Rock The Cradle

"Bye Harriet.  I'll see you Monday!"  She called as she raced out the doors of the school auditorium.  "Don't forget my skirt!  I need it for Tuesday."  She stepped out into the dark night and breathed in the cool air.  Jaime had offered her a ride; she had passed, she wouldn't give up a night like this for the world.  The moon was full, she could see it through the thin layer of clouds that had begun to form above her head.  Looking up she could see some stars in-between the patches of clouds.  It almost made her feel small seeing all of them towering over her…She wondered how many beings were looking up at her and wondering the same thing…  

                Once she had begun to walk the dirty side path towards the building on the far end of campus she wished she had brought her jacket that night.  It was colder than she had expected, but she didn't mind too much. 

                She stopped at the streetlight before she could stop.  Out of the corner of her eye she saw a dark haired man walking behind her.  He looked in a hurry, almost out of breath as he stopped a few feet behind her.  She pushed the button for the light to change and shifted her backpack uncomfortably.

                The light changed.  She could feel the man's eyes on her and quickly crossed the street.  On the other side she turned slightly to see if the man was still there; he was crossing the street as well.  He almost seemed to be staring right at her, she met his eyes for a spit second and felt them jab into her brain.  She tried to shrug it off and kept going, but the man's eyes still haunted her site. 

Her block was dark, hardly any light showing even out of the windows of the many building on her street.  She lived in a good neighborhood; most of the houses on her blocks looked more like mansions.  She didn't like to brag, but she could afford it.  Her father was loaded.  He was the head of one of the largest law firms in Chicago; the Carter family was well off, for a widow raising an only child she felt he did his job well.

                She shifted her backpack again and scratched her leg, her uniform was killing her, it was made of polyester and itched like crazy.  She went to a catholic school; uniforms were big in Catholic schools.  Her uniform slightly resembled the one in the Britney Spears video, but not as skanky.

                She heard a noise behind her and turned.  A car had just turned down the block, it was moving so slow she was sure she was walking faster than it was.  It's color was dark, barely seen against the darkness surrounding it.  It's lights shut off as she watched it.  She was about to turn around when she saw that the man was still behind her; it was almost like he was following her, but that was a ridiculous thought.  She faced forward again and tried to focus on her solo in the choir.  She began to hum as the car pulled up next to her and stopped, its engine still going.  She glanced at it; the windows were tinted so she couldn't see in; even with that she could just sense something wrong…Something inside didn't feel right to her, she sped up. 

                She started to hum louder, trying to ignore the feeling of panic that had suddenly washed over her body.

                Someone called her name.  "Grace."  Just like that, they had said her name.  She turned around.  It was the man.  She took a step back.

                "Do I know you?"  She asked squinting her eyes in the dark for a better look.

                The man smiled.  "You will."  He began to walk closer.  She heard the door of the car open, but didn't take her eyes of the man.  Her feet were carrying her backward, but she was barely able to move.  His eyes were almost hypnotizing…they held her and frightened her, sending a feeling she had never felt before cover her entire body.

                "How do you know my name?"  She asked, her voice quivering.  This time, he didn't answer.  In one quick movement he grabbed her and turned her around, her back facing him.  His hand clamped over her mouth as she felt herself being pulled into the car. 

                The last thing she saw before the pain stabbed her head was her house beckoning in the distance.

**************************

For that small moment in time as she opened her eyes she was sure the night before had been a dream.  It was so unreal.  The sun hit her eyes and warmed her cheeks as she tried to stretch; as she did so she realized the reality of it all.

                It had been true.

                She closed her eyes for a moment as she felt the rope tied around her hands, her tongue slipped smoothly over the cloth that had been shoved in her mouth.  The throbbing sensation in her head had swelled to an overbearing weight.

                She opened her eyes again letting her eyes seep in her surroundings.  For a person who had just been kidnapped, the room was very open, bright even.  Although the furniture was lacking if she had not been in the situation she was currently in she would have gotten up to enjoy herself.

                It looked oddly pioneerishly comfortable.  She looked towards the door, which was closed and wondered where she was.  She strained her neck to see out the windows behind her, but she couldn't; not the way she was tied down. 

                A squeak escaped through the cloth as she tried to loosen her bonds.  After what seemed to be hours, but in reality must have only been a few minutes she stopped her struggle and turned her eyes up to the ceiling; the only space in the room she felt comfortable looking at. 

                Before she let herself get caught in the dark water spots above her bed she heard voices nearing the room she had been placed in; they weren't familiar.

                 The knob was the first thing she noticed as the voices grew there loudest and finally appeared as faces before her trembling body. 

                The tallest man was the first to enter; he had sad eyes, dark eyes…They stared at her, almost uncaring.  The second man she remembered; he was from the night before.

                The room remained mute for what seemed to be ages.  Both eyes resting on her; seemingly hypnotized by her being there.  It was almost as if they hadn't known she would be lying in the room they stood in this very minute.

                "You hungry?"  The tallest one asked with a nod of recognition in her direction; his voice was gruff.

                She didn't answer, it only seemed to agitate him.

                "What's wrong with her?"  He asked, his eyes never leaving hers.  "She deaf?  How hard did you hit her last night?"

                This time she tried to speak; the gag muffled her words.

                "I guess she isn't."  The man said with a laugh.

                "You gonna take it out?"  The man from the night before asked speaking of the task as if he were talking about changing a diaper.  She grunted another reply.  The two just stood there in response, neither wanting to do the simple task.

                After another few moments and tears flowing down a dry cheek a third man entered the room much to her surprise.

                "What you guys doin' in here?"  He asked stopping in-between the two.  He looked at their expressions and what they were looking at.  He laughed.  "She ain't gonna bite!"  He walked to her side and sat down on the springy flat mattress.  He pulled the gag out of her mouth as best she allowed him to; her head moved back every time he came closer to taking it out.

                "See."  He said looking back at the other two men.  "She didn't bite."

                The tall man snorted a response and headed out the door.  The man from the night before leaned against the doorframe and smiled.  "I thought you liked that kinda thing J."

                The man next to her chortled softly and shook his head.  "I do…" He looked at her.  "She's a little young though, don't you think?"  He traced his finger down her cheek; she flinched. 

                "I thought you liked that too." 

                The man on the bed stood up.  "That I do."  He glanced back at the girl on the bed.  She had moved to the complete side of the bed, if she moved any further he was sure she would fall off.  He laughed again.  "This is too easy."

                "She didn't answer Kevin."

                The man looked over at her again, the one the man had called J, and turned his head sideways.  "Forget about it.  She doesn't look hungry."

                She felt like saying she was, cause she really was, but she was too scared to open her mouth.  She not only wanted food; she needed it…bad.  She had been biting her tongue so hard she felt the blood beginning to run down her throat.

                They were gone.

                It seemed like forever since they had entered, but they were gone and now she had a slight idea of what her captors were like.  She wondered again for the hundredth time that day what they wanted and why they had chosen her.

                How did they know my name?

                She asked herself that same question over and over again until she was sure her brain couldn't handle the pressure any longer.

                Her tear soaked eyes ached with the stinging sensation of the men and their eyes that clung to her every being.  The visions and thoughts of things to come suddenly pounded her retinas and tangled into her brain becoming one giant mesh of emotions.

                Questions are there where the tangled visions gathered and rested solid…Questions only a chosen few could answer but would not.

                Only a few hours had passed since she had arrived in the small, closed off room and yet it seemed only minutes had passed since the she had arrived…only minutes in a long drawn out day.

                Judging from the light flowing through the windows she guessed it was before noon.  That meant she hadn't eaten since five or six the night before.  The hunger was there, it wasn't dissipating with the sobs or the fear, it only got worse with time.  In a few hours she knew she'd pass out…She needed her medicine, if she didn't get it soon…

                Only time will tell what the present can't.

                So she waits.

*****************************

                "Hello?"  He distraught voice answered hastily.  "Gracie is that you?"

                "No Mr. Carter, it's not."

                "Who is this?  Do you know where Gracie is?"  He asked reaching down for a pen and piece of paper. 

                "Yes we know where she is."

                "Oh thank god!  Is she hurt?  Where is she?"  He asked shaking the pen above the white paper in his lap anxious to write down what he needed to know.

                "That is information, Mr. Carter, that we cannot reveal, at least at this current time."

                "What?  Why not?  Where's Grace?"  He asked dropping the pen as he stood, letting the ink spill onto the floor as it exploded on impact with the white carpet.  Black ink seeped into the fibers and hit the wooden floor beneath.  "Is she OK?"

                "She's fine Mr. Carter, for now at least, but if you want to see her again you are going to have to help us out first."

                "What do you mean?  Who are you?"

                "We are men like you and yet unlike you…We just want something you wouldn't give us unless…we had a little assistance…" The voice slowed at the end…suggestively.

                "What do you want?  If you have Grace I'll do whatever…Please don't hurt her."  His voice quivered at the end of this sentence.  His eyes closed.  He let out a deep breath.  "Please, I'll do whatever you want."  He repeated.

                "We want 5 million dollars.  We get the money you and your daughter don't have to worry any more."

                "5 million?  I don't know if I even have that much."

                "I'm sure you could get it Mr. Big Shot.  It won't be too hard."    

                "When?  Where do you want me to do this?"

                "We'll be nice…2 days Mr. Carter.  Anything beyond that…your daughter is in our hands, I'm not saying it will be pretty."

                "2 days…" He repeated slowly, his eyes still closed, his breathing had intensified.  "I don't know if I can do that."

                "I guess you'll just have to do whatever it takes…2 days, we'll call you when we need you."  He paused to let the man seep all his words in.  "No cops."

                "She's diabetic."

                "What?"

                "She's diabetic…She needs her medicine if she doesn't get it she could die."

                He glanced over to the other 4 men in the room.  They hadn't known.  He nodded to the shortest of the few; he ran for the girl's bag.  Digging around he found a bottle at the bottom of her bag. 

                "Please, don't let her die."  He begged once more.

                "She won't die Mr. Carter, as long as you give us what we want nothing will happen to her.  And don't goof up; it could cost you a lot.  No mistakes; she's relying on you."

                Before the man could say another word the line went dead.  He was too frightened to realize the ink bleeding through the vast whiteness of his living room.  It bled like he bled now…

                "That wasn't so hard now was it?"  He asked with laugh. 

                "How could we have missed this?"  Justin asked shaking the bottle.  "Who was supposed to check this stuff out?"

                "You."  Brian said grabbing the bottle from his hands.  "You suppose we should give it to her?"  He asked examining the pills closely.

                "Well yeah…" JC said taking the pills from Brian's grasp.  "You heard what the man said…she'd die."

                "Not right away…Maybe we should let her suffer for a bit."  The tattooed man offered, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

                "That wasn't the deal."  Kevin said nodding towards JC.  "Take them up to her." 

                The tattooed man rolled his eyes, no one could see them through his sunglasses, but he did it anyway.  "This is getting boring…"

                "It wasn't supposed to be exciting a-hole.  This is for a purpose."  Brian answered walking towards the opened screen door.

                "Oh yeah?"

                "Yeah."

                "What's the purpose then?"

                Brian bit his lip and walked through the door, his fists clenched tightly.

                "He never answered my question!"  The man said shocked as he stood up from the counter. 

                "How rude."  Justin said sarcastically as he yawned and closed his eyes for a nap.  This is more than boring…I could be getting laid right now.

*********************

                She could hear the footfalls in the back of her mind.  She was fading fast, the room had gone dark as daylight disappeared from the sky.

                A hand lifted her head from the flat pillow she rested on.  Before she could speak a round pill was shoved into her mouth.  She looked up to see the man from the night before.  His eyes stayed in their unchanging intensity as he lifted a glass to her parched lips.  Much to her dismay she only got a few gulps before he pulled the glass away.

                He looked into her eyes harshly and he could tell she was silently pleading for more.  He chuckled as he tipped the glass over letting the cool drink fall onto the wooden floorboards at his feet.

                His face became suddenly shocked.  "I'm so sorry!  You wanted that didn't you?"

                "I need food, I'm a diabetic."  She conjured up the energy to speak.

                "We gave you medicine."

                "I'm hungry." She finally gave in, knowing it wouldn't be enough for him.

                "So am I!"  He said amazed.  "Maybe we should eat…Hmm…" He tapped his foot on the wet floor as he "thought" deeply.

                "Stop fooling around."  Came a voice from the door. It was Kevin.  "Go downstairs and make her a sandwich."

                The younger man did as he was told and left the room mumbling something about "doing everything."

                "We called your father."  Her eyes came into focus as he spoke these words.  "If he doesn't give us what we want in two days we'll all know how far love goes in the Carter family."  He sat down where the tattooed man had been just hours ago.  "How much do you think you're father loves you Gracie?"  He paused and watched her face cringe.  "Does he love you more than his money Gracie?  Is he going to give us what we want or is he going to let you die?"  Upon speaking the last word his voice had risen to and his face was now inches from hers.

                She didn't know what to say.  She was unaware whether the man wanted an answer, or if he was just trying, and succeeding, to scare her.   He appeared to be waiting.  "I trust him."  She finally spoke sinking her head further into the pillow beneath her head.

                "Hmm…Trust.  That's a strong word Gracie.  If I held, say this knife," he said as he pulled a small pocketknife from his vest.  "In front of your throat like this and asked you if you trusted me…What would you say?"             

"You wouldn't do it."  She answered after a few minutes.  He looked shocked.

                "So you're saying you trust me?"

                Her voice trembled as she spoke, the courage was coming from somewhere, but she didn't know where.

                "I didn't say I trust you.  I said you wouldn't do it."

                "Why not?"  The knife slipped a little nicking her skin slightly.

                She closed her eyes and leaned as far back as she could go.  "You need me."

                She felt the knife slip away from her throat, but the relief remained dormant.  She heard him stand up and walk away, but not out of the room.  She slowly opened her eyes.  His back was to her, the knife still in his hands.  His fists were clenched so tight his knuckles were turning white.  He appeared to be shaking.

                He lashed out so quickly she had no time to prepare.  The knife was buried a foot above her head in the wall, his fists which were still clenched were hitting her hard.

                Blow after blow forced onto her flesh, bruising and breaking the soft skin.

                Her instincts were to curl up but she wasn't able to, her hands were tied up.  She was defenseless.

                "Whoa Bri!"  A voice cried.  Moments later she felt him being pulled off of her.  Another one had entered the room and was laughing as he patted the man on the back.  "Calm down, man!  There won't be anything left of her to beat if you keep that up."  He put half an arm around his back and turned him around, then slapped him on the back he said, "Eat this sandwich., OK.  We'll go downstairs."

                "Bitch."  He mumbled as he walked out of the room.