Temporarily immobilized, her back on the cold steel, she wondered why the footfalls of her captors couldn't be heard despite the audible silence. Could she have lost them? With each deep gulp of air she took, her body slowly calmed. She twisted to the right and peered at the dim ray of light at the far end of the tunnel. Relief from knowing there was a way out flooded her with renewed energy to trod on.

The journey to that light was easier than she thought. With just three more steps, she would break into her freedom. But that was not the case. The last step that was to bring her out of bondage, led her straight into it. Hilda bumped into the open arms of two huge men. Both wore tight fitting black jeans with suits that traced every part of their biceps. She wondered how they could run easily in those tight fitting clothes. Their big brown boots had enough capacity to smash a head unconscious. How all these little tidbits registered in her mind kept her temporarily in awe until she felt biting pains around her arms. No!!! They were taking her away! All hope of an escape, dashed!

"Please, I'm begging you..... I'll do anything. Just let me go."

Silence.

"I'm extremely rich! I can pay you double if you can just take me home."

Silence. Only the sound of foot steps headed towards the black SUV clacked on the tarred road which was visibly empty. 3am at No. 95 Pearl Street was no time to be outdoors.

"Okay...okay.... I'll make it thriple. How about that?" Her voice was laced with tears.

Silence.

Her vision blurred for the rest of the journey back to the dungeon called a house. Letting go of her last ray of hope, she let her emotions break loose.

Depression's dwarf form sat comfortably on her laps, whispering words of woe and condemnation. Its snake-like tongue slipped out in rapid successions as it spoke...

"This is the end of the road. There's literally nothing more you can do. Or is there?"

The creature let that sink in and took delight in watching her crumble deeper in tears and tremble.

Hilda's voice came in cracked amidst tears, "No, there's nothing." One of the guys that sat to her side glanced at her, hoping that she had not gone nuts. Who talks aloud to one's self these days? He shrugged and turned ahead when Hilda didn't as much as pay him any attention.

"Thorne will not spare you as soon as he gets his hands on you! You'll be dead meat by tomorrow..." Depression continued.

It lifted its crooked talons to a gross mouth to stifle a laugh.

"You are doomed! You've always been a failure and you know that."

By the end of the thirty minutes journey back, she had come to terms with the fact that this was the end of her life.

_________________________________________________________
Can you predict what awaits Hilda in the hand of her Captors?

To be continued…..
Written by: Asher Esther Orohuchari