Sobbing was the only thing that filled my ears; someone dragged my body through some muddy hall. My body stopped as the sound metal door opened. I tumbled on the ground as I tossed in like a ragdoll. The door closed as footsteps entered the area.
My blindfold was stained with tears as I struggled to get free. Cold and rough hands touched the bottom of the blindfold. Once light hit my eyes, I began to scan around. "LET ME GO!" I mumbled as a gag covered my mouth, preventing me from screaming.
The masked man picks me up bridal style and places me on the rotten mattress. He didn’t hesitate to tie my arms and legs to the bedpost. Once the gag came off, my mouth went flying. "Fuck you, you sick per-" A smack sound echo through the halls. It left me in a shocking state.
"You be a good girl while I bathe you." The stranger said with a weird tone. Squirming around to get loose, I heard whimpers in the other cells. So, I wasn’t here alone. He pulled out a bucket full of water and began to wash my wounds.
"You were hard to get. I had to get rid of people to have you in my hands. Now that you are here, the party shall begin."
"Fu-fuck you and your twisted mind, sicko." I spat at him. What a wrong choice considering he has the upper hand. Yanking my hair, he places a butcher knife by my throat.
"I can see that you will be fun to torture. I will break you down like the others." He laughs menacingly. "So, sit tight and enjoy your stay. My home is your home."
He left the room still laughing. Once that door was closed— I started to sob, wondering how it ended like this.
~ Couple Of weeks Ago ~
Leaning on the controls, I tapped my foot in annoyance. “Come on, people!! This scene doesn’t need to be read millions of times!! I think it’s perfect!” I shouted at the actors on stage.
“It seems like our tech engineer is getting antsy. Maybe it is time to wrap up rehearsal." The director stated as he collected the scripts from everyone.
“Thank god... you try to be up here listening to them fake cry while fixing the lights.” I whined.
“It’s not like you have somewhere to be, Ellie!”
“Yeah, anywhere but here for tonight. I got the day off tomorrow; I’m trying to get a head start on sleep.” I said.
The director chuckled as he walked off the stage with the others. As I was wrapping things up, a loud voice called my name. I couldn’t even look until a body came flying towards me. I got knocked over, which made me land on the switches. All the lights went crazy.
“Can you not break the controls, Ells.” The director asked.
“Sorry, Henry. I lost my balance.” I said as I pushed the person back. “Evan, Jesus fuck, can you not tackle me like a football player? I still got to work.”
“Sorry, Ellie, I haven’t seen you most of the day. I just want to show love, that’s all.” Evan fixed his clothes after that bear hug he gave me. By the time he did that— I was already walking to the dressing room.
“That’s how you feel? Leaving your brother by myself up there.” he pouted.
“You act like you haven’t been here plenty of times. You are a big boy, and people like you can handle themselves. Besides, don’t you have a date with Brandon?”
“He’s late... again. So, I told him that I would be with you until he arrived.” Evan smiled while catching up with me. This boy is always late for their dates. Our parents slowly hate him because of that. They don’t say “late” anymore... they say “Brandon.” That’s how bad it got. When people talk to Evan about it, he thinks it’s his fault, which it is not. It’s only his fault if he doesn't scold his boyfriend for the delay.
As we were talking, I bumped into someone without notice. Items fell on top of my head. What is this?? Tapping around, I figured out it was underwear. Screaming, I got up with anger. “What in the hell ??” I said to myself.
No. It wasn’t just one pair... it was multiple in the box. Who could it be carrying these? John. John is a dog. I tossed it back to him and wiped my hands on Even's shirt. “What the hell?!?! I don’t want nasty diseases on me.”
“Either do I; I like my life, thank you very much. So, John... What are you doing with lingerie??” raising one eyebrow in curiosity.
“Hey, it’s not like I take them alright; they were given to me by my fan girls. I’m not that sick.” He got a hold of the box and covered it up. “By the way, Henry said you need to look at the plans for tech rehearsal next week. Those lights need to get fixed.” John explained.
Doing a frustrated sigh, I crossed my arms with a huff. “I’m just one person; the whole crew will be here tomorrow. I will leave them the details through text. Now, will you excuse me? I want to get home.” I stated as I passed through John.
“Alright, see you later, Ellie. Bye, Evan.” He waved.
“Man... I can NOT have your job. I will go insane dealing with that all the time.”
“You get used to it if you’ve been working here for a while,” I said. Finally reaching the dressing rooms, I walked inside while Evan waited. Without letting anyone know, I walked in on Eunha by accident. She was in undergarments. Chuckling, she yelped with fright.
“Ah~ let yourself be known before you come in, Ellie... Jesus.” She said. Honestly, I thought all the actors had gone home by now. I mean, you can’t blame me for being slow. That’s what I told her.
“What are you, my mom?” she asked with a snotty attitude. Not all the girls are like this here; it’s just her because her dad owns this theater.
“I could be. You know, by the way, I dress every day." I joked.
“Yeah, I see. Oh! Ells want to hang out tonight?” She stupidly asked. Now, why would she ask that after being snotty?? Why would I say yes even if I did want to hang out?? We are not even friends. I told her that I wanted to relax at home. Those were my plans since I’m off tomorrow.
Here she goes with the snotty attitude again. She talked about how I would relax when two boys lived with me. That’s an understatement, as rent costs too much around these areas. We cannot get a luxury apartment with our parents’ money. I had to get roommates to help with the rent.
At least I know people who live with me, not strangers. Those were my words to the rich girl. “I was just saying, damn... you have a stick so far up your ass that people can’t have a normal conversation with you. I see why you don’t have a lot of friends.”
“If you don’t like me for me, don’t let the door hit you on your way out.” I took my things and files from the desk. Waving goodbye to Eunha, I walked out. I realized that my twin brother had vanished. “Guess Brandon finally came to pick him up, good. He won’t be home then.”
I walked to the exit, and an eerie chill went up my spine. That one minute, everything felt off. Shrugging, I continue to head home from that hell hole. It was around 11:34 pm when I walked back.
Walking alone is peaceful because I'm not too fond of drama and ignorance. I marched along the street to see blue and red lights hit the night sky. Trying to figure out what was happening, I picked up my pace. The area I lived in was quiet and out of the way. Why were the police doing there?? Something terrible must of happened.
I approached the crowd that huddled together. I jumped up and down to see what was there— I couldn’t see shit. I pushed and shoved my way through, and my eyes met with a horrifying scene.
Fresh blood splattered everywhere. It painted the walls, tree, and ground red. A woman’s body lay on its stomach, and her eyes were wide open. The liquid oozed out like jelly. The spectators around her whispered, “This never happened before... our neighborhood isn’t safe... how could this happen... blah, blah, blah,” nonsense.
But my eyes were glued onto the body as the ambulance searched for clues. Suddenly, I rushed over to the trashcan to puke. My stomach couldn’t take it anymore. It was my first time seeing a dead body. As I wiped my mouth with a tissue, something shined in the trash.
“Who would leave something like this in the trash??” I questioned as I reached in there to see what it was. A moment later, the object slipped from my hand and hit the ground with a “squish” sound. “It’s an ea-ea-ear!” the moonlight reflected off the earring, making it seem silver. Holding back the second round of puke, the cops came over to see what the commotion was about.
Shocked by the ear, they took me to the police station for questioning. What the hell did I touch?? Was that an actual ear or...? Trying to get that out of my head, I wondered why someone would kill a woman in a lit alleyway like that. If I were the killer, I would have done it in a dim or no light. That would be a perfect scene to hide the body.
Whoever did this wants to get caught soon, but for now, I sat there thinking, “Welp, my night couldn’t get any worse."
Thirty minutes. I've been sitting in this uncomfortable chair for thirty straight minutes. Great night, huh?? After that torture, they finally sent a detective to see me. "I thought I would never get to leave after sitting here for eternity." I joked to lighten the mood up a bit."Of course, they will send me to talk to you. How are you doing, Ellie?""Detective Kevin Taylor. Is it bad enough that I have to see you around the house?" I rolled my eyes. He put the files on the desk and leaned back in his chair for comfort. I can't do that."Tell me what happened before you even saw the ear?""Nothing; I was walking home from work like I normally do. That's when I saw the police lights in the air. So, I went to go and check it out. The body was lying there, still fresh. It grossed me out. I rushed to the trashcan to puke... that's when I saw the earring, but the ear was still attached to it.""You didn't see anything else? Nothing suspicious?" Kevin said as he wrote the details in a note
We stood there with the dumbest facial expression as Kevin slowly walked away. "I can't say more than that, but I must go. See you when I get home, Ellie." Just like that, he was gone. "Now things just got interesting," Nate said with a hearty smile. "You know what. My brain hurts. I can't be doing this right now." I began to head back home. Like a puppy, Nate followed. ~ Evan ~ "This design is too cutesy for my taste in this game." I leaned back in the desk chair, intensely focused on the computer. "What are you talking about? She is perfect for that part." Jennie excitedly said. "This game needs to sell; if you keep putting this idea up, the boss will have to deal with you." The door to our office cracked open, and a small intern peeked his head inside. He excused himself as he walked in, holding our daily coffee. All the staff stopped to gather around Ryan to get their addiction. Dazed, Ryan went to my desk."Here's yours... make it just how you like it, Evan." He smiled with
I had an exciting day at work. As I left the building, the police were roaming certain areas like madmen. They are stopping people out of thin air. I couldn't even step out of the building before I was stopped. "Excuse me, have you seen anything unusual here in the last hour?" the officer asked. "No. I was at work most of the day. Sorry that I can not be of any help." I said. The officer smiled and walked away. Good, now I continue to head home in peace. As I turned the corner, the two crime scenes caught my eye. Who would do such a thing, especially this close to one another? Holy shit, it was giving me the chills. What kind of feeling was this?? Out of nowhere, I picked up a rubber glove. Blood stains appear on it. Who would leave this around?? "HEY!" a voice rang out into the air. I jerked slightly from the voice; I released the glove in my hand. "What are you doing here?" the stranger said."Nothing, officer... Kevin? Thought you had the day off today?" I said as I relaxed my b
I cleared my throat and had the assistant follow me to the uncomfortable seats in the world. “So you’re the assistant that jer- I mean Henry’s assistant whom he talked about. Nice to meet you.”“Bradley, Bradley Fowler. But you can call me Brad for short. Nice to meet you too, Ellie. Well, I can say nice to meet you again.” He smiled. That was the same smile he gave me that day. But his eyes seemed more alive this time.“How did you know my name?”“I do work here. Don’t I? May I say you have a good record.” Brad smiled slightly and wobbled away towards the stage as I stood there, creeped out. I told the actors to go over scene fifteen because it needs some work. I looked over to get approval from Brad. He nodded and then examined me up and down. Why does Henry attract weirdos? I felt a beam of eyes burning my cheek; why? When I took a peek to my right, Brad’s eye was on me. Can I call the police if someone looks at me?He chuckled as he flipped the script. It was like he knew what I t
After work, I walked to Evan's job, and as I was walking, I was stopped by some cops. "Excuse me, miss?" the officer said as he rolled down the window. "I haven't seen anything or anyone, officer. I just got off of work." The officer laughed, "I wouldn't ask you about that. I was going to ask you if you like a ride. It's dangerous for you to walk alone after 6." He smiled."That's okay; I can handle myself. I'm headed to my brother's job, which is right there. But thanks for the offer." "Of course, but for now on, have your brother come and pick you up. We have issued a missing woman report, and we need you to be cautious." The officer kept his eyes on me as he rolled up the window. A missing person?? That is too many people this month. I shook my head in disappointment and continued my walk. As I got closer, I texted my brother. The Annoying One: I'm here; come down to the lobby so we can leave.Big Head: Just come up; I have two more meetings before going home. He told me that
~ Kevin ~I woke up the following day fresh and calm. It was going to be a good day. When I got to work, I limped to my desk, and you could hear my back crack as I sat down. Ouch. She did it too hard last night. "What happened to you?" a co-worker pointed out. "Had a wild night with my girlfriend. We both had some stress that needed to be taken care of." "Shit, at least you get some ass. I am just sitting there while she talks on the phone. Anyways, you asked to bring Henry in? For what?" He asked as he got up from his desk. "Don't we already have a description of her?""You will see. I want to talk to him about something." I said while tapping my desk while sipping on my coffee. Ten minutes rolled by, and an officer with Henry behind him came. His face was blank, and his eyes were dark. I took a tissue and handed it to him. Has he been crying?I did not know why I asked because I knew he was missing his wife. He answered with a sarcastic comment. I was doing my job; no need for the
“What are you doing here??” I said with confusion. “You know him?” Kaylee asked. I mentioned we work together at the theater, and he was my boss's assistant. Who knew he worked here out of all places? We stared at each other in shock. This asshole knew about my job offer the whole time and acted like I was in the wrong. Hypocrite. Without paying me any attention after that stare-off, he stepped right over me and asked for an office key. One of the computers needs tuning. “That’s right. A new software update will be added to his computer.” Kaylee said as she grabbed the keys. Brad thanked her and walked away, giving me a deep stare. Once that door closed, my eyes went straight to Kaylee. Should I be worried about him here too?? The boss laughed and stated he was only here when needed; otherwise that he would be on the ground floor. I sighed in relief and was given a task. I was to greet everyone.With a simple nod, I was handed a clipboard. I walked through the halls; I saw Brad wor
~ Evan~ I sat down in my chair once my sister and Kevin left. My mind is in a bind with the words she had said. Did they check her computer for hints or clues? What will be on her laptop that will help? The only thing she has is files– I hope. Who has she been messaging? I begin to tap my desk with frustration. Maybe… I should. No, wait, I shouldn't. That is still her privacy. However, Ellie saw something we didn’t.I sat there like a lost puppy, trying to figure out what to do. As I was lost in thought, Ryan came through the doors all happy and shit. What is he so happy for, and why is he not home?? Somehow he got permission to stay late to finish his presentation. When did interns get night shifts?? “Easy, especially when seven younger siblings run around the house. I can’t get anything done with them. A night shift won’t hurt.” He stated.Since he is here, I can use him for something. "Hey Ryan, you want to do some snooping with me?" I asked in a weird tone. His eyes lit up with i
~ A year later ~The sound of an alarm woke me up. I sat up, stretched my sore body, and looked around the room. I saw Kevin clinging to me. "Don't go, babe, please," he pouted and whined."I have to work, Kev. I wish I could stay and give you the attention you need, but I must go.""Why do I always have days off when you work? Not fair." He pouted. With his cute reaction, I kissed him on the forehead and got up for work. While I was in the bathroom, there was something in the mirror. "Something bothering you, my dear sister?" Evan's voice rang out. I spit my water out and stared at my brother's reflection in the glass."Yeah. I'm alright."He walked forward and gave me a "Are you sure" look as he placed his hand on my shoulders. I nodded my head. I wiped extra toothpaste from my mouth and explained it had been a year, and things still felt uneasy. With his warming smile, he ensured everything would be alright. There was nothing to worry about as Brad is dead. I don't need to be afraid
~ Ellie ~We heard a loud snap from above us. The wire splits in half, sending Evan to his demise. I saw my brother’s body flying straight up with the object. The impact is going to be deadly; I know it.“EVAN!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. Aria told me not to move as this rope could end like that. Controlling my movements, tears rolled down my face. I shut my eyes.The elevator smashed into pieces. How did I know? Brawling my eyes out, my body went limp. My only sibling is gone. “Oops, wrong rope,” Brad chuckles. My hands balled into a fist as I started to shake. The laugh needs to shut the fuck up!!!Rapid footsteps were heard, and Minho’s body went flying next to Brad. Where did this officer come from, Brad thought to himself. With his cameras around, he can pinpoint where everyone is at. Good.“Drop your weapon now!!” he yelled.Even though I could see a little, Brad placed his rifle down; then his hands went up in the air. While doing so, he lifts a lever which releases Ari
~ Evan ~I coughed up a black mucus as I got back to my feet. “You girls okay?” I asked. They nodded and dusted themselves off. When everything cleared enough, we saw the stairs engulfed in flames. Panic mode began to corrupt me as I tried to devise a plan.Jennie told me about a back door as he took Ellie and Aria through. She needs to lead the way then. Our lungs were filled with smoke; if we didn’t leave soon, we would die from inhalation. We moved objects out of our way. Once we found light, we rushed out.The black smoke entered the skies, making them cloudy. Another explosion occurred, causing us to lose our balance. Metal and car parts went flying in the air. I covered the girls as they came down. I hope the others made it out in time.“EVAN!!” Brandon ran to me with a hug. He cried in my arms as I hugged him back. John and Kaylee went to help the injured.“Is everyone okay?” Kaylee asked.We all shook our heads at the question. Kaylee searches around to see Ellie, and Aria is
~ Evan ~“What are we looking for?” Kaylee said as he hid behind a wall.“Anything suspicious? If this is not the place, we are screwed, honestly.”We slowly enter the area, looking around to see if anyone is there. The junkyard did have that rust smell like Aria described. My boss paused her movements and ducked down; she pointed to a lit area and a person.“The hell? Where did he come from?” I said.Kaylee quickly moved my mouth to shut me up. I gave her a dirty look, and she removed her hand. We didn’t see him stroll in– so how did he appear like that?? A second later, he is talking to someone, but who?? We wanted to get close, but we kept our distance for now. Brad began to walk towards this large metal container. You wouldn’t notice it at first until you see it from a different angle. “It’s probably where they keep old parts; let’s wait until he returns,” Kaylee mentioned.Brad exited the container and came out empty-handed. We should take a look because that is where they are hi
~ Kevin ~~ After Ellie’s Capture ~My vision was blurry as I opened my eyes. I viewed the area. I didn’t know where I was, so I began to move around. A rattling sound was heard, and my movement felt constricted. “You’re awake! I thought you would never open your eyes. Hello,” a strange voice said.“You.”“Ding ding, you are right! Now come on down and get a prize.” The guy said as he walked up to me. He started playing in my hair. “So nice and soft,” he stated while sniffing it. The person backed up and stared at me. The room was tense as he kept his eyes still. The guy introduced himself as Minho.“What happened to me?? Where am I?!?!” I squirmed around to get the chains loose, but it was useless. Minho chuckled; he thought I was cute for trying. He got a chair and sat in front of me. My body shakes in fear as he tells me about this place.“This is my area to relax. I monitor things here while Brad is away. Like my own little office, nice, isn’t it.” He licked his lips and smiled. W
~ Ellie ~The moon sets, and the sun rises. I woke up in an uncomfortable bed. I wanted to cry as I glanced around my cell. It felt like a dream yesterday. When I looked down, I noticed I was only in my undergarments. When did this happen? Screams were heard from outside my door.“NOO, LET ME GO!”Aria!! That was Aria!! I hopped out of bed but fell straight to the ground. My ankles were chained up. I dragged myself to the door and peeked out. Aria was lying on a metal bed in the middle of the room, with Brad sitting beside her with tools.“Stay still; this will be over in a minute.”I couldn’t see clearly. But I knew I had to do something. “DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!!” I yelled out. My words caught his attention. My eyes blinked once, and he was standing at my cell door. His look had changed; his eyes were cloudy. It had a hint of red in them. He pushed the bars to shut me up.“Surprised that you are awake. Not sore, Ells? I see why Kevin stays with you— your body feels so good. Being
~ Kevin ~~ The Night Before Ellie’s Captured ~As I was getting my shoes on, my coworker walked in. “Are you sure that you should be working? You need to rest after what happened. That wound is not going to heal overnight.” He said.“I will be fine.”“Go home and comfort your girl. Ellie needs you right now.” He gave me a look I couldn’t refuse. I sighed and told him okay. A loud noise scared us as my partner came in like a cheetah explaining he found the first victim’s identity. In disbelief, I followed him to a picture of a nurse. Ellie??“Doesn’t she look like the first victim?” He said, out of breath. I studied the picture closely until it finally came to me. Without a doubt, that is the first victim. I asked if anyone knew her personally and if we could get an interview with them.My coworkers went to find a staff member or a nurse who was close to her. As I waited for their arrival, I stared at the photo again. What a coincidence that they look alike. The nurse popped out of no
The mattress was cold, and the sheets were wet. I still couldn’t believe I was in his gasp after all I did to prevent it. Silence roamed the room until chains filled it. “Ellie.” a soft voice next to me called out.I only knew who spoke once they repeated something. “Jennie? Is that you??”“Oh, Ells. It’s good to hear from you again.” She excitedly said. You could tell she was in pain and could feel the tears running down her cheeks. Was everything okay? She wasn’t hurt too much, was she?? Another voice chimed in; however, they were making sounds. Bailey. Another voice joined, and my heart dropped to the ground.“Eunha!” I shouted. When did she go missing? She wasn’t here for too long, like a day before I arrived. Panic mode set in when I asked about my best friend. Nobody knew anything except she was taken. Disappointed, I crawled back from the cell door. I brought my knees up to my body and placed my head in between. A sharp pain stabbed me out of nowhere. What the hell did he do??
It was pitch black. All you could hear was water drops from the ceiling and the shuffling of feet. I flickered my eyes open to find my vision blurry as I wiggled around, a burning sensation developed on my wrist. Rope, I was restricted from my movements. The ropes held me down to a wooden chair. I began to squirm to loosen them, but no use. My focus shifted upwards to see Brad and his companion.“Whe-where am I?”“Great move that you pulled. But it didn’t get you anywhere but in this chair.” Brad stated. My vision cleared up to see them two smiling. My facial expression froze as Minho walked towards me and bent down to my level.“Nice to meet you again. Sorry about the arm.”My eyes gazed into his soul, my face boiled with anger, and my breathing went silent. I made Minho jump a bit when I scooted forward, coward.“We knew you were here; it was only a matter of time. For a second, I didn’t think I would get you. It seems like luck was on my side.”“What are you going to do to me? Wher