the street and entered the woods, dodg

leaping over exposed roots. Every crunch of a twig underfoot sent panic jolting t

I hoped they were. I kept running until the tree

e of escape in that direction. I looked to either side, trying to see if there was a way around, but the woods

when I

ral growl fr

fr

knocked from my lungs, and I scrambled, thrashing, trying to get free. It was one of the guys who had kidn

n?" he snarled,

as adrenaline, or maybe I was just so fed up with

in my voice. "Maybe because three creepy dudes kid

ste the moment-I twisted my body and kneed him, hard, where it hurt. He

ke a step, another pair of hands grabbed my arms-tight. I strugg

ed over me

ything-anything-they wanted with me. I was alone in the middl

unreadable. For a second, I thought he was going to hit me. Instead, he reached out and cupped

t didn't make sense. W

cold when he sai

nother figure stepped into view. The third guy. Jaso

eed

d. My breath hitc

that. Anythi

blood to acid or your brain to mush. I'd seen too many movies, heard too many horror stories. I started strugg

s a scared animal and he didn't wa

couldn't watch. I couldn

mpered, the fear choking me from the inside out. Then-pain. Sharp and imm

ed to

t-but what came was w

I would've collapsed if they weren't already holding me up. The numbness crept through

eel. That was the m

was limp, a doll in their grasp. My head lolled to the side and landed

were carrying me

elonged

m again, but my m

hey were just blurry shapes and shadows now. My mind was fog

wo others, but I didn't know their names or what th

above me, sli

e's out yet?" on

eplied. "Her eyes are still t

ttered, almost like he was offended. "

was a

da lik

o curse, to kick-but I was trapped in

ke," Jason said. "Might as well wa

ht faintly. What

my mind, but nothing stuck.

my face, and I flinched inside my own

like that," one o

either," the othe

ot anyon

rd agai

I'd felt before. I wasn't just kidnapped for ransom or

ng for someone.

un. Couldn't fight.

letely at

eel like something