My head is throbbing… and heavy. So heavy that I’m struggling to hold it up. There’s music. It’s so loud. A man’s voice bounces off the walls in screaming echoes. Is that Eminem?
My arms. I can’t move my arms.
Deep breaths, Makenna.
As I inhale, I realize the sweet smell is burnt into my nasal cavity. Oh God. Chloroform. I didn’t thinkthis actually happened in real life. Panic threatens to overcome me, and I’m fighting to stay calm. I draw in long, deep breaths through my nose because my mouth is covered with duct tape. My eyes flash wildly around the space. I’m in a garage—or maybe a warehouse. I can’t tell. The bright fluorescent lights force me to squint as I look around at the bare gray cinder blocks.
The left strap of my white sundress is torn at the seam, but that’s the extent of any damage to my person. Thank You, God.
I look over my arms and legs, as much of them as I can see anyway, and note there are no bruises. No cuts. No scratches. Nothing.
Other than the fact that my wrists are strapped to the arms of a wooden chair in the middle of an empty room, and my ankles are bound together, there’s no indication of harm. I obviously didn’t put up much of a fight.
My mind races in a thousand different directions as I look for something, anything to get me out of here. I twist and turn my wrists in the restraints until the burn cuts so deep I nearly draw blood.
Think, Makenna. You can do it.
The last thing I remember is pulling into my driveway after Brynn’s birthday dinner and now here I am. In the center of an empty room. Tied to a chair. Surrounded by bright lights and loud music. The words of the song seem to be coming so fast I can hardly understand them. I feel disoriented and I’m starting to get cold. My bare feet brush against the concrete floor as I work to adjust myself in the seat. Oh God. I have to pee. As if things weren’t bad enough already.
How did I get here?
I’m a fighter. I’m a survivor. I’m strong. At least I thought I was. Strong people don’t end up in abandoned warehouses strapped to wooden chairs.
Was that a gunshot?
In an instant the room goes silent, and I’m surrounded by darkness. I close my eyes just as the tears silently spill over my cheeks. I’m very careful not to make a noise. I don’t even breathe. The sound of slow, heavy footsteps gets increasingly louder as they get closer.
I’ve always heard that right before you die, your life flashes in front of you. In this moment, with my eyes closed and tears steadily falling, I fight for those memories.