NICOLE I groaned and slowly opened my eyes, only to be met with darkness. I blinked a few times, trying to adjust to my surroundings, and as my vision cleared, I realized that I was in a dimly lit room.I tried to move, only to find that my arms and legs were chained to the bed I was lying on. Panic surged through my veins as I frantically tried to free myself from the restraints. I struggled against the chains, the metal biting into my skin as I pulled against them with all my might. But the restraints held fast, refusing to give way.I could hear the sound of my breathing echoing off the walls. I strained my ears, listening for any other sounds that might give me a clue as to where I was, but all I could hear was the beating of my own heart.My mind raced as I tried to piece together what had happened. Had I been drugged and brought here? Who could have done this to me? Was anyone looking for me?I closed my eyes, taking deep breaths to calm myself down.I glanced over at the
MARCUSIt's been 3 days since Nicole went missing without any proof of where she was. I was beyond paranoid now. Everyone was worried and the police had been contacted, but they were still doing their investigation.I hated that it was taking too long.Nina had told me that some of Nicole’s clothes were missing from her closet.I slumped onto the couch, the TV flickering in the background, Jamal walked in. His presence was a small comfort, but it didn't do much to ease the turmoil inside me.“Hey man, how are you holding up?" he asked.I just shook my head, a gesture that conveyed more than any words could.My eyes glazed over as I stared at the blank screen, my thoughts spiraling out of control. I hated that the police investigation was taking so long, every passing minute felt like an eternity. I couldn't bear the thought of not knowing where Nicole was, or if she was even okay."I'm going crazy, Jamal. I don't understand what happened. We searched everywhere, and we found out t
NICOLEI sat on the edge of the bed, my eyes wandering around the room, examining every detail for the hundredth time. The same white walls, the same grey curtains, the same wooden nightstand. I let out a sigh, feeling trapped in this place.I wanted to scream and throw things, but instead, I just sat there, staring blankly at the wall.Anthony comes once in a while to check up on me and hand me things. He even brought some of my underwear and dresses.I was sick and tired of the place. I haven't been outside in like 3 days. I missed Marcus, Nina, heck I missed my family.And what's taking them so long? Why haven't they disovered me yet?Please locate me, please locate meI heard Anthony footsteps approaching the door. I didn't want to give Anthony the satisfaction of seeing me awake and alert.I closed my eyes and let my body go limp, pretending to be fast asleep. The door creaked open, and I could feel Anthony's presence in the room.The scent of his cologne filled my nostrils, and
MARCUSThe SOS message on Nina’s phone read, “HELP ME”, My heart raced as I read the message and a lump formed in my throat. I didn't need to ask who it was from, the words screamed Nicole's name.Without a second thought, I frantically tried to call the number. My fingers trembled as I hit the call button, but the line went straight to voicemail. I tried again, and again, but each time there was no answer.Nina's eyes widened in concern and she turned to me. "This is serious," she said. "We have to find out where this is coming from."Together, we dialed the number repeatedly, but it was as if the phone had been switched off. Frustration and fear gripped me as I realized that time was running out. "What the hell is going on?" I yelled, my voice trembling with panic. "Nicole didn't just disappear. She was taken, and we have to find her."“We have to track this number”, I said.As soon as the words left my mouth, I stood up abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor. Nina follow
NICOLE I blinked, and the world slowly came into focus. The harsh, bright light flooded the room, seeping into my eyes like acid. I instinctively threw my arm up, shielding my face from the intrusive brightness.This was not where I had fallen asleep. The walls were not the grey hue of Anthony's bedroom, but instead stark white, making the room feel sterile and unwelcoming. My eyes trailed down to my hand, which was connected to a small tube that snaked up to a bag of clear liquid hanging above me.The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I was in a hospital ward. Panic seized me as I tried to sit up, but a sharp, stabbing pain shot through my head, making me groan out loud.The stench of the hospital hit me like a wall as I took a deep breath. The scent of antiseptic mixed with the sickly-sweet aroma of decay made my nose wrinkle in disgust.I couldn't remember how I had ended up here, but a deep sense of unease settled in my gut. My eyes darted around the room, searching f
NICOLE“Oh my God, no! Piper, how could this happen?" I cried, tears streaming down my face like a torrential rainstorm.Marcus was jolted out of his sleep by my outburst. His eyes widened with concern as he saw me in such a state."Nicole, what's wrong? Why are you screaming like that?" he asked, his voice laced with worry.I couldn't even form a coherent sentence, so I pointed to the TV, my hand shaking uncontrollably."Piper... dead... they found her body," I managed to stutter out, the words feeling like shards of glass in my throat.I clutched my head as a wave of pain shot through my brain. The image of Piper's face flashed before my eyes, and I felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. Marcus put his arm around me, and I buried my face in his shoulder.The door to my hospital room burst open, and a team of nurses rushed in, their footsteps echoing in the sterile space. They tried to calm me down, but their soothing words were lost on me. I was inconsolable, my bod
NICOLEI stood in front of the canvas, my brush moving back and forth, creating beautiful strokes of color. I was lost in my work, completely absorbed in the process of creating art. "Hey," Marcus said, walking into the room. "How's it going?"I turned to face him, my eyes bright with excitement. "It's going great," I said. "I can't believe I'm getting a spot in the exhibition. This is incredible."I was still amazed that Marcus had managed to secure me a spot in the exhibition.“Well, I promised you I would, didn't I?" Marcus said, taking my hand in his.I leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, "Yes, you did. And you always keep your promises.""I'm so proud of you," Marcus said, walking over to me and wrapping his arms around my waist. "You deserve this more than anyone."I leaned back into his embrace, feeling his warmth and love surrounding me. "I couldn't have done it without you," I said. "You've been my biggest supporter through all of this.""I'll always be your biggest supporte
NICOLEI slowly opened my eyes and found myself in my room. I turned my head and saw Marcus sitting quietly beside me, his fingers intertwined with mine“What happened?" I rasped, my throat feeling raw and scratchy.Marcus's gentle grip on my hand tightened slightly as he answered, "You fainted. You had a panic attack."My heart rate began to quicken and my breathing became shallow. The memory of the blood-stained card from Anthony flooded my mind, and my anxiety threatened to overwhelm me once again."Did you see it? The card from Anthony?"I felt my fingers trembling as I nervously bit down on them, trying to distract myself from the overwhelming anxiety that was creeping up my chest. Marcus noticed my anxious tic and furrowed his brow in concern."What card?" he asked, his tone gentle but curious.I hesitated for a moment, unsure if I was ready to show him the ominous message that had been haunting me.With a shaky hand, I slowly retrieved the blood-stained card from my pocket and
"Daddy! Daddy! How does it look?"My eyes shifted from the desk to the little princess In front of me, she was holding her canvas and her eyes were glittering with so much love and hope, I never thought I would melt at such beauty but ever since I met Nicole, things changed.I was amazed at her realistic creation painting, it was a plant growing from the earth and it looked like I was watching it happen live."It's…" I paused for a while, pulling her closer to me. Ellie's eyes dulled and so her posture slacked with her emotional change."You don't like it?" It was almost a whimper before I scoffed."Ellie, I love it! It's so beautiful I wasn't able to comprehend it. It's something your mom would have painted." I smiled at her and she set the canvas down before jumping on my lap, "she'll be proud.""Do you think she's going to come back?" The question always stung my heart, I didn't have the answer to it, I've always had a solution for every problem, except for this one."Yes, she will
NICOLE “If you think some superhero is going to swoop in and save your sorry asses, then you thought wrong," Mariella sneered, her voice dripping with contempt.We were holed up in an underground house, a safe haven turned into a grim prison. Ellie and I sat huddled on the floor, our hair disheveled, our clothes stained and torn.Mariella paced around the room like she owned the place, her hand confidently planted on her hips. She chewed her gum obnoxiously, the sound echoing through the tense air.“Now that I think about it," she said, her words laced with cruel calculation. "How much should I sell you both for? Let's leave the little girl out of it. You, my dear, are worth way more than her. You're a package deal, two for the price of one."I instinctively placed my hand on my belly, a protective gesture that seemed to amuse Mariella. She let out a mocking laugh as she observed my action."Aww, Marcus' little heir is in there, huh? Poor baby," she sneered, scrunching down to my lev
MARCUSI sat at the dimly lit bar, swirling the drink in my hand, my mind wandered to Vicky. She had been nothing but kind to me. I prayed she was still alive, hoping that fate had spared her from the clutches of the child trafficking ring. I felt responsible for her since she had no one else to help her.She had no family or friends and she looked to me like a brother.My concerns deepened as the realization struck that I hadn't heard from Nicole in days. The last time we spoke was when I called and she informed me that she now had the company of a little girl at home.I was happy with that. At least she won't be lonely and would have someone to talk to. Even if it was just a child.I tried calling her number a few times, but it was unreachable. The bar had started to empty out, leaving only a rowdy group of girls. From the moment I arrived, I could feel their eyes on me, but I did my best to ignore their glances.As the place grew practically deserted, I couldn't help but notice o
NICOLE The police were still trying to trace Mariella’s location, yet nothing has been found. It was as if she was no longer on planet earth.I was trying to finish up another of my paintings that I had started a few days back. I was hoping to go donate it at the orphanage. These past weeks I've grown accustomed to visiting the place. Marcus came in and peeped at my work, nodding his head in approval. “You’re almost done”I smiled, “Yes I am. It just needs some finishing touches”“I'm going to the police station to see how far they've gone with the investigation, I'll be back in a few days” he said, stroking my back.“Alright. Be good” I watched Marcus leave the room, his footsteps fading away as he made his way toe find Vicky.With a sigh, I turned my attention back to my painting.Hours passed, and my painting finally took its final form.I stepped back to admire it. It was a depiction of a serene meadow, with blooming flowers and a radiant sunset in the background.I prepared to l
MARCUSAll three of us sat at the dining table, the aroma of freshly cooked waffles and sausages filling the air. I had woken up early, determined to mend the strained atmosphere with a delicious breakfast. Nicole, however, was still giving me the silent treatment, her expression somber as she pushed her food around her plate.The tension was palpable, and I could feel my own discomfort growing with each passing second. It seemed like an eternity until Vicky decided to break the ice.“Nicole," Vicky spoke up, her voice soft but pleading. Nicole looked up, her eyes meeting Vicky's gentle gaze. "Yeah?""I understand that you might be upset, but please don't take it all out on Marcus. He was just trying to help me”Nicole let out a sigh and muttered, "Don't worry about it. We're cool." But her dismissive tone revealed that she wasn't cool at all. She finished eating in silence, abruptly standing up from the table and leaving me and Vicky behind.Vicky let out a disappointed sigh, her ta
MARCUSRight now me and Nicole were sitting next to each other, and Mia was sitting across from us at the station. There was this barricade thing separating us.Nicole, being her stubborn self, had insisted that we take care of Mia's kid. And I had no choice but to go along with it. What else could I do? Nicole can be pretty persuasive when she wants to be.“Thank you both so much for forgiving me and forgetting the past. I don’t know how else I can thank you, but I really appreciate your effort” Mia clasped her hands together. Her nose was a bit swollen due to her condition, she was probably in her third Trimester while Nicole was in her second.“It’s fine. We are more than happy to help” Nicole beamed at her.I nodded in agreement, offering a smile to Mia. "Absolutely, Mia. We understand that people make mistakes, and we believe in giving second chances."She reached out to touch her swollen belly. "This baby means the world to me. I promise I'll do whatever it takes to make thing
NICOLEShe did a double take. “Nicole? What a surprise. I didn't know you were coming” Well, I didn't know it was going to be your house too. I pressed my lips together, attempting to regain composure. "Lovely home," I managed to say, glancing around at the interior."You're already drenched from the rain. Come, let me change you into a comfortable outfit," she offered, guiding me towards her room located down the hallway.So Marcus had sneaked out of the house to come to visit Vicky. I was getting closer to the answer but I didn't like how it was headed.Her room was big and painted in lavender. A cozy armchair was placed near a bookshelf. Nearby, a small vanity table displayed a collection of antique perfume bottles, a hand mirror, and a hairbrush.“You can take your seat over there” she gestured to the armchair and walked into her walk-in closet. After a moment, she emerged with this loose fitting dress and handed it to me.“Here," she said, passing me the clothes. "Put these on
NICOLE “Ms. Nicole?" the little voice called out, unsure. I looked down and recognized Ellie, the little girl I had met at the art gallery previously.What was she doing out here alone?I grinned. "Hey, Ellie. We meet again. How are you?""I'm fine. I'm so happy to see you," she smiled brightly. That was when I noticed the frame she was holding, wrapped in brown paper."What are you doing here all by yourself?"She gestured to the frame she was holding. It was a wonder how she was able to carry it alone. "Oh, I came to donate this work of art.""Really? That's so thoughtful of you," I said, holding her hands in mine and helping her carry the painting. "Come on, let's go submit it, and after that, we can get some ice cream. How does that sound?""Perfect!" she cheered. Together, we walked to the front desk, and I assisted her in signing her name before we dropped off the painting.I was still surprised that a girl of her age could come all the way to the orphanage without a guardian.
NICOLE“What is he doing here?" I poked the window of my car as I saw my husband standing at the entrance of some strange house. His composure seemed anxious and though I was no detective, he looked like he was about to do something shady.A figure opened the door and it looked like it was wearing a robe. A woman? Was it Vicky??I tried to look closer but I couldn't see her face, his body language softened when she opened the door and she let him in.Marcus was with another woman."No, I can't be thinking like this." I relaxed my back in the chair as I rubbed my temples, there was no way he could be cheating, not after everything we have been through but why would he choose to hide this from me? What was the big deal that he couldn't tell me he needed to see someone at 2 am?Oh.Realization dawned on me and I kicked the ignition, I needed to get home,he could come out at any time and he was a better driver. I revved the engine and off I was. The road was free, everyone was at home