In their hands.

She sat in the dark, upon a simple wooden chair. A lampshade swung over her head, shifting the beam of light dauntingly. The window sat open wide, the wind gushing through, whipping the long locks of auburn around her face. The air smelt strange, a mixture of rotten eggs and banana, or that’s how she pictured it would be. More hoped it would be really. Why she was sitting there, she knew fully well. It was her fault, it was her actions that lead to her being there. How she wished she could take it all back. How could she have known it would end like this, for surely it would end now? She could hear them coming back. A violent shudder rocked through her body as another large rat ran past her, brushing again her bare ankles. Cigarette smoke, alcohol, snide remarks, yes they had returned. Returned to tease her, to taunt her, make her feel even worse than she was now. How she hated them, but what could she do? She twisted her arms behind her back, the harsh rope of her bondages cutting further into the flesh of her arms. Her shoulders were aching, the positioning of her arms pulled behind, over the back of the chair, her hands beside the small of her back, it was killing her. Tears stood in her eyes, if she hadn’t struggled so much it wouldn’t hurt like this, but if she hadn’t struggled, then she might not have ever had a chance.

She was slumped forward, all her weight resting on her tied hands. She knew it wasn’t the best to help her sore shoulders, but she had little strength enough to sit up at all. Her head hung low, her elbow length tresses falling before her face, creating a veil of safety from the harsh view of her surroundings. All she could see was her hair, the waves and curls that she had prized once upon a time. Now it was a safety net of red-brown. Crystal tears stood quavering before emerald green eyes, sorrowful sobs muffled passed her lips. She was thirsty, parched, her lips cracked and dry. But she couldn’t even lick them, the gag of ragged cloth was lodged firmly between her teeth and tied in an impossible knot at the back of her head. How could she help herself in this predicament? She couldn’t even lift herself to look up or sit back in the chair. Footsteps came closer, and she could see the dirty steel capped toes of her captor’s feet. A sudden tug on the gag’s knot made her head lift, her hair brushed hurriedly away by rough and filthy hands. She tried to scream, but the gag muffled the noise to a pitiful whine.

She looked with disgust upon the man’s face. He was greying, hair line receding. He had stubble on his face, and bags under his grey eyes. Late thirties to mid forties she presumed he could be. He grinned maliciously, revealing the yellowing teeth. One was missing from his top front, replace by a silver one. His breath smelt of rum and whisky, cigarettes and garlic, the deadly combination making her cringe when he spoke. “Shurrup ya’ miserable wench.” He slurred, yanking fiercely on her hair, bringing more tears to her eyes. “Just one more phone call and the money will be on the way boyos!” He called loudly to a group of men she couldn’t see. He let her go and walked away, joining the group of men with horrid laughter and mockery. How had this happened to her? She knew, it ran forever through her mind.

“I hate you! You are so unfair, I hate you so much. Argh!” She had yelled, screamed at her mother who was desperately trying to see reason with her. “You’re too young! I won’t let you go with out an adult there. Don’t lie to me, I know there is alcohol!” Her mother had yelled back at her in frustration, waving a finger at her. “But Muuuuuuuum!” She had whined in her fit of anger. “It’s just a party.” She had pleaded, listing all the reason why she should go. “I will be a social outcast if I don’t go!” She cried, tears now in her eyes at the ‘unfairness’ of her parents reason. “Daaaaaaaaaad!” She now whined, turning to her father. He raised both hands, appearing to surrender, his sign that he was staying out of it. “Kate, your only sixteen. I am doing this for your sake not mine. I would love some peace and quiet in this house for once but I am telling you, you can’t go and that’s final!” Her mother would not hear another word. Kate ran off, slamming as best she could, her bedroom door and collapsing upon her bed in a sobbing mess. “So unfair, I hate them, both of them.” She murmured into her pillow amongst her sobs and soft shrieks of anger.

Suddenly her crying and self-pity stopped and she sat up, quickly wiping the tears from her eyes. She went to her wardrobe, and quickly pulled out her best party clothes. Mid thigh length black skirt, and a red halter-neck top that showed her mid-drift and sparkling belly ring. She pulled on her knee length boots, prized favorite, and looked at herself in the mirror. Sexy. She smiled and let her hair go loose, the lush colour perfect against the redness of her top. “Watch out boys, Kate is coming.” She laughed and quickly put on her make-up. Wrenching her window open she stepped out, lowering herself down and dropping with a soft thump to the ground. With a feverish giggle she had run off, “Party here I come.”

Why hadn’t she just stayed home? Why hadn’t she understood why her mother wanted her to stay safe at that ungodly hour? She was running, skipping down the side path. She looked ahead, two street lamps had blown, creating a large patch of darkness. She should have crossed the road into the light, but she just went straight through. One mistake, which would lead to such a horrid thing. A hand came from behind her, clasping over her mouth, the other around her waist. She let out the loudest shriek she could muster, but none were around to hear it. She was dragged, back and back, further into an alleyway, and then all went black. She knew when she awoke again that she had been hit hard, her head throbbed immensely. She looked around. A black room, with only a table in the far right, and the chair she sat on. Nothing to see where she was. ‘Get up and run,’ She thought to herself and tried to stand. The sharp pain of a pulled muscle cut her movement short as it dawned on her, she was bound, a victim, a captive, hopefully not a play thing. She began to sob, until the dark figure of her captor first showed up. He grabbed by her chin, twisting her head this way and that to look at her. “You're a pretty little thing.” She had struggled, trying to kick, trying to get free, trying to escape. But it hadn’t worked.

And now she still sat in that very room. She had been there three days, no food, little water, and everyday the same harsh words, the same vicious taunting. If only she had listened to her parents. They said they knew better and they were right, how could she have been so stupid? She began to struggle again, forcing herself to twist and turn, to sit up in her weakened state. She cursed, uttering a range of vulgar words no lady should use. She could keep it up no longer, and fell forward, arms suspending her, utterly exhausted. How much longer could she live? She had no idea, but it wouldn’t be for long. The men had returned. Her bonds were cut, and the man before her made her stand, before another retied her arms behind her back. She barely had enough time to open her eyes to look at them.

She was dragged roughly by the shoulder, pushed and pulled this way and that, till another strip of cloth was placed over her eyes, blinding her from the outside world. They moved on. As far as she could tell they had walked right, then right again, before turning left, left and left again. Someone shoved her roughly to the right. ‘A new direction,’ She thought, but she was shoved again. They were spinning her in circles, she was loosing all track of direction. She felt ill, the stench of the place was getting to her, as were the sudden jerky movements. A door creaked beside her and she was forced through it. Fresh air. She took as big of a breath as she could. Sweet, fresh air. “Thank god,” She muttered, though the gag made it sound more like, “fmmm mmn.”

A man laughed behind her and she was towed off again. “Stop,” The leader had told them. “This is where we wait. They come with the money, they give it to us, and we give them the girl.” Kate shuddered, how cruel could these people get? Oh they could get worse. A click sounded beside her right ear and cold metal was put to her temple. “And if they don’t show with the money, we blow her brains all ova the side walk.” Kate screamed, trashing, trying to run. They would kill her, oh god help her she was going to die. She cried, the fabric over her eyes growing wetter and wetter. “Shut your trap.” The one pressing the gun to her temple ordered. She obeyed, turning into hiccuping sobs as she tried to quiet herself.

A car rolled up and she could hear her mother desperate cry of: “Kate! My poor baby!” She tried to look brave for her mother, taking deep slow breathes, trying her best not to panic. “Where’s the money?” A man beside her growled and his footsteps died into the sound of the car. She heard a briefcase open and snap shut with a click. “It’s here boys. Move…” The man's words were cut short as an echoing voice of authority shouted. “Freeze, you are under arrest. Let the girl go.” Kate was sweating. ‘Don’t provoke them!’ She wanted to yell if she could. “Cops!” A man from behind her yelled. “Kill ‘er!” Kate broke into sobs again and the resounding crack of gunfire echoed through the air. Kate’s mother screamed. “No! My baby! Kaaaate!” Her mother was crying hysterically. The girl sunk to her knees, a final rattling breath drawing in, before the loud thump of a body hit the pavement.

Kate took another breath in, turning her head frantically to see what had happened. More gunshots rang out and more thumps of dead weight to floor. The men were dead, the men were gone, and she was free. The blindfold was taken from her eyes and the gag. She laughed, looking around her. “I’m alive!” She gasped, looking into the eyes of her captor, who lay still beside her. Her mother rushed to her side, embracing her, covering both cheeks with kisses, endless mutterings of “My baby.” Kate’s bonds were taken away and she returned the hug to her mother and father. “I’m alive, I’m safe in the arms of my family.” She sighed happily and looked at them. “Kate?” Her mother asked as Kate’s eyes became unseeing. Her green irises disappeared back into her head as her eyes closed. The girl fell into the arms on her parents. So much suffering had killed her strength, so now she lay, unconscious, in the protective arms of her parents.