ACEDIA: Love in Hell

PROLOGUE

RUTHIE

My day started out fine. I finished exams with some semblance of confidence, went shopping for something nice to wear, and gushed quietly over a date I was going to have with my boyfriend and current obsession, Jason. It's our 6 week anniversary and he said he was going to take me somewhere special, to do something that is very important to him. I know he's talking about it being our first time having sex together, and while he made it sound ominous, I trust him. He's such a sweet, patient, and loving man. Too good to be true.

I had decided that he was the one. Not "the one" as in the man I'm going to marry. Just the man I'm choosing to be my first. I'm a stupid college girl who's never really dated, much less had sex, and I felt like college was the best time to lose your virginity. And why not lose it to the handsome, kind, gentle classmate who models on the side?

Of course, my day started out fine. It didn't end that way.

As the fogginess starts to recede in my vision and pain around my head, wrists and sides sets in, I recall what happened before I passed out. I was riding with Jason on his motorcycle, arms wrapped around him and nuzzling him affectionately, regretting wearing tight jeans since I had to straddle him as we rode and the fabric strained around my legs. I thought that would be the worst of it. Then, we drove to the outskirts of the city, along the narrow roads of the mountainside. Even then I wasn't worried. We were going to do something special, after all.

Then I leaned over his shoulder and saw a parked car with its hazards on. We pulled over, and I smiled at how compassionate Jason is, to want to offer help even if we're on a motorcycle and can't really give rides. We both got off and removed our helmets. Jason walked over to the man who got out of the old, beat up Toyota after turning off the hazards.

"This her?" the man asked, walking around to stand behind me. My brow furrowed as I spun to follow him.

"Yeah. Her name's Ruthie."

"I don't give a fuck what her name is, man. Get her in the trunk. We're on a time crunch."

"Well you know girls, always taking forever to look their best."

I gripped my helmet, turning back to Jason. "What? Jason?" And then I saw a white flash as something hit my head.

Now I'm here.

My wrists ache, stretched above my head and secured with handcuffs to a metal pole behind me. I'm barely on my knees. The man must have expected someone taller. What's roused me is the tugging on my shirt as it's roughly cut from me, and a conversation becomes less and less hazy.

"Damn, Jase. Those tits, you sure she's a virgin?"

"Really?"

"What?"

"I'm sure. You think she'd wait this long if she was lying? I put all the moves on her. She resisted. Wouldn't even let me finger her just to see."

"You can't rely on a hymen for virginity anyway, dude. Doesn't matter I guess. I'm sure the Sixth Spirit will know."

Jason freezes in place as he tilts his head up and locks eyes with mine. Suddenly I have duct tape covering my mouth.

"Oh, hey Ruthie. Happy anniversary."

I don't attempt to speak, just stare at him. He continues to cut at my shirt. "So, yeah. I guess I owe you an explanation."

"You don't owe her shit." The man says.

"Shut up, Sean. Anyway, I just wanted to say you're a really sweet girl, and you're a lot hotter than you think you are, but that's not the reason I chose you for this. There are plenty of girls I could have picked from, but you? You're kind of a weird, socially awkward nerd. And you have no friends and not a lot of family. That's going to come in real handy for us."