Kidnapped

• Crystal Franklin, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2014

I’m all alone in here, isolated from the world. They only come in twice a day with a tray of food that always smells. This has been my life for the past month (I think). I’ve been kidnapped. I’m only 16, and I’m terrified. As far as I know, it’s 3 men who did it. I was taken while waiting at a bus stop in the quiet part of town, and am now locked in some dark basement all by myself—with the company of bugs and a rat or two. I’m seriously considering tying my bed sheets together and hanging myself from the pipes in here, its torment just to survive in this hellhole.
I was sitting on the filthy mattress one day (or night, it’s hard to tell with no windows) when a man came in—probably with my daily slop. But as he trudged down the stairs, I realised he had no tray, and two other figures were following. I feared the worst, here comes the torture. They surrounded the bed, and I curled up into a tight ball in the corner and started to weep. One man lurched at me and seized my arm. I punched and scratched and struggled to break free, but one of the other men—the tallest—grabbed hold of my other arm, and together they hauled me to my feet, still screaming. The last man started back up the stairs and the others followed, dragging me along too. Once in the main of the house, I somehow mustered enough strength to violently lash out, kicking and biting, until the leanest man whacked me across the side of my face, and I fell to the floor, blood splattering from my mouth, unconscious.
When I came too, I was sitting up-right and my hands and feet were bound. Looking around, I noticed I was surrounded by a large cluster of dark trees, allowing barley any sunlight through. I noticed the men were standing before me too—with guns. Tears started to streak my face again, now I shall die. I heard muffled voices, and eventually the men took off their ski masks to reveal 3 strong and quite handsome faces. They looked to be in their early 20’s.
‘Rila Katherine,’ one with a very square jaw said. ‘We are the Jinn brothers, and our ancestors seemed to have crossed paths with yours.’
The tallest now spoke, ‘A war. The Katherine’s won, and sent the Jinn’s to live in prison—for a millennium. Now we shall avenge our ancestors once and for all.’ He remained quite calm while explaining this.
‘I d-don’t understand w-what that has to do with m-me.’ I stuttered out of fear.
‘We seek justice for our ancestor’s sacrifice,’ the tall one explained, ‘and you are the way in which to do it.’ Another burst of tears and sobs escaped me and the men raised their weapons. The shots rang out through the forest, and then dead silence…