TRIS POV

Two.

Two more days until Tobias' final game, and I'm already nervous, wondering how he isn't. Or perhaps he is nervous and is good at hiding it.

"You should be practicing. Not here with me" I told him.

"Tris, you come first no matter what. You are the most important thing in my life" he says, cupping my cheeks.

I nervously laugh, "No pressure, right?"

Instead of laughing back, he would always kiss me. Kiss me like the world would end. Like it was the last time our lips would ever meet.

But I ordered a front row seat ticket -one not in the crowd, but with the players- and I intend on Tobias winning. Christina and Shauna got a bronze metal in women's beach volleyball, with Japan in second, and Brasil taking the lead. I only figured out yesterday, since my time was being taken up by my family, Tobias, physical and mental therapy, and TV.

Yes, I have taken an obsession with TV. Remember that ABC family show about fairytales? Yup. That's the one. I started on Netflix, and even though I'm still on season one, it's the best TV show I've ever watched. Tobias liked it, too, but he much preferred Lost, which I've taken a liking to as well. I still have the crutch on, though, my doctor says it won't stay on for much longer. My foot is healing better than ever, which plants smile on my face .

The case of my attacker is still going on, and I suspect Marcus plays a role in it.

"We have no evidence that he's the man behind all this" the detective said, "If you would just answer my questions-"

"Your questions are stupid. What color was his jacket? Did you see his eyes? This is stupid because we already found my attacker. We're looking for the man who paid him, genius"

The detective clenches his fist, "If you want me to find the man, just listen to me"

I slouch in my hospital bed.

The detective speaks again, "I want you to tell me if anyone's been against you-"
"Like I said, Peter! He's always had something against me! I'll bet you it's Peter, he's just-"

Something is plunged into my skin, a needle piercing my skin. I lay back into my hospital bed, my eyelids heavy.

"Nurse, can we quit it with the sedatives?" Tobias asks.

"She's very stubborn, and unfortunately, that can lead her to do dangerous things" the nurse replies.

Tobias kneels in front of me, "I have to go" he says, then plants a kiss on my cheek, "I'll be back in an hour or two. I love you"

I smile, reach up and grab his cheeks, pulling him into a real kiss. Our lips connect, and I would've let it go for longer, but the heaviness in my eyes increased, forcing me to let go.

Tobias walks out of the room, leaving only a nurse and the detective.

But before anything else could happen, I drift off to sleep.

PAGE BREAK

I'm surrounded by darkness when I wake up. Or at least, I think I wake up. May be my eyes are still closed. But they aren't. When i blink, I can feel my eyelashes brushing against the bottom of my eye.

Something prevents my hands from moving apart, as well as my feet. Like they're tied together. I wiggle my fingers. I'm not paralyzed, I know that much.

The floor below my is lush and soft, like a carpet.

I close my eyes.

I must be dreaming.

I must be.

I hear a static noise, then a man's voice, like a man on a television. It echoes through my ears.

"Late last night around eleven, police confirmed volleyball player Tris Prior officially missing. Unfortunately, there was no record of Tris Prior ever leaving her bed, meaning it must be a kidnapping. Prior has voluntarily left the hospital premises before, but only for a few hours or less. However, seeing as it has been more than twenty four hours, police have indeed confirmed a kidnapping"
Then the voices are gone.

"Funny how things turn out, huh?" a feminine voice calls out.

I open my eyes, seeing on a silhouette of a woman.

Is this real?

"What?" I croak.

"I used to be better than you" she says, nearing me, each click of her heel making my heart beat faster, "For two years, may be. I quit, of course, seeing as you had obviously gotten the top spot"

I then realized how completely conscious I was.

This wasn't a dream.

It was real.

"Who are you?" I ask, trying to back away from her.

"I can't believe you don't recognize me. After all we've been through" she says.

"HELP!" I yell, even though I know no one will hear me, "HELP! PLEASE!"
"Oh don't tell me I have to cover that mouth of yours. The same lips' that kissed Tobias'"
"Don't talk about Tobias. This is between you and me" I exclaim.

She squats in front of me, and still I only see her figure, "You're wrong. You are the thing between Tobias and me. He should've picked ME during camp"
During camp?

Camp?
Camp.

Beach Volleyball camp. The only camp I ever did.

Suddenly, I know the figure.

"Bailey?"

I could finally see traces of her smirking face, "Did you miss me?"

I couldn't answer; my wobbly mouth refused to move. I might be blinded by the pure horror that someone had such a motivation that they would go to this extreme.

"Why are you doing this?"

"To get back the one and only thing that matters to me. Tobias"

She kicks me in the stomach, and I let out a yelp.

I hear a low husky voice behind her, "Did you really need to do that?"

I can only see an outline of him,. Bailey flicks her eyes from the floor to mine, "The bitch deserved it. Glad she'll starve before she can ever see him again"

Starve?

No way.

Not going to happen.

"Why did you have Al do that to me?" I ask.

Bailey laughs, "I don't know what you're talking about"

The distant male voice starts up again, "The first assault. The one the others did. But I'd say you're doing much better than them"

What? They didn't…..

I didn't know how many enemies I had until now.

May be I should try being a little nicer.

Suddenly, a thought pops into my head.

"Wait, how long are you going to keep me here?"

"I would get use to this room. It's your death room"

"Tobias' game. I can't….I can't miss it"
"We have a TV. I'll leave it on for you. But for now, we've got to go" Bailey says. The man, whom I can only see an online of, stands from his chair, and begins to walk towards one of the walls, where I assume the door will be. But instead, he seems to moving up the wall. A ladder.

"I'll leave the lights on" she says, a flick noise granting light to the room. I tried to find the male figure but he was long gone.

"The remote is over there. There's a knife over there so you can untie yourself later"

Wait what?

"Untie myself?"
She reaches the ladder, and her hair is tossed over her shoulder, "You'll never find a way out. So, I thought you would like to use your hands for the last time. See how nice I am?"

"The only thing you are is evil"

Suddenly, she yells, "Don't tell me what I am! You're the evil one, you took my boyfriend! And you-"

"Bailey" calls a voice from above, a scolding voice.

She takes a deep breath, then says, "I'm sorry that I'm the last physical being you'll ever see. I hope you rot"

Then she climbs up.

Does she know I can just climb the ladder to escape-

Suddenly, the ladder is pulled up, and it was as if nothing was there.

It's only now when I panic.

First, I have to get out of these ropes. Then come up with a plan.

After a good long hard thirty minutes, I reach the knife, cutting only one rope to free me, so that I have one long rope. While cutting the ropes around my ankles, I stare at the TV. Must be from long ago, since antennas stick out.

I stand, and look around the room. A desk. A TV. A sofa.

What is this room even used for?

I walk towards the area where they climbed up the ladder from, and look up. There's not even a trace that there's an opening. Like it had vanished.

I search for the remote, and scoop it into my hands.

Let's see. The most logical thing to do.

Oh! They always have local news! May be then, I can figure out which city I'm in.

I click it on, channel surfing, until I come upon a local channel.

"Hoy en Fontos vamos a ver la lleva"

Fontos.

Fontos.

I'm in Fontos.

Where the heck is Fontos?

What ever. I walk over to the desk. On the surface is a piggy bank and a box of pencils, but it's clean other than that. I search through the first drawer of the three.

A bottle of vinegar, regular paper, sandpaper, and by the looks of it electrical tape.

I close it, and open the second drawer.

Cardboard and some markers.

I open the third drawer, and gape: in the third drawer is a radio transceiver.

I'm saved!

I reach and grab it.

Tobias. I wonder how he is. Is he okay? Does he even know?

All I can think is one thing.

I'm coming Tobias.

But when I hold it up, I realize it's missing an an antenna. Great.

The TV.

The TV has an antenna.

I use the knife to cut it off, using the electrical duct tape to tape it to the transceiver. Yet it still refuses to work. It takes me a few minutes to realize it. No batteries.

Wait.

I can make some.

Freshmen science class we learned how to make batteries out of pennies.

There's a piggy bank on the desk.

Please have pennies, please have pennies.

YESSSSS.

Pennies.

I use sandpaper to get the layer of copper off, leaving only zinc, then using the knife, cut some cardboard into a penny-shaped-circle, letting it soak in vinegar. I cut the transceiver wires, the ones connecting to the battery. I make a sort of sandwich, placing zinc on card board, until there are four of each. I take the electric tape, and make it air tight, one wire for each side of the cylinder.

I take a deep breath.

I press the call button.

Silence.

Then- beep. beep. beep.

I almost cry. I can't believe I actually did it! And it only took a couple of hours-hours!

I press my ear to the machine, waiting for a human voice.

Then I realize I have to communicate first. I use my thumb, slowly pressing down on the button on the side.

I speak into it, hoping I don't sound to feeble.

"Hello?"

Someone answers back, with a Spanish accent, "Hello"

Relief washes over me. I made contact with a person from the outside. I try to formulate words in my head, but I knew if I took too long, they'd think it's a prank.

"Oh my gosh! Hi, my name is Beatrice Prior, I'm an Olympic volleyball player recently kidnapped"

She seems to be more tense, when there's a strain on her voice, and a sense of urgency, "Yes, Hello Beatrice,are you injured?"

"Physically? No"

"Thank you. Do you know where you are?"

"Not exactly. Somewhere in or around someplace called Fontos"

"Thank you Beatrice. Do you know who took you?"

"Someone named Bailey. I don't know her last name, but she had a male compliance as well. She left me here to die with no food or water" I say, trying to be professional, but tears are making my voice wobbly.

"How did you communicate?" she asks.

With great pride I answer, happy tears filling my eyes, "I fixed a radio transceiver, making my own batteries out of pennies"

"Thank you. Anything else you'd like to add?"

"Please tell my family that I love them, and that I will get home. And tell my boyfriend Tobias that I love him so much, and I can't wait to see him"

"Miss Prior, to conserve battery life, I would recommend turning your transceiver off for a few hours, and hiding it from anyone who comes for you"

I nod, "Okay. Thank you, miss…."

"Carol. I'll make sure your family and friends get the message. Hang in there, sweetie"

Then she's gone.

I sigh in relief.

I'm going home.

I place the transceiver in my boot, and lie down on the sofa.

I'm going to be alright.

I'm going to be alright.

Right?

REVIEW

Once again, sorry for the wait. Just to let you know, that battery thing is a real thing. I haven't tried it but I will. I saw tons of videos on it.

Anyways.

How's life?

Good?

I'm glad.

If you don't remember Bailey, I would retreat to the first chapter to refresh your memory. Oh my. That was over a year ago! Wow!

Anyways.

Any idea on who the compliance is?

Or may be who's behind the first assault?

I love hearing from you, so it would be super awesome if you reviewed!
REVIEW

Isi