5

Ashlynn's POV:  

The only thing on my mind is my parents. I can't even sleep without them disturbing it. And they live hours and hours away from me. At least I think they do. I'm not sure where I'm at anymore.  

I glance up for the first time and look around the dark room, and I see two figures in the corner. I let a scream, fearing that they'll come towards me. It's my parents, I know it is. They are here to get back at me for leaving. They are going to hurt me again. I can't do that. I let out another scream and I bury my face in my knees. They have to leave. I can't face them, I'm terrified.  

I hear footsteps stomping and I jerk my head up. I stare at the wall and let the tears fall down my cheeks. They're here. They found me. I'm dead. I hear a loud buzzing echo around me and I know it's over. It's hard to see, the only thing I can see is a bright light. What is happening! I want to go home.  

The sound of footsteps only grows louder and the first this I see are a pair of black dress shoes next to the cot. My head jerks upwards and I see the man who kidnapped me. His eyebrows are furrowed and he looks mad. I start to say sorry, and I keep looking at the corner. They aren't there. Where'd they go?  

"Why did you scream?" The man asks, his voice is in a demanding tone. I feel my body start to shake. He is with my parents. That's why he hurt me earlier. He has to tell me where they are. "Excuse me, answer the question."  

"Nightmare," I squeak out. "They aren't here right? They are still away?"  

"They? Who the fuck are you talking about?" He asks, obviously getting annoyed.  

"I can't see them, please keep them away," I cry and my sobs cause my body to tremble.  

"Go to sleep," He orders me. "No one is here. You're alone. Now shut the fuck up and stop screaming. People are trying to sleep."  

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! Please don't hurt me! I'll listen, I swear!" I apologize profusely and I feel a hurtful pinch on my arms. I can feel the man still staring at me but I can't get the courage to look at him. My body won't stop shaking and my fear never leaves.  

His shoes disappear from my sight and the light disappears. I quickly duck under the thin sheet I was given and try to hide. It's better than nothing. I'll do anything to stay away from my parents. I'd go to hell over seeing them again.  

***************************************  

"Ashlynn, wake up dear," a soft voice says. A gentle hand is on my shoulder.  

I open my eyes to see the woman who helped me yesterday. I believe her name is Jill. I forgot. She gives me a smile and hands me a small plate with a water bottle. The plate has two pieces of bread, along with a few slices of an apple and cheese cubes. I hesitantly take it from her hands and she sits next to me on the bed.  

"Is everything alright? I know that your current situation isn't good by any means, but I was told you had a moment last night," Jill says and the night starts to come back to me. I feel fear just when I think of the nightmare I had, then I realize I went insane. My fear literally drove me mad and I had no idea what I was doing.  

"It was a nightmare, nothing more," I answer her and take a bite of the bread. "Thank you for the food."  

She nods her head and thankfully doesn't push me to answer her question. After eating the bite of bread I realize how hungry I actually am. I scarf down the bread, realizing that it's filling my stomach. Jill stays next to me and begins to check my bandage. She begins to pull out a new set of bandages and I let her work on the injury while I continue to eat my food.  

I finish all my food and Jill finishes my bandages. She takes the garbage and tells me she will return later. I just nod my head and stay sitting on the cot.  

The hours pass and I feel myself growing more fearful by the minute. First I have the terrifying memories from my parents, then I have the man who kidnapped me. Can my life get any worse?  

As if God was answering my question the door swung open and two men walked in. They order me to stand and I do so. I feel handcuffs lock around my wrist and then I'm being pushed out of the room once more. The cold concrete makes my feet feel like they are freezing but I can't go anything about it. I'm screwed and I can't escape. My life is an eternal damnation and nothing good will come from it.  

We arrive into a small room that has two chairs and a table in the corner that is covered by a thin sheet. The men force me into the chair and tie my wrists and ankles in a similar way they were tied last night. The force a gag into my mouth and tie it so tightly that my eyes begin to water. Once they've done their job they leave the room, leaving me alone once again.  

Minutes pass before someone walks into the room, and it's the same man who tortured me and found me after I screamed last night. He sits in the chair that is directly across from me and he looks exhausted. He has dark bags under his eyes and his clothes are messed up.  

"Ashlynn Grace Deters. Twenty three. Daughter of Tracy and Greg Deters. Originally from Peoria, Arizona but moved to New York to attend Hunter College, where you earned your business degree. You've been working at Divine for a year as a dancer. You have no family in the city and have been alone for five years," he says and my eyes widen. How has he discovered this stuff? I never let anyone know about my past, but here he is dropping my parents names. "Now, tell me everything you know about Iris Freedman."  

Iris? What does she have to do with this.

"Iris? She's one of my coworkers," I choke out.  

"Keep talking," he demands.  

"I don't know-"  

He stands up abruptly, knocking down the chair he was sitting it. I cringe at the sound of the chair crashing to the floor and I keep my gaze down. He stands in front of me and grabs my chin roughly, forcing me to look at him. His eyes are dark and they look ready to kill.  

"I don't give a fuck about anything besides getting to know everything about Iris Freedman. Now, speak," he growls and my eyes start to tear up. You think at this point I wouldn't have any tears left. I begin to hiccup from holding back my cries and the man looks pissed. He goes over to that table that is covered and grabs something. It looks like a small dagger you'd see on television, except this one looks like one poke would cause me to bleed out. "Speak, or I'll do the same to your other cheek. Tell me about Iris Freedman."  

"I don't know much! She was my mentor at work but we never really hung out outside of club. She was very secretive. She did say that she was moving away soon but I have no idea where to!" I cry out, telling him any information about Iris that I know. I feel guilt run through me, knowing that I could be the reason Iris ends up in a similar situation that I'm in.  

"You have to known more cupcake," he says with a sickly, sweet smile. He rubs the flat part of the blade on my cheek and I jerk away from the cool metal. "Tell me everything."  

"I swear that's all I know! She often would be a private dancer at the club but I never knew who it was for. All we ever talked about was our awful job and how we hated being money makers for a bunch of perverts!" I exclaim, my crying only continuing.  

"Worthless," he spits out and puts the dagger right under my chin. He pushes my chin up with the knife and smirks at me. "I'll deal with you later. For know my men will take you back to your cell and you'll wait there. I haven't decided what I want to do with you yet."  

After that he drops the knife to the floor and leaves the room. The same two men who brought me to the room are now leading me back to my cell, where I'll be living until the kidnapper decides what to do with me.  

Thanks God for answering my earlier question. Life for me only gets worse.