn't, she says Susan is like her daughter so she wouldn't do that...would she?

Jane

"Thomas!" I tried not to cry but I ran to find him for comfort or stability. Just something! This can't be happening.

"Jane?" He popped his head from the dorm's kitchen and then furrowed his eyebrows, "Jane what's wrong?" He set his mixing bowl down and hurried over.

I grabbed him and he hugged me tightly, "It's just..." I didn't want to repeat it. I separated from him reluctantly and pulled the newspaper from my backpack which I brought back over, "M-Maria she was kidnapped by James-James Reynolds, her ex." I felt like Maria and I were friends even though we rarely talked. I helped her at the high school graduation and she was so nice, she accepted me instantly, I was there for her when barely anybody else was for Susan's birth, and now she could be hurt or worse.

"Oh..." He dropped the paper after reading it and I felt him enveloping me in a hug again. I slowly broke down into tears, I didn't want Maria to be heard, "Oh Jane I'm so sorry." He whispered I felt him kiss my temple.

"What if he hurts her or..." I didn't want to voice my biggest fear of this situation but I could tell Thomas understood. I couldn't handle it if she died, I really couldn't, "She's such a nice person!" Why do the nicest people have to suffer the most? "She doesn't deserve this, she doesn't! It's so shitty!"

"I know, trust me, I know." We sat down and he kept brushing his hands through my hair, it had gotten longer but it wasn't what I was focusing on right now, "I-I don't...is everything really doing all they can to find her?" I don't know why I was doubting law enforcement right now but I was.

Thomas nodded, "They are. If it helps you I'll pay some private investigators to join the hunt, okay?"

I nodded and tried to stop crying, "Okay."