Ring ~Ring~Ring

Mia's head pounded in sync with the ringing sound. The sound was deafening, a shrill scream that pierced her eardrums and threatened to shatter her skull. She tried to lift her hands to cover her ears, but they wouldn't budge. A jolt of panic shot through her as she realized she was tied up, her wrists bound by rough and tight rope.

She struggled to free herself, her hand struggling with the rope in hope for it to slip through, her gaze drifted around the room, but her eyes refused to focus. Everything was a blur, a mixture of colors and shapes that danced before her eyes. She blinked repeatedly, trying to clear the haze, but it only seemed to worsen.

Fear crept in, wrapping around her tender heart. Mai's mind was a complete blank, devoid of memories or any sense of self. She didn't know who she was, where she was, or how she'd ended up in this predicament. The only thing she was certain of was the overwhelming sense of dread that threatened to consume her.

The ringing was still on high alert as it kept going on and on, Mia shook her head violently, desperate to clear the haze that shrouded her mind. Her eyes were still unfocused and blurry, she struggled to make sense of her surroundings.

Mia strained her throbbing head to remember, her thoughts swirled around giving her more headaches. What had happened to her ? How did she end up in this... place?. The memories, much like her gaze, refused to sharpen. Frustration and fear wrestled for dominance, each emotion punching the other.

A faint scent of disinfectant and something else... something like sweat and what... it seems like acrid, hung heavy in the air.

Panic seeped into her bones more and Mia began tugging at the restraints, but they held hard. Her eyes that were still struggling to focus, darted around the room again. The walls was a dull gray and they seemed to close in on her. A single, flickering fluorescent light overhead casted shadows on the walls.

Across from her, Mia's blurry eyes struggled to make out the outline of someone. She blinked repeatedly and that's when her gaze began to clear. But she wished she didn't see it.

Tied up in the same manner as her, with wrists bound to a metal frame, was a figure she knew all too well. The flickering fluorescent light above made the scene before her seem even more surreal.

Mia's eyes widened in horror and her fragile heart sank as she took in the sight of her father, Mattie Lorenzo. His face was a mess of bruises and lacerations, his eyes were swollen and shut. A faint trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, and his head hung loosely, as if his neck was broken. The once-strong lines of his face were now distorted with his skin pale and clammy.

"gasps" Mia's gasp was a mere whisper, but it was a sound that spoke volumes of her despair. She tugged at the restraints even more harder, desperate to free herself and rush to her father's side. But the ropes held fast, biting into her skin, which is sure to leave a bruise. The rough fibers scraped against her delicate wrists, causing a stinging sensation that only added to her growing panic.

As she gazed at her father's broken form, Mia's mind reeled with questions. What had happened to him? Who could have done this? And why? The not knowing was a torture all of its own, a relentless drumbeat that threatened to consume her. Each question was leading to more, until her head spun with the effort of trying to make sense of it all.

Despite the evidence of her father's brutal treatment, Mia clung to hope. His head, though hung loosely, still seemed to be attached to his neck. That had to be a good sign, didn't it? She willed herself to believe that he was alive, that he would pull through this ordeal. The alternative was too terrifying to contemplate.

The ringing in her ears, which had momentarily receded, now returned with vengeance. Mia's gaze never wavered from her father's face, her eyes burning with tears and her heart heavy with fear.

"Papa... Papa... Papa," Mia whispered, her voice trembling as she gazed at her unmoving father. Mia's brimming eyes were filling with tears, willing for her father to respond but he remained still with his eyes swollen shut.

Mia's desperation grew, and she tugged at the restraints. She twisted and pulled at it with her tearing gaze darting around the room wildly, searching for any clue, any hope.

Her eyes then landed on a table that was located at the far end of the room. It was a simple black metal table, with a single chair pushed beneath it. On the table's surface, Aria couldn't see what the things looked like but she felt a shiver run down her spine. It won't be a surprise like how all the movies are, the table might be holding tools for her torture.

Click... click... click...Light footsteps start echoing outside the room, growing louder with each passing moment. Mia's heart skipped a beat as a spark of hope ignited within her. Maybe, just maybe, someone was coming to save them. She strained more against the restraints, but as the footsteps drew closer, Mia's hope began to falter. What if it wasn't a rescuer? What if it was one of the kidnappers, that was coming to gloat or inflict more harm? Mia's mind quickly recoiled at the thought, her fear spiking to new heights.

Despite her doubts, Mia couldn't help but cry out for help. She shouted at the top of her lungs, her voice was hoarse and desperate. "HELP... please someone help... help!" The words tumbled out of her, a raw, anguished plea that seemed to be helpless. Mia's haunting cry was pleading for someone, anyone, to hear her.

She glared at the unmoving door as if it was her moral enemy, willing it to burst open and reveal a hero, a savior or anyone who could free her and her father from this living nightmare. But the door remained stubbornly shut, mocking her, taunting her with the promise of their freedom that was withheld.

The door handle began to turn and it suddenly swung open. A figure loomed in the doorway, their features indistinct, shrouded in the shadow. Mia's heart sank as her hope got extinguished by the crushing weight of reality. The aura Mia felt emitting from the individual was not one of a savior but that of a bad person.

She resigned her fate at the mercy of her captors, and she had no idea what they had planned for her and her father.