Page 48 of Midnight Whispers
Flora whips around to face him. “You want to drink mine, don’t you?” she gasps.
“Very much so.” Her eyes grow wide at his response.
“We’re getting off topic,” I roll my eyes. “Again.”
Exhaling deeply, Flora looks at me. “What do we do next?”
“You do nothing. You’ll stay here with Asher, and I’ll go andsee what I can find.”
“You can’t really expect me to just…”
“I can and I do. For your own safety and mine. Stay. Here.” I cut her off and left the room.
I’m sure she’s pissed and is probably cussing about me to Asher, but right now my only priority is finding Lillia.
21
My eyes flicker open,and I look around, but I’m surrounded by darkness. I’m on some random uncomfortable bed, at least I think it’s a bed. There’s a blanket that is thrown along the top of it that is made of some itchy material that’s irritating my skin. I sit up and my head immediately spins. I can hear scuffling from the opposite side of the door, followed by light shining into the room I’m in from beneath it. Two voices start bickering back and forth, I can’t make out what they’re saying but I can tell it’s getting heated.
“Hello?” I called out.
There’s some more movement from them. I get down on the floor and try my hardest to peer out into the room from the sliver of space below the door. I can make out two pairs of feet, one of which is coming toward me. Quickly I jump to my feet and hurry to the side of the bed furthest away from the door. My heart is beating so rapidly, I can’t focus on anything other than the sound in my ear.
The hinges squeak loudly as the door swings open, slamming into the wall behind it. The person who entered is large,easily three times my size. They have a hood on, and it makes it hard to see their face in the already dark room, but I think it’s the same guys that came into my house earlier. Was that today? How long have I been here?
“You say something?” The voice is deep and has an accent I can’t put my finger on.
“I just… wasn't sure I was alone or not.”
“Well, you ain’t. Me and my brother are out here, but you need to stay quiet, or you’ll cause trouble. You don’t want no trouble, do ya?” I shake my head.
He walks over to me; light reflects off something in his hand. When he’s standing in front of me, I recognize a needle in his hand.
“I promise I’ll stay quiet,” I sob. “You don’t have to give me whatever is in that needle.” I try to push myself back on the bed, as far away from him as possible. He reaches across the bed, grabbing me by the hair, and pulls me to the edge.
“Bosses orders.” He lifts the needle up, jabbing me in the neck and pushing down on the plunger. The man tosses me, and I hit my head on the wall, leaving a small hole where I landed. My head throbs as whatever was in the needle burns as it courses through my veins, my neck radiates in pain at the site of injection. I don’t know if it’s what was in the needle or the injury, I’m sure I have now, but my vision begins to get muddy. I’m unable to focus on anything as I drift into a sleep.
I tryto open my eyes, but there’s something over them so all that remains is darkness. My first instinct is to scream, but there’s tape or something covering my lips. I know I’m notstaying still because the floor beneath me is in fluid movement. My arms and shoulders scream in pain when I try to adjust myself, the rope binding my wrists digging in deeper than it already was.
My lungs tighten as my breathing gets more rapid. I try counting to remain calm, but it’s failing. The onset of a panic attack always gives memorestress than the attack itself. Sweat begins to bead along my brow, and I want nothing more but to wipe it off.
The back of my head throbs in pain. I try to concentrate and replay the moments I remember from when I was home: putting the sheets in the washing machine because they had blood on them.Finn.There’s no way he doesn’t know I was taken, right?Concentrate, Lillia.I thought Flora was coming home but it wasn't Flora, who was it?
I slam into the side of what I now realize is a trunk, as the car comes to a halt. I have no idea where we are or how long I’ve been here. There’s a mumbling of voices just outside and I try to focus on what they’re saying, but all I can make out is two words, Finn and mad. A laugh rings out and it sounds familiar, like I’ve heard it before, but I can’t remember where.
The car's engine turns over and the swaying resumes, on to the destination I’m assuming. My head is pounding, and I can tell I’m probably going to pass out any moment. My mind is moving too quickly for me to grasp onto a single thought.
Flora.Did she come home and find the house empty? Is she safe?
Finn.Is he going to come save me? We didn’t have enough time together. I need more time.
Dad.I just hope I lived a good enough life for him to be proud of me. Maybe I’d be seeing him sooner than I thought.
The man injected me with something. How long ago was that? Have I been here for hours? Days?
My mind is going a mile a minute and I can’t concentrate on anything.
The car jolts to a stop and I slam into the back, or side, of the trunk again. I don’t know how far from Emolyn Cove I am or how long I was asleep this time. The sound of a car door slamming echoes throughout the body of the car, vibrating the walls of the trunk. There are faint sounds of footsteps that get louder before they stop. Someone’s going to finally open the trunk. My ankles and wrists are bound, so I know there’s no reason for me to attempt escape. From what happened the first time, I know better than to try to escape.