Remember When...

Chapter Four: Before You Forget

I stared out the window of the black Mustang to the orange-filled trees that were on the side of the road.

"Duke, are you sure you know where we are going because we have been passing these trees for what seems like forever now."

He turned towards me, "you are the most impatient person I have ever met. We have only been on the road for an hour and you have asked the same thing about 10 times now."

"Shut up, no I haven't," I said as I pushed him playfully with my hand.

I looked ahead and could see a gas station that looked like it had been taken out of a horror movie. I stared at it as we passed by and saw a woman staring out the window of the station and I could feel the hair on my arms begin to rise. I guess if I could choose what would diminish my being off this earth, I would choose for it to be this--an adventure.

I dozed off after the trees on the outside turned into dry hills with no trace of life on them and my thoughts on the trip burned out my brain.

"Mili, wake up!" I heard Duke say as he shook my shoulder.

"I'm awake!" I said as I jumped up.

My eyes widened, I felt my heart begin to thump, as I turned to a Duke that had a gun pointed to his head.

I put my hands up.

"What do you want?! Money! Pliz don't hurt us!" I blurted in a hysteria.

"Shut up!" I heard the masked man say.

I could feel the tears running down my cheeks and a tremble taking over my entire body.

" Get out of the car before I put a bullet in his pretty head!" the gunman commanded with a deep voice.

I ran out and could see the gunman dragging Duke out with him.

I stared at the gun to Duke's head and prayed it was a dream.

Maybe we can get out of this. I looked around and could see the tire of the mustang and it was flat. That must have been why Duke stopped. I kept looking for a way to escape and the idea came to a complete end as the gunman began to talk again.

"This is what is going to happen today. You two will get in the truck I have around the corner and you will shut up or I will make your death an agonizing one."

The gunman pushed me with the gun and dragged Duke behind me.

I stepped into the white van and sat on the steel floor.

Duke was thrown in after me followed by a door slam.

"Duke, are you okay?" I asked trying to see through the darkness of the van.

"Yeah," I heard him say through his teeth. "I'm sorry I got us into this."

"You couldn't have known," I said while trying to control my heavy breathing, trembling body, and tears.

I could see a syringe suddenly inside my arm being pushed in by the gunman and I began to see a white cloud come alive through the darkness in the van and my vision began to blur as my body lost all control and my head hit the ground.