Trepidation Chapter 1, a hostel fanfic

Finishing its cycle, the sun began to set, growing large on the horizon as another day ended

Disclaimer: Here we go again…

I don't own Hostel! But the characters in here are mine. I haven't seen either movie but awhile ago I was watching 1 scene where some guy had his ankles cut. Naturally, based on my experience it was laughable when compared to all the friend induced paranoia that it was the most "horrifying" torture movie ever made. And then came the challenge that "I couldn't write a torture sequence if I tried." Well here is my answer. And yes, this story has ties to Hostel, or else it wouldn't be here. One of the characters is an ex organization member. Although I haven't seen the movies I am fully aware of how the basic theme and concept work. (To save you the trouble the torture doesn't begin until next chapter so if you're here for that alone, come back later lol. But I can imagine that even the movie wasn't a solid 2 hours or so of pure blood and gore. Don't read if you don't like, I won't kill you.)

Finishing its cycle, the sun began to set, growing large on the horizon as another day ended. It would soon be dark and yet people still moved at all hours of the clock; without regard. It never ceased and the world was full of the same driving, walking, talking, and well….nothing. Just another loop in the cycle; or "Predictable" as any normal US citizen would say…

Unless of course you weren't them…

Sitting in a cooled position at an old wooden desk Ashta quietly meditated as she worked. Focused entirely on the task before her she almost seemed to be in a trance as she sharpened her specialized dagger on the smooth granite stone. Surrounded by darkness, the rhythmic scrape of metal on rock seemed to fit well with the flickering candlelight and the crackling fireplace. Hewn from stone the entire room might have been comparable to the 14th century. However right now none of that mattered, her waiting was at its end and in the distance she could hear the faint rattle of chains and the clumsy footsteps of her worthless subordinates.

Kyle was his name?

As if being able to see though stone her eyes played the wall. Well yes, she did know his name; but at this point she had scarcely cared so much that the question almost seemed genuine.

Ending the all too fluent motion of her blade sharpening, Ashta looked up at the nearest candle, letting her eyes burn as her mind drifted.

1 day ago…

Kyle was 22, approximately 6'3 and had a thin build. And while most people were quick to call him weak he had a decisive mind and could do much when it came to cardio and endurance. Having brown highlighted hair, it arced down to eye level from a centre part as complex hairstyles never really cleaved on him.

More often alone then not, to most girls he was only slightly above average for good looks and would always wear a serious expression when not engaged with family or friends. Mostly anti-social and callous to the world around him, his blue eyes were somewhat sharp and he possessed a light tan on his Caucasian skin.

Kyle left the mall, having finished his errands for today. Rather annoyed and slightly confused he was in a tense mood as he revved the engine of his black Toyota supra. Shifting into first gear he screamed out of the lot, stopping briefly by the merger before flooring it again. Damn! Between the money problems and Ashta, today was not turning out to be a very good one. As if the surprise attack of multiple bills hadn't been enough the sexy girl he had met online was seriously pissed at him. Feeling his anger rise Kyle sped into the next intersection without regard to the red light. Then, shifting down without breaking, let the 1990 supra slide into a smoking turn before accelerating though to the next straightaway. Failing to notice that behind him his attention was not forgotten and a black SUV turned, keeping its distance.

More in his mind then his car, Kyle thought. He really did like her, Ashta that was….well and he didn't. Meeting though text messages was a lot different then meeting in real life, and needless to say so was she.

Breaking hard in impulse, Kyle screeched to a halt wearing the tires before the red light, trying to calm himself as his mind raced.

To put it simply she, or Ashta, was WAY to controlling. He had known this for a long time as they had chatted for almost two months. But even the veil of cyberspace couldn't fool him that she had been somewhat out of his league. He didn't know how she did it but no piece of information could escape her no matter how private. Granted, a lot of it had been voluntary but her insatiable craving for his inner secrets while refusing or deflecting her own were beyond unfair. In the end it made him feel like a bitch, and if anything was the total opposite of what he stood for. How the fuck he let it get this bad was beyond him, but her inability to share was just the tip of the iceberg. Her skills at reading people even though monitors were incredible and it was with increasing aggression that she would try to pull him apart. Told or untold his life had slowly appeared on his monitor written by some bitch who was probably a government agent with too much power. Of course this pissed him off, feeling exposed and naked before some girl with a sexy alias pic; prying mercilessly into his private sector. In fact he had seriously doubted that was what she even looked like. Until the one day she had invited him to meet for the first time….yesterday.

"Yesterday…"

The setting might as well have been picked straight out of a damn French catalog. Meeting at a fountain in front of a 5 star hotel at night; how unoriginal. At least he had been wrong about the photo though. She was indeed very pleasing to the eye, even up close. Tanned with dark skin and further refined with medium sunbathe she was gorgeous. At about 5'11 her curves were nearly perfect, and the parts that people could only nip about reeked with athletic properties. Beautiful lips and long brunette hair, smooth hands and feet… Even the apparel she had chosen fit perfectly. A long black dress that articulated her feminine features but wasn't too tight. From top to bottom the black material covered her from just under the armpits down to her mid thighs, the top being supported with a strap that went around the back of her neck and connected near the mid chest line just above her breasts. As for the face, it was a masterpiece and her Ethiopian features seemed to surpass even Liya Kebede with the addition that she was a lot younger. In fact the very sight of her almost made him forget all the stress she had heaped on him.

However as he approached her there was one small detail that seemed to undermine and contrast all the supernatural beauty she held.

Her eyes.

Even from ten feet away they hit him like a sledgehammer, sharp orbs devoid of warmth and so very cold, they were like jagged ice. The sight of them alone was enough to make Kyle shiver, never mind the depth they held. And it was with some difficulty that he pulled his mind away from his instincts, which for some reason were now very alarmed.

"What's wrong?"

Strangely enough her voice was kind.

"Uhh…" not being one to lie to a living lie detector Kyle confessed. "Your eyes…they just seem so…cold."

"Cold?" she laughed then took his chin in her palm, forcing him to look at her. "You must be dreaming."

Kyle stared at her, his anger starting. He didn't like being held by the face, especially since it's remembered connections were somewhat unpleasant. On the other hand if he blew the date off right here and now it would label him as the would-be "stereotypical" bad guy. Besides he had never been on a date before and his prolonged loneliness was urging him not to screw it up.

Hazing back to the real world, Kyle accelerated lightly, feeling most of the stress leave him as his car pulled away.

"Cliché…" he murmured, smiling slightly.

Well it was. Dinner, movie, car ride (in his car at least) as well as the same irritating questions from the internet; first dates are always hard to do, especially when there is a dark nagging distraction in the back of your mind.

As he could remember the first five minutes after seeing her face had been not too bad as he had simply brushed away the thought of some deep dark, painful secret lingering in her. But damn, why did it continuously show up every time he saw her eyes? It was annoying as hell, not to mention confusing and irritating. And it didn't take long before he shoved it into a corner of his mind and enjoyed the evening. His instincts and soul could shut the hell up for one night…

Blinking, Kyle signaled and changed lanes smoothly, still smiling to himself as he continued to jump the line between reality and day dreaming.

That wasn't the only reason he felt she was too much for him. After a date it's almost canon to take the girl back to her place (or your place if she asks) and since the result was the latter it wasn't long before the two of them were in his small house. Fumbling for the lights Kyle had only managed to get one before she suddenly rushed him to the sofa pinning him under her weight. Then as silence embraced them she did the same.

Kyle braked, nearly missing the light. Damn! He had so stop thinking about this, the end of the fairytale was simple. They kissed and then she left. Or rather "left him" to lie on "the couch"…alone. Subsequently the confusion of her lips, bizarre character, and what she was planning left him in a daze.

Afterwards Kyle had gone outside, thinking she needed a ride home but was surprised to discover that she was nowhere to be found. Given the remote location he knew she needed transportation but that thought only fueled his sense of insecurity.

"What the fuck?" had been his own words at that point. Had he been tailed? He didn't know, and it was likely he wouldn't find out. Being with Ashta was as mysterious as it got.

Kyle grimaced. She didn't talk about herself, she plagued him to answer her, and she didn't even ask about anything. It was as if she didn't care, and he was some toy for her amusement. Furthermore she was 25 and he was 22. The thought of being bossed around for the rest of his life by an older fem hardly seemed appealing no matter how sexy the girl was. Combined with a sense of anger and feelings of being "used" he had made his decision and it was a strange moment when he wrote the final words to her on his computer.

"Get lost!"

That did it, at least he wasn't so submissive anymore, the pent up, concealed rage of two months released in two simple words. Nothing could have felt better. Some guilt did remain but it still couldn't compare with the relief. Being the compliant one had pissed him off, and even in his mixed emotions, had cursed himself for the vulnerable position his loneliness had put him in.

Emotions were worthless anyway, especially since the only ones he felt after the age of seven had been pain, anger and isolation. Having his parents die at a young age followed by the rest of his siblings had done a good job in making him callous. Relationship building had suffered from it and now thanks to Ashta he was determined that this would be the last time he ever listened to a feeling called "loneliness." Most of his life had been lived in isolation anyway. What difference did it make?

Stopping for another red light Kyle considered. There was just one small problem though. He knew Ashta was highly volatile and wherever she was, she was probably steaming. If he had learned one thing from her it was no one ever said "no" to Ashta. She was a control freak, one that greatly understated the very definition. And if her learnt internet behavior wasn't enough, her eyes had been extremely cold and calculating. And were probably a perfect reflection of her inner character.

Even the thought of that made him shudder. A girl is supposed to make you happy not shred you apart and make you cold. Ashta was like a legend, or in this case a myth and figuring out what made her so apart from the rest was something he really didn't want to pursue. It was almost assured he would see her again, and he shook his head at the concept.

Finally, having enough of the confusion he dismissed it entirely. If he ran into her again then he could use "parting talk"; for now he would focus on driving.

The roads were quite bare today mostly because of the annual summer events and a major football game in the stadium. Kyle, being unaware of this only thought it strange and thought no more of it. It was quite soothing to drive with few cars around anyway, namely cops since they had the knack of always finding something wrong with a modified street racing car.

"And it would have been turbo charged by now if not for those damned bills…" Kyle thought to himself. That last setback guaranteed that he wouldn't be able to upgrade his hobby until sometime next month. Patience had not been one of his virtues, especially when it came to cars. Cars were his life, since to him it always felt as if he was going somewhere, somewhere new.

He thought about it for a few more miles, eying the grey overcast before finding the small 2 lane that would take him to his distant home. After all "City life sucked." Or rather that's what Kyle would say frequently. Indeed to him, living thirty miles outside the metropolis had many appealing factors. No cops, no noise, cheap land, cheap rent, and oh yeah…no cops. All of which outweighed the 30 and occasional 17 minute drive out.

Reaching the intersection and turning for the last time, Kyle joined the rural-bound road unable to keep himself from smiling. Ahead of him loomed the all too familiar farmland, bordered with its endless trees and plains of grass. In the last two months he had almost forgotten the freedom an open road could offer. It was quiet, peaceful, and serene; and with one accord urged him to do what he did best.

He needed it anyway, some quick thrill to ease his mind. There had been little traffic on the road today and this particular stretch held none. Grasping the shifter firmly Kyle was just about to gun it when a sudden movement jerked his vision to the rearview mirror. Focusing in on the image, Kyle was instantly crestfallen; a grim visage taking its place.

In the distance a black SUV had just joined the same road.

Now normally Kyle could have cared less except that this time it wasn't just the one but the trailing image of three more that merged in behind the leader. All were identical and even from this distance it wouldn't take an idiot to realize they were police suburbans.

"God damn it…" Kyle whispered.

Eyes glued to the mirrors, Kyle maintained his speed, fighting his motive to accelerate. Although he could definitely say they were catching up, there was a good chance that they weren't after him and with a little luck they would probably pass and leave him alone. Unfortunately it was still unnerving and if Kyle knew one thing about the police, it was they always resorted to extremes.

Keeping to the slow lane and watching the mirrors carefully Kyle was far from amused and kept his usual serious expression, even to the point where the deep rumble of the modified chase vehicle rolled right past his car, followed by the second. And while it was relieving to see two of them pass, it spiked his adrenaline when he realized the other two had not, and his eyes darted to the rearview mirror. Being no stranger to cop cars, window tinted black SUV's were a brand new thing, not to mention four of them. And although they were Chevrolets by make Kyle knew from the sound that the engines sure as hell weren't, and that these were no simple k9's either. Taking note of the two behind him with narrowed eyes, Kyle switched his judgment forward, gazing straight ahead as the dual initiated a rolling roadblock. There was only one thing to say at a time like this.

"Fuck…"

Cursing the fact his hope was now stupidity, Kyle clinched his jaw. Watching as at the same time the moving blockade quickly but efficiently began to take its position at the rear; making sure that breaking wouldn't be an option. Then, matching speed with the supra, began to close the gaps.

Meanwhile in his car Kyle was getting aggravated. The stupid cops (if that's what they really were) hadn't said anything or even flashed their lights; on top of that he had done nothing wrong. Yet by now it was pretty damn obvious that they were going to take him and it was exactly this kind of ill-treatment that had made "riding dirty" his new favorite song. It had been months since the last incursion and now all of a sudden it was as if the president himself had a grudge against him. And if that wasn't enough the last bust had been his "last chance." This time they would take his supra away weather he ran or stopped.

Kyle's grip tightened on the wheel, his decision already ahead of his brain. If that's the way it was going to be then it wouldn't be done submissively. Not this time. He had already done that shit with Ashta, it wasn't going to happen with the fucking police. Tensing his hand on the shifter Kyle gauged the distance before slowly changing lanes.

That's when it started. Roaring with the sound of a supercharger the second of the rear guard quickly rammed…hard. The supra weaved a bit and inside Kyle cursed in surprise, barely holding the car stable. Bearing down on the black supra the rear SUV hit again pushing it lightly while the lead unit braked. Caught in the middle and not wanting to be sandwiched, Kyle stormed the gas pedal, darting blindly into the oncoming lanes. His engine roared its own challenge and the young racer burst forward, showing why his car belonged in the drift races. Avoiding the lead SUV was easy enough and it only took a second to leave the group behind as he shifted into forth gear. Faced once again with the open road Kyle could see there were no cars for miles and from the tension that impacted him just seconds ago he suddenly wished that it wasn't the case. Whatever happened out here would probably stay out here. He was alone which meant there would be no witnesses.

Knowing police protocol all to well, Kyle was beginning to doubt that the silent SUV's were really cops at all and he screamed the RPM, redlining it into his final gear. Swallowing and listening as the Black Chevrolets growled in unison.

The chase was on.

Not wanting to become one with the ditch Kyle kept the supra in the middle of the road. He had managed to hold them off for a bit but his engine was dangerously close to blowing. In all his mirrors the pursuers grew and once again he found himself cursing the lack of a turbo kit. There were no sub roads for miles which only left him the possibility of an outrun, one that was now failing miserably. Turbo or no it didn't make sense that his car wasn't--. Kyle's eyes suddenly widened, the realization hitting him like a dark omen.

"Shit!"

Now he remembered. His last race had been on a very tight course where he had shortened his gear ratios for added acceleration. A great move, but it limited top speed and after the race he had forgotten to change it back.

Heart racing, Kyle snapped his neck around. Behind him the four suburbans were now driving side by side, covering every single lane in a parallel wall. The road ahead left nowhere to turn and doing a 180 was out of the question. With the few seconds of space he had left there was nothing he could do.

Roaring with their engines they moved up fast, like angry vultures intent for the kill. The two centers kept close, often trading paint with the supra's bumper as the outsides accelerated forward. Keeping the slack to a minimum they bordered the small car, sandwiching it from both sides as the rear guard was reduced to one. Dwarfed by a myriad of three heavy vehicles Kyle was herded one lane over, his car denting as he tried to resist. With one lane now open the final SUV took it, racing ahead to take the lead. Then eclipsing itself in Kyle's remaining view, completed the diamond; effectively erasing all means of escape as it touched bumpers. Again Kyle tried to force his way out but the SUVs were too heavy and the space was too small. Completely incased, it was a short bumper car contest before his vehicle was at a standstill. The next moments happened quickly.

Tons of what appeared to be secret service agents stormed the car. Working with a large suction device from the back of the lead SUV the windshield was ripped off and moments later Kyle was in their hands. He struggled against them but a sharp prick to his neck followed by unconsciousness soon put an end to that.

End of chapter 1

Obviously this isn't the end. I've got the whole thing written but it's in 2nd draft. If you have anything to say, go ahead. I'm a beginner but I'm trying to be a good writer. At least this story is a huge improvement over my last one.