Hostage

Stuck In A Nightmare

Kimberly's POV

"Its a beautiful painting." His voice came again, bolder and stronger than the last time. "Duo Stulti."

"Two fools." The lady who was supposed to be me smiled faintly as she lowered her champaign glass. This time she wasn't wearing the same black dress I'd worn to the Monroe's party. She was wearing another.... one I also recognized.

It was the one I'd worn for the Monroe dinner...

She had bright red lipstick on and this time,just like everyone else around her,her face was bared.....unmasked. Just like his was too..

Him,

Keenan Monroe..

"You speak Latin?" He seemed surprised.

"A little bit." She smiled a bit and then turned back to the painting.
"Two men on their way to paradise." She paused. "One has a bad leg and a pair of shoes, the other one's perfectly fine and--barefooted. They can help each other out but--as long as he doesn't have what I have, I have the advantage." She rolled her eyes. "Human nature." She said and then paused. She turned red as a beetle. "I'm-I'm sorry if I said too much. I tend to--"

"N-no." He smiled but there was something else.. A glint in his eyes. Admiration maybe? "I've just-" He paused. "Never heard it like that before. Its--" He looked away from the picture and then at her. "Its beautifu--" He said.

"Mr. Monroe!" A voice called cutting him off right in the middle of his statement. She whirled around quickly as the elderly woman approached them. She seemed pretty drunk. Familiar too. Her voice,her scent, the rumble in her laughter when she laughed...

Damn! She was loud too.

"Mr. Monroe!" She called again, calling the attention of the other guests in the room. "Mr. Monroe! Mr. Monroe! Mr. Mon--" She came to a sudden halt. Her eyes lowered to the red stain on her dress, increasing rapidly by the second.

She chuckled.

That was all she did..chuckle loudly till her body fell lifeless to the ground. My head was spinning and my heart was racing as I looked around. All the guests seemed to have gone back to whatever it is they were doing before she interrupted.

"Kimberly Hastings." A voice called, causing me to whirl around quickly. Two men dressed as cops approached me. I searched around for Keenan but he was nowhere to be found.

"You're under arrest for the murder of Mrs. Gloria Hastings." One said as the other handcuffed me.

"W--what?" I stammered. "I didn't kill her..I was just--" I tried to fight but it was of no use.

"You're to remain quiet as whatever you say or do will be used against you in court. You have the right to an attorney. If you don't have one, the state will provide one for you." He said as his partner pulled me towards the door.

"Kimberly." A voice called the moment we were outside the hall. I looked around and I was astonished the cops weren't there anymore. "I told you, didn't I?" The dark skinned woman said. "It is inevitable. Death is all around you." She said and just then, I was pulled out of the hallway.

Next,I found myself in an open field. Empty....deserted.

"Kimberly?" A voice called,causing me to whirl around quickly. I knew this voice....I knew this voice all too well. "Kimberly?" The voice called again. I felt tears cloud my vision. My knees buckled.

"Kimberly? Are you there?"

My breath hitched.

"You promised you wouldn't leave me. Kimberly, you promised we'd be together forever--"

"Izzy--" I asked when I finally found my voice again. "Izzy is that you?" I felt tears stream down my cheeks.

"Don't leave me here alone Kimmy!" Her voice broke. "Its so lonely here Kimmy its--its so cold." She sobbed.

I placed a hand on my chest trying to calm my heart down.

"Please! Please Kimmy!"

"Is--Isabel-"

"Please Kimmy. Stay." Her words echoed loudly in my head. I was breathing fast....but I was crying even harder.

"Please stay with me. Please! Don't leave me here alone. Its so cold out here Kimmy. Its so lonely."

"Kimberly!" A voice called faintly. "Kimberly!" The voice called. I moaned as I opened my eyes. I felt weak. I felt really weak.
The first thing I saw was his eyes. Brown eyes full of worry...of concern. And then he left my side. He came back few seconds later with a towel in his hands.

"I'm going to lift you up right now okay?" His voice echoed in my head. "Stay with me." He said reassuringly.

I didn't struggle to fight when I felt his hands wrap around my bare skin...I didn't protest when he carried me out of the bathtub and then the bathroom.....there was nothing I could do either way. I was too weak to fight,too weak to struggle or protest. The water which I remembered to be hot when I stepped in now felt cold against my skin.

"You're going to be okay." His voice continued. "You're going to be okay." He assured me. The last thing I heard before it all went blank was him telling Paul to get the doctor.

I couldn't remember what happened or how we all got here... All I could remember was that it all started with me craving a hot bath.

Ruby's POV

"Hey can I borrow some of your clothes? I don't think I want to go home before the party tonight." Jessica said as she had her wicked way with my closet.

"S--sure." I replied even though I wasn't really paying attention to what she was saying. "So--" I paused. "Ward Lambert huh?" I asked.

"I know right?" She said absentmindedly as she picked up a black leather dress.

"What do you think about this?" She asked. I shook my head.

"Too fucking expensive for a party O'Riley's throwing." I told her. I watched her return it and then shuffle for something else.
"Don't you think it's a bit strange? All this stuff happening in one day?" I asked as I pushed a few buttons on my keyboard. "I mean,O'Riley's party,Ward Lambert-" I paused. "It's too much of a coincidence."

"Duh." She rolled her eyes. "It's not coincidence. All my patience is finally paying off." She finally turned to look at me. "Five girls said hi to me on my way to the cafeteria today. Five." She held her left hand up,showing me her fingers. I sighed.

I knew that this was a big deal for her but somehow, I just couldn't bring myself to see it as her prayers being answered. She was my best friend and I didn't want her to get hurt.

"Just be careful Jess." I said quietly. She smiled.

"Will do." She turned away from me. "Okay, you have to let me wear this." She pulled out another dress. I glanced up and then chuckled slightly.

I remembered this one... Dad had given it to me months ago. It was supposed to be the dress for after nationals. I was supposed to wear it for my speech on national TV.

Apparently, I never got to.

It was made of royal silk. It was an extremely short sleeveless purple dress,tightly fitted till the waste band and flowed freely downwards. It had an open V-lining at the back and diamond studs round the neckline.

It was a beautiful dress. Extremely expensive too but mum would never let me wear it.

"I think it'd look beautiful on you." I told her. "The ugly heels would go with it best too." I paused for a moment. "Hey,I could help you with your hair t--"
Before I could complete my statement, she ran towards me and then flung herself at me, knocking me right off the bed so we both fell to the ground. Thankfully, my rug was fur so it didn't hurt much.

"What am I ever going to do without you Ruby Kent?" She asked as she hugged me tightly.

"I ask myself the same question everyday Jessica Lee." I said.