CHAPTER 3

I woke up to the cold splash of water on my face. "Wake up, Daddy's princess," his voice echoed.

I slowly opened my eyes to see a completely dark room. The only illumination came from a hole in the door. The room was wide and empty. I looked around and saw two hefty men standing by the side, their eyes piercing into my soul, and one man standing in front of me.

He leaned closer and whispered to me, "We're going to give you a phone. Call Daddy and tell him to come save you," one of them instructed.

I was still trying to make sense of the situation. *Have I been kidnapped? Who are these men? What will I tell my parents? What about Joel? Could he be looking for me? What time is it?* All these questions flooded my thoughts as a phone was handed to me.

I looked at the screen and recognized my father's number.

*Ring, ring, ring.* The phone rang.

"Hello?" My dad's voice echoed through the phone.

"Hello," he repeated.

"Speak up, young girl!" the man in front of me barked.

"Hello, Daddy, it's me, Maria," I spoke softly.

"Maria, where are you? I just got home, and your nanny reported that you snuck out of the house without her permission. Your siblings said you attended a picnic and told them to cover for you. Why would you do such a thing? Where are you? I want to send the driver to come pick you up," my dad said, worried and angry at the same time.

"Daddy, I don't know where I am," I cried out. "Some men are here with me in a room, and it's dark. Please help me," I pleaded, crying bitterly.

"Maria, I don't understand. What are you trying to say? Who are the men that you're with? What happened to you? Speak to me," my dad questioned as the cellphone was snatched from me.

"Listen to me, Mr. Taiwo!" The man angrily said. "Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is that we have your daughter, and if you're not ready to cooperate, you'll never see your daughter again. Don't try to reach out to the police."

He hung up.

He took out the SIM card from the phone, crushed it with a stone, and tossed it aside.

I summoned the courage to speak. "Please, Sir, I'm really sorry. I'm so scared. I don't know what I did to be here. Please let me go," I cried.

He completely ignored me and walked out of the room with his men. He was the ringleader, I supposed. I kept crying and praying to God to save me from their hands, but help wasn't coming. I could only tell that it was getting darker when the light coming in from the small hole in the door started to dim.

My hands and legs were tightly secured with ropes. Sitting up was the only position I could maintain. I had dozed off again when I heard some noise coming from the door. I jerked up from my slumber and quietly waited to see who was trying to come in.

It was one of the men, still wearing his mask. He securely locked the door and approached me with a plate of food. He placed it on the floor and asked me to eat.

I showed him my hands, gesturing that they were tied. He proceeded to loosen the ropes, gave me the spoon and food, then walked out of the room, locking the door behind him.

As soon as I was sure he was gone, I began trying to loosen the ropes on my legs. It took me a while, but I was successful. I took the ceramic plate and broke it, preparing to use the sharp edges as a weapon. I slightly wrapped the rope around my legs so that I could easily pull it off when I was ready to escape.

After what seemed like forever, I heard the door creak again. I readied myself for whoever was coming. The same man walked in to pick up the plate and tie my hands, but as soon as he got closer, I stabbed him in the chest with the ceramic shard and stood up to run.

To my greatest surprise, he grabbed me by my legs and pulled me back. I struggled and fought back, but he overpowered me. He proceeded to hit me repeatedly—kicking me in my stomach, chest, and back. He smashed my head against the wall, and I blacked out.

The next morning, I was woken up by another splash of cold water on my body, followed by a flash of flashlights in my face. This time, I was only tied with a rope, my mouth stuffed and taped shut.

"Who did this to her?" the leader questioned. I assumed it was the ringleader because the voice sounded similar to the one who spoke to my dad yesterday.

"It's me, Shadow. I did that to her. She stabbed me with a ceramic, loosened her rope, and tried to escape. So I taught her a lesson."

The ringleader walked up to me, bent down as if trying to sit on the floor.

"You are a beautiful girl. I enjoy girls like you. Don't try to play smart with us, or you'll ruin your face. Meanwhile, we are trying to strike a deal with your father, but he's acting stubborn. So we will make a video of you. I want you to cry and tell your father to withdraw from the elections. That's the only way we'll let you go alive. Am I clear?" he asked.

I nodded affirmatively.

"Good! Come, make a video of her immediately," he instructed his men.

I sincerely broke down and begged for my father to come to my rescue. After the video, they told me there would be no breakfast for me because of the stunt I pulled the previous night. I cried even more. I didn't feel hungry or pressed. I just wanted to go home.

Two days had passed since I was kidnapped, and in those two days, I had been beaten and battered. My ankles and elbows were dislocated. I don't know how I'm still alive. My face was completely swollen and sore, with black eyes. I could barely see anymore. Yet, my father wouldn't budge or step down from the elections. My father was running against two opponents, and stepping down would make them have only two candidates. I cursed the day my father chose to venture into Nigerian politics. He should have just focused on his multiple businesses. But his greed for more wealth, connections, and fame landed us here.

I know my father to be a very adamant and stubborn man. Instead of stepping down to save me, he kept trying to use the police to look for me, but it wasn't working. I expected better from him. He loved himself more than anyone else.

The men who held me hostage kept mocking me, telling me my father didn't care about me.

One fateful evening, the ringleader visited me. He had never come to see me alone before. He walked up to me and sat beside me. He took off the tape from my mouth and started a conversation.

"What's your name and how old are you?" he asked.

"Maria," I stuttered, "and I'm going to be sixteen soon."

"Hmm, Maria, such a beautiful name. Your dad is a very stubborn man. I think it's high time we send a video to your mother. I'm not sure she has seen any of your videos. Your father is very selfish. He keeps trying to use the police to get us, instead of stepping down from his electoral race. But when your mother sees the video that I'm about to make, she will definitely make your father step down."

He proceeded to set up a camera, adjusted his mask, stuffed my mouth and tapped It back. Then he took of his pants and stared untying my legs.

I immediately started struggling and crying, praying and hoping he wouldn't have his way with me.

But he did, he forcefully had his way, pounding and trusting vigorously without mercy. I cried so hard. The pain was excruciating and I was bleeding. After he was done, he wiped me and tied my legs back then left with the video he had made.

I cried myself to sleep, rejecting the food that was brought later on and laying several curses on the rapist.

I woke up to Shadow rubbing my legs.

"Your dad has stepped down from the electoral race so you will be sent home tonight. I know my boss really enjoyed you so I'm here to have my own share of your cake before you leave". He said with a hushed tone.

Shadow rolled up his sleeves displaying a scorpion entwined with a snake tattoo. He loosened the rope on my legs and had his way with me again. I tried to fight back, I tightened my legs as much as I could but once again, he overpowered me. I was weak, defeated and too hurt to cry. I stayed motionless until he was done. He cleaned me up and tied my legs again.

"I hope you enjoyed it? You are a sweet girl". He commented before leaving the room.

"Will this ever end? Will they really let me go home? Will my life ever be the same?" Thoughts and thoughts kept clouding my head.

I lay on the floor, muttering curses, but this time, they were directed at my father.

A few hours had passed when Shadow walked in with one of their minions.

"It's time for you to go," he said. The ropes on my hands and legs were loosened, and my hands were cuffed instead. I was led out of the building and ushered into a small, old car. Shadow sat beside me while one of the minions drove.

"You were so sweet, baby girl. I wish I could have you again," he whispered into my ear.

I shot him a look of disgust.

We drove for a long time and eventually came to a stop. Shadow removed the cuffs from my hands, threw me out of the car, and drove off.

I gathered some strength and stood up. I crossed to the roadside and stood beside a sign, hoping to find help. After what seemed like forever, a vehicle that looked familiar stopped, and the doors opened. It was our family driver, Joel's father, and my dad. My dad flew out of the car and ran toward me. As soon as I saw him, I glimpsed a flicker of hope. I collapsed to the ground and wept bitterly.

He picked me up, with Joel's father's assistance, and helped me Into the car. The driver zoomed off.

Joel's father was so emotional; he cried and sang praises to God for saving me. My dad hugged me tightly and kept apologizing for letting his greed get the best of him.

But that was not the time for forgiveness. That was not the time for all of this. I just needed to get to a hospital.

"Dad, are we heading for a hospital?" I asked weakly.

"Yes, baby, we are heading to the hospital. Our family doctor is going to administer treatment on you. Don't worry, you'll be fine. I promise."

"I'm so sorry, my daughter," my dad responded.

I fell asleep as we drove to the hospital.

When we got to the hospital, my mother was already there, crying and waiting for me. I was taken out of the car, and she tried to hug me, but the nurses didn't give her a chance. They placed me on a stretcher and rushed me to the emergency unit, where my treatment began. While my blood samples were being taken for tests, my mom ordered warm meals for me. I would fall asleep and wake up intermittently between treatments, followed by constant tears.

Feeling so hurt and broken, I couldn't talk to my mom about my experience. She kept trying to get me to say something, but I wouldn't speak. I saw Joel's father and my dad step outside to discuss with the doctor, and after a while, a nurse came to patch up my wounds. Before I knew it, I was covered with Band-Aids. My mom also fed me a very light meal because I hadn't eaten properly in days. From my little observations, I noticed my mom wasn't really talking to my dad much. I guessed they had a huge fight because of me.

I eventually fell asleep, trying to let go of my long train of thoughts. After spending about a week in the hospital, I was finally discharged and placed in a wheelchair. I wasn't allowed to walk around for a while since my elbow and knees were weak. I was fed, bathed, and taken care of by my nanny and a nurse who stayed with us for a while. The house wasn't the same ever since I got back. My siblings had become calmer and more reserved, while my parents were less chatty, and everyone seemed relatively sad all the time. It felt like I was the reason for all of this. Maybe if I had listened to my parents and forgotten about the picnic, or if I hadn't snuck out at all, my family wouldn't be in this situation. Maybe it was all my fault after all, and I just couldn't forgive myself for everything I had experienced.

I blamed myself for everything: for making my dad step down from the electoral race and for the sadness that was consuming my family. So, I completely shut myself out from the world. I wouldn't let my friends visit me or respond to their calls. Joel's family came around during the weekends, but I hardly joined them. Joel never got to see me. How could I let him see me? Instead, I locked myself in my room every day, wallowing in self-pity and reliving the experience I had over the past few weeks.

I couldn't get it out of my mind. The fact that my innocence was taken from me without my consent kept haunting me. I felt dirty and flawed and couldn't look at myself in the mirror. This continued for a while.

As time passed, I physically got better and could walk around on my own without needing the wheelchair. That was when my parents said I needed to resume school. They pleaded with me to get on with my life so I wouldn't miss out on so much, but I just couldn't bring myself to face the world. After much persuasion from my parents, I agreed to resume school the next week.

It was already the weekend, so I started getting myself mentally ready for school, but that was when the nightmares began. I was always running in my dreams and would eventually be grabbed and overpowered by a hefty man. He would tie me up and roll up his sleeves, displaying a scorpion entwined with a snake tattoo. I would cry out loud and wake up sweating profusely.

This changed my mind about resuming school the next week. My mother suggested I see a therapist before I went back to school.

My therapy sessions started, and I realized the number of times I had the nightmare that week decreased from every day to four or five times a week. She would send me words of assurance, telling me how beautiful I was, how I shouldn't blame myself for what I went through, and how it wasn't my fault. She taught me to direct my anger toward the people who hurt me and not toward myself. Her assistance could only do so much, as I found no joy in colors, food, music, or life in general. It continued for a while, and I slowly started drifting away from reality.

One afternoon, my friends barged into my room. I was startled because I hadn't let anyone visit me. They all came in and hugged me tightly, one after the other.

"You didn't want to see us, but your mom invited us," Rachelle announced.

"It's been months, Maria. It's been months. You have to speak to us. We are really sorry for everything that you went through," Bella said sympathetically.

I kept staring at them but couldn't speak. How could I tell them that I wasn't just kidnapped and beaten, my bones were broken and was raped, not once but twice by two hefty men. I'm going to be 16 in a few months but my year has already been ruined.How do I tell them that I've been in constant pain and having nightmares?

As if Rachelle could read my thoughts, she came closer and hugged me. "We love you and care about you, Maria. We want to see you in school next week. Please resume school so that you can catch up with us. It's almost three months since all of this happened."

"Exams are also fast approaching. I don't want you to miss out on anything. Coming to school will also help take your mind off things," she further advised.

"If you must know, Joel has been so devastated and heartbroken. He really needs to see you and know that you're getting better," Prisca said.

"Thank you, girls, for coming around. I will resume school soon," I responded.

"Okay. We'll take our leave now. Take care of yourself," Rachelle added.

They all left, and I laid back in bed, letting my constant thoughts fill my mind again.