form a small circle around her. She wiped the blood from the
corner of her mouth with her sleeve and sobbed.
“I was only trying to stop her.” Kevin
explained to Mark.
“Nobody asked you to hit her!” Mark
said angrily.
“She’s too strong.” Kevin said
quietly. “You know we can’t afford to lose another one to them.”
“What are you going to do to me?”
she whimpered.
“Nothing.” Mark said soothingly. “I
promise you. Come with me.”
Mark put an arm around her and
gently led her towards the restaurant. Melissa shuddered at his touch but
didn’t pull away. Mark felt nice and warm and she was freezing. As they entered
the restaurant, she noticed that the pieces of glass from the broken door were
cleared out and the door was replaced.
She started to walk towards a
booth, but Mark pulled her away and made her walk towards a door at the back.
She looked at him questioningly, but Mark said nothing and opened up another
door that led downstairs.
She felt a thick blanket on her
shoulders and saw that Mark was smiling at her. She pulled the blanket closer
to her and wondered where on earth he had found one when she found herself
wondering what Mark intended to do with her.
She walked downstairs as slowly as
possible, half expecting for Mark to turn around any second and holding up a
wire to tie up her hands. But Mark did no such thing and instead flipped on a light
switch.
Melissa felt her mouth drop open as
she saw the basement. Instead of knives and weapons and other torture related
things, she saw that the entire basement was as cozy as it could have been.
There were small cots set up in a corner where Mark and his friends obviously
slept, a flat screen television set up on the other side with comfortable
couches and a refrigerator standing idly in the other corner.
She looked up to see air
conditioners on both sides and then looked at Mark who gave her an amused
glance.
“What is this?” she asked. Her head
was spinning after being knocked over and the bright lights were doing nothing
to help her confused state of mind.
“I’ll explain later.” Mark said and
led her to one of the cots.
Melissa sat down and looked up to
Mark who was busy unfolding another blanket.
One of the other riders came to her
with a bowl of soup and Melissa looked at it suspiciously.
“When was the last time you ate?” Mark
asked.
Melissa took the bowl of soup but
only so that the rider would walk away. She saw the other riders walk in and
saw Kevin with a sullen look on his face. The others looked about her age. So
young and they had chosen to live it so precariously.
She spooned at the soup and raised
it to study it in the light. She could see the vegetables swimming in broth and
took a whiff of it. The soup smelled delicious and she could feel her stomach
grumble.
“It’s from a can.” Mark said almost
apologetically and then adjusted the bed sheets. “You can sleep here tonight.”
Melissa glanced at the other riders
and saw them getting comfortable on the couches as one of them switched on the
television. Nobody paid any attention to her and Melissa wondered if she should
be relieved or cautious at this.
She raised the spoon to her mouth
and took a small sip. Her tongue instantly tingled as the soup ran all over her
mouth before disappearing into her gullet. She started to eat hungrily then,
not caring whether the soup was poisoned or not. She was being paranoid, she
told herself. If Mark wanted to kill her right now, why would he give her poisoned
food when he still had a gun in his holster?
As soon as she was done, Mark took
the bowl of soup from her hands and put it into a dishwasher. “Why don’t you
lie down and try to sleep?” He said. “I know you have questions, but we can
talk tomorrow morning. I promise I’ll tell you everything.”
“Tell me now!” Melissa argued.
“Not now.” Mark said. “I need
corner of her mouth with her sleeve and sobbed.
“I was only trying to stop her.” Kevin
explained to Mark.
“Nobody asked you to hit her!” Mark
said angrily.
“She’s too strong.” Kevin said
quietly. “You know we can’t afford to lose another one to them.”
“What are you going to do to me?”
she whimpered.
“Nothing.” Mark said soothingly. “I
promise you. Come with me.”
Mark put an arm around her and
gently led her towards the restaurant. Melissa shuddered at his touch but
didn’t pull away. Mark felt nice and warm and she was freezing. As they entered
the restaurant, she noticed that the pieces of glass from the broken door were
cleared out and the door was replaced.
She started to walk towards a
booth, but Mark pulled her away and made her walk towards a door at the back.
She looked at him questioningly, but Mark said nothing and opened up another
door that led downstairs.
She felt a thick blanket on her
shoulders and saw that Mark was smiling at her. She pulled the blanket closer
to her and wondered where on earth he had found one when she found herself
wondering what Mark intended to do with her.
She walked downstairs as slowly as
possible, half expecting for Mark to turn around any second and holding up a
wire to tie up her hands. But Mark did no such thing and instead flipped on a light
switch.
Melissa felt her mouth drop open as
she saw the basement. Instead of knives and weapons and other torture related
things, she saw that the entire basement was as cozy as it could have been.
There were small cots set up in a corner where Mark and his friends obviously
slept, a flat screen television set up on the other side with comfortable
couches and a refrigerator standing idly in the other corner.
She looked up to see air
conditioners on both sides and then looked at Mark who gave her an amused
glance.
“What is this?” she asked. Her head
was spinning after being knocked over and the bright lights were doing nothing
to help her confused state of mind.
“I’ll explain later.” Mark said and
led her to one of the cots.
Melissa sat down and looked up to
Mark who was busy unfolding another blanket.
One of the other riders came to her
with a bowl of soup and Melissa looked at it suspiciously.
“When was the last time you ate?” Mark
asked.
Melissa took the bowl of soup but
only so that the rider would walk away. She saw the other riders walk in and
saw Kevin with a sullen look on his face. The others looked about her age. So
young and they had chosen to live it so precariously.
She spooned at the soup and raised
it to study it in the light. She could see the vegetables swimming in broth and
took a whiff of it. The soup smelled delicious and she could feel her stomach
grumble.
“It’s from a can.” Mark said almost
apologetically and then adjusted the bed sheets. “You can sleep here tonight.”
Melissa glanced at the other riders
and saw them getting comfortable on the couches as one of them switched on the
television. Nobody paid any attention to her and Melissa wondered if she should
be relieved or cautious at this.
She raised the spoon to her mouth
and took a small sip. Her tongue instantly tingled as the soup ran all over her
mouth before disappearing into her gullet. She started to eat hungrily then,
not caring whether the soup was poisoned or not. She was being paranoid, she
told herself. If Mark wanted to kill her right now, why would he give her poisoned
food when he still had a gun in his holster?
As soon as she was done, Mark took
the bowl of soup from her hands and put it into a dishwasher. “Why don’t you
lie down and try to sleep?” He said. “I know you have questions, but we can
talk tomorrow morning. I promise I’ll tell you everything.”
“Tell me now!” Melissa argued.
“Not now.” Mark said. “I need
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