Chapter Four- Hotel for the Night
(Joe's POV)
"You're a sick person!" I screamed at him while he held the camera up to me. He pushed me on the floor and kicked me in the stomach. The side of his shoe hit the corner of my mouth and all of a sudden the pain grew worse on my face. I touched my lip with the tips of my fingers gently. I then looked at my fingers noticing there was blood all over my middle, index, and ring finger. My lip had busted open. He laughed while filming what had all happened. He pressed the stop button on the video camera and then walked over to the corner of the room where he put the rope that he tied me up in before.
"Time for your family to see you now," he told me while he tied my hands up behind my back. I tried to fight back, but I was too weak to win, or even fight at all now. He left me alone lying on the floor on my side. I tried sitting up so I wouldn't be lying on my arms, but I fell right back down.
Time went by and nothing has changed except for the pain throughout my whole body. It has gotten worse. I knew that some parts were bruised or maybe even broken. He came back in the room with the camera in his hands.
"Any words to your family?" he held the camera up close to my face.
I closed my eyes so I wouldn't cry and whispered, "I'm so sorry…" He picked me up off the ground from my ripped shirt and shoved me on the ground in a corner. He then kicked me and blood spat out of my mouth. The condition I was in now had to be bad. I couldn't talk without coughing which hurt me worse. I could barely breathe.
"You're going on a ride," was all I heard before everything became a blur.
My eyes fluttered open to find myself on the floorboard of a van. I wasn't alone though. I moved my head towards the other end seeing Katie sitting with her head leaning against the wall sleeping. I tried speaking her name, but nothing came out. I noticed marks on her body that almost looked like burns. A sudden movement jerked me and Katie forward. She still didn't wake up. I wondered if she had been drugged out. The door opened and the man appeared talking on a cell phone.
"They're here right now…" he spoke in the phone as he put a sheet over Katie. He then hung the phone up and put the phone down on the floor of the car. He walked to the building we were parked at. I forced myself to move my hand grabbing the cell phone and dialing my home phone.
It rang three times before I heard someone muffle, "Hello…?"
"He-"I began until I got interrupted by a massive coughing fit.
"Joe? Joseph, is that you? Joseph?" I heard on the other line.
I nodded and answered, "Yes."
"Joe! Oh my gosh!" Nick cried. "Where are you? How did you call? Are you ok?"
"One question at a time, please," I whimpered.
"Where are you?"
I peeked out the window so no one could see me from outside and brought myself back down. "In a car with Katie," I began, "parked in front of this shack out in the woods…I remember this curvy road on the way…And this sign…it said 'Canon Road' or something like that. "
"We're going to find you…I promise…I love you so much…" Nick said through tears.
I closed my eyes and said, "I love you too, Nicky…Go tell Mom and Dad everything I said, please….now."
I peeked out the window so no one could see me from outside and brought myself back down. "In a car with Katie," I began, "parked in front of this shack out in the woods…I remember this curvy road on the way…And this sign…it said 'Canon Road' or something like that. "
"We're going to find you…I promise…I love you so much…" Nick said through tears.
I closed my eyes and said, "I love you too, Nicky…Go tell Mom and Dad everything I said, please….now."
"Kevin!" Nick yelled taking the phone away from the receiver. "Get Mom and Dad…Joe's on the phone…" I heard someone, guessing Kevin, talking in the background. I couldn't quite make up what he was saying.
Nick came back on the line and said, "We're getting them." There was a long pause before he asked with worry, "Are you ok?"
"Don't…" I paused and took in a deep breath, "Don't worry. Be strong for me." I started panicking once I heard the door opening. I hung up on Nick and put the phone back down where I found it. I pretended like I was sleeping right when the door opened again revealing a different guy I have never seen before. He wrapped Katie in the blanket and dragged her out into the building leaving me behind in the car.
