PROLOGUE

Prologue 

The scent of a burning candle and dried blood, and strong whiskey mix in the air inhaling the scent as my brows furrowed hearing a loud clock ticking as seconds passed by I was getting more anxious about what's happening.

 Feeling the exhaustion around my body and my eyes is so heavy, wanting to shut close risking myself if I can't keep myself awake. What time is it now? Where I am? The clothing around my eyes prevents me from seeing anything and trying my best to recollect what really happened a while ago. The coldness seep through my clammy skin and I heard a metallic scratching sound dragging on the floor along the heavy footsteps coming in my direction. I tried to untangle my hand and wiggled it, a hard cold metal wrap around my wrist. Hearing the clanging sound of chains I gasp as I felt the stinging pain poking my legs.

 Shit! Inhale, exhale and think! I gasp for air, with my eyes covered in a thick piece of cotton I can only sense thru my ears and fingers, I inhaled the imperturbable air again trying to think of any sign of my escape taking notes on what I can feel and the smell of my surrounding. I can hear noises but it was not clear. 

 "My, my pretty Jane, what happened, huh? I thought you're so smart but it was easy dragging you here clueless and for a moment there I thought you'll figure out what you're into but I am shocked that you didn't," said a low raspy voice of a man, my brows furrowed. His voice sounded familiar. Where did I hear that voice again? My head moves to figure out where he is, probably at my back—no, at my left side, he's walking behind me, like a predator thinking how will he reap his prey."I'll kill you when I'll get out of here!" I shouted, my teeth gritted. I won't let this man show I am afraid for sure if I do. He'll enjoy it, it's like watching me being helpless, and I am not.

People love to see a man tremble in fear, their ego boost at how their presence made someone frightened, and they want more and more. I heard his menacing laugh as the sound of the metallic scratching earlier continues, with his footsteps coming near towards my direction. And of a sudden I can feel the hard and cold metal in my arms. Poking harshly, I winced in pain and gasped, trying to not sob by the agony it give to me. 

 "Still fucking determined and arrogant Jane, you still haven't changed a bit," he said with annoyance in his tone. This person knows me well. I grinned, with a stinging pain in my body, I still annoyed this pathetic jerk. 

 "Why don't you pull off this cotton covering my eyes eh? you're too cool because I can't see your pathetic face, stupid," I said annoyingly and chuckled to piss him off, a great way to provoke him and a chance he will let me see his face. I jerk as the pain of the metallic hits my legs. Despite the pain I laugh but it was not possible. The man in front of me laughs like he knew what was I doing. 

"Ah! I see, provoking me to take off the piece of clothing covering your eyes. Sweet, Jane, but not happening," Saying what he observed, I gritted my teeth.

"I see. Wait until I'll find out who you are. I swear I'll make you suffer thrice as what you're doing to me right now," I said, threatening him, but this jerk was too cocky because they trapped me. Then he guffaws, hearing his footsteps pacing back and forth in front of me. 

 "Stop blabbering Jane, you will be dead tonight I have placed a can of muriatic acid above your head, every hour the chain that is connected to the can will move downward which will push the open can forward and if you move well, it will kill you faster than estimated. Isn't that fascinating, not a right word? I guess the perfect word to put it is exciting," he exuberantly stated. My heart skip a beat, my eyes widened and my body stiffened. What a son of an asshole! No! I am not letting him kill me! I wrangled my hand, trying to get off from the rope that was tightly wrapped around my wrist.

"You! How dare you! I won't let you do this to me!" I yelled with all my breath. I heard him laugh. "Oh! no! don't move Jane you're only making it easy," he said laughing devilishly, I groan feeling the stinging pain in my stomach like a piece of the needle piercing into my body, making my toes curl as my breath turned shallow, gasping an air to ease the torment in my whole system and clenching my teeth hard enough. 

 "Three hours and thirty minutes Jane, time is ticking," he reminded me, hearing his receding steps echo, and he halted. "Good luck. If God is with you, he will save you this time. But if not, say my regards to him if he's existing. What a poor Jane, what a poor you." A sound of a metallic door closed is the last thing I heard.Chasing a breath as I opened my eyes, feeling the rapid beat of my heart. I get up from lying down, seeing the dimness of the four corners of my room. The strange event of dreams is happening again. 

I palmed my hair slightly pulling it, looking at the glass window. I forget to close the curtains, seeing the starless sky and the moon hiding behind the clouds. The stressful feeling of having this kind of dream was here again. I tried to think of a reason for the nightmares happening again, but strange things happened around town when some girls have been missing every week that triggers this nightmare again. 

Death. One word the dreams represent. Me in my death. Is that possible, dreaming the same dreams repeatedly? Like those dreams telling me of something, to find that person like it is real, it happens to me I die. It's been troubling me since I was a child. I massage my aching head. But what if Jane it is real? I close my eyes again, recalling my dreams, smelling the Whiskey, candle, and dried blood. Remembering the voice of the man, the sound of the place, the coldness of the surroundings, and the pain. 

Biting my lower lip, I need to find out. This is not a co-incident. The girls missing, the dead bodies, the mark of acid in their body, the bruises and the terror in their lifeless eyes. I need to find out who's behind this.