The Kidnapping

Mikayla

What the hell did I do last night? Mikayla tried to rub her throbbing head, but when she looked down at her hands, she found them bound with rope. Her mind drifted to the previous evening when she’d met the charming stranger, if Monday was indeed last night, and she knew she didn’t do anything worthy of the way her entire body ached. Remembering their first words, she’d felt the spark from a giddy surge when he’d merely touched her hand. One she never felt with Ethan, the man she had dated for the past several months.

Knowing a rowdy Saturday night did not cause her pain, she surveyed her surroundings and found no clue as to her whereabouts. She was chilled to the bone even though a blanket was draped over her. There was little light, just enough coming from the other side of the door. It was as if she was dreaming, though she knew she was awake. Groggy was an excellent way to describe how her head felt. Wait—she couldn’t remember much after calling Ethan to tell him she had too much studying to meet. Was it even the night still? Ethan would never suspect she stood him up for another guy. Of course, she needed to study with her course load, but on that night, she had a different reason for her absence.

The events of the evening started to play through her mind as if on a movie reel. Good, she thought, trying to lie as still as possible, I’m starting to remember. The man who approached her was older but probably no more than ten years her senior. He was cute—no, he was more than handsome. He was much more attractive than Ethan, but her instant attraction and connection weren’t from his looks. Experiencing a bond with this man she had just met was odd. The movie continued to play in her head. She remembered him heading in her direction with purpose as if he were on a mission. Now that she thought about it, she’d been upset, but not because of Ethan and not because of the stranger.

Remembering the stranger who’d approached her, he’d said, “I’m sorry; I don’t mean to be rude, but I needed to make sure you were okay. I saw you crying in your car, and I knew if I approached you, I would have scared the shit out of you. Are you all right?” The man was sincere, and Mikayla’s hazy memory returned in fragments as she slowly remembered what led her to where she was now. His earnestness had struck a chord with her.

“You were watching me in my car?” She was alarmed but recalled the fight she’d had with a man who should be protecting her, not hurting her. Looking up at this stranger from the library, it was as if he saw right through her to the secret she’d carried around for so long.

“I guess when you say it this way, it sounds creepy,” he said with a low belly laugh that made him even more attractive. With deep dark brown eyes and almost white hair, his contrasting features were enough to cause her to take notice. “It was actually pretty hard to miss.”

In her mind, she remembered thinking the same thing as the tears streamed down her face while this was happening. “I guess I was very upset. I’m all right.”

“I don’t believe you. Looking at you now, you’re trembling. By the way, I’m Nolan.”

At that point, the movie screen went black. Now she knew she was in real danger. Where the hell am I? A nervous energy raced through her veins. Her entire body was drained, and if she could stand, she’d imagine her head spinning as if she’d had too many lemon drops. But now, she had no idea where she was or how she got there.

She smelled bacon and eggs, and for some reason, hunger pains like she’d never experienced before hit her stomach. She turned ever so slightly and saw a note that read, I’m making you breakfast. Call for me when you are awake.

“What the hell?” she murmured. What had she done? Surely, this was not Ethan. She never in her wildest fantasies would have let him bind her. “Ouch! That hurts,” she said as a headache struck her from craning her neck and trying to sit up.

“Hello?!” she yelled. “Where the fuck am I?” She never swore. Her roommate and lifetime best friend had a potty mouth that would put most sailors to shame, but she was prim and proper, just as her mom had taught her. Thinking of her mom put this into perspective. She would never have missed her dinner with her mother, not when she was going to introduce Ethan to her.

She heard the creak of what sounded like old floorboards as someone approached, then the squeak of door hinges. “Oh, good. You’re up. Now, let me cut this rope.” The man spoke to her as though having a bound woman in his care was a normal occurrence. Studying him carefully, she realized he was at the library the night before. He was the man who she had felt the extreme connection with.

“How are you feeling?” His voice was kind, almost sweet, as he caressed her cheek. Wild eyed and scared, she pushed herself as far away from him as she could in her binds.

Within a second of encountering her captor, it was apparent that flight was not an option, and she was only left with fight. “Where the fuck am I? What the fuck did you do to me?” Her thrashing caused the bindings around her wrists to tear into her flesh. Using her legs to break any form of physical contact, she kicked him in the balls. When she automatically flinched, she expected him to strike back, but he didn’t, though he winced at the pain she’d inflicted.

Even though he didn’t retaliate, the calm of his voice unnerved her when he spoke. “Oh, you’re at my farm.” He gave her a gentle smile and continued, “Hey, don’t be scared of me. I promise not to hurt you.”

“What? Did you kidnap me?” She asked, her voice mimicking the nervous twitch she revealed when he tried to touch her. “I was nice to you, and what, you knocked me out with something?” Mikayla wasn’t sure what she should be feeling. Her skin paled, and her hands were clammy as comprehension of the situation caused fear to creep into her body. Her voice cracked as she spoke. “Oh, Lord, you’re going to kill me.”

“No, I’m not going to hurt you. Not at all.” He touched the top of her head, and when she tried to pull away, he shrugged, defeated. “Well, I guess for all intents and purposes, I did sort of kidnap you. But I’m not going to keep you here if you really want to go home. Believe it or not, I actually want to protect you.”

“Good, take me back to my dorm right now,” she said, frantically. “No, take me to my mom.” She stopped. “My mom ... she must be worried sick. Please, if you are serious, take me home.” If there was ever a lifeline in Mikayla’s life, it was her mom.