I shifted my backpack uncomfortably, the weight of it trying to pull me down. Walking to school was a pain in the shoulders. And I had thought it would be fun. Apparently thinking walking to school is fun also includes not thinking about how cold and rainy it would be in the fall, winter, and about half of spring.
My slightly beaten-up ankle boots were getting damp, and I could feel my toes getting cold. Shoes like these never lasted long. I shivered, reminding myself that I hadn't stopped shivering since I got out of the building. Every breath I took stung my throat with the chill. Every time I exhaled, my breath fogged up my glasses. My jacket wasn't thick enough, and the cold seeped through it, giving my arms goosebumps. Trying to keep my mood up, I bobbed my head in time with the music blasting in my ears. I felt that I was going to damage my eardrums, but honestly I didn't care right now. I was too cold to care.
My phone buzzed in my back pocket, pausing my music so that I could hear the alarm I had forgotten to turn off, nearly making my ears bleed from the volume of it. I yanked out my earbuds quickly in surprise and dug phone out of my pocket, turning off the alarm with my eyes wide from shock. Shakily, I laughed it off, replacing my earbuds and resuming my music, turning the volume down this time. I put my hands back in my coat pockets and walked a little faster.
There was a shortcut to school that I usually took, only going the long way if it was pouring down rain. I didn't want to step on any worms, after all. However, today was not a rainy day, just damp and cold. I crossed the street that kept me from entering the shortcut and.. well, entered the shortcut. Honestly, I wouldn't have taken the shortcut today if not for my inability to realize that I was going to be late. I had to leave early today so that I would have enough time to get to school and get my computer and then get to my algebra class before the bell rang. Unfortunately, I hadn't realized the time. Leaving just ten minutes late could make me tardy.
I sighed heavily as I stepped over fallen twigs, leaves, and a... present left by somebody's pet. Crinkling my nose in disgust, I walked a little faster to get away from the offending waste. I brushed my hair out of my eyes as I stared at the ground, partly watching for any more surprises, partly fascinated by the movement of my own legs. Yes, that somehow always proved to be interesting to me. Slowly, I began to space out, watching my combat boots intently.
Suddenly, I hit the ground hard enough to knock the breath out of me. Sprawled out on the damp leaves, I panicked a bit until I suddenly found myself able to breathe again. Shakily, I stood, laughing nervously. I looked around to make sure no one had seen me trip, but quickly realized something was wrong. I couldn't see. Everything was blurry. I nearly shrieked when what I thought was a spider appeared in front of my face, but fortunately realized it was my own hair just in time. Taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm myself, I began searching for my glasses on the ground, hoping I wouldn't step on them.
Suddenly, I got the sense of being watched. I didn't know how, but somehow I always got that feeling when someone was actually watching me. Of course, sometimes I got it wrong, but this time I knew that I wasn't. Stopping and listening closely to the silence, I tried to detect any sot of noise that would alert me to another presence. I heard nothing. After a moment, I tried to dismiss the feeling and kept searching for my glasses.
A rustling of brush. A huff of breath. Someone was there. I pretended not to notice and didn't hesitate my search. I jumped a little when my fingers finally hit my glasses, but quickly relaxed. I didn't want anyone to think I knew they were there. I picked up my glasses and straightened up, holding them close to my eyes to search for anything I'd need to wipe off. Thankfully, there was nothing, and I quickly put them back on, adjusting my backpack and dusting myself off. I then began walking at the same speed as earlier. I didn't need anyone to suspect that I knew what I knew.
And suddenly I was on the ground again. This time, I hadn't tripped. Someone had tackled me. I writhed violently to get away from them and scrambled to my feet, stepping away from my attacker. I studied them momentarily, not wanting to hurt them if it was just one of my friends playing a prank on me. This man was not anyone I knew. He got to his feet, stepping back from me as well. He wore a white mask with black lips, thin black semicircles of eyebrows, and black spots around the eyes. His hair was dark brown. He was wearing a tan leather jacket, jeans, and a very beat-up but still functional pair of sneakers. Based on his build, he was in his early twenties, and pretty strong. I didn't know how I could possibly fight this guy.
He lunged at me, and I swung my hand at his face, not in a fist but with my fingers pointed slightly inward, so that when it connected, he'd be left with red scratches on his face. If I could get beneath the mask. It went so fast, I wasn't sure what happened, but his mask ended up on the ground and - sure enough - he had long red scratches on his face. I knew my long fingernails would be good for fighting off kidnappers.
While he was momentarily stunned, I dropped my backpack on the side of the path, not wanting it to be in the way or be on my back. Then I leaped forward, curling my fingers together and bringing my hands down on his head as hard as I could. The force of it knocked the man to the ground, providing me with an opportunity. Quickly, I got behind him and kicked him. Hard. Down there. He cried out in pain, and I ran to grab my backpack. Swinging it over my shoulder, I ran back towards the man, intending to go past him and run the rest of the way to school. I kicked him again as I ran past, then sprinted away.
Heart thumping, breath quick, the pain in my side growing sharper and sharper, I refused to stop running, needing desperately to get out of this fucking forest and away from that man. And then I was tackled again. This time, the person who had attacked me did not give me an opportunity to get up. He wrapped his arms around me tightly, and despite my squirming, I couldn't get away. I felt a fist connect with the back of my head, and the world faded away.
When I awoke, the first thing I saw was the first man kneeling in front of me. I immediately lashed out my leg, attempting to kick him. He was just barely too far back, but I still made him jump. Scowling, I studied him. He had replaced his mask, but other than that, hadn't changed anything.
Who I assumed was the second man entered the room. He wore a dirty yellow hoodie, jeans, a black cloth mask with red spots for eyes and a red frown, and a pair of- you guessed it- beat-up sneakers. Apparently, wearing beat-up old sneakers was the trend with these two.
"Don't you guys get enough money from ransoming kids to buy some decent shoes?" I asked, trying to make myself feel better. It didn't work. The second man approached me. Kneeling, he crouched in front of me, seeming to study my face. I resisted the urge to squirm. I stared him, scowling. After a minute, he stood, his action echoed by the other man. They looked at each other for a minute, as having a telepathic discussion. Another minute later, they both looked at me.
I stared them both down, my gaze flicking from one to the other. "I'm never walking through the forest again." I grumbled. "So who the hell are you two? And why did you kidnap me?"
Neither man spoke. I waited for a moment. Then they both turned and walked out of the room.
"HEY! DON'T LEAVE ME HERE, YOU ASSHOLES!" I yelled after the two, struggling to escape my bonds. I watched them walk down a hall and turn a corner, leaving me trapped. I stopped struggling and sighed heavily. "Sons of bitches," I muttered, I looked around the small room and spotted my backpack in a corner opposite of me. Curling up into as tight of a ball as I could, I successfully slipped my hands from behind my back to under my legs, but then discovered that I could not get them past my feet.
Struggling fiercely, I tried and tried to figure out a way to slip my bound hands under my feet, but it was in vain. I did, however, fall onto my side (quite painfully). And try as I might, I couldn't get up. For the umpteenth time, I sighed heavily, wondering how long I was going to sit here before anyone came to help.
Then, footsteps. I wriggled a bit, but couldn't get myself into a position to see who was coming. Seconds later, the man with the yellow hoodie walked in. "Uh... a little help here?" I asked sheepishly. He walked over to me and roughly pushed me back up into my original sitting position. "Could've been a bit gentler.." I grumbled, looking up at him. The other man stood behind him, also to the side a bit so that I could see him. Or so he could see me. Then the yellow hoodie-wearer turned back to his friend and shook his head. A moment passed, then the tan jacket-clad man nodded, and the man with the yellow hoodie knelt down in front of me and revealed a sharp, serrated knife.
"Wh-what are you g-gonna do with that?" I asked, feeling sure I already knew the answer. I closed my eyes and waited for him to stab me.
After a minute passed and I wasn't dead, I opened one eye and looked at him. He seemed to have been waiting for me to open my eyes, and as soon as I did, he pushed me back down onto the floor, then swiftly cut the small length of rope that bound my wrists, then the one that tied my legs together. I pushed myself back up as he stepped away. Standing shakily, I watched as the dynamic duo stood side-by-side next to the door, watching me, as if waiting for me to leave. Cautiously, I stared back at them, then slowly walked to the corner where my backpack sat, picked it up, and then walked out of the room. The men did not follow me, only moved to the doorway so they could watch me leave. I found the nearest exit and stepped around the corner, glad to finally be away from those men.
Then, I turned around, poked my head around the corner, and shouted, "Y'ALL ARE CREEPS!" then ran out of the building, sprinting through the forest in what I hoped was the right direction to get to school. Then I heard the bell ring in the distance.
Shit. Those punks totally made me late, didn't they?