Project L-137

Chapter 4...Three months later

The first day I got here was one of the worst days of my life. Ever since August, I've had the same nightmares for the past 3 months. Some nights I just get no sleep and end up staring at the belly of one of my roommate's mattresses. Either that or I just end up waking up in the middle of the night looking like I have a 120-degree fever. That's when I usually explore the warehouse. I used to try to meet Trevor when that happened because he was the only one that made me feel comfortable in this hell hole.

He usually worked out at the time that I woke up. But tonight was especially scary for me so I needed someone to talk to. I wandered around the warehouse trying to find him in the booty shorts that they give us for PJ's but it was freezing cold at this time in the year. I wrapped my arms around my torso trying to find warmth. I knocked on his door but nobody answered so I just let it be. I wasn't even supposed to hang out with him since I was one of the "special ones" for sex trafficking. None of the guys talked to the girls, it was just a rule here.

I walked back to my room but on the way there I couldn't stop thinking about my dream. I was back in Wal-Mart and I was screaming for my dad. But from where I was standing, I could see him right in front of me and Luke pointing the gun at him. I wasn't there at all, instead, I was behind like this wall of fuzz. I could see the events but I couldn't move from where I was standing because something was blocking my way out. Like a glass cage. I bang against the glass crying for my dad but it's like they can't hear me. I hear the shot ring through the air. And my dad falls to the ground. But next thing I know, I'm in the pitch-black darkness next to Jared's body with his blood on my hands.

I stop in my tracks as soon as I hear someone say my name. "Amber?"

I snap out of the thoughts and look at where the voice was coming from.

"Trevor? What are you doing? You know you're not supposed to talk to me" I said, surprised. Yes, it was true that we used to talk whenever this happened but that ended about 2 and a half months ago. Luke and Jason decided to rough me up after seeing me talk with Trevor because I'm one of the "special ones" and nobody talks to the girls, so he decided that we shouldn't be friends.

"I heard a knock on my door and I was curious. I came out and saw you wandering again," he said with his soft tone. His eyes were searching mine and he was looking for the reason I came looking for him.

"It's nothing," I said, turning around to walk in the same direction I was before.

As I started walking, I paused in my tracks hearing a sound that caught my attention. I looked to where the sound was coming from and it was a dent in the corner of the warehouse that nobody even noticed. It was so dark you could barely even see it open. But it was open enough to where I can bend the metal even more than before and probably crawl through the hole.

I felt Trevor put his hand on my shoulder and I turned around. I looked into his eyes and his expression was filled with worry and concern.

He put a hand up to my forehead and said "Amber you're burning up, maybe you should go lay down. Try and get some sleep."

I looked away from him thinking "How can I get sleep tonight? I can't sleep not today. Not tomorrow. Not until I find Jared and make sure he is safe." I turned back around to go to my room when I heard him get a little louder.

"What do you want from me Amber? You want me to care? Or you don't, but I will never know if you don't talk to me!" he said with a hint of desperation in his voice

"Trevor...you made the call to not be friends with me anymore. You made the call not to talk to me for 2 and a half months. You have made every call that has affected us. I just can't take this. You're either my friend or one of them. Either way it's your choice." I said in a medium volume voice. I could hear him sigh behind me and I turned around to look at him.