C1 CHAPTER ONE: LOST, LOST THEN FOUND

I came to with a thudding headache. The back of my head throbbed in intense pain, I raised my hand to check the cause, but it didn't move, something restrained my arms. And my legs too as I tried to get up. 'How long have I been out,' my throat was parched and hunger growled in my stomach. I tried to stretch my hands free and narrow strings dig into my flesh, and I cried out in pain. It could be less painful and easier, but my eyes denied their aid as I was blindfolded. Relentlessly, I battered at the straps and they sawed in deeper and drew blood. The straps soon eased and I tugged my hands free with a cry. Withdrawing the blindfold, I winced from the impulsive rays.

"Has she said anything yet" I heard a voice from behind the doors, quickly and quietly I fixed the blindfold back on my eyes, fastened my hands as best as I could and placed them at my rear, and suspended my head in the air to my left to convey the impression that I was blacked out. The door flared and I heard someone's footsteps ambling toward me. I heard a click and was jerked by the sudden moisture ridding my sweat and dampening my skin.

"Are you willing to talk?" she yanked the tape from my eyes and mouth and I winced from the burn, " where is the orb?" she inquired and I looked up at her with hate as she kept on with a smirk, " you should talk if you'd wish to go home".

"Did Isabel put you up to this? Did she believe I would settle for a dick like Pat?" I spat out and sneered, " that's lame, who'd have guessed she could pull off an evil stunt".

She seized my jaw, raising them with force, "who do you think you are?" she demanded, shoving my face to the side and then folding her hands. "I did a background check on you, … " she adds and I focused my eyes on her again, "...you were a petty thief in that orphanage, they were blessed to be divested of you when you got adopted, but old habits die, don't they? Your sweet sweet mama and papa sent you back to the orphanage also because of your avarice and larceny, little miss Luna becomes an orphan once again." she mocked.

I hate to recall and I loathed her for being like the lot, condemning me for something I had no hand in, Isabel's betrayal hit hard, only she knew this about me, " I never stole anything, I was framed by people like you". She shrugged, " who would believe an orphan?" she questioned pacing around me, "where is the orb, what could you possibly do by maintaining silence?"

" So long it puts a scowl on your mud face, I will be mum… and I know something you don't," I replied.

" What could you possibly know? ," she asked, smirking with a raised brow.

" I know you are not the boss, you are just an errand guy, I have nothing to say to you and you can do no……" my cheeks burned, and it took a sec to realize I got slapped. I gazed at her with contempt as tears burned my lids and stained the blush of my cheeks.

"Stop, before I lose my patience," she said, seizing me by the collar and shaking me vigorously.

" Do you feel less? Do you presume my absence would go without notice, I'll make sure you rot in jail, the lot of you" I yelled, as she stared at me with flames in her eyes. Her hands were still on my collar. "Shut your mouth before I kill you" her hand squeezed my neck and I bit her forearm. She writhed from the pain and backed a little, her forearm on her hand as she studied the bite.

Her body vibrated and her lips pulsated and her eyes shot lasers as she moved closer and grabbed my neck, choking me as she shouted, "Die! Die! Die! Die!" My breath hung in my chest and my eyes went in and out of focus as I gasped for air. "please, d-on-" I whispered, tears stringing down my cheeks as my vision went blank.

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I slowly opened up my eyes, my head banging with pain. I looked around as much as my constraint allowed as the memories flooded in. " Hello? Is anyone there?" I called out, not desiring a reply. When I didn't, my heart leaped with joy. I eased the string from my hands once more, they were sticky to my skin and I bounded my lips, muffling my grunts as I tore them off, leaving myself with bloodied wrists.' how long have I been out,' I wondered.

Having no time for self-sympathy, I eased the string from my ankles. I knew they'd be back. But I wasn't about to wait for their return. I sprinted to the door and pulled the handle, to my astonishment it unlocked. They must believe I'd be a coward to flee.

I spread out the door slowly to avoid making a sound and then skimmed the hall. To my luck, I was alone. I ambled down the hall on tiptoes, listening for voices or footsteps. Doors lie on opposite sides of the hall. Skeptical of which to settle on, I played a melody in my head, my finger dancing to the rhythm, between two doors I reckoned could lead to the exit. As the melody reached its end, my finger stopped at the door on my left and I ran to it, seated my ears against the wooden door to listen for sounds, and then looked through the keyhole. With no one in sight, I opened the door and came into a passageway, which soon led to a staircase.

Running down the stairs, I heard voices discussing in hushed tones and I froze, not sure where the sound came from. I scurried down the stairs and hid there waiting. Waiting to be caught or perhaps get lucky.

" Sure it's the right bitch this time?" a hoarse voice questioned and I gasped and quickly set my hands to stop my mouth, hoping it wasn't heard. There was a pause and then feet ascending the stairs. Lingering till I heard nothing, I fled to the exit opposite the staircase.

A huge man stood behind the door when I unlocked them, he scrutinized me, stumped, and then with realization. The reality of my failed escape tore a hole in my heart, I laughed hysterically, more tears soaking my cheeks. I held my hands up, caressing them against each other as he moved to grab me. I couldn't give up, an idea popped at the back of my head, and I raised my knee to his crotch and he recoiled, crying from the effect. I dashed past him, but before I could seize another step, he clasped my ribs. I tried struggling free, but his clasp remained tight.

"Please, let me go", but he paid no heed to my plea. I made an effort to force myself out of his grip to no avail. I crouched my head and bit his hand with all the strength I could muster till he let go and I booted his crotch again and ran as fast as I could into the looming woods.

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The fierce shouts in the distance jolted my scurrying body as I propelled myself in desperation. The trees I saw for the first time seemed familiar as I willed my fatigued feet to run. I brushed the heat from my face wishing it was water to assuage the burn in my throat. The branches scratch at my legs as I shove myself through prickling bushes. My frail body was failing and the thoughts and anxiety of what would ensue if I got captured clogged the back of my head and my cheeks warmed with tears. Last night, Isabel's betrayal and my too-trusting heart were to blame for all this.

With nothing but trees and bushes in sight, my legs giving way with every three steps, and my throat begging for sustenance I knew this was my end. It got dark and the sky bellowed for a while and soon it rained heavily. Although soothing, the chill added to my misery, and running became harder as the earth became muddy.

"Aaaaaaaargh" I wailed from the shock and pain, sliding down the forest bed. Thorns tearing at my flesh, and leaves and branches slapping at my body and face, I held up my hands in protection. I crashed into the ground with a thud, I tried to get up but realized I fractured my feet. I recalled watching how fractured bones got fixed in movies, then closed my eyes, ' 3 2 1'. I counted, imitating the movies, but screamed from the excruciating pain that accompanied it. I quickly shut my mouth with my hands, praying that I did not alert them to my location. I cried, tears flooding my eyes and face, and sniffing back catarrh from my nose.

Looking straight ahead, I saw a tavern and I breathed a sigh of relief, I would hide there and wait. I dragged my bum on stones and earth to the tavern, hoping I could get there before they found me.

The tavern doors creaked from my impact, almost falling. It had holes borne by crickets and insects or more. I pushed it gently and cleared the webs from the entrance and entered. The floorboard was rickety and shook as I made my way through. Although well organized, it was obvious it's been abandoned for ages, the sound of rodents could be heard from the walls and everything was coated in dust and webs. I caught sight of an opening behind the box tv, I could fit and no one would notice. I shifted the fake wall and entered, shutting it behind me and praying for a miracle.

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Shivers woke me up, the cold was intense. No. Voices did. I could hear them talking outside, and fear engulfed me. All I could do was cry and hope. "Do you think she is in there?" someone said. "Aren't they all foolish, that's why the boss built this, to give them a sense of accomplishment" he replied laughing, and more voices cracked up in response. The pain in my heart was ineffable, learning I wasn't the first and finding out they had me where they wanted. I heard them come in, the door falling behind them.

"We know you are here, come out and we might be gentle"

"There's no use hiding," another said and I pinched my lips to quell the sound of my fear and tears. The search went on for a while, with no solace to me as they called to me, making jest, threats, and smashing plates and furniture. As their despair grew, so did the creaking and cracking of the floorboard, and the thumping of my heart.

With luck on my side, I dabbed the tears from my eyes at the sound of their failed efforts, "I don't think she's here, what should we tell the boss?"

"For now, we keep searching, the estate is big, she's here somewhere, let's move on" the voice who I deduced would be their leader declared. I breathed a sigh of relief as I listened to their withdrawing feet.

My relief was short-lived by the rat who now shared the same space with me, my worst phobia. I tried to shoo it with my hand, pleading with it to give me just 5 minutes, but it was incoherent as it moved closer, determined to flee via my exit. I moved back to create an opening for it, but provoked a slight noise and halted. I attempted to change positions by adjusting my posture, but the minute I took my sight off the annoying creature, it walked on my legs and ran off. The eerie feeling from its feet made me shriek and berate myself, hoping no one heard. A fool's hope.

I held my breath as the fake wall was shifted, the reality of my fate glaring at my face. Everything was for nothing. "You are one hard prey," said my captor, gun in his hand pointing to my face and a wicked grin on his disfigured face.