C9
Sora finally woke up. Her head was throbbing. She tried to rub it, but found she was bound and blindfolded. The air was musty and cold. 'Where am I?' She thought. 'Last night… the burglar… oh no!'
Sora sat in the middle of a cold damp room, tied to a chair. Her arms, legs and even her waist were immovable.
She tried to wiggle her way out but only ended up bleeding by the wrists. The rope was frayed and coarse.
Suddenly there was a hand caressing her face.
"Who are you? Where am I?" She questioned the man. But he said nothing. "Don't touch me!" She hissed. But the man didn't listen to her and began kissing her. Sora shook violently causing the man to stop kissing her. He slapped her hard. Sora began to cry. The tears drenched the blindfold soon and began to trickle down her cheeks.
"Why are you doing this?" She pleaded. "Please stop." The man was now touching her all over. Breathing in her sent. Sora was powerless to do anything, but sit there and endure the torture of the man's touch.
"Now son, is there anyone who would want to hurt Sora?" The policeman asked Tai.
"No, Sora was nice to everyone."
"No jealous ex-boyfriend or stalker?"
"Well, I don't think Matt would hurt her."
"Who's Matt?"
"They were going out for a month or two, a while ago. But Matt and Sora are good friends. He'd never do anything to hurt her."
"Anyone else?"
"Well there was this guy named Todd. He went psycho on her Friday and then apologized to her…" Tai's brain clicked on. "That bastard! He better not touch her!"
"Take it easy there. We'll go and talk to this Todd fellow soon. Is there anyone else?"
"No." Once again Tai burst into tears at the thought of never seeing Sora again. "If I would have only spent the night. She'd be ok right now."
"Now, don't go and beat yourself up here. We'll find her." He said as he put his hand on Tai's shoulder, and led him out into the hall where his parents were waiting for him.
"Oh baby." Tai's mom said running to and then hugging her son. "Everything will be ok."
"We might need some more information as the investigation goes along. But right now we've started the biggest search in the area's history for her."
"Thank you officer." Tai's dad said as he shook the officer's hand. "How can we be of more help?"
"Well probably the best thing is to stay near the phone. Usually they end up escaping and then they call for help. I'm assuming you two were close, so she'll likely contact you guys first."
"Thanks again." Tai's dad led the saddened group outside and into Tai's car. Kari was waiting in the back seat, as Tai sat down. The drive home was silent except for a few sniffles from Tai and Kari.
"Come on kids." Tai's dad said. "She's a tough cookie. She'll make those bad guys sorry they took her." His dad chuckled, trying to break the extreme sadness in the car. It Didn't work. Tai was almost comatose. He Didn't move or blink, he just sat and looked out the window.
"Tai sweetie, we are home." His mom had opened the door and was waiting for Tai to step out. "Oh honey, she'll be fine. Come on, you never know when she'll call." She took Tai's arm and literally pulled Tai to the apartment. She laid him down on the couch and covered him with a blanket. Kari sat on the floor by him.
"Tai, please don't just stare at the ceiling like that." Kari said on the verge of tears. But he didn't respond. He stayed there in the same state of shock for the rest of that day and into the next.
The phone remained silent for most of Sunday until it suddenly rang. Tai jumped up to get the phone. It Hadn't rang twice and tai was already there
"Hello? Sora?"
"No, it's Officer Digreto, we were just letting you know that we talked to your classmate Todd. He has an alibi that was supported by others. So we are not pursuing him as a suspect."
"It's him!" Tai shouted. "I know it is he has her."
"Son, he checks out, there is nothing we can charge him with. He even let us search his home. There were no signs of her there."
"So what do we do now?" Tai questioned weakly.
"Just have someone near the phone. Also Mrs. Takenouchi is still in the hospital, so maybe she'll have some info."
"Is she going to be ok?"
"She took a good hit to the head, but she's pulling through. Do you know of any other relatives who need to be contacted? I know you are just the boyfriend, but we can't open anymore info that might be important until they are notified."
"I know where they kept their address book, I could do that for them."
"Alright son. Maybe this will help keep you busy. don't just sit and mope around- it won't help her."
"Yes sir." Tai said. He hung up the phone and walked to their door. "I'm going out." He called to his family.
Tai slowly walked over to Sora's apartment. The police were gone, but the caution tape was still up. Tai walked slowly into the darkness. Even the lights didn't help. Tai walked into Sora's room. The room was a mess. 'There must have been a heated struggle,' Tai thought. "Oh Sora, where are you?" He dropped to his knees and wept for a time. Once he composed himself he got up and walked over to Sora's dresser and opened the top drawer. Tai picked up the address book, and found a diary just underneath. He picked that up and held it close. He knew he shouldn't look inside, but he needed to feel her near him- so he opened it up and read a few entries, these only caused him to cry more. He had never realized she felt this strongly for him. And the reason she went out with Matt was because she thought he (Tai) didn't like her like that. 'Oh Sora.' Tai said as he set the journal back in her drawer. He looked around the room and sighed. Soon he slowly walked out of the room, her address book in hand.
He closed the door of the apartment and walked back outside. It began to rain now.
"Great!" Tai exclaimed. But for some reason he didn't run straight for home. He casually walked. Soaking in the rain and the cold.
Sora finally woke up. Her head was throbbing. She tried to rub it, but found she was bound and blindfolded. The air was musty and cold. 'Where am I?' She thought. 'Last night… the burglar… oh no!'
Sora sat in the middle of a cold damp room, tied to a chair. Her arms, legs and even her waist were immovable.
She tried to wiggle her way out but only ended up bleeding by the wrists. The rope was frayed and coarse.
Suddenly there was a hand caressing her face.
"Who are you? Where am I?" She questioned the man. But he said nothing. "Don't touch me!" She hissed. But the man didn't listen to her and began kissing her. Sora shook violently causing the man to stop kissing her. He slapped her hard. Sora began to cry. The tears drenched the blindfold soon and began to trickle down her cheeks.
"Why are you doing this?" She pleaded. "Please stop." The man was now touching her all over. Breathing in her sent. Sora was powerless to do anything, but sit there and endure the torture of the man's touch.
"Now son, is there anyone who would want to hurt Sora?" The policeman asked Tai.
"No, Sora was nice to everyone."
"No jealous ex-boyfriend or stalker?"
"Well, I don't think Matt would hurt her."
"Who's Matt?"
"They were going out for a month or two, a while ago. But Matt and Sora are good friends. He'd never do anything to hurt her."
"Anyone else?"
"Well there was this guy named Todd. He went psycho on her Friday and then apologized to her…" Tai's brain clicked on. "That bastard! He better not touch her!"
"Take it easy there. We'll go and talk to this Todd fellow soon. Is there anyone else?"
"No." Once again Tai burst into tears at the thought of never seeing Sora again. "If I would have only spent the night. She'd be ok right now."
"Now, don't go and beat yourself up here. We'll find her." He said as he put his hand on Tai's shoulder, and led him out into the hall where his parents were waiting for him.
"Oh baby." Tai's mom said running to and then hugging her son. "Everything will be ok."
"We might need some more information as the investigation goes along. But right now we've started the biggest search in the area's history for her."
"Thank you officer." Tai's dad said as he shook the officer's hand. "How can we be of more help?"
"Well probably the best thing is to stay near the phone. Usually they end up escaping and then they call for help. I'm assuming you two were close, so she'll likely contact you guys first."
"Thanks again." Tai's dad led the saddened group outside and into Tai's car. Kari was waiting in the back seat, as Tai sat down. The drive home was silent except for a few sniffles from Tai and Kari.
"Come on kids." Tai's dad said. "She's a tough cookie. She'll make those bad guys sorry they took her." His dad chuckled, trying to break the extreme sadness in the car. It Didn't work. Tai was almost comatose. He Didn't move or blink, he just sat and looked out the window.
"Tai sweetie, we are home." His mom had opened the door and was waiting for Tai to step out. "Oh honey, she'll be fine. Come on, you never know when she'll call." She took Tai's arm and literally pulled Tai to the apartment. She laid him down on the couch and covered him with a blanket. Kari sat on the floor by him.
"Tai, please don't just stare at the ceiling like that." Kari said on the verge of tears. But he didn't respond. He stayed there in the same state of shock for the rest of that day and into the next.
The phone remained silent for most of Sunday until it suddenly rang. Tai jumped up to get the phone. It Hadn't rang twice and tai was already there
"Hello? Sora?"
"No, it's Officer Digreto, we were just letting you know that we talked to your classmate Todd. He has an alibi that was supported by others. So we are not pursuing him as a suspect."
"It's him!" Tai shouted. "I know it is he has her."
"Son, he checks out, there is nothing we can charge him with. He even let us search his home. There were no signs of her there."
"So what do we do now?" Tai questioned weakly.
"Just have someone near the phone. Also Mrs. Takenouchi is still in the hospital, so maybe she'll have some info."
"Is she going to be ok?"
"She took a good hit to the head, but she's pulling through. Do you know of any other relatives who need to be contacted? I know you are just the boyfriend, but we can't open anymore info that might be important until they are notified."
"I know where they kept their address book, I could do that for them."
"Alright son. Maybe this will help keep you busy. don't just sit and mope around- it won't help her."
"Yes sir." Tai said. He hung up the phone and walked to their door. "I'm going out." He called to his family.
Tai slowly walked over to Sora's apartment. The police were gone, but the caution tape was still up. Tai walked slowly into the darkness. Even the lights didn't help. Tai walked into Sora's room. The room was a mess. 'There must have been a heated struggle,' Tai thought. "Oh Sora, where are you?" He dropped to his knees and wept for a time. Once he composed himself he got up and walked over to Sora's dresser and opened the top drawer. Tai picked up the address book, and found a diary just underneath. He picked that up and held it close. He knew he shouldn't look inside, but he needed to feel her near him- so he opened it up and read a few entries, these only caused him to cry more. He had never realized she felt this strongly for him. And the reason she went out with Matt was because she thought he (Tai) didn't like her like that. 'Oh Sora.' Tai said as he set the journal back in her drawer. He looked around the room and sighed. Soon he slowly walked out of the room, her address book in hand.
He closed the door of the apartment and walked back outside. It began to rain now.
"Great!" Tai exclaimed. But for some reason he didn't run straight for home. He casually walked. Soaking in the rain and the cold.