The Diary of a Hostage
Adrian Peterson was looking out of the school bus window, when she noticed that a man was staring at all the kids on the bus and taking notes on them in a little pink notebook with flowers on it. She was jerked out of her thoughts when the bus stopped, and the driver yelled, "Adrian! Your stop," She got out and stared at her house. She had never noticed how many kids did not like her because of it, the big window, the little willow trees on both sides of the big mahogany front door, the pool and the lake, and best of all her bedroom. It was perfect. It had a canopy over the bed that was made out of light-as-air fabrics from around the world. Then she was grabbed from behind, and the last thing she saw before the chloroform gases took over was a little pink notebook with flowers on it.
When she woke, she was not wide awake but was wondering why her bed had became so hard and why her canopy wasn't letting in at least a little bit of light to caress her face with warmth. Then the memory of yesterday came back, the man, the little notebook and then being grabbed from behind and then blackness. When she finally came to her senses she opened her eyes and took in her surroundings, a dark room with only one window, but that did nothing to help her because they had black curtains over it. Then she realized that she was not alone. "Finally," Adrian recognized the man by his dark outline, "You must be hungry. Here, "He threw her a McDonald's bag. Then she saw it, the little pink note book with a black pen. She pretended to eat. Then he left. His notebook was still on the shelf. As soon as he was gone she grabbed it. This would be her diary, The Diary of a Fugitive.
Dear Diary, May 2, 1986
Sorry to say that you have just become the diary of the kidnapped, me. The-man-with-the-notebook, (you're the notebook) Left you here with his pen so I had an idea, how about a diary so that is how you came to be. I hear someone coming so…
Bye Diary, Adrian
When she was done writing she stowed the pink book away in a crack in the wall, just as it had disappeared into the wall behind her the door opened, "Hey, Adrian. How are you doing?" He did not sound as if he cared but she responded anyway, "Fine, but hungry." The-man-with-the-notebook smiled, "Of course even in the early days of your kidnapping you still have your big appetite. Here," He tossed her a bag just like the one earlier but this time it was a KFC bag instead. "Mmm, KFC Thanks." She swallowed the wonderful smell of the chicken wings. The-man-with-the-notebook looked surprised, "You're thanking me! After I kidnapped you! You are one sad, strange little girl…" He still thought she was hiding something, "Why are you staring at me? Is it such a bad thing to thank someone for dinner? All of you kidnapper-type people are strange." The-man-with-the-notebook left and she did another short diary entry…
I'm back… same day.
The-man-with-the-notebook only wants me to get ransom from my parents this has happened before but I was back by dinner. This is war, For Money: $.
Bye Diary, Adrian
This was war, for money, her parent's money. The next few days she cooperated with her kidnapper with high hopes that he would not ask for ransom anytime soon with no reason to. She knew if she tried to pull anything now he would ask for ransom money soon but of course he would have to have a reason. That was why she wasn't attempting escape.
She knew it was night time even before she saw the curtains getting darker. Tomorrow she thought to herself, I will ask him if he will get me fabric to make curtains, at least a blue would be better than these. With that she lay down on the makeshift straw bed she had constructed out of straw she had found on her exploration through the room while she was trying to overcome the painful chloroform headache. She smiled to herself then she felt a surge of a strange emotion, one she barely ever felt… Pride…
When she woke up she saw a box from McDonalds, a pancake box, she looked at it. She wanted to yell in fury, to lash out at the-man-with-the-notebook make him pay for her food. She just noticed that he would never pay cash for anything of hers. He had stolen it, she was sure he had. Even though she was ravenous, she would, never, ever eat stolen food. Later she told herself when she got home she would pay every store back for the food that she ate, then ate, her now cold, pancakes with that thought in her head. She wanted to do another entry…
Dear Diary, May 3, 1986
Of course! How did I not notice? Diary, I have been eating stolen food. STOLEN FOOD!!! I have made a mental note to self to pay every store for the food I ate. Oh gosh he is coming!!!
Bye Diary, Adrian
Adrian was thinking about how much she loathed her captor. She had to escape soon. Or he would drop the bomb of ransom and her parents would pay anything for her. She started drawing up her plans for escape…
Sneak up the stairs from her 'cell'.
Wait until the-man-with-the-notebook went to sleep for the night on the couch.
Silently crawl around to the table where he puts the chloroform rag
Pick it up and crawl to the side of the couch
Rise up silently and put the rag on his mouth and nose
Watch and don't remove the rag until he is unconscious
After, we will make our escape. He is coming to bring my lunch,
Bye Diary, Adrian
She again slipped the diary in the crack. The-man-with-the-notebook entered her 'cell'. "Hello Adrian," he said coolly, "I brought your lunch." Adrian replied, "Is that so you little sneak thief?" the cool look slipped from his face for about a millisecond but it reappeared quickly, "Of course. How were those delicious, stolen pancakes?" he sounded as if he was really enjoying this, she wouldn't let him get the satisfaction of watching her cower down in the corner like a frightened puppy, so she said, "Good. Well, well, well. What stolen delicacies will I be enjoying today?" her kidnapper looked surprised, but he was the boss of her, or so he thought, so he answered, "Another KFC lunch of chicken legs, plus a chocolate shake from Steak n' shake." His lip curved into a half smile, she returned the favor with a toothpaste ad smile of her own. He dropped the box and retreated out the back like an escaped prisoner of war.
Later that evening when Adrian was lying on her makeshift straw bed, she thought about how she had forgotten, once again, to ask for that blue fabric. Oh, who cares now! With the plans that are in my diary if I tried I could be out of here by morning, but I am going to ask him tomorrow if he put up ransom. That thought in her head she drifted into a dream…
"Carry her out." A voice called from inside her 'cell', "To bad they didn't catch little Adrian's killer. I liked that girl, I did." What are they talking about? Adrian wondered, catch my killer? What do they mean? Am I dead? She heard sobs coming from the church. "Wait, when did that get there?" she wondered aloud. "I knew she was alive, I thought she was, I was certain she was," her mother's voice sobbed when she walked into the church. She saw flowers and a body, wait, a body, her body. She woke up in a cold sweat.
"What was that?" she asked herself staring into the unending darkness in her 'cell'. She realized today was her birthday, May 5. She had to get out. She had to escape. She had to get home for the rest of her birthday. She had to.
Later that night she waited until she heard the snores that meant he had gone to sleep on the couch. It was time, Time to escape. Just like in her plans in the little book she snuck catlike with the book and pen in her pocket. "Now," she whispered real quiet to herself, "we will escape." She was so wrong. She wouldn't even get home for her birthday.
She snuck upstairs. Where is the rag? Ah, on the table. She slithered across the tile floor. Not a sound. Reached up onto the table her hand rested on… the chloroform rag. She put it across his mouth and nose. Breathing heavily with sleep, it didn't take long for him to blank out. She ran as fast as she could away from that awful place. But now she was hiding. She ran every other day and rested in the days between. Not only was she a hostage. She was also running for her life, like a runaway, only she ran away from her kidnapper not from her beautiful Victorian home. "I can't believe it! We did it! We did it!" Adrian shouted voice filled with glee. In this deserted field no one could hear her. She was trying to find some sign of life, maybe a person, or better, a person-filled building. She drifted off to sleep it was a few days after her birthday, the eighth of May.
When she woke up she immediately started running through the field toward the smell of bacon, eggs and pancakes. Her legs stung but she didn't slow. Finally a little white farmhouse appeared on the horizon. A couple more minutes and I'll reach it maybe I'll ask for food and a ride. When she reached the farmhouse she met a kindly old woman living alone, who graciously welcomed her inside. "Thank You," Adrian said out of breath from running all the way to the little house. "No 'Thank you' need to be said here honey. Now, what's your name?" The little old lady asked. "Adrian," she answered, "Adrian Peterson." Adrian had thought that the woman would jump up then hurry towards the phone then dial the number to Adrian's house. But she just stood there and offered, "I think you must be hungry. Here have some pancakes and bacon… Oh! Eggs too honey." She ate three servings of everything, "Honey, who your parents they must starve you! Oh, and my name is Lana. Just call me Lana."
The next morning Adrian woke to find her self laying in a very, very soft, frilly, yellow bed. Lana was humming while she cooked breakfast downstairs. Adrian was in a very small nightgown that was probably from Lana's own childhood. When she was fully awake she climbed out of the bed and slipped in the housecoat that was on the bed, and walked downstairs. "Hello Lana," Adrian managed to say groggily. "Hullo honey," Lana replied. This was the first time Adrian noticed how southern Lana's voice sounded. "Lana?" she asked, "Hmm?" Lana responded, "What state is this?" Lana looked surprised, "Honey, we in Kansas." Whew! Adrian thought, "What part?" again Lana answered, "This is Riley, Riley county. " That's good there isn't much between Riley and my house! "Thanks Lana. Do you have a phone?" Lana looked puzzled, "Down the hall, to the right." She said. I can't believe I didn't notice her southern voice before! Adrian thought as she walked to the phone. She reached the phone and dialed her home number. While it rang she waited, waited to hear her mom and dad's voices. Please, let them answer! Then, click, the receiver went dead. "Lana, the phone went dead." She shrieked loudly so that Lana could hear in the kitchen. "I am sorry honey but I don't know what to do it does tend to do that sometimes." Lana sighed and muttered under her breath, "Only when you need it most." Adrian was distraught, she was so close. She wanted to let the sobs overcome her but not in front of Lana. "Lana, May I be excused?"She asked. "Yes you may, but I want to know where you came from and where you should be. " Lana said firmly. Oh great! She chooses now to ask… Adrian thought. She took a fleeting glance at Lana's face and broke down in sobs. Adrian didn't know how long she cried it felt like years maybe decades Adrian didn't know. But when she stopped crying she fell right to sleep.