The Accidental Hostage

The bell rang. I grabbed my stuff and threw it all into my bag, zipping it up afterwards. I swung my bag over my shoulders and walked out into the hall to meet my friend, Adina. While I waited for her I noticed something different about today.

The cheerleaders didn’t walk into the school side by side, the teachers weren’t in their classrooms and Adina wasn’t on time. She is always on time. I pulled my phone out and dialed her number. The phone rang for awhile before going straight to voicemail; I called her again, hoping she would pick up this time. I was wrong, it went to voicemail again.

I shoved my phone back in my pocket and went to the front office, I signed out and headed to my car unlocking it before I got there. I got in and buckled up. Then I started up my car and drove a few blocks until I got to Adina’s house. Once I got there I got out and walked up the stairs, leading to her door. I walked inside without knocking and hollered, asking if anyone was home. I didn’t get a response.

“Hello?” I asked once more. Silence.

I walked up the stairs to Adina’s room and looked around, no sign of her being here. I walked down the hall to the bathroom then her little brother’s room. Still no sign of anyone home. I then walked back down the stairs and was about to leave when I heard a noise. I stopped my heart began to race. I slowly walked around the house, looking for someone, anyone. I heard another noise coming from the kitchen. I walked into the kitchen, still not a sign of anyone there. I walked a little further towards the basement door. The floor crept a few times as I walked slowly. I twisted the doorknob quietly, revealing the darkness. I took a deep breath before speaking.

“Anyone down there?” I asked, looking straight ahead of me.

I heard a few whispers, my heart was almost pumping out of my chest now. I bit down on my bottom lip, trying not to make a sound. I backed up a bit trying to shut the door quietly behind me. I took another deep breath and walked slowly to the front door. I opened up the door once more as I felt someone's grip on my shoulder, and before I knew it, it was dark.

I woke up in a dark empty room. All I saw were a few chairs, some water bottles, and old wrinkled blankets. I noticed I was tied to a chair. I tried to untie myself but failed. Moments later I heard someone coming down the flight of stairs. I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep.

“She is right here sir,” A man said with a scratchy voice. I kept quiet.

“Good job Christopher,” another man said as he walked toward me. I tried my best to sit still yet relaxed so it looked like I was sleeping.

“How are you sure this is the right girl I am looking for?” the man next to me asked.

“I am not one-hundred percent sure she is the right one sir,” said Christopher. I pretended to wake up. I looked around, acting scared.

“Well hello there,” the other man said. I looked away quickly.

“Don’t be shy sweetie,” he said as he took a seat next to me.

“Your name is Adina Mae Bruce, right?” the man asked as I took a small peek at him.

“What if it isn’t?” I asked, looking down at the ground.

“Then Christopher did his job wrong once again,” the man replied. I nodded my head.

“Well my name is Berkeley Rosa Bryer sir,” I stated with confidence so he wouldn’t think I was lying.

“Christopher!” The man yelled as he jerked his head towards him. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

“I am so sorry sir, I was believed she was the right one. I swear.” Christopher pleaded as he stared at me. I looked the other way quickly.

“Pardon me sir but why am I still here if I am not the right one?” I asked, hoping for a calm response. The man took a deep breath and began to speak.

“We wouldn’t want you going around telling everyone someone kidnapped you on accident now would we?” the man said as he stood up, walking to the door.

“Well the girl you are looking for happens to be my friend. Why do you want her?” I asked, trying to state the obvious.

“Her father owes us money that he won’t give to us, therefor we want to take something from him until he pays us,” Christopher blurted.

“Her father isn’t even alive anymore,” I said plainly. They both looked at me when I finished saying those last words. I looked down trying not to cry.

“Well then, I guess we don’t have a purpose for his daughter, right Chris?”  the man asked with a smirk on his face. I let a few tears fall down my face.

“No sir, but we need the money still.” Chris replied as my head shot up.

“We will just keep the girl hostage until her parents pay up the money their friend owes,” said the man as he untied me and picked me up, putting me into a room and locking the door behind him as he left me there all alone.

I cried to myself knowing my life was in danger and I couldn’t do anything about it until my parents payed the men money for someone else’s actions. Hours later I woke up tied back in the same chair. There were more people this time, most of them were guys. I saw a little kid in the far back,  a boy I believe. I squinted my eyes a little trying to see the boy’s face. Then it hit me. The little boy was my step-brother. He was being tortured, by watching me suffer.

“What is my brother doing here?” I yelled as my eyes filled with tears.

“To watch you suffer,” A man said as he came close to me with a gun. He loaded the gun and held it to the right side of me head. Chris got his phone out and began to record me, saying a few things about the money and how they had my brother as well. I was sure the video was for my parents. I laid my head down as the man counted down the time before wanting to pull the trigger.

“Wait!” A weak voice said as the man got to the number three.

I shot my head up, noticing it was my brother who spoke. I shook my head left to right, telling him no.

“Don’t kill her,” my brother spoke softly. I cried more, knowing they would hurt him next.

“Well if we don’t kill her then it will have to be you that goes,” Chris said with a chuckle.

“No! Just stop, please,” I said, scanning the room.

“My parents won’t pay you guys anything if you kill us,” I stated as I stopped my eyes from watering.

“That’s too bad, I am quite sure they wouldn’t want both of you gone now, would they?” A woman said as she picked up a gun and loaded it.

She walked to my little brother and held the gun against his forehead. I cried more as she pulled the trigger slowly before letting go. That was it, my brother was gone. Blood shot out as he became weak, letting his head dangle from his neck. I screamed at everyone, pulling and kicking all around.

I was hurt. Soon enough I felt the strings become loose. I stood up and began to run to the back of the room where I saw an open window. I quickly climbed out and ran as far and as fast as I could. I made it to town, and I wasn’t sure where my parents would be so I ran to the police station.

Once I got there I told them everything and they went out to find the place where I was held at. My parents showed up at the police station, I told them about my brother Kolby. They cried and cried but were thankful I made it out of there, unharmed. The men were found, months later and were sent to jail.

Weeks after the men were captured I was walking home alone in the dark where I felt someone following me, I stopped and waited to see if anyone was there. Soon enough I heard something clicked and everything was dark.