When All Hope Is Lost

-chαptєr twσ: thє stσrч-

Chapter Two- The Story

"I was with my family, watching the fireworks at the park near my home, since it was the fourth of July," I told Officer Brandy, as she scribbled some more words down onto her paper. "It was just starting when my phone started ringing. At first, I didn't hear it over the loud booms of the fireworks, but eventually I did. I looked at who it was, to realize it was an unknown number, which I hence didn't answer. I just thought whoever it was would leave a message or maybe call back later," I said, looking over to her nodding back in response.

"But the person didn't stop calling me and soon I had to answer, so I excused myself from where I was to go somewhere quiet and answer the phone,"

"Was there anyone else around you at the time you answered the phone?" she asked, looking up from her paper and into my eyes. I shook my head.

"No, there weren't any people around. Which is when I was grabbed from behind and thrown onto the ground. It wasn't just one man however that kidnapped me, yet two. They looked slightly alike in the darkness of the night, yet I couldn't see them fully," I told her, not thinking hard at what happened next. "They placed a towel in my mouth and over my nose, which soon knocked me out cold and the next thing I knew...I awoke in their house."

"Do you remember anything about where you were? Like how you got there? What you heard? What you were close to, maybe?" officer Brandy questioned me, pushing back her hair. I shook my head once more.

"I'm sorry, but no. I woke up in their house...I have no idea how I got there. But the driver who picked me up knows what road we were on...and it was close to that, considering I ran there," I told her, making her eyes light up. "Oh! And I ran past Lake Emily!"

"Brilliant! Wonderful!" she smiled, asking me if I could describe the men for her as well.

"Yes, one has a black beard. His eyes are dirt brown and he has scars on his right cheek from a knife fight. He's also a bit overweight, and has a piercing on his lip. He was the one that was running after me when I escaped," I said, sending Officer Brandy to look at me with wide eyes, surprised most likely that I knew so much.

"I see, well, that covered up the first man pretty much. Any name?" she asked me directly.

"He told us to call him, Dee. I don't know if that is his true name or not..." I responded, looking over to her as she wrote down his name in her fine cursive.

"Very nice, thank you. What about the other man?" she slowly asked, as she finished drawing the first man on a separate sheet of paper while labeling his descriptions. She really seemed to know what she was doing.

"He's a bit shorter, and much skinnier than Dee with the same brown hair and brown eyes. He never gave us a name to call him, but I called him Tatty due to how many tattoos he has all over him. He's the leader it seems out of the two of them, because he was always telling Dee what to do with the girls-"

"Girls? There were more of you?" she frantically asked, stopping me from continuing. I nodded.

"There were two others with me, he had some in the basement though I think...I never saw them...only heard them at night..." I shook, not wanting to remember that at all. "The two girls with me were named Elizabeth, and Laura," I told the officer, as she smiled and wrote down the names.

"Thank you, that is perfect. I think that is all I need on that part. We can continue onto your story now, Hope,"

"Well, once I woke up, I noticed my hands chained to the bedpost. They never did anything to me that day, they actually let my hands free and brought me into a different room with the girls. But days after weren't so great...they beat me bad, and sometimes I could barely see for days due to what they did. I thought I was going to die. They would do horrible things to the other girls too, like...like..." I had to stop for a moment as my voice caught. I didn't want to think about anything they did to those poor girls, including myself. It was pure torture and we were helpless. And...I left them all behind...

"You don't have to continue any further, I understand. As long as you are okay now. We will find them, Hope. We will, thanks to your help! You can go back to your family now, we have scheduled you to go back home, but a doctor will be visiting you to make sure everything is fine within a few days," officer Brandy lastly said, before folding up her belongings in her folder and showing me to the waiting room.

"I'm done," I told my parents, as I walked into the big, window filled, blue waiting room to see them talking with the guy who had saved me.

"Honey! You're back! Have you introduced yourself to your guardian angel yet?" my mom asked, her long brown hair swaying as she motioned to the guy who saved me beside her. Immediately upon looking at him, my eyes fell in love. I knew I was a goner when I hopped in that car, but never had I been able to look at him this deeply before. He looked to be my age: 18, with short brown hair, pale skin, and a skinny, slightly muscular body.

"My name is Toby Montomer," he said softly, smiling broadly at me as he pushed out his hand for me to shake. I hesitated at first, but eventually shook his flawless pale hand back. How come we never introduced ourselves in the car? I thought to myself, even though I knew the answer. It was because I was shaking the whole ride to the Police Station and any word that came out of his mouth was merely to soothe my nerves. We never had time to introduce ourselves.

"I'm Hope Charsity, and thank you for saving me.... I owe you big," I told him, smiling back a bit.

"No, no, you don't owe me anything. It was a pleasure to help someone! I'm just glad I stopped," he kindly said, smiling at my parents and Ethan, who played on the floor with a toy car.

"Toby, all of us owe you something. How about starting it off with dinner at our house? Please, it's the least we can do," my dad offered, making me shoot a glare at him. He was right that we owed Toby, but in no way did I want him over on the first day that I got back! I wanted to relax at home... alone, not have company over!

"I would love to!" Toby excited, adjusting the white T-shirt and jeans he wore, before grabbing his black smart phone out of his pocket and typing something into it. "What's your address?"

"3440 Newton Street," my dad replied, standing up from his seat and walking over to me,  as Toby typed the street address into his phone. "You do not know how thankful we are to have our little girl back, all because of you Toby," he smiled, wiping away a tear dripping down his slightly wrinkled face.

"I understand how heartbreaking it is to lose someone you love, and not know where they are. So I'm definitely glad I found your daughter for you all," he spoke a bit quieter, as if he didn't want anyone else to hear.

"You understand?" I asked, not at all quiet like he was.  "How could you?"

"My sister was kidnapped about two years ago. We have been trying to find her, but we just haven't been able to yet," he said back a bit depressed, putting his phone back into his pocket and brushing through his short brown hair with his hand.

"Oh, I'm so sorry about that. I'm sure she will come back to you safe and sound though," my dad smiled, trying to cheer Toby up...but not doing it very well. "God has a plan to bring your sister back, I know it,"

"Thanks, I believe he does too," Toby responded, right as he was called back to be investigated.  "Looks like I have to go, I'll see you all tonight though," he said sweetly, before standing up from his chair and walking over to Officer Brandy waiting for him.

"See you tonight," I whispered, before I was led out of the Police Station and back into the car; wondering all the way home if his sister was one of the girls I was with...one that possibly could be dead now...