Chapter 1: Kidnapped

His phone rang again. By the third ring, the answering machine answered the call for him. 'Hey you've reached Lenny. I'm not in so leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.' said the automated recording before the beep sounded off. This had to be the third time this week now.

"Lenny, it's your mother. Listen, I'm sorry about the other day...you know I didn't mean any of what I said. Please call me, okay?" As soon as the click echoed through the machine, Lenny opened his eyes and lifted his head up off the desk. After everything that had happened the past few months, he hadn't really talked to very many people at all. His face was pale and his eyes lacked luster of any kind. It was as if he was as empty as his heart felt. Ignoring the call, he rose up from his chair and headed towards the front door.

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"Listen we're all sorry about what you've been through recently; but if you can't get to work on time, we can't use you here." Lenny continued to hear his manager's words even an hour afterward. He needed this job but at the same time, he knew the time was probably coming when he would be fired. Standing at the cash register, he blankly went through his routine with the customers of the restaurant. A fake smile, a quick but uninterested 'how is your day going?', an unseen roll of the eyes every time they walked away. It was near dead now, nobody really being in the restaurant. He always hated days like this because there was nothing to do, nothing to distract him from his thoughts. Looking over, he noticed the trash bin was reaching its full limit. He took a step towards the bin but suddenly sensed someone standing in front of him.

The older man looked at Lenny with a glare that seemed somewhat eerie. His eyes seemed as blank as Lenny's, but somehow so full of something. What that something was, Lenny didn't know; but he realized that he was beginning to feel uncomfortable. "What can I do for you sir?" he asked calmly.

"Surely you can think of a more proper greeting than that. Aren't you supposed to ask me how I'm doing? Make me feel like I'm welcome?" replied the older man. Lenny blinked slightly, somewhat shocked.

"How are you doing sir? Is there anything I can get for you?"

"I'm doing fine today. How about yourself?" the older man asked.

"I'm good thank you. What can I get for you?" The man smiled slightly at Lenny's response.

"You know, there was a time when you were the warmest employee here. What exactly is it that has withered your soul so deeply?" Lenny frowned at this question, becoming offended.

"That would be my business sir. Now if there's nothing I can do for you, I'd appreciate if you stepped away from my register."

"Very well then. But don't worry. You'll soon be able to feel alive again. Have a good evening." said the man as he walked away. Lenny stood perplexed as to what he was talking about. The knowing glare he had received made him feel nervous and uneasy. Brushing the conversation off, he turned back to the garbage and lifted the heavy bag out from it.

"I'll be back in a minute." he said to his manager as he headed past her office towards the back door. The warmth from inside was replaced with a frigid breeze once the door was open. Shuddering, Lenny walked out towards the dumpster and lifted the lid. Before he could toss in the trash, he heard the door slam shut. 'Damn it.' he thought once he realized he was now locked outside. With a sigh he tossed in the trash and took a step back towards the door. Suddenly, he caught a frightening image in the corner of his eye. A cloaked figure wearing what looked to be a pig's face jumped around from behind the dumpster and attacked him.

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Lenny's eyes creaked open slowly. It was as if his eyes were still shut; darkness was all he saw. His head felt surprisingly heavy and his chest tight. 'Where am I?' he thought. The last recorded thoughts of his played back through his mind. Fear began to set in as his head pounded unrelentingly. His eyes squinted shut again once a harsh bright light flashed on beneath him. After several moments, he realized that the light was shining up at him from his feet. More lights began to come to life and that's when he came to a shocking revelation. The light was actually above him. He was hanging upside down in what looked like a glass tank. He screamed and tried to move his arms, but they wouldn't even budge. He was wearing a straitjacket.

"Help!!! Somebody!!!!"

A sound buzzed above him, a voice beginning to speak.

"Hello Lenny. I want to play a game. Over the past few months, you have slowly slipped into a dull state of nothingness. You live by routine and let people push you around. Tonight, we will find out if you have what it takes to regain control and survive. The cuffs around your ankles are resting on a hook above you. In order to release yourself from this tank, you will need to remove the restraints from the hook; as your own body weight is holding you down."

"By now, you have noticed that your arms are also restrained so you will have to use something else to free yourself. By the time this tape is finished, a liquid you are familiar with will begin to fill this tank. You will have to act quickly to escape, otherwise you will drown. Do you appreciate your life? Live or die, Lenny. Make your choice."

As soon as the tape ended, Lenny heard a clicking sound. Something began pouring in at the bottom of the tank, creating an odd smell that rose up through it and reached Lenny's nostrils. Looking down, he realized that it was blood.

"Oh GOD!! Somebody get me the fuck outta here!!" Nobody answered. He struggled to release himself from the straitjacket, but it was no use. Yelling, he tried to get the cuffs around his ankles to fall off the hook. He noticed that the hook had four other chains, one attached to each wall of the glass tank. Maybe if he removed his body weight from the hook, it would raise up and yank the other chains out from the walls, breaking the tank and freeing him. The blood continued to rise up closer and closer to his head...

"HELP!!!"