Passing Through

Chapter 8: Kidnapped

   The drive was long. I could hear the rain as it washed everything to the ground, and then ran it down the roads. I yawned. Or, well, I tried to, since there was a stupid cloth in my mouth. Despite the situation, the car ride was making me very sleepy. I shifted to the right, and bumped into Ryder. We had been bumping into each other for the past....however long it had been. He nudged me back, and I relaxed back into my position. We were both alive. And awake. And were still freaking out. But we were okay.

At the moment.

   I opened my eyes, but the black over them blocked my vision. I wished I could rip off the cursed cloths and ties, and then unleash my rage on the car and its passengers. Too bad I could barely move. Lucky for them. 

   I thought about Reese. Where was she? I had no idea. I could just hope she was back at the hotel, safe and sound. Same with Gwen, Nikki, and the twins. I remembered my parents. I hoped they had gotten over my "death" and had gotten back in control of themselves. I wondered where THEY were. And Vanessa, too. Had my family tried to visit me at the school? We had moved to the hotel, and I guess they could've come there, too. I closed my eyes tightly, wanting to be able to relax completely. But my family didn't leave my thoughts completely. I wished I could see my mom. Hug her, tell her I was okay. My dad, too. I missed his joking. Vanessa. I missed her big-sister-attitude. I missed her protectiveness. I missed her laugh. I missed them all.

I didn't know where I was going, what was going to happen to me, if I was going to get out alive. I didn't know if I would ever see my family and friends ever again. And neither did they.

I felt tears gather in the corners of my eyes. I couldn't stop them, so I thought, What the heck? and let them free. They rolled into my hair, and I let them. I didn't make a sound, just indulged myself in the pleasure of crying. I felt good. I felt like I was letting the worry go.

   Ryder bumped me. I sniffed and bumped him back. He bumped me again. Probably asking if I'm okay. I nudged him in response, and then let the last of the tears slip out.

There. I was done crying.

 Like a boss.

   I rolled onto my side, with my back facing Ryder, and pulled my knees up towards my chest. I tried to scrunch up as best as I could, and then took slow deep breaths. It felt calming. My arms ached from being tied behind my back for so long. I moved them around a bit, but couldn't really maneuver well. My injured shoulder had never stopped throbbing. I sighed silently, and listened to the splash of the wheels as they drove through the rain on the ground. I wondered how long it had been since we had been traveling. It had easily been more than an hour. Maybe even three. What if it was four? I didn't know. I didn't know anything.

I breathed deeply again. I wasn't going to freak out. Not now, not ever.

   For a long time, I simple dozed. I wasn't completely asleep; I was in that void between sleep and consciousness. I was aware of the noises around me, but my body was out of it. I would gently nudge Ryder with my bound hands, every so often, just to let him know I was okay. He did the same. After what seemed like another hour, the car screeched to a stop. It took me a few seconds to snap out of my daze, and I struggled to sit up quickly. The passenger doors of the car opened, and I heard sloshing as someone stomped over to where we were. The door (or was it a trunk? I still wasn't sure...) opened, and I felt someone haul me out. The person set me on my feet, and I swayed until he/she pushed me backwards into the car. I gripped the cold metal, and tried to balance myself. My limbs were stiff, and my tied up hands could barely hold onto the car. My sense of balance was messed up, too. I felt the cloth being ripped off my eyes, and I blinked sluggishly, trying to see clearly. Everything seemed to be twisted and turned, until I could finally focus my eyes. The sprinkling rain hit my face, which felt extremely refreshing. The first thing I saw was the person standing in front of me. It was a lady.