My mouth was dry—so dry—and my eyelids were still heavy as I struggled to pry them open. Waking from my drug-induced slumber wasn’t coming easy, and I wondered if I could have overdosed on the sleeping pills and wine. Was I okay? Would I be able to wake up? Was I dying? Would booze and sleeping pills be the end of me? Why was it so hard to wake up?

Wait… I couldn’t move…

I couldn’t move! My eyes were open but everything was black. Blinking to make sure my eyes were really open, I saw absolutely nothing. Panic sunk in when I realized I couldn’t move because I was tied up. My wrists were bound. My ankles were as well, and I was balled up and placed in something that prevented me from thrashing around. Was I in a box? I tried to scream, but a gag, stuffed between my lips and tied around my head, prevented anything other than a muffled whimper from coming out.

I struggled against the restraints and rocked my body against the walls of my tightly-confined prison. There was no room to do anything as my trapped body took up every last inch of space. I couldn’t even stretch out my legs.

Oh God!

Fuck!

Please! Please! Please let this be a dream!

I screamed again, but any noise that did escape from my gagged mouth only bounced off the walls of my dark confinement. There was nothing I could do. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t see. I couldn’t even cry for help.

How did this happen?

How did I get like this?

Who did this to me?

My last memory was falling asleep on the couch as Viv tucked me in…

Oh God, was Viv kidnapped too? Was she bound and gagged in a box as well? That poor old woman. She was too frail, too sick! She would die! Did the monster who did this know she would die?

I flung my shoulder into the wall of my prison, hoping I could somehow let someone know I was captive. I screamed, though again, it came out muffled. I gyrated my body with every ounce of strength I had as hot tears ran down my face, and then I stopped when I remembered the knock. There had been a knock on my door before I fell asleep. Viv knew the person…

Pope. Her son.

He did this! It was Pope Montgomery who had kidnapped me!

But why? Why would he do this? Because I was friends with his mother? It didn’t make sense, but, then again, there’s no sense in insanity. I did, however, have a small moment of relief knowing Viv was not also gagged and boxed like an animal. There was no way Pope could do something so awful to his own mother. But why me? Why would he do this?

I recalled the conversation I had with Viv in the diner. She had said her son went to prison. He was a criminal. Viv also had said he was a good man… But wouldn’t any mother say that? Fuck! She said he went to prison for killing a girl. For killing a girl! Fuck!

“Help me!” I screamed against my gag. Pope Montgomery was going to kill me! “Help! Help! Help!” He was going to hurt me like he had done to the poor girl. He should have never been released from prison. Never! “Help me, please!” I sobbed as I gasped for air. I was going to die.

Whatever had been used to tie my wrists and ankles rubbed my flesh raw with every movement I made, and the breathable air of my tiny prison seemed to be growing thinner by the minute. My throat was so dry that my weak screams only made it worse. My fight was futile. The rational part of my brain told me I needed to remain calm and conserve my energy. There would be a moment when he would open the box. And in that moment, I would strike. I would give it all that I had. Even if he killed me, I would make sure my fucking DNA was all over his fucking face.

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

Wait. Wait. Wait.

Oh shit… what if Pope had buried me alive? What if he was never coming back? What if this was where I would die? Is that why the air seemed thin? Was I buried alive?

Just as complete hysteria almost set in, I heard a loud sound outside the box. It sounded like a storage door was being lifted. Maybe? Could it be possible I was in a box in a storage unit?

A few moments later, someone was working on removing the top of my coffin. This was my chance. Fight or die. I swallowed back my fear the best I could and waited as rays of light entered my tomb as the lid was lifted. Now that the top was removed, I quickly glanced around and confirmed I was indeed tied with rope and trapped in a small wooden box. A crate similar to one you would use for transporting cargo. I was barefoot and still wearing my black sweats and white tank top from before this all happened. Squinting against the light, I saw an angel looking down upon me.

“Viv!” I desperately said against my gag. It was Viv, and she was there to help me.

She appeared so scared as she put her finger to her lips to signal my silence. Her eyes looked away from me and scanned the area as if she was waiting for Pope to arrive any minute. “Please be quiet,” she whispered. “Don’t let Pope hear you.”

I did as she asked and didn’t scream even though I wanted to. Her obvious fear of her son only made my own horror increase in magnitude. I couldn’t figure out where we were. All I could see was what looked like a metal wall behind her.

“I brought you some water,” she said as she revealed a plastic bottle in her shaky hand, “but you can’t say anything. Please, don’t say anything.” She paused and looked down on me with pleading eyes.

I nodded, desperate for the water.

She reached into my box and pulled the gag away from my mouth, and then she put the bottle to my lips. I gulped the water down in big swallows, emptying it halfway before she pulled it away. There was a weird aftertaste, but I didn’t mind since I couldn’t remember ever being so thirsty.

“Viv, please,” I whispered. “Help me get out of here.”

She shook her head as the look of terror intensified in her eyes. “I can’t. Not yet. You just have to be really quiet. He can’t hear you, or he will end it. You don’t want him to end it. I don’t want him to end it!” Tears filled her brown eyes, and her bottom lip quivered. “Please trust me. I will get you out of here and keep you safe. But you have to trust me and not make a single sound.”

“Untie me! Find something to cut the ropes. There’s got to be something around that you can use.”

She shook her head. “I can’t.”

“Yes, you can. Just look around and find something sharp. Hurry before he comes.”

Her fearful eyes turned to ones of sadness. “I can’t. You have to believe me. He won’t understand.”

“Viv, hurry!”

“I can’t.”

“Don’t leave me in here. Untie me, and I will run as fast as I can. I won’t tell anyone. I promise! I won’t tell anyone about your son. He won’t get into trouble. I swear.” I would have told her anything, and I knew she was scared I would run to the authorities and have him arrested for kidnapping. I didn’t want her maternal instincts to protect her son preventing her from helping me escape. “We can all pretend this never happened. Please.”

She put the plastic bottle to my lips again and assisted me in swallowing the last of the water. “We’ll be there soon. When we get there, I will get you out of this box. I swear to you.”

“Where are we going? What are you talking about? Where am I? Please, Viv. Tell me where I am. What’s going on? What does he plan on doing with me? You have to help me. Please!”

“Shh… He can’t hear you!” She hesitated and glanced around, appearing as if she was listening for any sound of Pope approaching. “You are in the back of a moving truck. You are hidden and safe. But we have to keep you hidden, so you can’t make a single noise. We stopped for a break, but the next stop will be when we get there. And when we do, Pope and the movers will be here to move the box. But we have to keep you hidden! It’s crucial or else. You have to stay quiet and remain perfectly still the next time the truck stops. You have to!”

“Viv, I know he is your son, but you can’t allow him to do this to me. Please help me. I’m not asking you to call the police, but please help me out of here.”

“I’m doing what’s best. I know him. I know what he will do if he finds out I’m talking to you right now. So, you have to be quiet. You have to!”

A metallic taste coated the inside of my mouth and my head felt foggy. The water hadn’t alleviated the rawness of my throat, and if anything, had intensified it. My eyelids threatened to close as my body seemed to melt into the bottom of the box. I was unable to feel the restraints digging into my skin—I couldn’t feel much of anything any longer. I couldn’t lift my arms or even wiggle my fingers. “The water,” I mumbled. “What was in the water?” My eyes rolled to the back of my head as I struggled to keep my lids open.

“It will help you sleep. So you will be comfortable for the rest of the drive. I know this box is small, and I don’t want you to panic. But I promise you, when we get there, I will make everything right. I will.”

“Viv…”

“Just don’t let him hear you. You have to trust me. I know my son. You can’t let him hear you.”

She put the gag back around my mouth. I couldn’t resist even though my soul was screaming in desperation as darkness once again took over.