Day Five and Six:

Wednesday, July 12th and Thursday, July 13th

Unknown Location, maybe Laguna Beach, California, but most likely Tijuana, Mexico

Bella

The last thing I remembered was being pulled over by a motorcycle cop. I had been speeding, so it wasn't surprising to see the flashing lights in my rearview mirror. The cop didn't say much when he approached my car. Not that I was paying attention, anyway; I was in the process of getting my registration out of my glove compartment when things went black. It was the weirdest sensation, being aware of the world around you—and then BAM! Complete confusion and fogginess overwhelmed me. I didn't dream, and it felt like time didn't exist. As I awoke sometime later, everything around me was hazy and heavy.

Somehow, though, I knew I was sitting in a chair. The wooden back supported my upright posture. It took a few minutes for my vision to clear, but as it did, I was shocked to see a man in a black hoodie, sunglasses, and skeleton mask standing before me. I tried to move, but my wrists and ankles were tied to the chair. Every time I shifted, the rope dug deeper into my skin. As my eyes focused and looked around me, I had no clue where I was. The room was small, the ceiling barely seven feet above my head, and it felt too claustrophobic. The four walls were made of thin tin, and I wondered if I was in someone's shed. It seemed like that. There were two utility lamps on each side of the room, and they provided the only light. The smell was the worst – like sweat and sewage.

"Hey, Bonita," the man in front of me said as he tapped the side of my face, gaining my attention. He removed his sunglasses and mask, revealing his face. I didn't know it then, but the Hispanic man with a thick mustache and goatee patch was Lado. "Do you understand me?"

I agreed.

He held a glass of water in his hand and offered it to me. "Drink up."

Leaning forward a little, I took a few sips with his assistance. The water felt good on my throat. As I drank more, my mind became clearer. I could remember the conversation I had with Edward and Jasper through the computer. It was shortly after I got... wherever the hell I was. Fuck, how long had I been there? There were no windows, so I couldn't see the sun or moon to help mark the days and nights.

"Where am I?"

Lado took the glass away and smiled. "You're home."

I shook my head, refusing to believe that.

"Oh, no?" Lado raised his eyebrows at my obstinance and gestured toward the corner where a 4-sided welded wire cage with a 3' hinged door and no ceiling sat. In the center was a twin mattress. "That's your bed."

Sophia was there, I think. She was the same one who slapped me around and held the laptop for me so I could talk with my boys. She sat in the middle of the bed and patted the flimsy pillow, almost tauntingly.

What was she doing? I remembered thinking. Did they expect us to share it?

"That's your toilet, and that's your sink," Lado said, pointing to the other side of the room.

It was the dirtiest and most unsanitary toilet and sink I had ever seen; worse than some ghetto-ass gas station restroom. It had shit and piss stains on the seat, and I knew that's where all the smell was coming from. Next to it, though, was Esteban. He was a young kid, around nineteen to twenty, and his eyes were filled with sympathy for me. Despite his feigned concern, he was holding the chain that would go on my ankle to keep me captive.

It all seemed like a nightmare.

Lado produced a red bucket from a table and pulled out several items. "You've got toothpaste. A comb. Water."

As he turned to walk away, I blurted out, "No toothbrush?!"

Lado smirked and held up his index finger. "Do you want to use mine?" The revulsion on my face made him laugh. "See you in the morning."

What date was it?

How long had I been there?

Lado left, and it had been hours since then. I tried to gauge time by how many thirty-minute shows would pass on the small television they'd provided me. Like, what the hell was that? You ripped me from my life, my men, and everything I knew, and a cheap piece-of-shit TV with no cable would make me complacent? But where would I go if I managed to break free? I had no idea where I was. They guarded me twenty-four seven and had my ankle chained to a fucking wall. I could only walk within a five-foot radius.

Not to mention, they stripped me down to my nightgown. The moment I woke up, I felt exposed and naked. My jewelry was gone, and I had no bra, underwear, or shoes.

If making me feel less than human was their goal, they succeeded.

There was no privacy in this room.

Every time I used the bathroom, Esteban or Sophia was always in the room, and even if they turned around, which they never fucking did, there was a camera above, blinking at me with its red blinking light. So, I held my pee more often than not. I hadn't taken a shower in what seemed like fucking forever, only adding to the disgusting factor.

If their goal wasn't to kill me, then what was it?

How long was I expected to stay?

Would I have to live in those conditions for the rest of my life?

To whom should I talk?

Would my only interactions be with Esteban, Sophia, and that son of a bitch Lado?

These questions rattled through my mind as I became increasingly anxious. Usually, I would smoke to help calm my nerves, but that wasn't an option.

The only thing that gave me hope was knowing that Edward and Jasper wouldn't let me rot there.

Meanwhile, as I waited for my rescue, I was stuck in this small room with Esteban as he watched trashy shows and ate greasy food. How could he sit there and laugh as I slowly lost my mind? Doesn't he see how his fucking boss bruised my face or how my lip was swollen from where Sophia slapped me?

It didn't end there, either.

My wrists and ankles were sore and red from the ropes they tied around them. I was severely dehydrated and starving. Not to mention, the drowsy feeling from all the sedatives they gave me.

The cop who pulled me over had probably stuck a needle in my neck or knocked me out with chloroform. That's the only thing I could figure. How else would I get the loss of time?

I would later find out that Frankie was dead. They killed him so they could kidnap me. I should never have left the house that day. Why was I so stupid? Why did I think nothing would happen to me? Like, the worst thing I thought would happen was to leave Laguna for a year - that was my big fucking problem.

Esteban laughed while holding a full mouth of pizza.

It ripped me out of my thoughts. What the fuck?! How was he so oblivious and carefree?

I said to him, "This isn't fair!" He stopped eating and stared at me with wide, blank eyes. "Why can't I talk to whoever's in charge here? Huh?"

Esteban shrugged. He seemed uncomfortable. I could see it in his body language as he shied away from me on the couch. He glanced at the camera above us, and so did I.

"Is anyone listening?" I screamed and punched the sofa, feeling fucking frustrated and exhausted. What did they want from me? "Why can't I talk to anyone?" My hands went through my hair, pulling at the dirty, oily strands. The living conditions were driving me insane. "Fuuuck!"

The door opened, and a bald man with a gun strapped to his chest walked in, leveling his eyes on Esteban. My so-called guard shifted on the couch and looked up at the guy apologetically.

What the fuck did he have to be sorry for?

Seeing an opportunity, I yelled at him. "Hey! Yeah, you! Can you ask your boss to, I don't know - maybe I can get a clean room at least. Maybe a salad every once in a while instead of pizza all the time!" Jumping up, I smacked the pizza box, and it went flying off the table and onto the floor. I approached him aggressively as he stood in the doorway, blocking my way, and all I wanted to do was plead with him. He stared back at me, just looking confused, and probably not understanding a word I was saying. When he stepped out and closed the door behind him, I whimpered, feeling so fucking helpless and broken. "You can't treat me like this. I'm a person."

Esteban sat frozen on the couch. As he watched me, pacing before him and pulling at my hair in tears, his expression was unreadable.

Yes, no, I was alone, and none of these people provided me any company; just...God, I missed Edward and Jasper so much.

My mind would quickly spiral into fantasies of their kisses and how they would touch me, but then fucking Esteban would breathe and drag me back to hell.

I walked toward the door, but the ankle chain stopped me. That was as far as my short leash would go. My head snapped to the camera in the corner of the room, knowing it was my last chance.

Someone had to be listening.

"You don't know my mom, but if she doesn't hear from me soon, she's going to do something really stupid," I started talking, not knowing what I was saying, or if it would be effective. "She's probably going to call the FBI or something. Because my dad, he was in the FBI, or the CIA or one of them."

Esteban nervously cleared his throat, and my eyes fell on him, and it was a warning.

Don't involve anyone else. If they heed my threat, they might kill my parents to eliminate it.

No, I needed to protect them.

"So, you better get me on the internet soon. You can supervise me, sure. That's fine. But that way, at least I can tell someone somewhere that I'm alive."

My tactic changed, acting as if I was okay with the situation and wanted to help them. I need to hold on just long enough for Edward and Jasper to find me.

"And I know that I can be here for like seven to ten days."

I glanced back at Esteban. His frown told me his heart was good, but he was weak and useless to me.

"A month, maybe," I said, but the tears were coming on. Taking a deep breath, I held them back—fuck them, I refused to let them see me cry. But I kept my eyes locked on the camera and to the person behind it. "Whoever you are, just think," I said. They weren't monsters, they're people like anyone else, and like anyone else, my kidnappers had people they loved, too. They needed to see me as a person. "I could be your daughter."

AN: Thanks for reading.