Found

Chapter Four: The First Sign of Trouble

I wake to the sound of gravel grinding beneath the tires of a truck. My hands tied behind my back.

I look around and see nothing but darkness. And Josh. He's knocked out, and lying next to me.

"Josh!" I whisper. "Josh wake up!"

"Huh? What? Where am I?" He whispers.

"I don't know where we are. At least we're together." I say, quietly.

"Right. You tied up too?" He says.

"Yeah. I thought this whole 'getting kidnapped' thing was over as soon as we stepped off the plane. All we want to do is find the person whom may know the reason or more behind why we were put into the Box." I sigh.

"I don't think it's ever going to be over." Josh says. I see him fiddling with the ropes behind his back.

"Shut it back there will ya?!" A gravely man's voice - with an accent - says from up front.

"What do you want from us?!" I shout.

"All questions will be answered in time. And trust me, you won't get them easily, you'll have to earn them by giving me answers first. Now, BE QUIET!" The man shouts.

I don't have anything else to say so I stay quiet after he says that. Josh keeps fiddling with his ropes while I think about things.

I think about why I wish we had a normal life, one without being kidnapped, tortured, and how we are never left alone by bad guys and men in black suits. Because I know Josh's and my relationship was formed in conflict and we fell in love in the middle of a huge problem, but I would like to have a normal life with Josh, we don't even know that much about each other, we just trusted each other because we saved each other. We made it through the Box together and I couldn't have done it without each other, but I don't know what Josh's childhood was like, what his parents were like, I just know him as he is now and sometimes I'm okay with that, and sometimes I'm not. Even though I'm pretty sure Josh doesn't even remember what his childhood was like, I want to see what he has remembered, like me.

"Josh?" I whisper, careful that the man doesn't hear.

"Yeah?" He whispers back.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"I think now is hardly the time to start asking me questions."

"Just hear me out, okay?"

"Okay."

"Have you remembered anything, since I got you out of the honesty sim, like something about your childhood?"

"I've remembered some stuff, stuff about you before we were put in the Box, how you laughed and how when you smiled I got butterflies in my stomach. And when we kissed and touched, I never wanted to let you go. I've also remembered how we met, how you caught my eye instantly in the park, on a beautiful sunny day."

I don't know if Josh can see me, but I'm blushing, I can feel the warmth in my cheeks. I put my forehead against his and we share the air between us.

"I love you." I whisper, I don't care that I don't know his past life, I care that I'm in his present one, and there's no other place I'd rather be than with him by my side. Even though we are tied up and in the back of a truck.

"I love you too." He whispers. He kisses me lightly and keeps on fiddling with his ropes.

++++

Josh finally gets his hands free. He makes a small gasp of relief when he gets his hands free. He unties my ropes and hands me a knife from his boot. I take it and put it in a harness that I'm surprised that the man didn't take from me. Josh keeps his last knife. I stop him from fidgeting and take his head in my hands, I press his head to mine and he doesn't pull away, which pleases me. I touch his lips to mine gently, and he presses harder with every second we stay like this. He puts his hands around my waist and pulls me closer, he presses me against the truck wall and I feel the cool metal against my back. I love moments like this when we just forget about reality and surround ourselves with each other's love and chemistry. I can just feel the love between us and it's so strong it gives me happiness and energy to keep going.

The door opens and I feel a sharp pain in my side as I flinch at the bright daylight. The last thing I see is Josh's surprised and angered face.