CHAPTER 58

       Carly's eyes moved unfocused all over Kelley's face. The cute woman she had met just a few days ago wasn't the same one sitting right in front of her. Or maybe she was,but there was something about her that made her different. Another darker shade. Her eyes were no longer the soft cute blue she remembered. It was just like Dylan had told her,the woman looked more of an animal instead of a person especially with that hideous tattoo curved along her upper arms. She had an evil grin on her face and to her, Kelley displayed nothing but death. Adrenaline surged through her body. Her body was in a state of fight or flight. The first one was impossible for one, she wasn't a fighter and two,even if she could,her arms was tied up behind her. The latter was completely impossible. She was surrounded by four thick walls with no window,the only ventilation was some curved patterns at the top of the walls near the roof which was completely covered up. There was a door in one corner and she figured that was where Kelley must have come through. There was likely to be a burly bodyguard standing right outside. She had seen that in movies. This was beginning to feel like that and if that was what was going to happen, she was either waiting for her death or by luck, be rescued. By who? No one knew where she was, she had left the apartment without telling anyone and even worse, she had left her phone. Not that she expected it to still be in her pocket had she carried it but everything was about taking chances. The only chance she had to get out of here alive was the woman sitting in front of her.

                    "What do you want?" she asked in her most hateful voice.

                     "Me? To watch you. You are quite a looker and I just can't satisfy my eyes."

    Her reply disgusted her contradicting what she had thought of her some days back. She turned away from her grin and composed herself then tried again.

                  "Why did you bring me here? If you wanted to kill me, shouldn't you have done that already?" she asked confidently but the words pierced through her body making her head spin a bit. 

  Kelley laughed,"Kill you? Why would I want to kill you? You haven't done anything to piss me off. Well, except for the fact that I kissed you and you ran,refused to call me even. Tell me,why did you hate my kiss that much? You are the first woman to do so."

  She managed a chuckle,"I don't know, maybe because you are a bad kisser. You were doing it for the wrong reasons. I didn't feel anything,you know like when you think you are using real butter while baking a cake but it really isn't and you end up having the worst outcome ever. Take your pick,"she said with a shrug then added,"Do you know that I went to puke after?"

                   "Here I thought you were a sweet polite woman. I guess I don't really know much about you." She got up and walked around her. She knelt down beside her,too close that she flinched. "No so bold when I come closer,huh?" She asked and Carly closed her eyes tightly holding her breath. "I was just going to untie you, relax." Kelley went on to whisper into her ear,her hot breath hitting her face. She finally breathed when her hands were lose and Kelley moved away from her. She stretched out her hands which were numb after being tied up for... She didn't know how long since there was no way of telling. There was no vision of the outside which would have at least given her a clue. She glanced at the door and saw a light beam outside and quickly she started making calculations on how she would manage to outrun Kelley,get outside and maybe find some help wherever this place was. Kelley must have sensed what she was thinking because she looked at her and instead of trying to warn her about running, she smiled.

                  "You can go ahead, I'll be right behind you."

                   "What?" she asked in confusion wondering if she was just being released. And if yes,why then had she been brought here? A rather wild and bad thought crossed her and she found herself fumbling between her thighs unsure of what she was supposed to be looking for. Kelley chuckled in amusement.

                  "Don't say you think that I brought you here to rape you. What sort of woman does that to a fellow woman?" She shook her head,"You are really disappointing me for thinking such crazy things about me."

                 "I honestly can't think of nothing less. You are an animal!" Kelley looked at her for a long time before pushing the chair she had been sitting on with her leg. It hit the wall then fell on the floor. She smiled in satisfaction then offered her hand,directing her to the door. She was hesitant at first,then took a step towards the door. Halt the time it took to get to the door, she expected another blow on her back thinking that maybe this was a game Kelley wanted to play. To see how far she would go before she caught her again. She should have known. When she opened the door, she stepped into another building,at least this one wasn't closed off and was she stepping on a porch of someone's house? She looked around. The place was beautiful,more beautiful than what Emily Hill's childhood home had always been. Emily had always been considered the richest in the whole school while they were studying and it was evidenced by the beauty of their home. Now this,was more than that. The porch alone was decorated with the most beautiful patterns,from the flowers to the tiled floor. And who the fuck put such expensive antiques outside their house?  She looked ahead and noticed a person,a woman of medium build standing at the railing. She had her face away from her so there was no telling what her face looked like.

                  "She is awake,"Kelley announced without addressing the woman by her name or in any other way.

                   "Send the message." The woman replied without even turning around. Where had she heard that voice?  And send the message? Was that message possibly her head? No,they would have done that while she was still sleeping. Kelley however pushed her forward through another door that opened up to a large living room,fully furnished with expensive furniture as well. Clearly the person or persons who lived there were people earning  a lot to afford all that.

                    "Sit down and feel at home," Kelley instructed her with a grin. How was she supposed to feel at home surrounded by all these strange things,a murderer in front of her and another one who she gathered was like her boss right outside? She sat down anyway.

                   "Coffee? Tea? Juice? Wine?"

 She shook her head,"I don't want anything. I'd prefer you tell me what it is I am doing here."

                    "Suit yourself." Kelley walked to a table in the far end of the house and took a laptop them came back to where she was seated. She placed in on the table before her then opened, logged in and within seconds, she realized it was someone she was calling. Dylan maybe?

                         ★★★

          Dylan paced around the room restlessly but the space wasn't enough for her. Everyone else sat silently,each on their own corner deep in thought. Carl tapped his foot on the floor consistently and she found it irritating. She wanted to snap at him to stop it but she knew he was just as worried as she was. She needed to think but her head was all clear. Even the very worst thoughts had eluded her and she could have used them for a distraction at that point. She had no idea what to do. Sit and wait? That they had done for the past two hours and still Carly had not appeared. There was nothing that could convince her that she hadn't been abducted. She blamed herself for sleeping too much, for not being there to take her to wherever place she had wanted to go. She wanted to just rip her head off at that moment but then,that wouldn't help her case. She needed to locate Carly,at least know where she was and if she was safe. They had made calls to everyone who would be likely to know her whereabouts but none had said anything helpful. She had to lie to Carly's parents which made her feel terrible but if she hadn't, she would be having a full room of restless and panic stricken people. She however knew they would want to check in later and then she didn't know if she would know what to tell them especially if Carly didn't return. She stopped pacing and in one swift move, she grabbed her car keys without bothering to take something else. Carl stood up quickly.

             "Where are you going?"

               "I can't stay here any longer. I need to go out there and look for her."

    Kenny stood up and stood before her immediately she said that.

                "Where would you even look. You don't know where she went in the first place."

                "I don't know!" she snapped. "I'll drive around town, just anywhere but I can't keep on sitting here doing nothing. She might be hurt somewhere with no one to help her." Her voice broke but that wasn't really her worst fear. She just didn't want to admit what her gut said.

                "I am coming with you and don't even try to stop me. She is my sister," Carl announced and she nodded then turned back to Kenny.

               "You stay here with Emily and watch the kids. Don't you dare leave their sight!" she warned. Kenny nodded eventually and stepped aside. She grabbed the door knob but just as she was about to turn it,her phone chimed. She quickly took it out hoping it was Carly reaching out. The number was new and but it was the message under it that sent her shivering. She read it out loud.

                "The cat went sleeping, the rat went sniffing but unfortunately got caught. Tick tock pretty, time is running out." What did that even mean?

                 "Oh my God!" Carl said. "They took her,my sister is about to be killed!"

She turned to him sharply with an angry look and gave him a death stare. He stepped back.

                  "Don't you dare say that again! We don't know for sure if that's what's happening." She said wishing that she could believe herself. Teddy appeared at the other doorway. He had been in the bedroom with Emily's kids where they had sent them until now. He looked at her and she could tell that a lot was going through his tiny head. A lot she didn't think she wanted to hear him say because they were turning out to be true. She looked at Emily who understood immediately what she wanted. She stood up and went to Teddy then led him back to the bedroom. Just about that second,her phone rang. It was a vedio call from the same number. She looked at it undecided, afraid of what stood between her swiping the accept button and the other side of the caller. She  held her breath and swiped with her hand trembling. The first face she saw was Carly and she exhaled. At least she was alive.

                  "Hey," she said and a heavy drop of tear fell down. "Where are you?"

                   "I have no idea," the words she had been so afraid of rang out clearly. "I don't have much time. I have only been allowed one minute to tell you that I am alive and safe but for now. You need to go back to where it all began,the day after tomorrow. Emily and Carl too." She heard her voice tremble but the words didn't make any sense to her.

                  "Who told you that?" she asked loudly. "Who took you there?" Before Carly could reply,her face disappeared in the background and Kelley's appeared. Bitterness combined with hatred rose up her throat like bile.

                 "Hey pretty, it's been so long since I last saw you,"Kelley said flashing a huge smile which angered her even more.

                 "I swear if you touch her I will  fucking rip your throat off with my bare hands!"

                  "Relax. Just follow the instructions and your woman will be safe,"she paused then grinned,"I hope you don't mind sharing her with me in the meantime. I think we have done that before."

                  "I swear-"

                    "No no no,no swearing. Remember, the day after tomorrow where it all began."

                   "Where what began? What does that mean?"

                    "You are wise, that's your part to figure out within the two days. If you don't,well,I don't need to tell you what will happen." She winked and before she could say anything else,the call was disconnected. She threw the phone across the room but luckily it fell on a couch only a few inches from where Kenny was standing. She held her head in her hands tightly. She wanted to scream,but that wouldn't help anything.

                    "Fuck!" she shouted. "I am going kill her!"

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