Fragile

28. Escape

I open the door, hastily walking in. Inside is ugly cement walls, but the floor is fully covered in red carpet. The room doesn't have a window, but in one corner I see a small lamp to bring me light in.

The men behind me thrust me in the room with force and I fall on the ground.

"Change." One of them says aggressively.

"Can I change in peace? Please?" I beg them, wanting to close the door.

They sigh but walk away and I slam the door shut behind them. Even though there's no lock, I felt safer now. But against their orders, I had no plan to change into whatever they wanted, never. Instead, I pull my phone and begin typing 911 until I remember we're in Europe. Fuck, where should I call?

I had no idea what their help number was, and I also didn't speak German at all. Fuck. I don't know what to say, what to do, who to ask for help, and my time was highly limited.

"Hello? My name is Livia, and I think I've been kidnapped. I'm in Germany-" I whisper to my phone, hoping the emergency operator could still help even if I was in a foreign country.

But before I can find out if they can help me, the door behind me opens and I'm violently shaken by one of the men.

"Was zum Teufel machst du?!" He yells but I can't answer him since I don't speak their language. The operator starts to ask me questions on the phone but it's too late already.

"I'm sorry." I whisper to the men, but feel a smack on my head when he hits my head with force. My phone gets taken from my grip, then thrown on the hard cemented wall and I have to watch it come apart right in front of my eyes. Tears begin to prickle in my eyes, but I quickly swallow them down.

I'm losing the tiniest bit of hope I had, but before I can start to weep and beg for mercy, I hear the main door open up and Eleanor and Fox walking inside. I want to scream for Fox to go and run away but I already know he'd never leave me.

They walk towards me, Fox looking as if he wants to do nothing but run to hold me.

"Let's go." Fox whispers and takes my arm firmly.

"What?" I ask, releasing a breath I didn't even know I was holding.

"We'll get out." He whispers again and lifts me gently up. I had already forgotten how soft his hands were compared to the harsh men hitting me.

"I like your boyfriend. He made very generous trades for you." Eleanor smiles wickedly and I feel so huge rage firm in me and I am close to losing my shit and just shoot her in the head.

She talked about me as if I were an animal, an object that you could just sold if you didn't like. Fucking cunt.

I'm shaking from anger, or just pure terror, when we run into the sunlight again, out of the dirty darkness we just were. There would've been no point to fight Eleanor now, that would've been just pure stupidity.

We don't stop running until a town forms in front of us, looking like a normal town this time. My breathing was arduous, but that didn't matter anymore. Here kids run around and dogs are being walked, and I can finally breath properly. The houses weren't grey cement anymore, they were more colourful wealthy looking houses.

In the town centre was a delightful water fountain, and people were hanging out on its sides, talking to their friends. It felt odd that this was only like fifteen minutes away from the disturbing side streets that sold people, for hundreds of dollars.

My adrenaline and survival mode are beginning to fade away, knowing I was now safe. At least pretty much safe.

"Are you okay?" Fox turns to me, still looking as terrified as I felt. He touches the cut on my cheek that was still bleeding, and his touch is the thing that makes my adrenaline rush slow down immediately.