CHAPTER 25: Kidnapped!

I woke up in my bed at eight in the evening, surrounded by Martin, Temi and a few other plants. When Peater saw my eyes flutter open, he let out a breath that he had apparently been holding for eternity.

"Thank God you woke up! I thought you had died!"

"What happened, Elyssia?" Martin asked.

"Oh . . . nothing . . ." I mumbled in response. "Oh, so you're saying that "nothing" nearly choked you to death, eh? You're saying that "nothing" was putting you in a tight situation, eh?" Carol scoffed.

"And this is any of your business because . . . ?" I asked.

"It's my business because I actually care about you, Elyssia." Carol answered. I frowned slightly at her answer.

"Well, considering how much you made my life miserable in St. Henry, it's not really your business, Cactoos. So please leave me alone."

"Look at you go . . ." Carol muttered as she stalked out of the room.

"Please, explain to us. Why did you act as if you were dying?" Crazy Dave asked as he shoved a pill into my mouth.

I grimaced at the taste, but didn't raise any objections, because I didn't want to cause even more of a ruckus.

"Elyssia, come on! We're friends now, aren't we?" Roosevelta asked.

Setting my face to show something like a "No Trespassing" sign, I merely growled, "I don't squeal if I want to keep my heart beating."

"So you mean that . . . that . . . this thing is laying your life on the line?" Temi asked.

"More or less." I answered.

"Why? Did you discover some kind of valuable secret?" Crazy Dave asked.

"And what makes me think that I can trust you?" I replied.

"Look. I keep all of my secrets up here." Crazy Dave said as he pointed to the pot on his head.

"I . . . won't tell my secret. I don't want to put anything ― or anyone ― else at risk." I muttered stoically.

"Fine. Be that way." Roosevelta mumbled.

And with that, she had walked out, head held high. Everyone else followed soon after, leaving me to curl up on my bed, clutch my pillow, and cry. God knows how stressful it can be to keep a secret. A deadly one at that. My thoughts wandered back to my house, which I thought so little about these days. I remembered how helpful my mother and father had been. They had the answers to each and every problem ― that is, when they weren't in "spank our daughter" mode. The friction between us these days was making me feel as if I was being cooked inside a pressure cooker.

I can't help but wonder if those two are alive and well.

I eventually submitted myself to sleep, feeling more alone and scared than ever. And being the thick-skinned girl I was, this feeling of fear was quite foreign.

The dreams I had were anything but good.

I was on the field of Queen's Park with Peater, having a heart to heart. Then, something just told me to spill Ash's secret. Halfway through explaining how I was abused, Ash came jumping out of the bushes, a knife in one leaf. His eyes were blazing with anger and hatred.

"Ash! I di―"

Before I could finish my protest, his knife seemed to slash right through my stem. Surprisingly enough, I saw more blood than what Lake Superior could hold. I screamed loudly . . .

. . . And I woke up.

"Oh . . ." I mumbled as I started trembling in fear.

I was scared stiff by Ash's threat, considering the fact that I'd be watched like a hawk. Then, courage pierced my heart. My heartbeat quickened, and I felt boldness, and a will to do what was right.

"Now . . . the only thing I have to worry about is Ash's wrath . . ." I muttered as I dusted myself off, and trooped out of my room.

"Elyssia, I can see that you're looking better now. Have anything to tell us?" Roosevelta asked as she saw me enter her dingy office.

"Yes." I answered simply.

"Well, get on with it!" Temi and Martin exclaimed, their eyes practically glowing with excitement.

"Close the door first." I instructed.

Crazy Dave went over to close the door, while Peater was concerned enough about my safety to close the one and only window in the entire room. Then it was silent.

"I overheard a phone conversation with Ash yesterday evening. After talking about some kind of plan, he said, "You're welcome, Dr. Zomboss". I could tell that this was a bad sign, because I now know that Ash is a good for nothing traitor." I explained.

"Seeing that I had overheard their little tete a tete, Ash got really mad, and . . . nearly choked me to death. He also threatened to kill me if I breathed his secret to a soul. That's why I was so . . . scared." I explained.

There was a collective gasp from around the room.

"Elyssia, it can't be!" Crazy Dave gasped.

"Wait . . . did you just say that Ash was responsible for this?" Peater sputtered.

"Erm . . . yeah . . ." I replied.

The boy-plant gasped.

"You're a damn liar! Ash is good, not bad! If you hate him so much, that's your grave to dig! It ain't my problem!" Peater yelled.

I tried to protest.

"Wait, Peater, don't doubt me right now ―"

I was cut off by the raging plant.

"DON'T SPEAK! I HAVE EVERY SINGLE DAMN RIGHT TO DOUBT YOU! GOD-FORSAKEN LIAR, GO SOMEWHERE AND DIE!"

I bit back a gasp as Peater marched out the door, seething with rage. Tears filled my eyes, and this time, I didn't bother fighting them. I let them fall to the floor with a wracking sob.

"He'll probably snitch, and I'll be in for it!" Horror and rage filled me up, and I just wanted to go somewhere, anywhere, and be alone.

My father was right when he lectured me one night about boys. They were good for nothing, and they'd only betray me in the end. I closed my eyes as Roosevelta put her arm on my stem.

"Oh, Elyssia. Don't let him bring you down." she whispered.

I wiped away my tears, and I decided to go out for an evening walk in the quiet, grunge alleyways around the base. Just then, I heard a mob behind me. Casually turning around, I saw it was a horde of zombies holding screen doors. I started running, when one of them called out,

"You better run, nosy crapheaded slut!"

Then, Ash jumped in front of me from behind a pile of crates.

"You bloody, shitty snitch!" he growled as he punched me hard.

"I told you not to tell tales, and you went and did the opposite! Peater told me this, in case you were wondering." I gasped.

Everything was falling down around me.

"Who is it we need to bag?" a zombie asked.

"HUDDLE!" Ash commanded to the zombies.

Although he made an effort to keep his whispers discreet, I couldn't help but hear his instructions to the zombies:

"The one that I kiss is the one you take. Don't kill her; just capture her and bring her back to City Hall." I gasped at those words.

I thought that all hell was about to break loose as Ash came over to me, his face schooled to show no emotion.

"Elyssia, I'm afraid I'll have to do this . . ."

And with that, he kissed my cheek.

"Eww, you damn piece of crap! You're so damn disgusting!" I shrieked.

Next thing I knew, the screendoor zombies were dragging me. I could see Peater's face through a window, watching the melee with a look of deep regret and sorrow on his face. Just before he was out of sight, he mouthed the words, "I'm sorry, Elyssia." I gave him a dirty look before Ash whacked me hard.

"Walk, you lazy girl."

The zombies let go of me, leaving me to walk on my own. To ease the fact that I was about to be held prisoner, I looked around at the moon and the stars. Never was I so grateful to see them.

"Fricking craphead! I said to walk, not to look around as if you were in a museum!" Ash growled as he picked up a whip and struck my stem hard with it.

I walked as fast as I could, but I was still whipped every now and then. At last, at long last, we were on the steps of City Hall. Ash rapped one, two, three knocks on the door.

"WHO THE HELL IS IT, AND WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM MY LIFE?!" a voice from inside bellowed.

"It's me, Ash. I got a prisoner that you've been wanting for some time." Ash replied.

"COME ON IN!" the voice growled, the door swinging open a second later.

I was pushed inside, and the door locked behind me. As my eyes scanned the room, I saw a zombie with a big head, insane, evil red eyes, and broken teeth. I knew one thing. He was Zomboss.

"Ah, I see. This must be the famous Elyssia Antonia Maccabaeus, the Coponeva Insuperabilis." he mused as he walked up to me.

"Lyssia, Lyssia, Lyssia." he crooned.

"Will you ever stop poking your damn nose in our business?"

"Not until you are stopped, Edgar George Zomboss! You are evil, and you deserve nothing good!" I screamed, earning an outburst from Ash.

He leapt in front of me, and held my throat.

"Shut the hell up, girl!"

With that, he let go of me.

"Right." Zomboss muttered in satisfaction.

Then he clapped his hands.

"Drag her into a cell, and make sure she stays there." Zomboss commanded.

"And no, Alex, you won't eat her."

I glanced behind me, only to find that the zombie behind me looked poised to sink his teeth into my head.

"LOCK HER IN!" Zomboss screamed.

"Yessir!" Ash mumbled as he dragged me into an empty cell. Before he put the place under lock and key, he grabbed my cheeks and grinned an evil grin.

"Elyssia, Elyssia. Poor you, without me." he snarled. "You know, there was once a time when I fell hard for you."

I gasped, partially from shock, and partially from the pain that Ash's tightening grip was giving me.

"Yes, it's true. Oh well. Those were the old, deal-free days." he chortled before leaving and locking the door behind him, chuckling to himself.

In my cell, there was a mattress, a cracked mirror, and basically lots of space, apparently for harsh beatings. I grimaced at the blood spattered on the floor, probably from a previous prisoner. I fell onto my mattress with a sigh.

I was truly alone.