Ariana’s POV –
I wake up with pain soaring through my temples all the way down into my body. Every muscle is on fire and I wither in pain, only just noticing I’m lying on a filthy floor. I remember the car crash, seeing blood drip down Alex’s face, hear Caleb’s cries for help. . .
And then I remember the hands that took me.
“Alex?!” I yell, sitting up straight. I blink until my vision clears and when it does, I’ve never felt fear like it before. I’m ly-ing on a floor in a small dark room, the only light coming from a muted lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. The floor is covered in dirt, inches thick with black grime. The brick walls are cold all around me and there’s no windows. The sicken-ing scent of thick damp hangs heavy in the air. A metal fire door in the far corner of the room catches my attention and I slowly stand to my feet, my heart thumping wildly against my chest.
My clothes are torn and I can feel dry blood staining the skin down my face. I stumble towards the door, groaning due to the pain that flares up inside me. When I reach the door, I fumble with the handle and pull hard.
Nothing happens.
I try again and again. I try pulling until my wrist feels like it’s about to detach itself from my body. I continue pounding on the door, applying as much force as I can muster with silent tears streaming down my cheeks. I keep trying until I’m ex-hausted, my legs collapsing underneath me. I sink to the floor in despair, vision blurry due to the tears filling my eyes.
“Help!” I scream, my body shaking uncontrollably with sobs.
“Alex? Caleb? Nikki? Somebody help me!” I yell out, slamming the walls either side of me. I don’t know how long I lash out for, my mind becoming numb to the distress and frustration. I turn back towards the door and focus on my breathing as I try to find my way out. When I have no luck, I scrutinise the walls, as high up as I can reach for any sign of an es-cape.
Nothing.
I’m trapped, caged in like an animal.
I begin to hyperventilate, a vicious snake coiling around my lungs, squeezing with force. Quickly, I’m gasping for air, struggling to breathe. The walls begin to close around me, growing narrow and narrower and I sink to the floor, my arms protecting my head. I rock back and forth repeatedly, feeling the intensity of my heart pounding away in my ears.
I don’t know how long I remain like that until I eventually pass out from the lack of oxygen.
*****
I wake up to the sound of the door banging heavily and being pushed open. Within a split second, I crawl into the far cor-ner, my arms ready in case I need to attack. My eyes meet with a man in his late forties, a head full of silver hair with dark eyes. He’s dressed in all black, his tall and broad frame completely filling the entrance of the doorway. I notice a deep ug-ly scar running down the right side of his face, finishing on his bottom lip. His skin looks pulled, disfigured and I wince.
“Who are you? Let me out,” I whisper, my voice trembling. I begin to breathe heavily as he takes one menacing step for-ward, entering the room. He remains silent, chilling eyes staring straight at me with vicious intensity.
“Hello,” he eventually says, sporting a heavy Spanish accent. His voice is a low rumble and I can make out the lisp, possi-bly due to the injury of his scar.
I don’t respond, never once taking my eyes off him.
“Do you know why you’re here? Hmm?” He asks me, his head tilting slightly. I shake my head, my hands trembling in my lap.
“No, please let me go.” I whisper.
He takes another step closer and I push myself further into the wall, unable to distance myself anymore. I can feel the grime and dirt touch my skin and I shudder, feeling disgusting.
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”
His words cause tears to fill my eyes.
“Please. I don’t know who you are, I haven’t done anything wrong. I’m a good person, I swear. I have a Mum and Dad waiting for me.” I plead with him, growing increasingly desperate.
He face remains emotionless, my words causing nothing on his features to change.
“You’re here because of Alejandro Ruiz. Are you familiar with him?”
I feel like I’ve been punched in the stomach, knocking all the breath out of me. At the mention of Alex, I close my eyes and inhale sharply, praying that he’s okay.
“No, I don’t know who he is.” I lie, every hair on my body standing up pin straight. The man shuffles on his feet, his body looming over mine like a terrifying giant.
“Lies. You shouldn’t lie to me!” He snaps before turning around to leave. I shake my head, lunging forward.
“I’m sorry! Wait! Yes, I know Alex, Alejandro.” I say quickly. He pauses and turns slowly, lips curling up into a trium-phant smirk.
“Good. That’s better, you are co-operating.”
“Yes, yes I’m co-operating.” I whisper, tears rolling down my cheeks. I hastily reach up and wipe them away.
“How well do you know Alejandro?”
“Alex is a friend of mine.” I reply, my breathing shaky. He lets out an instant heavy sigh before storming up to me. I let out a surprised scream as his hand roughly grabs the back of my hair. He pulls hard, yanking it so I’m staring straight up at him. I whimper in fear, clawing at his tight grip to get it to loosen.
“Stop!” I scream, images of my father doing the same to me clouding my mind. Up close, his scar is more visible, etched deep into his skin.
“You are a silly girl.” He spits out at me, his grip tightening. The pain shoots up my scalp and I yelp out, using my legs to try and kick him away from me.
“What do you want?” I cry, trying and failing to hit back at my captor. The man suddenly releases me and I fall back down onto the floor, crying and shaking. I never visioned myself to become a victim again. I didn’t realise that I would re-live this kind of trauma for the second time in my life. It unleashes all of my nightmares that I’ve fought to store away inside my head. Within a few hours, I’m right back in that darkness, revisiting haunting years of my life.
The only difference is that I don’t think I have the fight left in me to win this round.
“What do I want?” The man repeats my question, walking around in a circle with his hands behind his back. He takes slow steady steps, his entire demeanour screaming danger.
“I want what I’ve always wanted,” he starts, his dark eyes lighting up with a sick motivation.
“To destroy Alejandro Ruiz just like I destroyed his father.” He says calmly, his lips stretched out into a sick smile. My face scrunches up into confusion but before I get to ask anymore questions, he turns and leaves, slamming the door shut.
I’m left with pain soaring through my scalp, unanswered questions and a growing fear inside me for Alex’s and my own safety.
I don’t know how long I’ve been sat in the same position. My entire body feels numb, oblivious to the pain I’m feeling. There’s an empty hole inside my stomach and I can’t seem to think of anything besides my father. The man that ripped my childhood away from me.
I desperately try to block out the images inside my mind but it doesn’t work. Instead, I try to focus on the good things in my life and come up with one person, Alex. So I cradle my legs, rocking back and forth slowly as I picture every inch of his face. Silence completely surrounds me and the darkness seems to grow until it wraps around me like a black bottom-less pool.
“Everybody loves the things you do,” I start, squeezing my eyes shut tightly. A single tear slips down my cheek, falling onto the dirt filled floor.
“From the way you talk, to the way you move,” I sing quietly, my voice echoing around the small room. The sound of it bounces off the walls and takes away the loneliness and pain I’m feeling inside my heart. It replaces the fear with a happy memory, a memory that I’d never forget.
“Everybody here is watching you, because you feel like home, you’re like a dream come true.” I murmur, resting my head on my knees. The soft sound of the lyrics acts like a lullaby and I force myself to think of no-one but Alex. He’s the only hope I have.