The One He Saved

1

I flashback to myself laughing with my best friends in my room. It's one of the clearest and latest memories I still have. A treasure I still cling to. Life was simple then, easy. It was something I took for granted every single day. I still smell the scent of my clean bedroom. I close my eyes and hear the three of us laughing. We had not a care in the world. What I wouldn’t give to be back in my safe and cozy bedroom…

Instead, I lay on the cold and damp concrete floor, feeling numb from the inside out. My heart races as each minute passes by, uncertain of what is going to happen next. Are they going to kill me? Surely if they were, they wouldn’t be feeding me every day like they have.

For the past ten days, I’ve been in this dark dungeon-like place. No windows to tell the time of day. Cold and moldy brick walls are the only thing that surrounds me. There’s only one thing to do to pass the time and it’s to think. Think about where I currently am and try to think about every detail from the night I was taken. I’ve replayed that night in my head a thousand times at least.

I was the designated driver for our night, I had nothing to drink except water. So how did I end up in this god-forsaken place with a black eye and no recollection of what happened?

I’ve thought long and hard about every possible scenario. Obviously, I was drugged, but by who and why? What is it that they want from me? I come from a normal middle-class family. My father works a normal job and hunts and fishes in his spare time, he’s not part of anything sketchy. My mother works in an office downtown and is the kindest woman you’d ever meet. My mind trails to them and my brother, Logan. I wonder what they are thinking right now. A huge lump in my throat begins to sting and my nose tingles as I imagine them at our house without me. However, my thoughts suddenly come to a halt as I hear faint footsteps on the concrete floors. My heart begins to hammer against my chest as the footsteps get louder. He’s back.

Each day my door opens just once. He comes with a plate of what’s supposed to be food and I devour every bit of it because I know I have to. His footsteps are becoming something that I look forward to—treasure even because I know he’s bringing food. I hear the click of the first lock, then the second, and lastly the third. I watch as he stands in the doorway staring down at me with those relentless dark eyes. He looks Middle-Eastern. He’s normal height with a big gut and dark bushy eyebrows.

Goosebumps quickly fill my arms and my hands begin to tremble slightly as I stare up at him. It’s like my body knows who he is, even if my mind doesn’t quite make the connection.

“Eat,” he says, sliding me a plate that has a piece of soggy bread on it, a few crackers, and half of an already-eaten apple. I take the plate and go straight for the crackers.

“And what do you say?” he says, now leaning against the door. I instantly stop eating and our eyes hold.

“Thank you,” I say softly. And as hard as it is for me to do, I force a smile before I take another bite of a cracker. I find it incredibly hard to eat as he stands there watching me. Every day for the past ten days he usually slides me my plate and then leaves. But, today is different. I can’t explain it, but I feel it. He stands there gazing down at me as I slowly pick around at the disgusting food. My stomach starts to turn.

“Today someone is going to examine you,” he exhales hard, avoiding eye contact with me now. Am I supposed to say anything back? On the first day here he told me there were three rules; no talking, no trying to escape, and no hurting myself.

“Do not try to fight the examination, it’s important,” he says before he shuts the door. I hear the first lock click, then the second, and then the third. Tears fill my eyes as I process his words. Do not try to fight the examination. What did he mean by that?

Suddenly the movie Taken crosses my mind. Never did I imagine that I would be like the idiot daughter from that movie. The daughter that prances around danger, but is too naive to notice because her head is in the clouds as evil lurks around her every corner. That’s what the examination is, I swallow hard. They are going to see if I still have my virginity.

────

Later that evening, I’m awakened by footsteps. Footsteps. Someone is with him this time. The footsteps grow louder and so does my heartbeat. My breath quivers as I hear the unlocking on the steel door; first lock, second lock, third lock. The door opens slowly and I see the same man that has brought me food the past ten days but someone else is standing behind him now. He’s wearing black slacks, a white button-up collared shirt and is gripping a black leather bag with white-knuckle force.

“Slide your panties down please.” The man with the slacks says as he enters the room. He looks professional. My eyes quickly go from him to the guard that stands in the doorway. I’m still wearing the outfit that I wore that night. I bought it the day before at the mall; a skin-tight black dress that conformed to my curves. When I woke up here the next day I had only one of my expensive heels on. I’m not sure what happened to the other one, but I’m assuming that when I was abducted it got lost. Maybe I fought harder than I thought. I’d like to imagine myself doing that anyway.

“Sir, if you would,” The man in the slacks ushers the guard in the doorway to turn around. He nods slightly before his dark eyes shoot into mine. I hold his stare for a moment before he turns around with his back facing me. I’m not sure who this man is, but I notice that little gesture.

“If you would, please,” He gives me a sympathetic smile. I run my hands under my dress and slide my panties down past my ankles, then quickly bunch them in my hands. I lay down on the damp concrete floors as a tear falls slowly down my cheek. I hear him unzip his black bag and I close my eyes. Within seconds I feel the cold metal tool inside of me. I arch my back in discomfort as my eyes stay shut. I imagine my mother and I laughing on the couch in front of our fireplace. That was always our thing, we snuggled on the couch all the time. Good days or bad days she would always listen to what was on my mind. I squeeze my eyes shut as I imagine lying next to her. What I wouldn’t give to be on that couch again.

“Okay, that’s it,” I hear him say as he takes the tool out and wipes it off. I pull my dress down as I watch him zip his bag back up. The man standing in the doorway turns around and stares down at me once again.

“They were right, she’s pure.” The man in the slacks stands up and walks out of the doorway without looking back or saying anything else. When I hear the three locks turn, I burst into an uncontrollable sob.

────

I think another day has passed, I’m not entirely sure though. After the examination, my thoughts have been running rampant in my mind. She’s pure. There’s no doubt in my mind now that I am going to be sold to some disgusting piece of shit. No doubt whatsoever. Maybe when the time is just right, I can make a run for it. Even if I don’t get away, maybe they’ll shoot me and put me out of my misery because there is no way in hell I will ever be able to go back home after this. My thoughts are halted once more as I hear footsteps. My stomach growls as I lay on the cold floor. I think my body is unfortunately getting used to this messed-up food schedule.

I hear the unlocking of the first lock, then the second. I wait for the third lock, but all I hear are the keys jingling on the other side of the door.

“Damn it,” I hear an unfamiliar voice. It’s a deeper voice, younger I think. I swallow hard as I hear the third lock eventually click open.

“Sorry, these damn keys —” I watch his face fall as he sees me lying on the cold floor. He looks around at the hellhole that surrounds us and exhales hard.

“Here you go.” He hands me a plate of food. The bread is cut down the middle, the crackers are spread out in a neat line, and the apple is cut into bite-sized pieces. My brows unintentionally furrow as I stare at the plate and then back at him.

“Thank you,” I say with confusion before I take the plate and set it on my legs. He stands there towering over me. He’s tall. His arms are covered in tattoos. He’s wearing jeans and a black shirt. His light-brown eyes stare straight into mine. Just as they do, he nervously runs his hand through his wavy dark hair. He looks Middle-Eastern as well, maybe he’s related to the man who was bringing me food. I could see a resemblance I guess. However, I think all of the good genes went straight to this guy and skipped the other.

“Where is—” I pause, remembering the three rules. No talking, no trying to escape, and no hurting myself.

“It’s okay, you can trust me,” he smiles and I swallow hard.

“Where’s the other man?” I ask as I bring the cracker to my lips.

“He’s not—here anymore,” he leans up against the wall hesitating slightly.

“What happened to him?”

“He uh—”

“Never mind, I don’t want to know,” I say as I begin to turn my back towards him.

“How long have you been here?” His question stops me in my tracks and my eyes unexpectedly fill with tears.

“You should know,” I snap back rather quickly.

“Well, I don’t,”

“Then ask the people you work for,” I say with annoyance.

“I don’t work for them,” he says. His words make my heart race uncontrollably. What ? If he doesn’t work for them, then who does he work for?

“Then what are you doing here?” I turn back around and hold his gaze.

“Trying to save you,” he says and just as those words leave his mouth we both hear footsteps in the hall. I watch as he makes his way out of the room quickly then shuts the steel door behind him. I hear the clicks of all three locks as my heart hammers against my ribcage processing his words.

Trying to save you.

────

I hear the water dripping down the brick walls as my mind still tries to ponder his words. I sit on the cold floor as I stare at the toilet in the corner of the room. Maybe this was an old jail? It would make sense; the steel door, the random toilet, and the nasty brick walls. It had to have been an old jail. I think about all of the abandoned buildings in Chicago. If I’m even still in Chicago that is. I doubt it though. What kidnappers would keep their victims in the same town? Maybe that’s why they drugged me, to transport me somewhere easily.

I replay my conversation with that tattooed man from earlier, again and again. I don’t work for them. It’s okay, you can trust me. I flashback to his face when he saw me. Does he know me? Or know of me? If he was indeed trying to save me, why did he not take me with him? Why did he leave me here? My eyes fill with emotion. Keep it together, Lina. No one is coming to save you. You’re going to have to be the hero of your own damn story.

I sit there and quietly make a promise to myself. No matter what it takes, I’ll be the one that gets myself through this. I’m going to save you, Lina. I promise. And if somehow I can’t, well, I’ll die trying.