Chapter 2: The Kidnapping
A week later...
Stella was looking at the huge check she was given. There was a lot in it, almost half a billion dollars. She had secretly given a third to Mike after being asked for it to pay off her bills.
Stella smiled as she walked out of her room and down the long corridor. She hummed "My Love is Like...Wo" as she walked down a flight of stairs and walked down another long hallway. After going down another flight of stairs and walking down a long passageway, Stella finally made her way to the living room.
Inside the living room were some of the Numbers at the card table, and there was also Mike, Roger, and Becky in front of the fire. Mike was reading the newspaper with Becky glancing over his shoulder, and Roger was hovered over a picture of something. Stella walked over quietly and looked over at Roger. He quickly glanced up at her and then put his paws over the picture.
"Hashaa, Miss Stella!" Roger remarked as he turned very red.
Stella walked closer to Roger and inquired, "Hey, whatcha lookin' at?"
Roger turned a red of all reds and whispered, "Notheeng. Notheeng aat all."
"Oh, c'mon!" Stella retorted and removed his paws from the unknown picture. She glanced at it and turned pale. It was a picture of her, of course, but not just any picture...
"Oh my God, Roger! Where da heck did you get DAT?!" Stella screamed. "I'm not some slut!"
Roger turned pale. "Number 13 preenteed eet off of zee seecureetee caameera," he replied.
Mike looked up from the newspaper. He stood up and walked over to Stella and Roger to see what it was. Mike turned pale, and anyone could see the heat rising to his head. He scolded Roger, "Roger! You are NOT supposed to make Stella look like a slut!"
Becky laughed and remarked, "Why try to make her look like one? She already is one."
Stella grew red in her face and screamed at Becky, "OH?! At least some guy wants to see ME like that!"
"You're just a self-centered little girl," Becky retorted.
Stella had had enough. She took the picture Roger was holding, ripped it into shreds, and threw it in the fire. Stella then pushed Becky into the floor and screamed in her face, "GET OUT OF MY LIFE, BECK-AY!"
Mike grabbed Stella's arm and shouted, "Stella! Don't do OR say that! Now help Becky up!"
Stella pulled her arm away from his grip and screamed, "Mikey, I love you! Becky, I hate you! Rogie, just stay out of this!" And with that, she ran out of the room with tears rolling down her face.
Mike frowned and turned toward Becky. He helped her up and whispered, "Don't worry about that. I'll take care of it."
Becky smiled and exclaimed, "Oh, thank you, Mikey!"
Roger continued looking out the door. He didn't know what to say to what just happened. He put his head in his paws and whispered, "Oh, moi..."
Meanwhile, Stella was in her room with the door locked. She buried her face in her pillow and screamed obscenities that were meant for Becky. She was so embarrassed! Why would Roger have a picture of her like that? Stella didn't understand why everyone was now against her.
Mike likes Becky for sure now!, Stella thought to herself. I know for sure he does! Everyone saw that picture prolly, and that's just embarrassing! Stupid Becky, I wish something would happen to her that was bad...
Stella sat up and looked down at the big check that was lying in the floor. She wiped her face with her throw and picked it up. Stella whispered to herself, "I wonder what would happen if I went away... Maybe everything would be better for Mike. Mike prolly thinks I'm just some stupid little girl hanging around this place. But...being part of the Bad Hams is all I know. No one will guide me now...I have to get out of here..."
Later that night...
Stella looked at the small suitcase she had come up with. Inside of it was her big check, most of her jewelry, her journal, her laptop, and numerous ribbons. Stella closed it quietly and looked around her room. She was going to miss this place that had welcomed her in the past, but it was now time to leave. Stella slipped on a black cloak, and she placed an enveloped letter on her nightstand and walked out her bedroom door.
The hallways were deserted as Stella tiptoed down them with her small suitcase. She walked down the stairs and hallways that led to the front room, where the door was. Stella glanced around in the pitch black halls to make sure no one was following or watching her.
Stella made her way to the quiet and dark front room. The wooden table with its two chairs had always been there, so she knew where to walk. Stella felt the door knob and turned to look back slowly. She thrust open the door and closed it behind her sharply as she walked up the staircase.
Once to the top of the stairs, Stella opened the double doors that led outside. The rain was pouring and didn't show signs of stopping as she closed the doors behind her. Stella drew her cloak closer to her and started walking through the forest of trees. She had no idea where she was going; she just knew she was going away from this place.
Stella stopped walking when she saw two bright lights a ways from her. She glanced around and walked toward the two lights. Stella did not know what the lights were, but she was going to find out.
When she got close to the two lights, there was a faint noise that sounded like a car engine. Stella trudged closer to what by now looked like a car. Her eyes were alert and so were her ears as she continued walking toward the car.
Suddenly two hamsters emerged from the car. Stella stopped dead in her tracks. One of the hamsters was the guy hamster she saw a few days ago, Jake, and the other hamster was a very dark brown, bulky hamster. She didn't know who he was, but she knew he was a friend of Jake's.
Jake walked up to Stella and peered into her face. She drew her cloak even closer as she whispered, "I never thought I'd see you here."
Jake whispered back, "I'm back, Stella."
Stella scowled and retorted, "That was a long time ago. That doesn't mean it's still so."
"I'm back now, Stella," Jake whispered as the bulky hamster walked over.
Stella backed away and said under her breath, "No..."
Jake shook his head and seized Stella by her arms. "I'm back, Stella...," he whispered as the bulky hamster opened the trunk of the car and put Stella's suitcase in it.
Stella's eyes opened up wide and screamed, "NO!!"
"Yes, Stella," Jake whispered as he brought her closer.
Stella wrenched herself free from Jake's grip and began to run. Jake shouted to the bulky hamster, and the two got back in the car and began to drive after her. Stella screamed loudly for help, but no one seemed to be there. She was too far from the Bad Hams Place to get there, so she headed for one of the Ham-Hams' old houses, Caitlin's. The car Jake and the bulky hamster were driving was right behind her, and she could feel her blood run cold.
Suddenly, as if it was placed there on purpose, Stella tripped over a tree root and fell flat on her front. She tried to get off of the ground, but the bulky hamster lifted her off of the ground and slinged her over his shoulder. Stella continued to scream, but she knew no one heard her. Jake walked to the back of the car, opened the trunk, and whispered, "Stella, I'm back."
Stella tried to scream and escape from the bulky hamster, but the bulky hamster was too strong. He bound and gagged her and threw her in the trunk. Jake continued to whisper, "I'm back...I'm back...I'm back again, Stella." The next thing Stella saw was darkness.