"Tell me, what's the last strong memory you have from home?" I query
"The last very clear memory I have is of spending another sleepless night next to the worlds loudest snorer. I tried everything I could to sleep..... alcohol, sleeping pills..... even smoked a joint, but none of that helped. I remember listening to, erm.... music on YouTube. Oh!! I remember getting dressed and going out to walk!!"
She looks pleased to have remembered a little.
"Right, ok. I fill in some gaps about that day for you. Do you remember seeing anyone or anything strange when you left your house?"
"YES!! I do!" She says putting her left hand to her chest and sucking in some air!
Her eyes widen, she goes a god awful green colour, beads of sweat suddenly appear on her top lip and she is practically panting as she is panicking so hard!!
She's definitely going to puke!!
I retrieve the unused fruit bowl from before dinner and hand it to her, just in time to catch the half bottle of wine and bibimbap from earlier!
"I was taken!! I was kidnapped! 2 vans.... dark vans... big men.... I've never been so scared in my life!"
She is visibly scared, shaking and now beginning to cry too.
"Why did you take me Yoongi? What can I possibly have that you want? Why would you take a random woman from her kids?" She continues to cry.
I hand her a tissue and put the water bottle back in her hand so she can rinse her mouth. She takes both, swigs some water, swishes it around her mouth and then spits it into the fruit bowl, before ever so politely using the tissue to wipe the corners of her mouth! She's so weird... but funny, and cute!
"I didn't take you" I tell her. "Well.... technically I guess I DID take you... but not from your kids! I took you from Shaun! Mackenzie, you've been kidnapped twice in 5 days!"
She looks at me like I am insane, but remains quiet while I give her some of the details. There were going to be gaps..... I had no idea what she was going through during that time. Honestly, I'm not sure if I ever want to know! It took me almost 2 days to locate her, put together a team and then go and get her. It took too long to find her. I didn't eat at all for those 2 days, my stomach tying itself in knots. I really thought her husband, who is a top notch evil Dickhead by the way, had actually managed to execute his plan..... by executing her! I NEVER want to feel like that again in my life!!
"We found you in a small cabin in some woods far from your house. I had some suspicion Shaun was planning something bad, so I had Tiny keeping an eye on you. I was on the phone with him at the exact time you were taken. He asked me what he should do. As he was alone I told him to let them take you but to follow them, I thought we would have a much better chance of rescuing you safely if we had a plan for it. If Tiny had attempted to take you from them there and then I have no doubt they would have just killed you and him both, right there and then. Sadly, while following them he got stuck behind a car crash caused by the van you were in. He knew you were at risk if they got away, but he also didn't want to be the reason you were killed in an accident. He lost them, but we had a good idea of their general area, so we knew where to look for you. What we didn't have was an exact location, which is why it took us so long to find you"
She vomits again.
"When we found you in that cabin you were unconscious. I thought you were dead, you were so still!! I thought we were too late, but then you let out a cry. My friends took care of the two guys who were with you and used their keys to uncuff you. You were covered in vomit, no shoes or socks, your feet and lower legs were scratched, and you were so pale! I took off your joggers and hoodie, but the vomit had also soaked through your vest and bra, so I removed them too. You were freezing because you were wet"
She looks nervous, maybe ashamed? She bows her head and begins to twiddle her fingers together. She is just so endearing. So childlike. My inner Knight vows to protect her always at that moment, no matter what comes in the next weeks and months, and how she feels about me.
I continue,
"One of my friends retrieved a blanket I had in my car. I wrapped you in it, lifted to you to my car and brought you here"
I shrug and turn down my mouth, letting her know 'that's all I have'
She shakes her head, her mouth slightly open. She is finding this so hard to take in. I can't imagine how tough it must to have no memories of something that will have such a massive impact on your life.
I move closer to her and she looks into my eyes. Without breaking eye contact she says,
"Why are you looking after me? What responsibility for me and my kids do you have? We've never met before. How do you know so much about me and my life!"
"That IS a story for another day" I say, adding "We have plenty of time for that. Nobody is expecting you anywhere, and nobody is missing you either"
She is about to object to my last sentence but I put my fingers to her lips to quieten her. She immediately goes rigid... and silent! She is so broken it puts a crack in my heart!
I continue "when I say nobody missing you, I mean that everyone who love you, would miss you and care for you know you are safe, and where you are, and they are now involved in planning our next steps. Unfortunately for them, the plan requires them to all continue with their lives without you in them. They are pretending to believe you are dead, although they know you aren't"
She is continuing to shake her head, making the occasional shocked sound. I get it! You are living your life one day, the next you wake up to find that, in essence, you no longer exist for all the important people in your life. It is a necessity of my plan though. She will understand once this is all over... i hope!
"Do you want to call your kids now!?"
Her face lights up at their mention! It is just so apparent that they are her whole world, it's written all over her face... her eyes are sparkling, she actually looks like she is glowing right now, she has a big smile on her face. I notice she has dimples... awww!
"Really!?" She asks, with her hands clasped together as if she is about to say a prayer.
I take out my phone and dial, then hand it to her.