DARK

TRUST

-Day 10-

The days seemed to go by slower than usual. Connor and I did nothing except enjoy good food and talk about stuff. We never discussed escape plans, but we did share ideas on what we've tried in the past. It was hard knowing that there were so many ways that simply could not work because of the failure that had already come with it. Today Connor and I discussed our old hobbies. He spoke about his younger sister and how they enjoyed going to the beach every weekend in the summer. Connor spent hours at the beach, teaching his sister how to create the perfect sandcastle.

It amazed me every time people spoke about their siblings because I had none. It was always just my parents at home and me. I wasn't complaining, but it certainly would've been nice to have someone to enjoy things with, such as building a sandcastle. I was always preoccupied with skating, but I wondered what my life would've been like if I hadn't skated. The metals and trophies wouldn't be on display in my room, and I would spend my weekends anywhere else than the rink. Sometimes I wondered what would happen if I had skipped the night the kidnapping took place.

The kidnapping happened a week before I was supposed to compete in one of the biggest competitions out there. It was my chance to show people how good I was finally. I was going to be an olympian. I had good chances of making it, and years of training to back me up. My mom asked me if I could stay home one night instead of going to the rink to practice, but I told her no. I said that my future rested on this performance. After hours of being in the arena, I began to walk home. It was a thirty-minute walk in the dark. I caught sight of the car following me, and I sped up. My heart was beating so loud in my chest, and I remember how scared I was. When I went to cross the street, the car began racing at me, and I froze. This man stepped out of the car and started to run at me. I ran, but I wasn't fast enough.

I don't know how long I was out, but I remember waking up with the worst headache. That's when I met Red. He told me that I wasn't leaving this place and that nobody would ever find me. I yelled for hours, and I prayed. Red got tired of the yelling, and that was the first time he hit me. I had never had someone hit me before. I cried instantly and screamed out for someone to help. Nobody came. From there on out, Red became meaner and meaner. He didn't care about me or how I was feeling. The meals turned to mush, and the abuse got more intense. As the days went by, Red began to make me remove my clothes, and he would stand in the shower room and watch me.

I wanted to ask Connor about his story, but I didn't want to open wounds that should be left alone. Maybe one day, it would come up in a conversation, but I couldn't ask out of the blue. No matter what Connor's story was, I knew it was unfair. Nobody should disappear on their way home. I remember taking the safest roads I knew. They were well lit, and there were houses all along with them. It's not like I was wandering through the countryside, or using back alleys to get home. I used the areas that I once believed were safe.

It was strange how fast things could change. One day you're happy, and the next you're not. That's how it happened in this hell. There are tons of things to talk about one day, and then, you feel miserable. Today was one of those days; filled with silence. If there were crickets here, it would be the only sound you could hear. It was strange because I never once saw a bug. It was almost like Red had put us in a location where there were no bugs, or he had done a great job sealing the place. If there were a noise that belonged to a bug, that would mean there's somewhere to get inside. It would give me hope.

"Hey Mya, Do you think we could break down the walls and escape?" Connor suddenly asked.

"No. I bet we're underground or something," I replied honestly.