I got up around ten in the morning and started getting ready to go hang out with Ashley for the day. My aunt already knows I’ll be with him for the day. I checked my phone as I was brushing my teeth.

“I miss you<3”

~Andy

“I miss you!” I replied

Once I was done getting ready I still had fifteen minutes to kill until Ashley would pick me up. So I went upstairs. I sat at the table with my aunt. She looked up from reading her paper.

“So are you ready for your date?” she asked

“It is far from a date Barb, he is my friend and-----

“You are dating the other one?”

“How do you know these things?!!”

“My good friend lives right next door to that Ashley boy, she said she saw you kiss the other one”

“Oh well I----

“Its OK dear, you can have a boyfriend, hes a nice boy, just don’t be STUPID please”

“Haha I wont”

“Good, cuz I’m not sending a Prego niece to visit her parents”

I’m starting to like my aunt even more and more everyday. She understands in a way. Understands more than my parents. I heard a car horn honk. I walked outside waving goodbye to my aunt. I climbed in Ashley’s car. He was wearing sunglasses.

“Hello” he said

“Hey”

“How did you sleep?” he said driving

“Good actually, you?”

“eh, OK”

“How did you get Jake and CC up?”

“They are still there, I left a note” he laughed

“Those two are just……I don’t know”

“Yeah, that’s Jake and CC, how is Andy?”

“He’s OK, I hope his mom is OK”

“Me too”

We pulled close to the studio. I was watching all the people walking. I was caught off guard when I thought I saw a disturbing face I wished to never see again.

“STOP THE CAR!”

Ashley slammed on the breaks.

“WHAT?! WHATS WRONG? DID I HIT SOMETHING?!!”

I scanned the crowd of people again. He wasn’t there.

“MEG?!”

“No, I thought I saw-----never mind”

“Thought you saw what? Tell me”

“I thought I saw that guy that tried to rape me”

“He’s in jail hun”

“I know”

“You scared me” he said and started driving again

We found a parking spot. I helped Ashley get all of his equipment from his trunk. We took it to the freight elevator. Once we got to our floor he showed me how to set up his stuff. He got in the sound booth and started tuning his Bass. I put my face up to the glass, and started making weird faces. Ashley was laughing, I couldn’t hear him though but I could tell I was cracking him up. I sat down on the couch. Ashley started playing, he didn’t miss a note. After a few songs, one of his strings broke. He came out of the room with his bass in hand. He was searching through a bag. He pulled out a small baggie of what I assumed to be strings.

“Wanna learn how to put strings on this?” he said

“Sure” I said walking over to him and I sat on the stool next to the one he sat on.

He handed me a string, he held the bass.

“string the end through that hole there and wrap it around a few times” he said pointing

I did. He took the other end and strung it. He tightened it.

“Do you wanna learn how to play?”

“Umm, I’ll fail but sure” he handed it to me

I knew how to hold it but that’s it. I strummed the strings, it sounded like a dying cat. I scrunched my nose.

“Haha, you suck”

I punched him in the gut. He came around behind me, he put his hands over mine. It seems like he was hugging me from behind. I felt awkward.

“Which song do you want to play?”

“Ehuumm, Smoke and Mirrors?”

“Ok” he said, he held my fingers and played through me as if I were his puppet

I turned my head, I was looking up at him. He smiled at me, for some reason his eyes were just…….pulling me in, watching my soul. I felt, I don’t know how to describe it. He looked into my eyes, I looked into his. Something was there. Something. His face got closer to mine.

*EH EH EHM*

We looked up, a man was standing there. What a relief. Ashley walked over to him. They started talking amongst themselves, the man was holding a clipboard and had Ashley sign some things. Once he was done he came over to me. I handed him his bass.

“I’ll be here a while longer”

“That’s ok, I’ll go get us some lunch, how bout In ‘N Out Burger?”

“Sounds good”

I got out of there as fast as I could. HOLY CRAP. WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING? No, stop. I love Andy. Can I love both? NO STOP. I walked to the restaurant. I ordered us some food. Amazing food. I watched warily to see if I saw that face again. Just regular everyday people. My eyes were playing tricks on me, not to mention how many miles an hour my mind was going anyway. I got back to the studio. Ashley was waiting. We ate our food in silence. I wanted to end the awkwardness so I started a conversation.

“So Ash?”

“Yeah?”

“how did you? Ya know, become a bassist?”

“Well I didn’t really start out that way, I had my own band once, I was the lead singer”

“Really?”

“Yeah, but shit happens though”

“Yeah”

He got up and started to put his bass guitar strap over his shoulder. He went back into the sound room. I started getting sleepy, I fell asleep on the couch. I woke up. Ashley was drinking a bottle of water in the sound booth. I looked at my phone, 3:44 P.M. Andy hasn’t replied to my text I sent him. That’s ok though, his mom needs him. All of a sudden the lights went out. It was pitch black in the room. I heard a door open, I assumed it was the sound booth door.

“Meg?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m coming over there”

“Ok”

I heard what sounded like a stool fall on the ground

“There’s a stool there” Ashley said

I laughed

I felt someone’s outstretched hands touch the front of my shoulders.

“There you are” Ashley said

“Well yea----- I was interrupted with something pressing softly but forcefully on my lips. My heart stopped. Ashley was kissing me. I didn’t know what to do. The lights turned on. I was staring at Ashley’s closed eyelids. He opened his eyes and pulled away. My face said it all.

“Meg, I’m sorry, I-I didn’t, I couldn’t control---

I slapped him across the face. I got up and ran to the elevator.

“MEG!” Ashley was yelling running after me

“Leave me alone!”

I got in the elevator. The doors closed before Ashley could get in. They were cage doors, so Ashley was reaching in

“Please let me explain!”

I pressed the 1st floor button Ashley ran to the stairwell door. It was locked. He would have to wait for the elevator. Once I reached the first floor I ran through the lobby and outside. I ran about a hundred feet then turned down into an ally. I heard Ashley yelling my name, I was looking back until I ran into something, I fell on my butt. I looked up. I was struck with horror. It was him. The guy that tried to rape me. He had a black eye and his lip was stitched up. He grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me up towards him. In his other hand he held a GUN to my stomach.

“If you don’t cooperate with me, I’m going to shoot you” I shook my head letting him know I was willing to do whatever he said. He shoved me behind a dumpster by the wall. We hid.

“If you don’t stay down and stay quiet I’m going to shoot your pathetic boyfriend”

Ash wasn’t my boyfriend but I had to say it with me being me

“Well you must be more pathetic to get your ass kicked by him”

He kicked me in the stomach. I bent over in pain.

“HMM why are you telling me more reasons to put a bullet in his head?”

“Please don’t, I’ll do anything you want”

“Good”

He took out his phone. He texted while looking at me.

I could still hear Ashley yelling my name, but it got further and further away. Minutes later a windowless Van pulled into the ally. The door opened, the guy picked me up and shoved me in while the guy that opened the door yanked me in by my arms. My attempted rapist followed and closed the doors. The van started driving away.

“I never told you my name did I sweetheart?”

I rolled my eyes.

“My names Christopher”

He held out his hand as if I was going to shake it. I spit in his face. He wiped it away. He pulled out a roll of duck tape from under the seat. He put some across my mouth and took out a pocket knife cutting the tape and my cheek on purpose. I could feel the blood. It stung. He zip tied my hands behind my back. By now I was crying. Christopher was smiling at this. He took out a red sharpie from his pocket. He held my face with one hand and started drawing on the tape on my mouth. He took out a compact and showed me his drawing, it was a heart right in the middle.

“What do ya think?” he asked me

“Chris, quit messing with her, your only gonna make her less cooperative” the other guy said in the passenger’s seat, he had long red hair.

“Shut up Alex, I don’t tell you how to handle the chicks you pick” he said

Christopher kissed me on the heart on my lips forcefully. Alex rolled his eyes.

Christopher started searching my body, he took my phone out of my pocket. He started looking through it.

“awww, you and this “Andy” are in love” the phone beeped, another text message

“ ”I didn’t mean to kiss you Meg, please tell me were you are” from “Ash” oooh things are getting complicated, a love triangle is brewing”

He smashed my phone on the floor. The van stopped. Christopher opened the door. He pulled me out of the van. We were in a garage attached to a house, we walked into a house and downstairs to a basement. We walked past the guy that tried to rape Sammi in a hallway. The driver and Alex followed us. I was shoved into a room. The only light was a naked light bulb. There was another girl in the room. She had long platinum hair, her make up was smudged from crying. They put me in the corner opposite from her. I sat on the floor. They undid my hands and put my ankle in ankle cuffs attached to the wall. These guys have been at it for a LONG time to have stuff like this. Everyone but Christopher left the room. He bent down and ripped the tape off of my face. I yelped in pain.

“Now now, welcome to paradise babycakes” he said, I turned my face away. He grabbed my face and made me look at him

“Meg, that is your name right?”

“Yes”

“You’re the one that got away, no one gets away from me, I always get what I want sooner or later”

“Don’t worry, you’ll get what you always asked for, a swift one way ticket to jail”

“You’re a snarky little one aren’t you?”

“I’m only telling the truth” I smiled

“Your little friend is lucky that Darren doesn’t want her anymore, otherwise you would be taking us to her right now, in fact he already found a replacement” he said pointing to the girl in the other corner

Well, they guy that tried to rape Sammi name is Darren. (Just saying in case you are confused)

“You people are sick”

“I’m only human”

“Hardly”

"I bet you're wondering how I'm out of jail?"

"Yes"

"I got bailed out by my buddies"

I made a sound of disgust

“Listen, there are rules here, don’t try to escape, don’t try to fight back, don’t call out for help or else”

“Or else what?”

“You will be punished” he smirked. He stood up and started walking away

“I’ll be back soon babycakes” he said half maniacally shutting the door behind him.

I tried to shake my hands loose from the cuffs. I became very frustrated and had a meltdown full of tears anger and fear.

“It’s no use” I heard a petite voice

I stopped and looked at the girl in the corner.

“I already tried that” she said

I felt glad that I wasn’t the only one here. I could talk to someone. Plan an escape. Befriend someone. If we lived. If we got out. I wouldn’t die alone.

“What’s your name?” I asked

“Zoey”

“How long have you been here?”

“Two days”

I started to cry. I was shocked

“Don’t cry” she said trying to calm me

“Sorry, I just----I’m scared”

“I know” she said making herself more comfortable by facing me

I noticed she was just wearing a robe. She noticed me staring.

“I didn’t want to say this, but they are going to make you change into lingerie, the robe is just to cover up in the cold down here” she said

I went hysterical.

“SHHHH it’s ok, shhhhh they will hear you and come down here”

“sorry” I said calming down out of fear of Christopher coming in again

I have to get out. Everyone’s face that I ever loved was running through my mind. I need to see Andy’s face again so I can tell him how much I love him. I need to see my family and friends faces and tell them I love them. I wasn’t even mad at Ashley anymore, now I’m scared I will never see him again. Never see Andy again, never see my family again.