Alazne

I huddled in the corner between the stall and the wall. The two culprits were circling Josh. Annoyance flashed inside me when I noticed Josh’s smug face, his whole face glowed. Naïve to the situation.

          “How the mighty has fallen,” the man with the eye patch said, his gun brushed the hair out of Josh’s eyes. “Not to big now are you, kid? What no tricks up your sleeve?”

          “You two must be really intimidated by me.” Josh smirked dumbly.

          “Is that really what you think, kid? “

          “Must be since I’m not dead yet.” Josh chuckled. “So how much are you asking ‘em? A buck? A hundred? Thousand? Just hurry up and ring the damn phone.”  My jaws flexed, Josh was a real idiot. Can he not tell our lives were endangered? Of course he didn’t. To him everything was a joke.  I angrily played with a loose strand of thread on my jeans. Whatever. He’s on his own.

          “Nah. We have a better idea for you, Grey,” the big nosed man said. “You see, Grey. Your damn family did a lot of crap to us.”

          “Tell me something I don’t know,” Josh muttered.

          “You’d like that wouldn’t you, Grey?” He nudged his partner with his elbow. “Grab the kids and go. The more time we spend here, the bigger chance that you’d screw something up.”

          “You got it, boss,” the eye patch guy spun on his heels and in one swift position he grabbed my arm and tossed my onto his shoulders. My stomach collided with his bony shoulder, and a yelp escaped my lips. The man is really wry, I grimaced, as I felt his arms tighten around my waist. I began to punch his back, hoping it would do some damage.

          “Let go of me,” I screamed repeatedly. “Let go.”

          My world shifted when something pinched my skin.  My arms ached and little by little they became numb. I muttered something unintelligible as my vision swarmed in with black fuzzes. Please…no….they had drugged me.

When I awaken, the ground sped from under me. Blinking a couple times to get the daze feeling away, I curled my fingers. Metal tickled my hand and sent shivers throughout me.

The shapes of boxes had become more visible to me, shifting upwards; I pulled myself in a sitting position. The rope around my wrist was really loose, I bet if I wanted to, I would have torn my hands away. However, timing mattered in this situation.

My parents were law enforcers and had lectured me in survival methods. If it wasn’t for my father, I wouldn’t have learned karate or be able to lift a weights and run survive the 12-minute run in gym.

“Josh?” My voice was quiet, so I wouldn’t alarm the drivers.

Someone grunted as if it was an answer.

“You okay?”

“I don’t know. I’m hung-over and two old men kidnapped us. Is that normal?”

I rolled my eyes; Josh was really getting on my nerves. Couldn’t he be serious? I mean, we might die.  “You tell me, Josh, is this normal?” My brows arched downward, I could make out his body figure in the darkness. The ground bumped me upward, and a box fell in front of me.

“Not anymore.” A shudder escaped from his lips, and he sucked his breath.

“Josh? Are you okay?” I asked, startled when the vague shape of his shoulders tremble. “Josh?” My heart pounded in my chest, thinking of the worst. Is he sick? Is it alcohol poisoning—is he leaving me here with the creepy perverts?

Sobs were his answer. His leg kicked the steel walls of the truck. I couldn’t see his face, though the way the walls echoed, I knew he was frustrated. Cursing he said. “Why do these goddamn things always happen to me?”

I couldn’t figure out a proper answer for him, nor could I understand his question. This had happened to him before; maybe even multiple times…I squeezed my eyes shut. Opening them, I lifted myself up on my knees and waddled my way through his direction. Since the men weren’t reacting to his kick, I figured they wouldn’t notice my sly movements.

I grimaced when my knee banged on a hard bump. “Josh?” I hissed under my breath to stop my trail of curses.

“Y-yeah?” his voice was wry. A sign of vulnerability I never thought I would hear from him.

I followed his voice like a bat navigating in darkness. Landing on what seemed like his right side, I titled my head on his shoulder since my hands were bounded. It was awkward smelling his lemony scent; in fact I wasn’t this close to him since the closet or the hug…except this wasn’t how I imagined our next meeting would be. Heat scorched my face as I managed to say. “It’ll be okay.”

“Easy for you to say.” His chin shook, trying to form a sentence. “You don’t have to deal with this your whole life. Every single freakin’ time I turn my back or relax something always happens. All because some person is pissed off at my family, and I’m the easiest target.”

I inhaled, unsure what to say. I decided it was best to let him rant it out. Venting always solves stress.

“You know what makes it even worse? Having people telling you how to live—it’s not like I’m going to live long anyway.” 

“You have a future, Josh. If you were meant to die, you would have the first time you were kidnapped.”

“I was lucky then, before the cops rammed through the door before anything happened and before—oh god, I’m sorry, Alana. I shouldn’t have dragged you into this. I’m such an idiot, if I wasn’t drunk—”

“It wouldn’t have made much difference. You’d still be kidnapped,” I protested. Did he just reveal what was going through his mind his whole life to me? Guess he really is scared that he’d trust me—of course if we did make it out alive. Who would I tell? The wall? I am a wallflower; no one cares what I say or who I am.

“But you wouldn’t be here.”

“Well it’s too late now.” I shrugged my shoulders, in attempt to act like I didn’t care, of course the inside of me was screaming to blame him—to blame someone.

“It’s my fault too. I should have stopped the game. I shouldn’t have let you go through with it.” Even if it made me the most hated person at our school, the thought was shut in my mind, thankfully.

“Don’t say that, Alana. You’re the most innocent person I know.”

“Even if I kissed a frog?” I smirked, in hope to get rid of the unwanted tension. It was the first thing I could think of.

“That just made you cooler, Alana.” He chuckled. his warm breath drew on my ear. I paused for a second, enjoying the feel and forgetting the situation.

The truck shifted in halt, and josh and I plummeted on one another. With our arm bounded behind our back, there was no way to support our fall. I yelped in pain.
          “Ryan, their awake.” A man hollered, with his tone I suspected he was the big nosed one.

“Damn those kids don’t know what the hell is good for them. Grab them.”

“Won’t they fight?”

“Then use your firkin’ Taser. Do I have to think of everything, Brock?”

“W-well, no. I just wanted your opinion.” Brock slid open the truck door, his hand drew out a small shape from his pocket, a Taser no less.

“Quit asking for my opinion and hurry up.” The man bellowed from behind, then he shoved Brock to the side and climbed on the truck’s back. The ground shifted under his weight. Cracking his knuckles a snicker crossed his lips.  “What are we going to do with you?”

“Feed us to the sharks?” Josh retorted, sharply. I flicked my glare his way, surprised by how he recovered from his vulnerability so quickly.

“Still a witty child, I see.” The man’s footsteps hardened on the ground, daring closer. “You still don’t know your place, kid, this is our territory.”

“A back of a truck? Nice way of building a territory. You know I would applaud you however, my hands are constrained.”

“That’s not all that is going to happen with you if you don’t shut up,” Ryan growled, shoving his way towards us. He kicked a few boxes over and grabbed my shoulder, jerking me forward. I my chin collided to the hard ground, my teeth rang in pain. “You think you’re funny kid? Let’s see how funny it is when your girlfriend turns up dead.”

Ignoring the pain, I rolled to the side of the truck and leant on it. “Leave her out of this.” Josh stood up, awkwardly balancing since his hands were tied.  My bent backward, something sharp scratched my, stopping the yelp an idea crossed my mind. Did I still have my cellphone with me?

Joshua

It was my seventh time being hostage, I know, it is utterly ridiculous, who knew being a doctor or a lawyer endangered a whole family. I snorted; it was one less thing my siblings didn’t know.

          The first time I was kidnapped was when I was five, some people were pissed off at my ‘rents, and now some idiots were made at my whole family. I truly could care what happens to be exactly, I knew my death was going to come earlier than others and lived my life the way I wanted to. Every day was a privileged, another chance to do what I like most: have fun.

          Now—now, I am brining someone down with me. I am such a moron. I shouldn’t have let Alana join us. I shouldn’t have drunk so much. I groaned inwardly as one man, I believe his name was Ryan grip the collar of my shirt. “You have moxie, kid. Let me give a generous advice.” The man’s spit fell on my face. “Moxie is a killer.”

          “And so is your breath,” I spat, aiming my kicks at his shin. My shoulder struck the wall, and his fist approached my face.

          “Try that again, kid, I dare you.”

          “Don’t murder the grey kid,” his partner bellowed from the back. My eyes were too focused the Ryan’s that the world seemed to stop until I heard Alana’s voice.

          “This is your entire fault,” she exclaimed. I couldn’t see her however, I imagined her furious face. “Please, please, I beg you. Don’t hurt me.”

          Ryan snorted, his garlic breathe drifted up my nostril. “Maybe the girl isn’t his girlfriend.” His head twisted at Alana who was bent forward, her arms unbound near his stomach. She was curled up on her ground, her face hidden by her thick locks of brown hair. Sobs shuddered along with her shoulders.

          Brock skid past us, and went over to her. He knelt down and patted her head. The pervert. I struggled to get out of Ryan’s grasp and run to defend Alana. “Don’t you dare go near her.”

          “After she blames you, you still want to help her, Grey. Stop your stupid act already; we all know you’re a fake. “All? It was just those two and me a fake?  “You rotten good for nothing Grey.” He said my name as if it was the worst thing a person could be called, letting the syllable hang in the air.

          “At least I am not the one stealing a couple of teens—” My sentence was cut of mid-way, when I heard the man with Alana curse. A large thud soon followed after that.

          Ryan dropped me on the ground and tightened his hold on the Taser. “You can’t even handle one girl, Brock,” he said between gritted teeth. His eyes fixated on the direction Alana was. I spun my head, seeing Alana standing over the man, a Taser in her hands.

          “Stay back,” she warned, drawing the Taser in front of her.

Ryan threw back his head, and waved his Taser in the air, mocking her. “You forgot, girlie, I am twice as stronger than you.”

          She smirked her eyes landing on me. She was trying to tell me something, by the way her eyes shifted from me to the man. Her feet kicked a box towards the man, the contents spilled out. Then shoving the Taser in her pocket, she began to throw a few boxes with the awesome arm of hers at the man.

          “Who. The. Heck. Do. You. think. You. are?” She spelt out. Noticing her flow, I swiftly did a roundhouse kick on the floor and knocked Ryan to the ground. His Taser spun on the floor and out the truck door.

          Alana took this to her advantage and skipped over the man while he struggled to pick himself up. Her arm wrapped around my bounded ones and drew me up as she supported us both out the door.

          My balance awkwardly regained itself when my feet touched solid earth. Alana tugged on my arm, bringing me back to the situation.  “Don’t let them catch up,” she told me.

          She navigated both of us, I didn’t know where we were heading or what was going to happen, all I knew was anywhere was better than being trapped. She led us into an open area filled with drunkards and girls’ wearing clothes that showed off the assets.  Everyone was too occupied to notice a couple of lost teens like us.

          She quickly looked back, and dragged me into an alley way. Where were we?  “That was so awesome.” I laughed, hugging her.

          “We nearly got killed,” she protested. Her hands firmly went to my chest and pushed some distance between us. “Are you crazy?”

          “No. I am Joshua Grey.” The tips of my lips twirked upward at her question, pulling away, I looked her in the eye. “Thank you, Alana. I owe,” I spoke slowly, hoping it’d would somehow show Alana how thankful I was. “You have skills.”

          The side of cheeks flamed a bit red, same way Sara’s cheeks would. “I-it was nothing,” she murmured, quietly. 

          “Nothing?” I scoffed. “Have you not seen yourself in there? Quit being so modest.”

          “I wouldn’t have to if you weren’t such an idiot.” She clutched her hand and pounded it, almost lightly on my arm. “Do you not understand the concept of safety protocols? Or did skip the air-head head of yours, along with your common sense?” I grimaced at her words, she was seriously upset. Almost made me want to get back in the truck with the men—almost.  “Just because you live for the thrill doesn’t mean I like it. In fact, I preferred to sit down on my living room couch and watch the Valentine episode of Gossip Girl. Not save both our butts, and thanks to this stupid mistake I made, I won’t even get my community service.” Tears brimmed in her eyes behind her glasses, she pushed them up and a red nose followed. She choked on her words. “This is ridiculous. Why did I even play the stupid game?”

          “Relax. I’ll solve this. I promise that I’ll give you your community hours.” Alana shrugged off my arm, wiping the tears of her eyes she said:

          “I don’t want them.”

          “Then what do you want?” I asked surprised by her mood swing.

          “Nothing,” her voice broke saying the word. “T-the c-co-ps are on…” she trailed off, her shoulders shuddering. She swallowed before rephrasing the statement. “The cops are on their way.” Noticing, I was speechless, she continued. “I called them while we were in the truck. Remember the moment when I was curling myself on the ground.”

          “Seriously?” I raised my brows. “You are an utter genius.”

          She glared at me, and then looked away. “My phone is on so they are bound to track us down so quit flattering me.”

          “I can’t help it, when I am staring at seer awesomeness.” Alana flustered again, pushing her brown hair behind her ears.

          “Can’t we just let this drop?” She snapped her head in my direction. “I think you said enough this whole ride—were you purposely trying to get us killed with your rash remarks?”

          “Us—no. Me—maybe,” I said, absent-mindedly.

          She exhaled at me. “Whatever. Let’s just wait for the cops. You’re hopeless you know that?”

          “I know.” I thinned my lips, and then glanced down at my shoes.

          “Thanks to you I can’t think straight right now. I literally don’t know how to respond to you.” Damn, she was vicious.

          I stayed quiet. Then she stopped talking and we both just stood there. I was really pathetic this whole day through, I bet Alana hated me more than ever.  “I’m sorry.”

          “Hello, we have managed to track your location. I request you stay where you are.” A muffled sound said from Alana’s pant pocket. Alana lifted up her phone and shut it. Her dark eyes stayed on me the whole time.

           “Alana, please don’t freakin’ give me the silence treatment, I can’t handle it sceptically in a moment like this.”

          “I know that. You’re Joshua Grey; you thrive for the attention and the risk, no matter how idiotic it is.” Her voice hurt me deep. Her tone was sharp, and slow, letting each word do its effect on me. I deserved that. I scarred Alana, and jeopardized both our lives. A part of Alana will never be the same; I knew this for a fact since I was kidnapped when I was five, those memories never left me. They just disguised themselves inside me.

          “Alana, I apologized. What more do you want?”

          She paused for a second, making me anxious. “Grow up, is that an option?”

          I couldn’t’ answer her. Those words seemed foreign to me, grow up? I couldn’t understand what she meant, I have grown.  I am seventeen years old.