Surprised, I gasped and jolted awake as cold water splashed onto my face, instantly snapping me to attention. My first instinct was to raise my hand and wipe away the water, hoping to regain clarity, but my efforts were thwarted when I realized my hands were tightly bound behind my back. I found myself firmly secured to a wooden chair.
Could this be a dream? It didn't feel like one; the discomfort from the restraints was all too real.
I frowned as I opened my eyes fully. I blinked several times to clear the water that clouded my vision. And as my sight gradually cleared, I was horrified by the chilling scene before me.
I found myself enveloped in darkness, with only a single dim light bulb hanging above, swinging back and forth, casting eerie shadows that danced menacingly on the walls. Drenched from head to toe, I was tied in a wooden chair.
"Where am I? How did I end up here?" I muttered, trembling as I tried to free my hands, but no matter what I did, I couldn't loosen the ropes, and the struggle only intensified the pain in my arms.
"D-Daddy! Mommy! Help me!" I cried out, on the verge of tears. How had I wound up in this terrifying place? Who had brought me here?
"Cev! Gello! Renz! Please help m—"
My scream was abruptly cut short when my hair was violently yanked, pulling my head to the side.
"Stop asking for help because no one will help you here. Not your parents, not your brothers, and not anyone!" a man's voice declared with a stern tone, before abruptly releasing my hair. My fear intensified as I recalled the person who had picked me up earlier.
It couldn't be. It seemed impossible. He couldn't be the one responsible for bringing me here. Was I being kidnapped? But that couldn't be right. He claimed to be a police officer and an associate of my dad's. Could he be telling the truth?
"Turn on the light, Darius. We need to start the show now," the man said again, as if giving orders to someone else. I couldn't see his face because it was obscured by darkness, only his tall figure standing beside me was visible. He was wearing a simple white t-shirt, gray shorts, white slippers, and an expensive watch on his left wrist.
Suddenly, the room was illuminated, causing me to squint momentarily before fully opening my eyes to assess my surroundings. I could discern no doors, only walls, and in one corner, a small staircase led upwards. If I wasn't mistaken, I must be in a basement. But how did I end up here? Was this all just a terrible nightmare? It certainly felt too real to be just a dream.
I focused on the man who had turned on the light, and he was grinning at me. He was unfamiliar, and I had never seen his face before. He had somewhat long, grayish hair, a prominent nose, and thick eyebrows. The color of his hair matched his piercing gray eyes.
He possesses a perfect jawline and is clad in ragged denim shorts, revealing his muscular and chiseled abs.
"Enjoying the view, huh? Wanna taste my hot body?" He taunted with a grin.
Embarrassed and flustered, I quickly averted my gaze.
"W-Why am I here?" I stammered, my voice trembling.
"Do we really need to answer your questions?" The man standing next to me laughed in a chilling manner that sent shivers down my spine. Oh right, I almost forgot there's another man.
As I began to raise my gaze to see the other man's face, he abruptly seized my hair, pulling my head down and forcing me to look at him. It was none other than the attractive man I encountered at the cafeteria, but his expression was entirely different now; his face was contorted with anger and rage, resembling a predatory tiger eyeing its prey.
I can't help but wince in pain, feeling his grip on my hair reaching my scalp, as if he intended to harm me.
"W-Why?" I blurted out, trying to hold back my tears.
He merely grinned in response, then glanced at his companion. "Let's get started, Darius."
Darius, the man who had turned on the light earlier, smirked at me. He swiftly pulled out his cellphone from his denim pants pocket and approached me, pointing the device at my face as if he were about to record something.
"Here we go. Action time, Larco!" Darius declared, looking at the man named Larco, then giving me a smug smirk.
Larco, the man from the cafeteria whom I now knew by name, released his grip on my hair. Now, I know his name, but I never expected to find out in this situation.
I'm confused with what's happening. I'm feeling a mix of emotions at this moment. I don't know what's going on. Fear gripped me.
"W-What... What are you going to do to me? W-Why am I here?" I asked, my voice still trembling, as I gazed up at Larco. "Where's my dad? I thought you were taking me to him?"
Instead of answering, Larco just grinned and unexpectedly, a swift hand flew towards my cheek, causing me to wince.
I was shocked. Larco had slapped me.
The force of the slap left my ears ringing. My head tilted to the right, and I felt a bit dizzy. Though I couldn't see my face, I knew my cheek had turned red from the impact.
Tears uncontrollably streamed down my face as I slowly looked up at the man who had just slapped me. But before I could fully raise my head, he violently yanked my hair again and followed it with another harsh slap on my other cheek.
The pain on my cheeks and head was excruciating, and I felt my face going numb from the impact of the slaps and hair-pulling. Each blow seemed like an attempt to inflict the worst pain possible; as if he wanted to kill me.
Unable to hold back any longer, I sobbed as tears freely flowed from my clouded eyes. It was the first time in my life that someone had treated me with such violence.
"W-Why did you slap me?" I asked Larco, tears streaming down my face.
Larco glanced at me briefly but quickly averted his gaze, releasing his grip on my hair before looking at Darius, who continued to record the video.
"Send that video to her family," Larco ordered Darius, his tone serious, before walking away without looking back.
"Okay then... what about this girl?" Darius inquired, still focused on his phone.
Larco momentarily paused his ascent up the stairs, but he kept his back turned. "Kill her."
My eyes widened in horror at what I heard. No! I couldn't die here! Tears streamed even harder.
"Oh come on, Larco. Why don't you keep her alive? I know there's some benefit to it somehow," Darius said with a taunting grin. "Am I right, baby girl?" he mocked, looking at me.
"What did I do to you? Why are you doing this to me?" I cried out, my eyes fixed on Larco's back.
"Do what you want, Darius. Kill her if you want, keep her alive if you wish," Larco stated coldly and left the basement without acknowledging my plea.
Left alone with Darius, I continued to cry, nervously glancing at him.
"Just call my parents, they'll give you the money you want, just please don't kill me," I pleaded desperately.
Upon hearing my plea, Darius looked up from his phone and stared at me for a moment before grinning.
"Money?" He chuckled and shrugged. "Oh... I'm so sorry, Miss Gabriel, but I have plenty of money, so I don't need it." He approached me and whispered, "but if you really want to live... I have an idea."
His words sparked a glimmer of hope within me.
"Please, just tell me, I'll do anything, just don't kill me. Please, have mercy. Please don't kill me," I begged, not wanting to die in this nightmarish situation. I couldn't bear the thought of my mom being worried sick about me.
Darius nodded and pocketed his phone before walking behind me. I felt the rope around my hands loosening, and it fell off, offering some relief.
"Follow me," Darius commanded as he turned away from me and ascended the stairs.
Despite trembling with fear, I mustered the strength to stand up from the chair and followed Darius up the stairs.
At the top of the stairs, we entered a very large white room. Darius closed the basement door and settled onto the white bed, sitting cross-legged.
As I stood there, I took in the sight of the spacious white room, where everything seemed to be immaculately white - the sheets, pillows, bed, and walls.
When I glanced back at Darius, he had already retrieved a bottle of red wine from the bedside table and poured it into a glass, all while keeping an eye on me. I quickly looked down, avoiding any eye contact.
With the cold air in the room, I shivered and hugged myself tightly, my wet clothes contrasting with the room's sterile whiteness. Water continued to drip from my soaked hair and clothing, including my white t-shirt, black jeans, and white sneakers. Even my school ID hanging around my neck was wet.
"Dance," Darius ordered abruptly.
Confused, I raised my gaze. "Huh? Did I hear you correctly?"
Darius rolled his eyes impatiently, swirled the wine in his glass, took a sip, and then looked at me again. "You still want to live, right? Then dance for me."
I gulped nervously. "W-What??"
"Tsk... Are you deaf? I said dance for me! Dance in front of me if you want to live!" He sounded increasingly irritated.
I pinched myself to confirm this wasn't a dream and swallowed hard. I can do this, I can. I don't want to die. I'll just dance, that's all. I'll dance.
I hesitantly began clapping my hands to the left and right.
"B-baby shark tottororot...torot . . . Baby sha—"
"What the f*ck!" Darius cursed, spitting out the wine back into the glass and staring at me in disbelief.
I stopped dancing and looked at him, feeling embarrassed and confused.
"I want a sexy and erotic dance! Not a baby shark dance! Damn it, Gabriel!" He glared at me with frustration.
I lowered my head again, squeezing my trembling hands. "I'm sorry... but I don't know the kind of dance you want."
Darius let out a frustrated sigh, ran his hand through his hair, and then looked at me seriously and annoyed, pointing towards a door. "Take a bath in the bathroom. Don't lock the door, I'll be there in a minute."
Nodding quickly, I walked towards the door he indicated. Once inside the bathroom, I locked the door and heaved a sigh of relief, clutching my chest where my heart was racing with fear.
I couldn't stay in this place. I needed to find a way out! I had to call my dad and brother for help. But how? My cellphone was inside my bag!
I leaned against the closed door and slumping down on the white tiles of the bathroom, I couldn't hold back my stifled sobs, blaming myself for the situation I found myself in.
"It's all my fault. If only I didn't go with Larco, I wouldn't be here. I'm so stupid. I shouldn't have fallen for his handsome face."
I never imagined that beneath his angelic appearance, a demon was lurking. He's a psycho! How could he slap a defenseless girl? He's crazy!
I had no idea why they brought me here or what they wanted from me. I felt completely lost and terrified. But one thing was certain – I didn't want to die.
I needed to find a way to get my cellphone and call my brother and dad. But how?
In a daze, I pondered my options until my heart sank as I heard the doorknob being turned from outside.
I think Darius is coming!