Kidnappers & Victims

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HelloColdWorld

Legendary Partier
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Jan 2, 2016
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a starless night
Thank you people who made characters for me! I will be adding everyone who made one. I will be having other random characters too. I will be posting regularly hopefully. Comment below to give me feedback and you can help me make the story better!

This story is: COMPLETED
Aria let out a sigh of exasperation as she dragged the limp body along the floor. How heavy can these people get?! She thought as she trudged on through the darkness. Eventually, she reached the house, dumping the body on the ground. The house was large and Victorian. In the darkness, it looked wicked. Aria knocked four times, waited ten seconds then knocked two times. There was the faint sound of keys unlocking the door. The door swung open effortlessly.

'Oh finally you're here,' a voice spoke. Aria smirked at his annoyance.

'You thought I was going to stay up all night with our friend?' She joked.

'Just get in, you took your time,' Bryce answered with no emotion.

Aria's smirk disappeared at his words. Ignoring the hurtful words, Aria pushed past him, cursing. She heard Bryce pick up the dumped body. Storming through the house, Aria swiftly opened the hidden door under the mat. She slipped down the rickety stairs, listening to the hushed voices. Four people sat around a table, maps and photos covering it. They ignored Aria and carried on planning.

Impatient and annoyed, Aria shouted, 'I'm here now! Don't complain about me if you're not even going to look at me.'

'Aria, don't come down here shouting like that. You might wake someone,' replied Jacob not even looking up.

Her face was a mix of disgust and anger. Why do they talk about me like that? She thought, staring at the four. There was Jacob, the brute force of the group, a temperamental man who crushed things easily. Then there was Ava, she was unbelievably beautiful and to top it off, she was absolutely insane. Last was Ian, he mostly kept to himself, watching the group. Bryce trudged down the stairs, the limp body in his arms.

'Which room?' Bryce asked.

'Put him in there,' Ava pointed at one of the small rooms.

Along one of the walls of the basement were several cells, all locked up securely. Some were occupied but some were left empty, abandoned by their previous victims. Bryce lugged the body into one of the empty rooms and locked the door. Aria stood by the table hands on her hips. She was still annoyed at the way everyone has treated her. Ian looked up at her, feeling her annoyance cover the entire room.

'Go to your room, Aria, we'll discuss what happened tonight tomorrow morning.' Ian said in a clipped voice.

Aria gave everyone a death stare before spinning round towards the trapdoor, her brown hair swinging round. She went up the stairs then slammed the trapdoor shut, Aria jogged up the cherry wood staircase of the house. On the second floor, she swung open one of the doors. Inside was four beds all lined up. They were all occupied with sleeping figures except hers. She sat down on her bed sighing. This temper of mine is going to get me killed. She thought as she changed. Laying on her bed, she thought of her old home. She shoved her hand under the mattress and held a crumpled photo. In the photo was Aria when she was younger and her sister. Feeling tears well up she hid the photo and fell asleep crying.
The train chugged along quietly, Summer was sat at one of the tables listening to music. On the seat next to her was a backpack and above her head a suitcase. She read the first sentence of the brochure in her hand again. Groveyard, an exquisite and historic town. Summer placed the brochure onto the table and looked out the window. Miles of countryside swept past her as the train sped along the tracks. An hour later, the train finally stopped at Groveyard station. Summer swung her backpack onto her shoulder and pulled her suitcase off the shelf. Pushing the open button, she stepped out onto the station.

The air was warm against her bare arms, her chocolate brown hair swayed in the summer breeze. Pulling along the suitcase, she walked towards the heart of the town. Summer squinted at the map on the back of the brochure, Where is this hotel? I've been down this street six times! She carried on walking, staring at the brochure when she bumped into someone.

'Oh! I'm sorry!' Summer cried, looking at the person she walked into.

'No, no, it's okay, I should have been looking where I was going too.' Answered back the stranger. 'I'm guessing you're new in town,' he said looking at her suitcase and the brochure. 'Guessing you're lost?' He smiled.

Summer flushed in embarrassment. 'Y-yeah, I'm trying to find the Appleton Hotel.' She stammered, hoping her embarrassment wouldn't show through.

'That's easy to find, I'll show you where that is,' he answered back. 'Oh, by the way, my name is Aiden.' He held his hand out.

Summer shook his hand and said, 'Nice to meet you, my name is Summer.'

'After you've settled in, I could show you around. Stop you from getting lost, eh?' Aiden said walking up the cobble pavement.

Summer gave a slight nod and followed him up the path. He carried on talking, he talked about the town itself and where things were. The town was beautiful large in its own way. All the buildings were stuck close together, the cobblestone pathways were uneven and dusty. The large houses were all very grandiose and historical. Summer wanted Aiden to talk about the town all day but they had finally reached the Appleton Hotel.

'Here we are then,' Aiden said a little out of breath after talking so much. 'I hope I didn't talk too much.'

'Oh no, it was very helpful' Summer replied. 'Thank you again for taking me here. I would have never found it on my own.'

'You're welcome,' Aiden said, smiling. 'I hope I'll see you again soon, just this time not lost.'

Summer laughed and waved goodbye as she walked into the hotel. Inside the hotel, it was posh but cosy. Each wall was lined with large windows, sunshine flooding in. Summer walked towards the reception desk to find a girl close to her age typing on the keyboard. The girl had a small name tag saying Ashley, the girl had long blonde hair tied up into a neat bun. Her green eyes stared at the computer screen, oblivious to Summer's appearance. On the desk was a small brass bell with a sign saying 'Ring for assistance!' Summer gave the bell a small tap, Ashley looked up instantly, analysing Summer.

'Oh, you must be Summer.' Ashley said, tapping on the computer keyboard. Summer gave a timid nod as Ashley opened a drawer. In her hand was a door key.

'Second floor, room 12.' Ashley said, handing the key to Summer.

'Thank you... Ashley,' Summer said, taking the key.

Ashley smiled at her knowing her name. 'You're welcome, I hope you enjoy your stay here.'

Summer smiled at her, then walked towards the elevator. Maybe this place won't be so bad... Mum said it was a terrible idea for me to go. But this place is nice. Summer thought as she stepped into the elevator.

~​

Aria sat on one of the plush seats, watching the newcomer go up the elevator. Her eyes darted towards Ashley who was still smiling. Staring at the shutting elevator, Aria whispered into her small mouthpiece, 'I've found two promising victims.' Aria stood up and left the Appleton Hotel, smirking.
Bryce sat alone at the large table in the basement. He began typing on the laptop, Aria's message had come through. She had told him about two girls, the receptionist at the Appleton Hotel, Ashley and a newcomer, Summer. He found Ashley's social media accounts on the computer, she had come from a large family, maybe a rich one. It took him a little longer to find Summer's social media, for he had no idea who she was and Aria's description of her wasn't too helpful.

Half an hour later, Bryce leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. He still hadn't been able to find anything about Summer. He went to click on his mouthpiece to Aria when the door on the left opened. Coming out of the room was Jacob holding a small figure by the hair. The girl shrieked as he dragged her along the floor to her room.

'Let me go! She cried, as she struggled.

Her eyes were puffy and red from crying and her jeans were torn. There was a bleeding cut on her arm. Her clothes were grubby and she looked incredibly thin.

'Shut up!' Jacob shouted, slapping the girl across the face.

The girl fell silent, tears falling from her grey eyes. Jacob carried on pulling her along the floor to her room. He unlocked the door and threw the girl in. She cried out when she hit the floor, but her screams became muffled when the door slammed.

'Who was that?' Bryce asked after Jacob locked the door.

'A pain in the neck, that's what she is.' Jacob answered, chucking the key onto the table. 'Her name is Eve, you remember getting that one?'

Bryce nodded, thinking back to searching her up. Eve's parents were both business owners. Bryce thought her parents would have paid hundreds for her return, but nothing came up. Her family didn't seem to want her to be found.

'Ava asked me to get some information out of her, where we could find some money if she herself had any money, you know? Well, she didn't tell me anything, tried to put up a fight. I gave up with her, I'm hoping I'll get to kill her.' Jacob said, cracking his knuckles.

Bryce didn't answer and went back to typing on the keyboard. Jacob went up the stairs back to the house, probably to talk to Ava. Once Jacob had left, Bryce clicked on his mouthpiece.

'Aria, I can't find anything on this girl. I need you to find something out, see what she's worth.' Bryce spoke into the mouthpiece.

Static filled his ears, but then he heard a click. 'The one called Summer? No problem, she just left her hotel room, I'll see what I can do.' Aria replied, then clicked off the mouthpiece.

Bryce clicked off his own mouthpiece and stared off into the distance. Who's next? He thought as he stared blankly at a wall. He turned towards the wall of doors. Each one of locked. Who won't be here tomorrow? Who will be here tomorrow? Questions filled his head, he ignored them all and went upstairs, slamming the trapdoor shut.
Summer stepped out of the elevator, she had finished unpacking and now wanted to look round. In the lobby, she noticed Ashley was no longer at the desk, probably her lunch break. Summer walked through the automatic doors and into the sunshine. She walked around most of Groveyard. It took her over an hour to venture round. The town was amazing, there were shops on every corner. After having lunch in a small café, Summer walked back to the Appleton Hotel, this time knowing where she was going. Along the way, she saw someone familiar. Ashley! She thought as she sped walked over to her.

'Hey!' Summer said, tapping Ashley on the shoulder.

'Oh, hi Summer,' Ashley replied turning round.

Ashley was no longer dressed in her work attire, instead, she wore ripped skinny jeans and a graphic tee. Her blonde hair was in now in a plait instead of a bun.

'I was wondering if you could show me round the town? I've gone round most of it, but it'd be cool to walk round with someone.' Summer said.

'Sure! I was about to pick up lunch, so can you wait a second?' Ashley said.

'Of course, let's go.' Summer replied, Ashley began walking to a sandwich bar, Summer following her.

After they got lunch, the two went round the town, Summer took some photos of the buildings round town. In the evening, they were laughing and talking like best friends. It was close to 8pm before Summer went back to her hotel room.

'See you tomorrow?' Summer said, smiling.

'Sure, I've got a shift from 10 to 3 but after that, I'll be free.' Ashley replied.

'Okay, bye!' Summer said, waving.

'Bye!' Ashley waved, then walked home.

Summer walked back to the Appleton Hotel now knowing where everything was. It was the end of her first day and she already loved it here.

~​

Aria dashed round the hotel room, searching for any clues. The laptop was locked and she couldn't be bothered to hack it. The room was furnished nicely with a double bed, a chest of drawers and a wardrobe. There was an en suite but Aria hadn't looked through there yet. Her heart pounded as she opened a drawer. What if she gets back? I can't really say I'm room service! She thought, slamming the drawer shut. It took her longer than expected to get into the room. The locks on the door couldn't be unlocked with hair grips. So Aria had to steal an employee's set of keys, a task she thought would have been easier.

Half an hour had passed and she was still empty handed. She took her purse with her, and she didn't need a passport to get here. Aria thought analysing the room. She had opened every drawer and wardrobe and even checked the en-suite. She looked under the bed in a valiant effort when she saw the suitcase. Yes! This will have her full name on it, Bryce will be able to find her online much easier. Aria thought as she shimmied the suitcase from under the bed. She stared at the bag, it was a medium sized suitcase, with a small tag on it. She looked at the tag and read the name. She memorised it and then shoved the suitcase back under the bed. She looked round the room, checking to see if everything looked normal when the door made a clicking noise. She cursed and ran towards the far window. She pulled it open and swung into the darkness.
Aiden walked round, hands in his pockets. The sun was going down as he walked. He didn't really know where he was going, just wandering. He had been in town for almost a year and knew where everything was and who everyone was. A talent of his that he kept quiet. Aiden sighed and sat on a park bench. Street lights flickered on as he stared into the distance. I just want to leave this place. It's getting boring. He thought glumly. But he couldn't leave, if he did, things would go bad. Very bad.

He thought back to meeting that girl, Summer. Hopefully, they won't get her, she won't have what it takes to survive. He thought. Everyone in the town knows about the kidnappers, but she doesn't. Everyone is wary of the night, she probably isn't. She is naïve in this world of kidnappers and victims. If she's not careful, they'll get her. Just like how they got me. He shivered at his own thoughts. His breathing quickened as the memory he hated so much came back.

It was almost a year ago, a cold February night. I had my coat on, but it hardly did anything. My breath came up in white puffs of air. I was walking home, I should have walked faster. Every noise made me jump, I didn't like the darkness. I had only been in town for a month or two, so I was worried about being lost. The snapping of a branch made me stop. I should of ran, should of tore out of this place into the abyss of the night. But I stood still, I was sweating and shivering.

'I found a straggler!' A female voice cut through the cold air.

I turned to her and she stared at me devilishly. In her hand was a syringe, my eyes went wide with horror. I started to run but ran into a wall of flesh. The man I ran into lifted me up from the hood of my coat and grinned. The woman shrieked with laughter as she came over.

'Sweet dreams, pretty boy,' she whispered into my ear as she inserted the syringe into my neck.

My limbs went slack, my vision blurred. The man holding me dropped my flailing body onto the floor. But I felt nothing, my eyes became heavy. The last thing I saw was a girl close to my age looking at me. Her brown hair touched my face, her eyes were wet with tears. Seconds later, the darkness swallowed me whole.


'Hey!' A voice shouted into Aiden's ear, snapping him back to reality. Standing over him was Aria, her cheeks were pink and she was breathing heavily. 'Whatcha doing out here?' She said, panting a little.

'What are you doing out here?' He answered, smirking, 'You sound like a dog who just ran a marathon.'

'Ha ha very funny,' Aria said, lightly punching him in the arm.

'That's enough.' A new voice boomed. The two turned to see Ian walking towards them. 'You two shouldn't be out here,' he said.

Aria groaned and got up walking towards Ian. Aiden stayed sat down, his thoughts coming back to Summer. I worry they will get you, but I worry even more that they'll keep you. Like they kept me. He stood up and walked towards Ian and Aria. I was their victim, now I am one of their kidnappers. The game of kidnappers and victims continues, I am just a pawn in this wicked game of death and grief.
Eve woke from another nightmare. Her breath came out quick as the nightmare faded and reality kicked in. Her leg felt like it was on fire, it was all cut up and was bent the wrong way. Oh yeah, I've been kidnapped. She thought sarcastically. She was sat on the floor opposite the door, next to the door was a small tray of food. Eve slowly crawled towards the tray, cursing every time she knocked her leg. She was close to a sweat by the time she'd reached the tray. She ate the rations of food in silence. Eve had been in this place for so long that she'd given up trying to escape. Especially since she dislocated her leg. A girl can't run if she can't even stand. She thought glumly.

After Eve finished the stale food, she pushed the tray deliberately to hit the door. Then crawled to the other side of the room. From there she grabbed a pillow from the bed. If I can't escape, I might as well make my stay a misery on both sides. She thought, holding the pillow. She heard the rattle of keys as someone unlocked the door to retrieve the tray. The second the door was wide enough, she threw the pillow with deadly accuracy. If it was a knife, it would have killed them. Instead, it bounced harmlessly off their face. She smirked until she realised it was Jacob.

'You little...!' He shouted, tearing through the room.

In a hopeless attempt, Eve tried to crawl away, but her leg wasn't having it. She screwed up big time. He picked her up by the top of her shirt, she dangled helplessly.

'I've had ENOUGH of you!' Jacob shouted again in her face.

He was about to hit her when the trapdoor slammed shut and two new voices spoke.
'Jacob! Why the hell are you doing!?' Aria ran into the room with Aiden hot on her heels.

While swinging in the air, Eve thought about trying to kick Jacob in the face with her good leg. But Aiden looked up at her and sighed.

'I wouldn't do that if I were you, he already wants to kill you.' He muttered.

'At least I'm trying to fight, unlike you did.' Eve snapped at Aiden.

Eve had been kidnapped not long after Aiden was. They were one of the first few to be taken, now they were the only originals still alive. Impatient, Jacob dropped her on the floor. She crumpled like a piece of paper. Her leg twisted at the impact, tears filled up her eyes. The three kidnappers left the room, locking the door. Once they were gone, the tears fell down her cheeks as she sobbed. After her tears had dried on her face, she thought about the night she was taken.

I was sitting in my room, alone. Mum and Dad were both on business trips, again. Lit up was my laptop where I had my Tumblr dashboard up. It was March, and the town was warming up, but I still had a fluffy blanket wrapped around me. I went downstairs, the blanket dragged along the marble floors. I flicked on the kitchen lights and looked in the freezer. Inside was a half eaten tub of ice-cream. I grabbed the tub and sat on the marble floors, eating the cold dessert.

It was close to midnight and the ice-cream was long gone. I lay on the marble floor on my phone, flicking aimlessly through Instagram. The sound of someone unlocking the door made me bolt upright. Mum and Dad weren't coming back until Thursday, at the earliest. I had no sibling, so who the hell was at the door?! I flicked off the kitchen lights, leaving me in darkness. I walked slowly towards the back door, if they aren't friendly, I can just run. My hands were shaking as I dialled 999 onto my phone. I was leaning against the back door, my hand on the doorknob when the door opened.

Three sets of footsteps echoed in the hallway. My mind screamed 'GET OUT!' But my feet wouldn't move. When the voices got nearer, my body woke up. I hit the call button on my phone and wrenched open the back door, flying into the night.

Before the person on the phone could speak, I whispered into my phone, 'Three people broke into my house!'

The woman on the phone replied, 'Stay calm, where are you now? Are you still in the house?'

I answered back, 'I ran out through the back door, I don't know where they are.'

The woman began to talk about police arriving at my location when someone grabbed my waist.

'Gotcha.'

I screamed and dropped my phone. The man picked me up and cradled me like a baby. I screamed and squirmed in his arms. I managed to kick him in the face twice when he grabbed my leg and twisted. Never in my life had I felt so much pain, black spots danced in front of me. I screamed louder than I'd ever screamed before. He cursed as I carried on screaming. A woman came up to us, her voice filled with disgust.

'Couldn't keep her quiet? You idiot, now the whole town will her here scream.' The woman said.

'Just give it here.' The man holding me said, impatient.

With one hand, he held me and the other he held a rag. He slapped it onto my mouth, I tried to hold my breath but the chemicals flooded into my nose. Everything became hazy and my eyes slid shut.
Bryce watched as Aiden, Aria and Jacob filtered out of Eve's cell. He was too busy searching up Summer to bother joining in with them. Aria looked like she wanted to punch Jacob in the face. Aiden looked shocked at what Eve said to him. Jacob looked like he wanted to kill everyone. Bryce wanted to laugh at the three, they all were like children. Instead, he sighed and pushed the laptop away. Aria snapped out of her trance and walked over to Bryce.

'I got into Summer's room, took me a goddy long while.' She said, looking at the abandoned laptop.

'So? What did you find?' Bryce asked, impatient.

'I only got her full name, but that should be enough for you.'

Bryce nodded, he pulled the laptop towards him. Aria told him Summer's full name and he began typing away. Jacob had left by now, probably off to punch a wall. Aiden sat at the table, deep in thought. Aria wandered around the basement, waiting for Bryce to find something. Half hour had passed before Bryce could get into Summer's private Instagram account. Judging by the photos, she looked pretty wealthy. A large ransom could be placed over her head.

'Well done Aria, you found two very promising victims.' Bryce said, his mouth shaped into a cunning smile.

Aria skidded over to Bryce to look at Summer's profile. Aiden looked up halfheartedly but he stared off, in another trance. Aria's face lit up, at the information, Bryce found on Summer.

'I have to go, right?' Aria said, a little too happily.

Bryce nodded and said, 'It'll be best for you to go get Ashley. One of us will get Summer.'

Aria nodded, still giddy with her accomplishment. Bryce began to devise a plan, Aria would get Ashley tomorrow night. Then either Bryce or Jacob would get Summer the next night. Aria was basically dancing around the basement. It was the first time they were going to kidnap someone she found. Bryce was smirking at Aria's happiness, he'd never seen her so happy. So this is it. I knew she'd finally enjoy this. Bryce thought wickedly.

~​

Summer unlocked her hotel room and stepped in. The second she walked in she knew something was different. She walked the room expecting someone to jump out and slash her throat. She saw the window open, the curtain dancing in the breeze. Someone was here. She thought as she shut the window. She double-checked the room to see if anything was taken, nothing was. Why was someone in here then? Why did they leave the window open? Questions filled up her brain as she sat on the bed. She got changed and slipped under the satin covers. She flicked off the bedside lamp and dreamed.

It was a June afternoon and I was on my laptop. I searched up a town called Groveyard and I was looking for hotels. My mum walked in and saw the laptop, she looked like she wanted to scream.

'Summer! What are you doing?!' She exclaimed, slamming the laptop shut.

'I just want to have a break, what's wrong with that?' I said, grabbing the laptop.

'But there of all places! You can't go! Absolutely not, I forbid you!' Mum shouted.

'What's wrong with this place? It's beautiful, everything about it is wonderful!' I answered, sharply.

'Summer... You can't go...' Mum sniffled.

I saw the tears filling up in her eyes. I ran over and hugged her.

'Mum... what happened there?' I murmured.

'Your...' She stammered, 'Your father was abducted there and... and killed.' Mum began sobbing and held me closer.

I stared blankly, unable to speak. I couldn't move, I was frozen on the spot thinking about my father. I tried to speak but my mouth felt like it was filled with sand.

The dream faded and a new one appeared.

I was floating, I wore a long white dress. Below me, rain fell down in large droplets. I watched as people all dressed in black slowly walked towards a graveyard. My eyes went wide, it couldn't be, no it can't be. The people stopped at a grave, on the headstone was my name. I screamed but nothing came out of my mouth. Next to my grave was one with Ashley's name on it. My eyes were filled with tears when the dream faded into black.
Ashley's alarm blared in her ear. She got up groggily and hit the alarm several times. The time read 11:30am, she had work in two hours. She slipped out of her bed and grabbed her phone. On her phone was a text notification from Summer. Ashley smiled, she had hardly any friends at Groveyard. She was usually too busy at work, her only friends were her co-workers. Now she had Summer, although Summer would be leaving, at least she had a friend.

She had breakfast in her small kitchen, she was sat on the counter when her phone went off again. The message was from Katie, one of her co-workers. The message read: Hey, sorry this is late, but could you take my shift? It starts later tonight at 6, thanks a lot! Ashley let out a groan, she probably wouldn't be able to meet with Summer for that long. But at least she was getting more money today.

At one O' clock, Ashley left her apartment and walked to the Appleton Hotel. It was only a fifteen-minute walk but she liked to be early. When she arrived at the hotel, she told Martin, the guy at the desk that she was taking Katie's shift. Martin typed on the keyboard then left, finishing his shift. Ashley sat at the desk and spent three hours and a half typing and talking.

~​

Aria watched Ashley leave the hotel, she heard Ashley say something about returning at six. Better get her soon. Aria thought, getting up from the seating area. She followed Ashley discreetly all the way to a block of shabby apartments. Classy girl, huh? Aria thought, watching Ashley walk in. When Ashley was gone, Aria clicked on her mouthpiece and spoke to Bryce.

'Found where Ashley lives, she's leaving again at six so I'll get here soon.' She said, listening to static.

There were a click and Bryce answered, 'She's probably got a shift at the hotel, wait until after her shift is over. She'll be going home in the dark.' Aria inwardly groaned.

Aria clicked off her mouthpiece and walked around town, she had a lot of time to kill. She didn't need to do anything, she already had a plan on how to get Ashley. The others were formulating a plan to get Summer. Time to search up someone else. She thought, walking to the library. In the library, she went on one of the computers and went on multiple social media websites. A librarian came over after an hour saying her free time was up.

Aria slammed a 5-pound note on the desk and murmured, 'Keep the change.'

The librarian timidly took the fiver as Aria's eyes hungrily scanned the screen. On the computer was an Instagram profile. Although she was older, Aria knew exactly who it was. Cathy. Aria's older sister was smiling and laughing in all the photos. How can she be so happy when I'm not there? Aria thought selfishly. It had been more than 5 years since she'd seen her sister but she never forgot her. Aria spent another two hours going through every social media site to find Cathy. Not one of the profiles mentioned Aria. Tears welled up in her eyes. She’s forgotten me...Aria thought miserably. Annoyed and angry, Aria got up and left the library, her ponytail swinging.

'I've got to stop looking back in the past and only move forward.' Aria said to no one defiantly, 'Besides, I've got to play a game of cat and mouse, let's see who'll win.'

Aria was hidden behind a shop opposite the Appleton Hotel. When the clock struck nine O' clock, Ashley walked out of the hotel. Let's play little mouse, I think I know who'll win. Aria thought as she followed Ashley in the shadows, ready to pounce.
Ashley waved goodbye and shut the hotel door. She had her headphones in and was walking down the cobble streets. Any background noise was filtered out thanks to her soundproof headphones. She never noticed the shadowy figure grab her. A scream died on Ashley's lips as Aria pushed the plunger of the syringe. Ashley became limp in Aria's arms. She smirked at the unconscious girl and dragged her into the shadows.

It took Aria another half hour before she reached the house. She pulled out a bronze key and unlocked the door. She dragged Ashley down into the basement where Bryce, Jacob and Aiden waited. When Aria entered the room, Jacob got up and took Ashley from Aria. Jacob locked the girl in a cell while Aria sat down at the table smiling.

'So, now what?' Aria asked.

'Tomorrow night, Aiden will ask Summer to meet up with him so then we know where she is. Then Jacob will attack.' Bryce answered, looking at the laptop.

Aria looked at Aiden, his face was expressionless but she could tell he wasn't happy. He made friends with Summer, now he has to betray her. That's why I don't talk to any of these townies. Aria thought as she stared at Aiden. He noticed her looking at him so she quickly looked away. Aiden let out a sigh.

Aria rolled her eyes and said, 'If I'm not needed anymore, I'm going to bed.'

No one protested so Aria left the basement, and went into her room. She sat on her bed, thinking about what she found at the library. So my sister is all safe and sound, while I kidnap people for a living. Aria lay on her bed, memories of her childhood floated through her brain. She then squeezed her eyes shut, No! We're not going through this again. She thought, trying to block out the memory. She managed to stop herself, but while she dreamed, the memories came flooding back.

I was walking down a cobblestone street with Cathy by my side. Mum and Dad were both in a shop, while I and Cathy adventured the town. The sun was warm on our skin as we walked. Every so often, Cathy would pull out her phone and take a photo of the architecture. We spent the entire day walking around, we eventually met up with our parents later in the afternoon. We went back to the hotel room and got ready for dinner.

It was now later at night and we were walking back from the restaurant. I and Cathy were walking behind Mum and Dad, talking and giggling. This was when the memory and the dream began to jumble. Instead of two people rushing out and grabbing me. Several distorted figures swooped down and grabbed Cathy. I tried to scream but instead by mouth was filled with sand. Cathy was shouting at me to help her but I couldn't move.

One of the shadowy figures whispered in my ear, 'You won't ever see your sister again. She's gone and she's forgotten you. Forget about her like she has with you.'

I screamed, the sand disappearing. The shadowy figures faded away and all was left was my sister. She looked at me with confusion.

'Who are you?' She said, 'I got to get to my family, thank you.'

Cathy began to run off to our parents. I was frozen on the spot. She's forgotten me... Again. At first, I wanted to run to her and tell her we were sisters. But instead, I walked away, the shadowy figures appeared again. They changed into Ava, Bryce and Aiden.

Ava held her hand out and said, 'Let's go home Aria, you don't belong with them.'

I took her hand and the world went to black.
Aiden was sat in the basement, Aria had just gone upstairs and he was alone with Jacob and Bryce. He disliked the two of them, especially Jacob. Even though he was a part of their group, he was originally in Eve and Ashley's group. But the difference is, I am a traitor to both sides. He thought, halfheartedly listening to Bryce talking. He was explaining the plan Aiden was a part of. A thought that did not make him happy at all. He thought he could become friends with Summer. Instead, he will bring her fall.

An hour later Aiden was sat in his room, thinking. Bryce had fully explained the plan. Tomorrow, Aiden will 'accidentally' bump into Summer. He will then spring up a conversation and they will plan to meet up later that evening. Instead of Aiden turning up, Jacob will turn up and grab Summer and bring her to the house. Aiden hated the plan, it was a betrayal to Summer. She thought she was making friends, instead, she met a traitor and led her friend to capture. If Aiden was alone, he would have screamed at the top of his lungs and break everything in sight. Eve's spiteful words hit him again. She was right, he was a coward. When he was trapped in the cell, he pleaded to not be hurt, saying he'll be useful to the group. Now he walks with them while Eve sits alone in a cell. Aiden was over thinking everything he didn't notice Aria walk in.

'Hey!' She said, clicking her fingers in his face, 'Bryce wants you downstairs, now.'

Aiden looked up at her, his face a mix of sadness and remorse. Aria sighed and walked off. After a while, he also got up and went downstairs, threw up the trapdoor and went into the basement.

~​

The walls were meant to be soundproof but Eve could still hear the faint whispers of voices. Then the voices hushed and the sound of a cell door filled her ears. She winced at the sound of the door slamming. They've got someone new, again. She thought miserably. How much more? How many times will I hear that sound before I'm dead? She shivered at the last thought. But she knew she'd never leave this place alive. She'd annoyed them too much, she knew too much.

'Like I care, I'll be dead soon.' She said to no one.

She had her eyes closed, depressing thoughts filling her mind when she heard the trapdoor shut. Everyone had left. Eve smirked and thought, Good riddance. But not everyone had left, the sound of the key turning made Eve stare wide-eyed. Come to kill me at last. She automatically thought. The door opened, she expected Jacob to walk in, with a weapon of some sorts. But instead was Aiden.

Breathlessly, Eve said, 'What do you want?'

Aiden looked her straight in the eyes, then checked the surroundings. When he decided they were completely alone, he walked up to Eve and whispered in her ear, 'We're going to escape.'

If it wasn't for the serious expression his face held, she would have burst out laughing. Instead, she said quieter than a whisper, 'How? Why?'

He didn't answer her but placed a finger on his lips. She understood the message. Stay quiet about this, I'll tell you later. Although she was confused and didn't trust him, she gave him a small nod. He nodded too and locked the cell.
Ashley's green eyes suddenly opened, her mouth open in an 'O' shape. Her heart was racing as she got up and took in her surroundings. She sat in a small cell. The walls were grimy and made of stone, the door was oak wood with various locks on the other side. On the opposite side of the room was a small bed, with a lumpy mattress and a thin blanket. The room was dimly lit so it took Ashley a second to have her eyes adjust. After five minutes, she could see everything and the reality kicked in. I've been abducted, the one thing this town is notorious for. She'd known all about the missing persons, but the talk of kidnapping was only an urban legend. Guess not then, all those people. Gone. She thought, leaning against the stone wall.

It was midnight when Ashley woke up again. Where the syringe had been injected throbbed and she still felt groggy. Her pockets had been searched but she still had her watch, ticking away. She noticed by the door was a tray. She crawled over to the door, still wary of her headaches. On the tray was a thin bowl of soup, now gone cold and a piece of stale bread. She gave a disgusted look at the food, but her stomach growled so she numbly bit into the bread. She'd eaten half of the bread but then gave up, throwing the bread at the tray. The bread fell into the soup and pushed a small container onto the surface of the soup. Her eyes went wide as she pulled it out, a silver case able to fit a ring was somehow hidden under the soup. She opened the case and found a piece of paper. The paper read:

I'LL GET YOU OUT – HOLD TIGHT

The paper had no signature but Ashley didn't care. Someone's going to save me. She pushed the case back into the soup, hiding it again. She scrunched up the paper and slipped it into her jeans pocket. She leant against the wall again, this time not thinking about her death but her rescue. She just hoped it was soon.
~
Aiden sat at the table in the basement. Everyone else had left, he had just talked to Eve and dropping off Ashley's food. They were both now expected him to get them out. But how? Aiden had already decided to wait until after Summer's abduction. There wasn't enough time and he knew Summer would still be kidnapped regardless to if he was still there. I have to get them all out, or at least try. He thought as he stared at the wall. There were many problems with this plan, Eve couldn't stand so it would be difficult to get her out, Summer wouldn't know they were escaping until they were actually escaping and Aiden didn't know how well the three girls could fight. He already knew they were going to fight. He knew Eve would want to fight, but with a messed up leg like hers, she might not be able to fight for long.

An hour had passed and Aiden was still sat at the table, his thoughts running wild. He'd come up with multiple plans but they all had problems. Anger flooded through him. I will try to get them out, but they will all die. I will die, we will never be able to escape this place. Thoughts like this flooded his mind, he gritted his teeth then exploded. He threw pieces of paper, flipped the table and kicked the walls. He began shouting like a maniac. He didn't stop until Aria came running into the basement.

'Aiden! Stop it!' She cried, running towards him.

He roared and ran over to her. He held his a chair, ready to swing it at her. He threw it with all his might, but in a fluid motion, Aria dodged it and was behind Aiden.

'Aiden, stop this. You need to calm down.' She said, breathing hard.

His anger flared, turning to face her. Although Aria was smaller than him, she still held a figure of power and strength. He lifted his arm to slap her, his anger raging. Aria smirked, then grabbed his raised arm and using both hands, flipped him onto his chest, her foot on his back. She stayed like this until Aiden calmed down. Once he had returned back to normal Aria lifted her foot.

'I thought my anger issues were bad,' she said, helping him up. 'You completely hulked out there didn't you.' Aria smirked, holding in a laugh.

Aiden was still out of breath but he smiled. They spent the rest of the night tidying up the basement. When it was close to four in the morning, they were sat at the table. They sat in silence for a while when Aria spoke,

'I know you want to escape.'

Aiden froze up at her words. Unable to speak. So Aria spoke again,

'I know you want to talk people from here too.'

His act of bewilderment died down and he said back, 'How did you know? Are you going to tell the others?' His voice dripped with dread.

Instead of answering, Aria just shook her head and went upstairs. Aiden blankly stared at her walking away until she was gone. He looked back at the table and found a small note.

I know you want to escape, and so do I.
Bryce was lying on his bed when he heard the trapdoor slam shut. He knew Aria and Aiden were both in there, but doing what? All the plans had been settled yet they were still downstairs. Although they were like him, they at times not. Instead of choosing this life, they were forced. Instead of enjoying every second, they only enjoyed one moment. They're plotting something, something dangerous. He thought, looking at the ceiling. He decided to keep an eye on them, they can't be trusted. Not anymore.

The sun peeked through the heavy drapes of Bryce's ornate room. He rolled over in the silk four-poster bed. Sat abandoned on his desk was the laptop, the laptop that held all their secrets. Remembering his thoughts from the night before, he vowed to never let it near Aria and Aiden. Something was up with those two, but he needed to hide his apprehension towards them. He got up and grabbed the laptop, no one had touched it since last night. He left his room and went in search of Ava.

Bryce slipped down the cherry wood staircase into the kitchen. Inside the kitchen was Ava nibbling on fruit. When Bryce entered, Ava's eyes landed on him. Ava had always been known as attractive with her bouncy platinum blonde curls and her cunning red smile. With porcelain skin and sharp bright blue eyes, one look could make you her slave. A trick she'd used many times.

Ava bit into a ripe cherry then said, 'Whatever is the matter, Bryce? You have the expression of Jacob. If you're going to punch anything, don't punch me. You'll regret it.' She slipped the rest of the cherry in her mouth, staring straight at Bryce.

Unfazed by her words and stare, Bryce answered, 'Nothing you should worry about, if you need worry, I'll tell you.' He placed the laptop on the marble counter, turning it on.

Ava's face lit up with her sweet sickly smile and cooed, 'Me? Worry? Whatever is wrong I shouldn't worry about, I have a strong man at my side.' She stood by Bryce, so close he could smell her ever present perfume.

She stood so close that one sharp movement and their lips would touch. But the moment was spoiled when Aria dashed into the kitchen. Immediately, Ava stepped away, pretending she was always fussing over her food. Bryce gave a small sigh of relief at Ava's runaway, but his face turned sour at Aria. He slammed the laptop lid down and left the kitchen.
Ava gave a small giggle at Bryce's harsh departure, the sound of the trapdoor echoed through the room. Once it slammed, Ava shrieked with insane laughter. Aria whipped around staring at the older woman, her eyes streaming with tears. Aria had seen her laughing but never like this. Ava was cunning, sly, beautiful. But she was also drop dead insane. Aria shivered as Ava carried on cackling. If I am ever to leave this place, I'll have to go through her. Her eyes went wide with terror as Ava stared at Aria, all humour leaving the woman.

'You're hiding something, I can smell the adrenaline and the fear. You're racing to go, but go where? Whatever it is, Bryce knows, and if it's something bad, you won't survive.' Ava said, her eyes never leaving Aria. 'You're playing brave, aren't you sweetheart? It'll never help with, never, ever.'

After almost a minute of staring, Ava left the room, her heels clicking through the halls. Tears welled up in Aria's eyes when she left. I'll never escape, never. This place will keep me trapped, like a bird in a cage. She slipped onto the floor, feeling hot tears fall. No matter what we do, we'll never leave. She silently sobbed, every piece of dread filling her body.
Summer woke up with sunlight streaming through the sheer curtains. She sat up suddenly, thinking about the dream from that night. My dad was killed here... She thought, blinking away sleep. Her heart began to beat faster as she remembered the shorter dream. Ashley died, and so did I. She shook her head in an attempt to block out the dreams. She had managed to hide the memory of her father's death, but it still came back in dream form.

In a quiet voice, she whispered to herself, 'That won't happen, this place isn't bad...' Her voice was filled with uncertainty.

She was staring at the wall, over-thinking the dream when her phone buzzed. She grabbed it, the caller ID was a string of numbers. She was shaking, she didn't really know why. She answered the call.

'Hey, is this Summer? It's Aiden.'

Relief flooded through Summer, the thought of a killer leaving her mind.

'Yeah, how did you get my number?'

There was a pause, then Aiden answered, 'Don't remember? You gave it to me when we got to the hotel.'

Summer furrowed her brows, trying to remember, but no recollection came back. Before she could answer, Aiden spoke again.

'Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to meet later tonight if you're free.'

'Oh, yeah, I think I'm free. I'll just text Ashley to see if we can meet earlier in the day.' Summer said, thinking back to what Ashley said yesterday.

There was another pause and a murmur of other voices, after a couple seconds, Aiden picked up again.

'Oh yeah, sure. Meet at the fountain at 9?'
Summer blinked in surprise. What's there to do that late? She thought, trying to think of a way to answer.

'Um, yeah, sure. See you then?' She said, still a bit confused.

'Great! See you then.' Aiden said then hung up.

Summer placed the phone onto the bedside table. Aiden was acting weird, she could tell that much. She sat on the bed, weird and wacky thoughts filling her brain. She closed her eyes, trying to block out her crazy thought when she remembered Ashley. She opened her eyes and grabbed her phone. She'd gotten no new texts from Ashley. Weird, she said she was going to text me when she was free. She thought, scrolling through her texts. She sent a text, hoping she'd answer soon.
~
The second he uttered those last words, Aiden hung up, not wanting to hear her question the plans. Bryce stood by watching Aiden, his face was expressionless but everyone knew he was angry at something. Jacob was sat down, his feet on the table. Aiden placed the phone on the table and broke the silence.

'She'll be at the fountain at nine tonight.' His voice felt shaky, and he could feel beads of sweat form.

Jacob made a grunt of approval while Bryce narrowed his eyes at Aiden. He's worked it out, I want to leave... Aiden thought, feeling sweat dribbled down his forehead. He raked a hand through his hair, to wipe away the sweat. Bryce looked away and started talking to Jacob. Aiden decided this was his chance to escape the room. He ran up the stairs and let the trapdoor door fall shut. He ran into his room, slamming it shut. Once he felt alone, he let out a large sigh of relief.

'I'll work this out, don't you worry.' He whispered, sitting on his bed. 'I'll get us out... Don't you worry gu-...' His voice trailed away when he saw Ava look at him with a cunning smile.
Ava was sat on a chair, hidden within the shadows. She looked close to laughter, this was why Bryce was angry. Aiden was planning something. Her smile widened as he stared at her. Before he could move, she pounced. She pushed him onto the bed, her knee on his chest.

'My pretty boy... Holding secrets are we?' She giggled, tracing her finger on his jaw.

Aiden was breathing hard, unable to answer. Ava let out a large cackle as he squirmed under her.

'What will you work out, sweetheart? Whose getting out? You can tell me...' She purred, her face inches away from his.

Aiden opened his mouth but then shut it again, unable to talk. What can I say?! She's going to kill me. She's insane, she'll kill me within a heartbeat. He thought, trying to look away from her piercing blue eyes and red shiny lips.

Finally, he gasped out, 'P-please, Ava it's nothing. Absolutely nothing, I was saying random things, pleas--'

Ava placed her finger on his lip, silencing him. She shook her head at him, then started to laugh again. 'I know what it was, and if I told Bryce... Well, he wouldn't be very happy, would he?' She said giggling.

'Ava... Don't tell him, please.' Aiden said, sweat falling down his forehead.

Instead of answering, Ava carried on screeching with laughter. Her laugh was deafening, he forgot how insane she was at times. Her hair bounced around, tickling Aiden's face. She laughed and laughed, but then all humour left her body. Her eyes narrowed at Aiden, anger flashing across her face. She gripped his cheeks, her sharp nails digging into his cheeks.

'You won't ever leave, never. If you ever think of escaping me, I will kill you. My precious boy, you won't leave me.' She whispered, holding his face, staring into his eyes.

He gulped, then hesitatingly nodded, unsure of how to escape her grip. Ava sighed with happiness, and placed her head on his chest, happy with herself. Her eyes were closed as she lay on him. Aiden's mind filled up with ideas on how to escape, she was vulnerable right now. But then thoughts of Ashley and Eve came to mind. If he was to escape from Ava, he wouldn't be able to save them. Whatever I do, someone will still be trapped. He thought sadly.

An hour had passed and Ava was still lying on Aiden's chest. He hadn't dared move her, in case she got angry. She sighed and opened her eyes, she was sleeping. But now she was awake, a thought Aiden did not like. She looked up at Aiden, a small smile on her face. Then her expression changed as if she remembered why she was here. Her mouth changed into a small snarl, as if ready to bite him. But before she could act, Aiden pushed her to the ground and ran for the door. Ava landed like a cat and grabbed his leg before he touched the door handle.

'You won't escape from me!' Ava screamed, dragging him to the floor.

He fell and she crawled over to him, holding a slender blade. She slid it towards his throat, smiling. She lifted it into the air, ready to slash his throat when a vase shattered on the back of her head. Standing over them was Aria, holding the remains of the vase. Ava collapsed on Aiden, passed out. Aria kicked her off Aiden, who scurried to his feet.

'T-thanks.' He stammered, staring at Ava's limp body.

Aria nodded then said, 'Come on, we have to make it look like she wasn't hit on the head with a vase.'

Aiden gave a timid nod, still shaking. Together, Aria and Aiden picked up Ava and slid her under the covers of the bed. They disarmed her unconscious body and picked up the shattered pieces of the vase. After they cleared up the room, Aria locked the door, locking Ava in. She then turned towards Aiden, pointing her finger.

'You better have an idea of us getting out, at this rate, we're going to get killed before we even act.' She whispered, her voice filled with anger and a hint of worry.

'I-I don't know, I was trying to think but Ava found me...' Aiden admitted, looking at the carpet.

'Do you not even have the slightest idea? If Ava gets out, we're dead. We need to leave, and we need to leave tonight.' Aria answered.

'We can't! We have to wait for it until they've got Summer if we leave before she'll still be taken.' Aiden said, his voice raising.

'Would you rather save one person or no one?' Aria hissed, 'If we wait, no one will live. If we go now, at least someone will escape.'

Before he could answer back, Aria spun around and ran down the stairs and out of the house, the door slamming.
Summer was sat on the hotel bed, staring at herself in her compact mirror. She was expertly applying eyeliner onto her left eye when her phone rang. The break of silence made her jump, making her draw a long line on her face. She cursed, trying to dab at the makeup with a tissue, ignoring the phone. The ringing stopped, making Summer remember someone was calling. She grabbed her phone to find that Aiden had called. Instantly, she rang him back, after two rings Aiden picked up.

'Hey, sorry I didn't answer I was... in the shower?' Summer said, trying to think of an excuse.

'Oh. That's okay, I was just calling to make sure we're still meeting at the fountain, you didn't say if you were busy or not.' Aiden returned, his voice sounded a bit off but Summer didn't notice.

'Oh yes, Ashley didn't answer my call, she's probably busy at work. I'll be at the fountain at nine, right?' Summer said while dabbing at the black smudge on her face.

'Yeah, I'll see you then.'

'Okay, bye!' Summer said, hanging up.

Summer got off the bed and went in the en suite. In there she checked re-applied her eyeliner. Once she was done she did a small twirl. She was wearing a burgundy skater skirt and a black crop top. Her hair was curled and she wore a black hat. She wasn't sure why she dressed up so nicely but she did it anyway. She checked the time, it was a quarter to nine. She grabbed a small handbag and her phone, then she locked her room and walked to the fountain.

Summer checked her phone again, it read 21:06. She was at on the fountain edge, listening to the water drizzle down. He's late, is he the type of person to be late? Summer shivered at that thought, realising she hardly knew Aiden but she was meeting him late at night. To pass the time, Summer put her headphones in, listening to her favourite music to block out her thoughts. A couple songs had played so she checked the time again, it was quarter past nine. At half past I'm leaving, when I get back I'll call him. Summer decided, secretly hoping Aiden wouldn't come.
Aiden never did come. Instead, someone else did.

It was twenty past when Summer decided to leave. She got up and removed her headphones so she could call Aiden. She put the phone to her ear, listening to the ringing. But instead of just hearing her phone ring, she heard another one. She turned around wildly, her phone at her side. Someone's here, but who? The ringing stopped and a voice came through her phone.

'Here I come.'

Suddenly a figure grabbed Summer by the waist, she gave a small yelp as the person lifted her off the ground. Her phone fell with a smack as she struggled against the person, their arms wrapped tightly around her. She tried to scream out but her voice was muffled by a gag that was shoved into her mouth. Tears streamed down her face. What's happening? Why me?! She struggled more but the person holding her then spoke.

'None of that sweetheart, unless you want the syringe.'

Summer's eyes went wide at the words. She instantly went slack, letting them, who she worked out was male, carry her away. She looked over to the fountain to see her phone and handbag abandoned on the cobble floor. How am I supposed to get away? The man holding her was definitely twice her strength so there would be no way she could overpower him. I'm going to die here, like Dad...
It was the worst fifteen minutes of Summer's life. The man's arms wrapped around her waist so tightly she couldn't breathe. She wished he'd just make her unconscious, it'd be much more bearable that way. She had a cloth over her eyes so she felt very disorientated. Finally, he stopped and dropped her on the floor, all the wind escaped her when she hit the ground. She knew she couldn't run, he'd immediately grab her and make this situation even worse. Summer heard the man give a series of knocks on a door, after a while, the door creaked open and she was picked up once again.

'Well done, Jacob.' A different voice said, making Summer whip her head around.

The man holding her, who she guessed was Jacob, grunted as she readjusted Summer in his arms. He carried on walking then stopped and opened a door, Summer jolted around, realising they were going down a set of stairs. Into the basement... Where no one will hear me scream. Summer thought as Jacob trudged down the steps. Once he'd stopped walking, Jacob dropped Summer onto the floor again, she winced at the pain. The cloth around her eyes was ripped off, making her squint at the lights. She took in her surroundings then realised her hands and feet were bound together. She looked up and saw three people, her mouth went wide when she saw Aiden.

Sat at a table was Aiden and a girl. Standing by the table was another man, Aiden and the girl were looking away, whilst the man stared straight at Summer. She felt her heart thump loudly, what are they going to do to me?! It was silent until the man staring at her spoke.

'Well done Aiden, you too, Aria.' He said Summer shivered at his voice. 'Let's get here in.'

Jacob grabbed Summer's bound arms and dragged her along the floor, he reached a door and slid her against the floor into the room. The door slammed shut making her jump. The rattling of keys and a bolt fitting into its lock made Summer shiver again. She lay against the wall, hot tears streaming down her cheeks. Aiden did this, he probably did this to Ashley too. She's here, I know it... She's here, because of me. Summer sobbed until she had no tears left to cry.

~​

Eve heard the sound of a door slam. Another victim was taken by the pack. She thought as she listened to the low murmurs of voices. She was sat by the door, craning her neck to the lock, trying to hear the conversation. But all she heard was garbled speech, nothing new on her hopeful escape. It hadn't been that long since Aiden said those words but they felt like a distant memory. He's taking too long, someone will figure it out. She thought. Eve had spent most of the night thinking of plans to escape, she knew Aiden and she knew he'd be terrible at planning. The thought Aiden and her when they were younger made her shiver. I've known you for my whole life, yet I didn't realise you were this much of a coward.

Eve guessed it had been an hour since that door slammed. She could no longer hear voices through the keyhole. I'm guessing it's late at night, everyone must be asleep. She thought, still trying to listen to any noises through the keyhole. Suddenly she heard the rattling of keys and her door, she used all her strength to skid back before she'd get hit by the door.

The door swung open and stood Aria, she then whispered, 'We're leaving, time to go.'
Aiden shoved the key into the door hurriedly, anyone and everyone is going to get out. Or die trying. He gave small instructions to the person sitting in the door, their face was sunken and all hope had left their eyes. When they didn't leave, Aiden left the door open and went to another door, unlocking it as quickly as he could. Next to him was Aria, doing the same thing. His heart pounded against his chest as he put the key into the lock of Summer's door. He knew the second he'd open it, something bad would happen. But instead of thinking about it, he turned the lock and pulled the door open.

'Come on, we're leaving!' He said, his voice barely audible.

Summer's head whipped up, her face turned sour at him. She crossed her arms and said, 'Is this a test or something? After you betray me you see if I'll be nice to you?'

Aiden clenched his fists then unclenched them again, he didn't know how to reply. He only gasped out, 'If you want to leave, run.' He said in a low growl.

Before Summer could say anything else, he jogged off to continue unlocking doors. Finally, all the doors were unlocked and mostly everyone was out. Eve was leaning against Aria and another girl, looking extremely close to collapsing. Ashley was in Summer's cell, pleading her to get up. Summer sat on the floor, her arms crossed. Tears stained Ashley's cheeks as she tugged on her sleeve.

'Please! We need to go! This is our only chance to escape.' She whispered, her voice high pitched.

'I told you, this is a test. The second we leave this room we will all die.' Summer countered, shrugging off Ashley.

Tears swam in Ashley's green eyes as she stood up, walking away from Summer. Summer looked away, anger rolling off her in waves. Aiden stared at Ashley, her expression pained him. I caused this, all of this. He was consuming himself in these thoughts until Aria snapped him out of it.

'Hey!' She hissed at him, snapping her fingers at his brooding face, 'Care to explain your plan?'

Aiden blinked several times, bringing himself back to reality. 'Oh, um, yeah,' he stammered trying to form a sentence. He coughed then spoke, 'Right, the plan is quite risky, you have to be ready to fight,' he said, walking to one of the rooms. He opened the door and walked in. The room was covered head to toe in weaponry of all kinds. Aiden looked back at the group, their mouths wide open. 'We'll need to arm ourselves,' he stated, grabbing a gun.

Everyone had a weapon, some people were shaking, others held their weapons so tightly, their knuckles were white. Aiden held a handgun, it was fully loaded, Aria had twin blades strapped to her legs, Ashley stood quivering in the corner holding a small dagger. Eve was sat at the table, her leg twitching. She couldn't run so she bravely said she'll stay and defend the ones still in their cells.

'It's not as if I can do anything else.' She said defiantly, reloading a gun.

Aiden began to argue, 'There must be a way, you can't just stay down here.'

'There isn't a way, I wish there was but there isn't!' Eve shouted, slamming the gun on the table. She stared him dead in the eyes then said in a low voice, 'I want to live like you, but I won't live so I might as well go out shooting someone. Make sure it isn't you.'

Aiden back off, slightly shaking. Aria rolled her eyes at Aiden then called out, 'Let's go! This is the last time you'll see this place.'

The group slowly walked towards the stairs, Aria pulled it up, checked the surroundings then proceeded up the steps. Everyone filed out the room, Aiden backing up the group. He then turned round to Eve and said,

'Stay alive, I want to come back to this place to find everyone here alive. You got that?'

Eve clicked the safety of the gun off then did a mock salute with it. 'Roger that.' She said, her face emotionless.

Aiden nodded then walked up the stairs. He then shut the trapdoor and looked up. The house was dark and gloomy at night. Aria had both knives in her hand, someone held up a gun, pointed towards the kitchen. There was a loud laugh that chilled Aiden to the bone. Stepping out of the kitchen into the eerie moonlight was Jacob.

'Playing hero are we?' He joked, holding two guns. 'I hate to disappoint you, but playtime is over.'
Eve sat at the table unloading and reloading the four guns on the table. She'd never learnt how to fire a gun but she couldn't help that. After the tenth time of reloading the guns, she slammed the fourth gun on the table, making the table shudder. She slowly stood up, using the table as support as she limped over to the open cell where Summer sat.

'Hey, you should know, you're the reason why he waited.' She said, staring her dead in the eye.

Summer glanced up but looked away from Eve's glaring face. Staring at the wall she answered, 'Is that meant to make me feel better?'

Eve rolled her eyes and scoffed, she then countered, 'We could have left yesterday, that's what Aria told me. But no, Aiden decided that saving you sorry life was more important than saving multiple. So you pay him back by sitting in the corner sulking.'

Summer opened her mouth to reply, then closed it again, unsure what to say. Eve crossed her arms, annoyed. Finally, Summer spoke,

'So what do you want me to do? Go running up there a get myself killed?'

'It's what I would do,' Eve returned, 'If I could, I would run up there, a gun in each hand, and shoot anyone who tried to stop these people trying to live!' She shouted, making Summer jump. 'That's what I would do, that what's you could do, but instead, you're sat here leaving people to die!'

Summer stared blankly, unable of what to say. While Eve sat back down at the table, reloading and unloading the guns. Unsteadily, Summer stood up and walked over to the table, holding both hands out.

'I'll do this for you.' She said, standing over Eve.

Eve didn't reply but instead placed a gun in each of Summer's open hands. She nodded in thanks then walked towards the steps, she was about to open the trapdoor when Eve spoke,

'Don't do this just for me, do it for Aiden, Aria, Ashley. Do it for yourself.'

Summer turned back towards Eve, she kept her face emotionless as she stared at the girl. A girl whose had everything thrown at her but still wants to live. A girl Summer strives to be.

In a small voice, Summer said, 'I'll do it for everyone. If I die, I'll go out fighting.'

Summer opened the trapdoor, leaving Eve behind and launching herself into a mass of chaos and death.
~
Aria held both of her knives, ready to swing directly at Jacob's chest. But she couldn't move, her feet felt like they were stuck in the mud. I can't kill him. She thought, her arms shaking. Jacob noticed Aria's wariness and howled in laughter. Then his face turned serious as he raised both guns at Aria. She heard the gunfire but they never hit her. Instead in one fluid movement, she had rolled on the ground, dodging the bullets. She didn't get hit, but someone else did. A cry of pain echoed through the house as a boy fell to the ground, already dead.

Gunshots filled the room as everyone began shooting and attacking. Aria stood up quickly and ran to Aiden, grabbing him by the collar of the shirt.

'We need to get out now.' She said, 'If we stay and fight, everyone will die.'

Aiden nodded and ran to the mass of people standing statue still. He shouted at them and showed the door, Jacob noticed this and sent four more shots at the standing mass. Screams shook the room as people ran around, trying to avoid their own deaths. Aiden ran towards the front door, skidding about to avoid Jacob's bullets. He wrenched the door open and screamed at the top of his lungs,

'Everyone! OUT!'

Immediately, a surge of people came running at the door. More shots were fired and people fell to the ground. Aria noticed the shooting wasn't from Jacob, the angle was off. Instead stood Ava and Bryce at the top of the stairs. Bryce held a rifle while Ava cradled a double-barrelled shotgun. Ava held the shotgun, aimed directly at Aria. Her blood froze when Ava squeezed the trigger and she didn't move. Her eyes went wide, awaiting impact when she was thrown to the ground. On top of her was Summer, she stood upright and held up two guns pointing at Ava and Bryce.

'You get Jacob, I'll try and get these guys.' Summer said, breathlessly.

Aria nodded and whipped into action. Jacob pointed his guns at her chest but before he could pull the trigger, Aria threw one of her knives at him. Embedding into his left shoulder. Jacob let out a howl while she carried on running at him. She pulled the knife out of his shoulder, his screams deafening. Aria raised the knife to slash him but he grabbed her and pulled her to the ground, putting his whole weight on her. She struggled to breathe while he grabbed a gun left on the ground. He placed it against her head, her heart was racing fast as she tried to manoeuvre herself away. To hold her down, he shoved a knife in her shoulder, fixing her to the ground. Aria screeched and screamed, tears streaming down her face.

'I liked you, once upon a time.' Jacob said, gritting his teeth, 'We could have been close, guess this is the closest we'll ever get.'

He gripped the gun tightly and squeezed the trigger. Aria's whole body relaxed, becoming limp under Jacob's body. The light from her eyes disappeared when he removed the gun from her head. He stood up, wielding the gun, his face filled with glee.

With a hideous roar, he shouted, 'Who's next?!'
Aiden was hurrying people out the door when he heard Jacob's loud chilling voice. He turned round and he completely froze. Laying on the ground was a lifeless figure, someone he knew too well. No, no, NO! His mind screamed as he ran towards Jacob, his gun raised. Aiden fired several shots at the insane man but he missed them all. His rage was so overflowing he forgot about everyone and everything. He killed Aria, he killed Aria. Those three words rang through his ears as he sent rallies of bullets at Jacob. A few made an impact but never fatal. Jacob fired with such speed and accuracy that Aiden fell on the ground within his first few shots. Aiden was bleeding intensely with a wound in his left leg, on his chest and on his arm. His rage made him forget he wasn't invincible.

'That was very stupid of you, running around like that. Usually, you're a scrawny little coward, trying to make up for your entire life?' Jacob spat at Aiden's shaking body.

Aiden tried to grab his fallen gun but it slipped through his bloody hands. Jacob kicked it away, the gun hitting a wall. Jacob clicked the safety of his gun off and fired. There was a scream as Jacob was flung off his feet. On top of Jacob was Ashley, her eyes filled with fear. She scrambled off him and grabbed his gun with shaky hands. She aimed it at Jacob but with no intention to shoot. She kept it aimed at him as she shakily helped Aiden on his feet.

With a quivering voice, Ashley said, 'G-get out, the-the police are on their w-way.'

Aiden unsteadily trudged out the house with the help of another victim. They both leant against one another, blood covering them. Ashley turned her attention back to Jacob who now also held a gun. Ashley's gun trembled in her hands, she'd never fired a gun and didn't want to kill anyone. Jacob could see this on her face, his laugh bounced off the walls, making Ashley shake even more.

'Playing the brave girl, eh?' Jacob said, wiping the blood off his face. 'I'm afraid that act won't last too long, sweetheart.'

Ashley's hands were clammy as she held the gun tighter. Shoot, just shoot, just don't kill him. She thought, her finger lingering on the trigger. But she couldn't, she could hardly breathe everything felt hazy. Oh God, I'm going to pass out. Ashley tried to keep herself conscious but nausea hit harshly. Suddenly a loud BANG! Filled the room, making Ashley jump and squeeze the trigger. The bullet hit Jacob in the leg, making him collapse on the floor. Ashley gave a small yelp at the smoking gun, dropping it on the floor. Ashley turned around to locate the loud bang. On the staircase stood a blonde woman and a man that Ashley didn't recognise. The woman held a shotgun, which she was reloading. The man held two guns both of them smoking. At the bottom of the staircase stood four people, including Summer. Instantly, Ashley grabbed the guns she and Jacob dropped and ran over to the small group of victims. Summer turned and gave Ashley a hug whilst the others filled the air with gunshots.

'You came up?' Ashley said, breaking from the hug while Summer dodged bullets.

'Thank Eve,' she replied, holding up her own gun.

Ashley followed suit, holding up her two guns. All her fear had disappeared, she only had one thought in mind. Shoot to survive. The woman, who Ashley found out was called Ava cried out in frustration as her shotgun's ammo disappeared. She chucked the shotgun at the group, only just missing Ashley's shoulder. Ava then ran down the stairs, wielding two blades. She missed all their bullets as she sprinted towards them.

'Time to die!' She screamed.
The sound of someone standing on the trapdoor made Eve jump, dropping the gun. It clattered against the floor. It had been ten minutes and all the stragglers in their cells had run off. Where to Eve did not know, nor care. Her heart pumped quickly as she heard the scuffling of the trapdoor opening. Someone's come to find some survivors. No, he's come to kill me. She thought, grabbing her fallen gun, gripping it tightly. The safety was off and she had it trained at the stairs. The trapdoor creaked open, making Eve's blood freeze. Unsteadily, someone stepped down the stairs.
Jacob.

Eve pulled the trigger, the bullet ricocheted off the wall. Jacob let out a low laugh, almost like a growl. Eve shot again, this time skimming his head. He carried on laughing as he slowly tumbled down the steps. He was covered in blood, whether his or not Eve could not tell. She shot again, this time hitting him in the knee. He collapsed, blood spurting from the wound. Jacob's laughter stopped as he lay on the ground, seething with rage.

'I did not come here to get killed by you.' He said, staring Eve dead in the eye.

With a steady voice, she replied, 'Then why are you here?'

He laughed again, standing up slowly, 'Isn't it obvious? I came to kill you.'

~​

Ava tore down the stairs with impossible speed. Her knives swirled, slicing anyone close. There was a scream as someone fell. Still on the stairs was Bryce, holding two guns. Summer shot at Bryce, hoping someone would cover her from Ava's blades. Summer lifted the gun, aimed directly at Bryce's forehead and fired. Her aim was off but it still hit him, his ear turned to blood as he cradled himself and fell to the ground. Ava screeched with rage as she heard her comrade fall. She stared at Summer and screamed. Before Summer could react, Ava had pushed Summer onto the ground, with Ava on top of her. The older woman jabbed at Summer, trying to stab her but Summer managed to miss her blades.
'Summer!' Ashley cried, running towards the two, ready to push Ava off Summer.

'Ashley, run!' Summer screamed.

But it was too late. Ava twirled round just as Ashley came over. Ava slashed with supreme ease at Ashley's stomach. The girl fell, cradling her stomach, blood flowing. She tried to speak but nothing came out of her mouth. Her face turned pale as she collapsed, eyes still wide open. Summer screamed as Ava turned to her, eyes filled with hate and anger. Summer couldn't move, she just watched her only friend collapse on the ground, blood pouring from her. Now she was to die, she couldn't react, couldn't fight. She had nothing left. No reason to fight.

'NO!' A voice broke through Summer's trance.

There was the sound of a gun going off, then Ava fell on Summer. She gave a small yelp as Ava bled on her. She looked at and saw Aiden, his hand outstretched. Tears were stained on Aiden's cheeks and his eyes were red and puffy.

In a croaky voice, he said, 'Run, please, just run.' He wiped his eyes, then pulled Summer from the ground. 'I've seen too many die, don't die. Please, someone worth something should live.'

She grabbed his arm, tears on her face too. 'You better run with me then, don't go dying yourself. You are someone worthwhile to me.' She said, her face close to his.

She kissed him on the lips, he kissed her back. They stood in a room of death, not letting go of one another. The kiss broke off and they ran. Never stopping and never looking back.
Bryce cried out in agony as his eyes shot open. He looked around groggily, the room smelt of blood and smoke. The left of his head felt like it was on fire. He gripped it tightly, feeling the warm blood flow through his fingers. He was disorientated but he knew what to do. Get out alive, get Ava and run. He stood up slowly and swayed, his hand was covered in blood as he trudged down the stairs to the limp blonde on the floor. He fell, landing next to her, Ava was out cold, but not dead. He checked her pulse, the timid thrum of a heartbeat gave him hope.

'Ava, wake up.' He said, his mouth was dry like sandpaper.

Ava let out a small groan and opened her eyes. Blood ran down her head, slipping into her open eye. Her eyes widen and she cried out, clutching her stomach. A dark blotch of blood stained her shirt as she cradled her wounded self. Bryce held his hand out and she grabbed it tightly. The two rose unsteadily and trudged out through the back door, leaning against one another. They breathlessly exited the house. Once they were hidden within the shadows, Bryce said,

'We'll come back, we'll come back and kill anyone left.'

~​

Only two people remained alive in the house of death. Eve fired the gun once again, sparks flew as the bullet bounced off a wall. She cursed as she emptied the gun's chamber. She hurriedly grabbed another as Jacob paced towards her, two knives drawn. She sent out a rally of bullets, Jacob tried to dodge them but was hit twice. He cursed aloud as Eve pulled the trigger. Her luck ran out and he jumped onto her. They clattered against the floor, Eve cried out, feeling her leg twist once more.
'I did not come all this way to killed by the likes of you.' Eve said teeth clenched as she wrestled with Jacob.

'Likewise, sweetheart.' Jacob whispered, dangerously close to her.

Her face turned angry at his words, she kneed him, making his eyes go wide. She used this break of defence to roll away from his grasp, ignoring her leg. She grabbed the edge of the table and lifted herself from the ground, breathing hard. She began to limp away, trying to get out of this hell.

'No, you don't!' Jacob hissed, throwing a knife.

The knife flew into Eve's back, making her scream. Tears flowed freely as she collapsed onto the ground once again. Jacob came up and pulled the knife out of her back, making her cry out. He traced it lightly against her bleeding back and whispered into her ear,

'I told you, sweetheart, I came to kill you. Not be killed by you. No gun will save you from me.'

'No, no, no, NO!' She screamed rolling over to face him. 'I'm not dying tonight, I did not survive all those months, being tortured by you to be killed by you.'

'What are you gonna do? I hold all the cards in this game.' He said a devilish grin on his face.

'Maybe it's time to stop playing games.' She said, punching him square in the face.

There was an audible crack as her fist connected with his nose. He fell back, as she kicked him with her good leg. She screamed out,

'I'm not going to die! If you try to kill me, I will make sure you no longer hurt another person.'

She stood up, forgetting about her injuries and bolted towards the trapdoor. Jacob began to laugh again but she ignored his chilling voice, it was only until she tried to open the door she realised why he laughed. The trapdoor did not budge, locked and bolted. She hit it with her arm, tears falling down her face. We're locked in, he has the key. I won't, I can't, there's no way I can get out, only by... Her thoughts trailed away as she saw Jacob hold the key.

'Let's play a game, last one alive gets the key. The other, well... You know what will happen.' He said, his face filled with delight and insanity.
Summer and Aiden sped out of the house, gripping onto one another. Once they exited the house, all I could see was the flash of blue and red. Police cars and ambulances lit up the entire street, people swarmed round. Summer and Aiden stood, wide mouthed. A policeman ran up to them and said,

'Are you hurt? Is anyone still in there?'

Summer was about to answer that no one was left when her heart stopped.

'Eve! Eve's still in there. Oh God, and she's with Jacob, Ava and Bryce.' She cried out.

Aiden gripped the collar of the policeman and said,
'You gotta get her out! She can't run, she's in the basement.'

'We'll get her out, you two, get to the ambulances now.' The policeman said, walking to a group of other cops.

Now that he stood still, Aiden realised he was still bleeding out. His mind had made him forget he had three bullet wounds, the realisation made him fall. It was as if all the wounds were waiting for him to remember before bleeding. He gripped tightly onto Summer as his vision went dark,

~​

Eve leant against the trapdoor, wishing it'd rip open. Tears streamed down her face, her back throbbed and bled rapidly. Her leg felt like it was on fire, its mangled form too grotesque to even look at. Jacob wasn't looking too good either, his shirt was blood red with dozens of bullet holes through it. His shoulder bled heavily as if he'd been stabbed there. His legs were covered in blood, he must have been shot and stabbed everywhere. If she waited long enough, he would just bleed out. But by the look on his face, he wasn't going to go down without a fight. Without at least trying to kill her.

'Let's play shall we?' Eve said, somehow without sounding scared.

'It'll be the last you'll ever play.' Jacob said, breathlessly.

'Hopefully yes, I don't ever want to play a game that could kill me.' She said, smiling.

Jacob growled then spat out a tooth. 'You think you're so brave, don't you? You think you can take me down? I've killed hundreds, I killed Aiden, I killed Aria, I killed so many. You won't be able to touch me.'

His words made her want to scream, he couldn't have killed them. 'You're lying, you didn't kill them. You're saying it to make me scared.' She said, voice shaking.

'Oh, I do remember killing Aria, such a neat little hole in her head.' He said, grinning.

'NO!' Eve screamed, limping towards him as fast as she could, ignoring all her wounds.

If he killed them all, I will avenge them. I will try my hardest to make sure he never speaks again. She thought, gripping a knife that was in her jeans pocket. Jacob began to laugh, then roared,

'You can't kill me! You won't ever-'

He was cut off when she slashed him across the chest. She gripped a gun from the table and fired twice. Both shots hit him in the chest, he coughed up blood. Before she could do anything else, Jacob jumped onto her, gripping her throat. He squeezed hard, cutting off her breath. She squirmed trying to get him off her. Her lungs burned as her throat was being crushed. Black spots dotted her vision, she couldn't breathe. Struggling against his hands, she gripped a knife. If I die, let's die together. She thought, raising the knife, ready for the kill. With her last ounce of strength, she brought it down on his back. He instantly let go, crying out.

'You little-' He said, trying to speak.

Eve ignored his words and struck him again and again until he was limp on top of her. Oxygen filled her lungs as she took a large breath. Her breathing was raspy and her throat still burned. She whispered with her last breath before passing out,

'I'm alive.'
Aiden woke up suddenly, eyes wide open with terror. Where am I? What's happening? He thought as he struggled, everything was hazy and he had no clue what was going on. His vision began to clear and he calmed down. He was strapped onto a stretcher in an ambulance. He could hear the blaring of the sirens as they zoomed on. A nurse was fretting about him, trying to keep him still. In a croaky voice, he whispered,

'Summer?'

The nurse double checked his straps before answering, 'She's still at the scene, she wants to make sure that everyone else is okay. She's unharmed, only a couple scratches and bruises.'

Aiden relaxed a little. Summer's okay, and I'm going to be okay. He thought, trying to picture Summer in his head. But his head still felt funny and the image swam round. He groaned a little as he felt a stab of pain pierce through him.

'The morphine's wearing off,' The nurse said, fiddling round with the medical equipment, 'Just hold on, we'll be at the hospital in no time.'

Aiden tried to nod but the pain was dizzying, he could hardly concentrate. Suddenly the stretcher rolled as the ambulance halted. He could hear voices shouting and he felt himself move around. But everything mixed together, he couldn't focus. Aiden felt his eyes get heavy as he passed out on the stretcher.
~
The slamming of the trapdoor woke Eve up instantly. Her throat felt like it was on fire, her back ached and the pain in her leg was indescribable. Her heart sped up as she realised Jacob's dead body was still on top of her. She tried to yell but no sound came out of her mouth, instead, her throat burned more. She pushed the body off her crawling as far away as possible. She sat in the corner of the room, heartbeat racing rapidly. The slamming came back making her jump. Someone's here to save me. She thought, slightly smiling. She started to crawl to the trapdoor when she remembered. The key. She turned round and stared at Jacob's dead form. Somewhere he had the key, she just needed to find it.

Eve was sat by his dead body, cringing. All she could was blood, he smelt awful making her gag. She'd never seen a dead body and she wished she'd never have to see another again. Just get the key, all you need to do is get the key. She thought over and over as she cut away pieces of Jacob's jacket. His jacket didn't have any pockets so she checked his jeans pockets. She heard a small jingle and pulled out a set of keys. Gripping them tight, she shimmied as fast as she could towards the trapdoor. Her hands were shaking as she tested each key. The keys slipped through her bloody hands, but she managed to hold them. Finally, she turned a key and heard a click. Instantly the trapdoor was wrenched open as someone from the other side opened it. Eve looked up and above her was four police officers. Then she saw someone push through them.

'Eve! You're okay.' Summer burst through and grabbed Eve.

Eve tried to answer but nothing came out of her mouth. Summer looked at her and saw multiple bruises covering Eve's neck.

'Oh God, you need to get to the ambulance so desperately.' Summer said, tears filling her eyes.

Eve nodded and crawled up the stairs, the police expected her to stand but saw her leg. One of them had to turn away, her leg was too mangled to look at. One of the officers stammered out,

'G-get a stretcher, she--she can't walk.'

Eve wanted to punch them, she'd been like this for months. They've must of seen something worse than this. No, they've only seen worse on a dead person. No one alive looks like this. She thought she'd never realised how horrifying her injuries were. A pair of medics entered the house holding a stretcher. She was helped onto the stretcher and taken to an ambulance. Before they shut the doors, Eve whispered hoarsely,

'What about everyone else?'

Summer turned away, she didn't know herself who survived. Only four other victims stood with her, Aiden was at the hospital, along with five others. Four unharmed, six wounded and the rest, probably dead. Summer thought back to the amount of people who stood in the basement before they went up. It was at least twenty people. The ambulance door slammed shut before she could answer, it sped off alarms blaring.
Autumn wind flushed Summer's cheeks as she stood on the cobble path. Her brown hair was swept up into a small bun and she wore only black. Her dress fell down to her knees, the wind swaying the hem of it. Her heels clicked slowly on the cobblestone as she waited. A few minutes later a car pulled up and halted. A woman slipped out of the car, opening the rear door. Out of the car was Eve, wearing all black too. She had a pair of crutches and a large cast on her leg. Her brown hair was down and brushed, something Summer hadn't seen before. Summer walked over to the car and helped Eve.

The two walked together down the cobblestone path towards the church. A small group was already there, the ceremony was about to begin. The church doors were opened and everyone began to file in. Already in the church was Aiden, he wore a smart suit and a solemn smile. Underneath the suit was bandages and on his face were cuts and bruises. He turned to see Summer and Eve standing there, their skirts swishing round. Summer gave Aiden a hug, holding him tight. Once they parted Summer spoke,

'You're okay. They never told me, I wasn't allowed to see you in the hospital.'

Aiden's expression saddened, he'd been in the hospital for an entire month. He wasn't allowed to leave and he never had visitors. His injuries should have been fatal, but he stuck through. Summer was hardly harmed, she only had a few cuts and bruises from the night. Eve couldn't speak for two weeks and her leg was almost amputated. But they all survived, however this wasn't the case for everyone. For four years, over a hundred people had been kidnapped and killed. Twenty five people tried to escape the house that night. Twelve people were found dead in the house and six later died of injuries. Only seven survived the attack. The sound of organs filled the church as everyone took to their seats. The priest began his speech, naming those who were killed.

'Thank you, one and all for attending today. For today we will be celebrating the lives of those who were killed. We are here to mourn and reminisce on the lives of these wonderful people.'

An hour had passed as people talked about those who died. Aiden had spoken about Aria and how he made the plan to escape. Summer talked about Ashley, who died in the hospital later that night from her injuries. The eulogies ended and the mourners walked to the graveyard, coffins on their shoulders. Summer cried into Aiden's chest as they lowered the coffins into the graves. Eve stood there too, tears swimming in her eyes.

From a distance stood two figures, a man and a woman. Black lace covered the woman's face, while a hat hid the man's. The woman sniffled slightly, watching the mourners standing by.

She dabbed her eyes lightly and says, 'They didn't even bury him. What even happened to him?'

The man looks up at her, face grim. 'Don't worry, one day. One day we'll be back. And on that day we will avenge him.'

The woman stood up straighter, a cunning expression upon her face. 'Yes, we will. We will come back and I'll kill them all. Especially the one who killed my baby Jacob.'
 
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OI! Awesome part! Just one question: am I like the leader of the kidnappers? I'm Bryce.
 
Thank you for being so positive! Chapter One will be coming up soon, I think everyone who has made a character is in the story now! I hope you enjoy the rest of this!
 
OI! Awesome part! Just one question: am I like the leader of the kidnappers? I'm Bryce.

There are five kinda leaders and you're in that group, so yes.
 
Chapter One is up! Not as crazy as the prologue but still
At this rate, I'll be posting a chapter a day so stay tuned
 
OMG NICE CLIFFHANGER!
 
I'm gonna die xD! Ashely is gonna be so easy to find, capture, and kill xD
 
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Chapter Two is up, woo
 
Thank you people who made characters for me! I will be adding everyone who made one. I will be having other random characters too. I will be posting regularly hopefully. Comment below to give me feedback and you can help me make the story better!

Aria let out a sigh of exasperation as she dragged the limp body along the floor. How heavy can these people get?! She thought as she trudged on through the darkness. Eventually she reached the house, dumping the body on the ground. The house was large and Victorian. In the darkness it looked wicked. Aria knocked four times, waited ten seconds then knocked two times. There was the faint sound of keys unlocking the door. The door swung open effortlessly.


'Oh finally you're here,' a voice spoke. Aria smirked at his annoyance.


'You thought I was going to stay up all night with our friend?' She joked.


'Just get in, you took your time,' Bryce answered with no emotion.


Aria's smirk disappeared at his words. Ignoring the hurtful words, Aria pushed past him, cursing. She heard Bryce pick up the dumped body. Storming through the house, Aria swiftly opened the hidden door under the mat. She slipped down the rickety stairs, listening to the hushed voices. Four people sat around a table, maps and photos covering it. They ignored Aria and carried on planning.


Impatient and annoyed, Aria shouted, 'I'm here now! Don't complain about me if you're not even going to look at me.'


'Aria, don't come down here shouting like that. You might wake someone,' replied Jacob not even looking up.


Her face was a mix of disgust and anger. Why do they talk about me like that? She thought, staring at the four. There was Jacob, Ava, Simon and Ian, all the top dogs of this place. Bryce trudged down the stairs, the limp body in his arms.


'Here he is, where you I put him?' Bryce asked.


'Put him in there,' Ava pointed at one of the small rooms.


Along one of the walls of the basement were 5 doors, each leading to a small room. Right now, 3 of the rooms were occupied. Bryce lugged the body into one of the empty rooms and locked the door. Aria stood by the table hands on her hips. She was still annoyed at the way everyone has treated her.

Ian looked up at her, feeling her annoyance cover the entire room.


'Go to your room, Aria, we'll discuss what happened tonight tomorrow morning.' Ian said in a clipped voice.


Aria gave everyone a death stare before spinning round towards the trapdoor, her brown hair swinging round. After giving the slamming the trapdoor shut, Aria jogged up the cherry wood staircase of the house. On the second floor, she swung open one of the doors. Inside was four beds all lined up. They were all occupied with sleeping figures except hers. She sat down on her bed sighing. This temper of mine is going to get me killed. She thought as she changed. Laying on her bed, she thought of her old home. She shoved her hand under the mattress and held a crumpled photo. In the photo was Aria when she was younger and her sister. Feeling tears well up she hid the photo and fell asleep crying.
The train chugged along quietly, Summer was sat at one of the tables listening to music. On the seat next to her was a backpack and above her head a suitcase. She read the first sentence of the brochure in her hand again. Groveyard, an exquisite and historic town. Summer placed the brochure onto the table and looked out the window. Miles of countryside swept past her as the train sped along the tracks. An hour later, the train finally stopped at Groveyard station. Summer swung her backpack onto her shoulder and pulled her suitcase off the shelf. Pushing the open button, she stepped out onto the station.


The air was warm against her bare arms, her chocolate brown hair swayed in the summer breeze. Pulling along the suitcase, she walked towards the heart of the town. Summer squinted at the map on the back of the brochure, Where is this hotel? I've been down this street six times! She carried on walking, staring at the brochure when she bumped into someone.


'Oh! I'm sorry!' Summer cried, looking at the person she walked into.


'No, no, it's okay, I should have been looking where I was going too.' Answered back the stranger. 'I'm guessing you're new in town,' he said looking at her suitcase and the brochure. 'Guessing you're lost?' He smiled.


Summer flushed in embarrassment. 'Y-yeah, I'm trying to find the Appleton Hotel.' She stammered, hoping her embarrassment wouldn't show through.


'That's easy to find, I'll show you where that is,' he answered back. 'Oh by the way, my name is Aiden.' He held his hand out.


Summer shook his hand and said, 'Nice to meet you, my name is Summer.'


'After you've settled in, I could show you around. Stop you from getting lost, eh?' Aiden said walking up the cobble pavement.


Summer gave a slight nod and followed him up the path. He carried on talking, he talked about the town itself and where things were. The town was beautiful large in its own way. All the buildings were stuck close together, the cobblestone pathways were uneven and dusty. The large houses were all very grandiose and historical. Summer wanted Aiden to talk about the town all day but they had finally reached the Appleton Hotel.


'Here we are then,' Aiden said a little out of breath after talking so much. 'I hope I didn't talk on too much.'


'Oh no, it was very helpful' Summer replied. 'Thank you again for taking me here. I would of never found it on my own.'



'You're welcome,' Aiden said, smiling. 'I hope I'll see you again soon, just this time not lost.'


Summer laughed and waved goodbye as she walked into the hotel. Inside the hotel it was posh but cosy. Each wall was lined with large windows, sunshine flooding in. Summer walked towards the reception desk to find a girl close to her age typing on the keyboard. The girl had a small name tag saying Ashley, the girl had long blonde hair tied up into a neat bun. Her green eyes stared at the computer screen, oblivious to Summer's appearance. On the desk was a small brass bell with a sign saying 'Ring for assistance!' Summer gave the bell a small tap, Ashley looked up instantly, analysing Summer.


'Oh, you must be Summer.' Ashley said, tapping on the computer keyboard. Summer gave a timid nod as Ashley opened a drawer. In her hand was a door key.


'Second floor, room 12.' Ashley said, handing the key to Summer.


'Thank you... Ashley,' Summer said, taking the key.


Ashley smiled at her knowing her name. 'You're welcome, I hope you enjoy your stay here.'


Summer smiled at her, then walked towards the elevator. Maybe this place won't be so bad... Mum said it was a terrible idea for me to go. But this place is nice. Summer thought as she stepped into the elevator.

~​


Aria sat on one of the plush seats, watching the newcomer go up the elevator. Her eyes darted towards Ashley who was still smiling. Staring at the shutting elevator, Aria whispered into her small mouthpiece, 'I've found two promising victims.' Aria stood up and left the Appleton Hotel, smirking.
Bryce sat alone at the large table in the basement. He began typing on laptop, Aria's message had come through. She had told him about two girls, the receptionist at the Appleton Hotel, Ashley and a newcomer, Summer. He found Ashley's social media accounts on the computer, she had come from a large family, maybe a rich one. It took him a little longer to find Summer's social media, for he had no idea who she was and Aria's description of her wasn't too helpful.


Half an hour later, Bryce leaned back on his chair, rubbing his temples. He still hadn't been able to find anything about Summer. He went to click on his mouthpiece to Aria when the door on the left opened. Coming out of the room was Jacob holding a small figure by the hair. The girl shrieked as her dragged her along the floor to her room.


'Let me go! She cried, as she struggled.


Her eyes were puffy and red from crying and her jeans were torn. There was a bleeding cut on her arm. Her clothes were grubby and she looked incredibly thin.


'Shut up!' Jacob shouted, slapping the girl across the face.


The girl fell silent, tears falling from her grey eyes. Jacob carried on pulling her along the floor to her room. He unlocked the door and threw the girl in. She cried out when she hit the floor, but her screams became muffled when the door slammed.


'Who was that?' Bryce asked after Jacob locked the door.


'A pain in the neck, that's what she is.' Jacob answered, chucking the key onto the table. 'Her name is Eve, you remember getting that one?'


Bryce nodded, thinking back to searching her up. Eve's parents were both business owners. Bryce thought her parents would of paid hundreds for her return, but nothing came up. Her family didn't seem to want her to be found.


'Ava asked me to get some information out of her, where we could find some money, if she herself had any money, you know? Well she didn't tell me anything, tried to put up a fight. I gave up with her, I'm hoping I'll get to kill her.' Jacob said, cracking his knuckles.


Bryce didn't answer and went back to typing on the keyboard. Jacob went up the stairs back to the house, probably to talk to Ava. Once Jacob had left, Bryce clicked on his mouthpiece.


'Aria, I can't find anything on this girl. I need you to find something out, see what she's worth.' Bryce spoke into the mouthpiece.


Static filled his ears, but then he heard a click. 'The one called Summer? No problem, she just left her hotel room, I'll see what I can do.' Aria replied, then clicked off the mouthpiece.


Bryce clicked off his own mouthpiece and stared off into the distance. Who's next? He thought staring blankly at a wall. He turned towards the wall of doors. Each one of locked. Who won't be here tomorrow? Who will be here tomorrow? Questions filled
Thank you people who made characters for me! I will be adding everyone who made one. I will be having other random characters too. I will be posting regularly hopefully. Comment below to give me feedback and you can help me make the story better!

Aria let out a sigh of exasperation as she dragged the limp body along the floor. How heavy can these people get?! She thought as she trudged on through the darkness. Eventually she reached the house, dumping the body on the ground. The house was large and Victorian. In the darkness it looked wicked. Aria knocked four times, waited ten seconds then knocked two times. There was the faint sound of keys unlocking the door. The door swung open effortlessly.


'Oh finally you're here,' a voice spoke. Aria smirked at his annoyance.


'You thought I was going to stay up all night with our friend?' She joked.


'Just get in, you took your time,' Bryce answered with no emotion.


Aria's smirk disappeared at his words. Ignoring the hurtful words, Aria pushed past him, cursing. She heard Bryce pick up the dumped body. Storming through the house, Aria swiftly opened the hidden door under the mat. She slipped down the rickety stairs, listening to the hushed voices. Four people sat around a table, maps and photos covering it. They ignored Aria and carried on planning.


Impatient and annoyed, Aria shouted, 'I'm here now! Don't complain about me if you're not even going to look at me.'


'Aria, don't come down here shouting like that. You might wake someone,' replied Jacob not even looking up.


Her face was a mix of disgust and anger. Why do they talk about me like that? She thought, staring at the four. There was Jacob, Ava, Simon and Ian, all the top dogs of this place. Bryce trudged down the stairs, the limp body in his arms.


'Here he is, where you I put him?' Bryce asked.


'Put him in there,' Ava pointed at one of the small rooms.


Along one of the walls of the basement were 5 doors, each leading to a small room. Right now, 3 of the rooms were occupied. Bryce lugged the body into one of the empty rooms and locked the door. Aria stood by the table hands on her hips. She was still annoyed at the way everyone has treated her.

Ian looked up at her, feeling her annoyance cover the entire room.


'Go to your room, Aria, we'll discuss what happened tonight tomorrow morning.' Ian said in a clipped voice.


Aria gave everyone a death stare before spinning round towards the trapdoor, her brown hair swinging round. After giving the slamming the trapdoor shut, Aria jogged up the cherry wood staircase of the house. On the second floor, she swung open one of the doors. Inside was four beds all lined up. They were all occupied with sleeping figures except hers. She sat down on her bed sighing. This temper of mine is going to get me killed. She thought as she changed. Laying on her bed, she thought of her old home. She shoved her hand under the mattress and held a crumpled photo. In the photo was Aria when she was younger and her sister. Feeling tears well up she hid the photo and fell asleep crying.
The train chugged along quietly, Summer was sat at one of the tables listening to music. On the seat next to her was a backpack and above her head a suitcase. She read the first sentence of the brochure in her hand again. Groveyard, an exquisite and historic town. Summer placed the brochure onto the table and looked out the window. Miles of countryside swept past her as the train sped along the tracks. An hour later, the train finally stopped at Groveyard station. Summer swung her backpack onto her shoulder and pulled her suitcase off the shelf. Pushing the open button, she stepped out onto the station.


The air was warm against her bare arms, her chocolate brown hair swayed in the summer breeze. Pulling along the suitcase, she walked towards the heart of the town. Summer squinted at the map on the back of the brochure, Where is this hotel? I've been down this street six times! She carried on walking, staring at the brochure when she bumped into someone.


'Oh! I'm sorry!' Summer cried, looking at the person she walked into.


'No, no, it's okay, I should have been looking where I was going too.' Answered back the stranger. 'I'm guessing you're new in town,' he said looking at her suitcase and the brochure. 'Guessing you're lost?' He smiled.


Summer flushed in embarrassment. 'Y-yeah, I'm trying to find the Appleton Hotel.' She stammered, hoping her embarrassment wouldn't show through.


'That's easy to find, I'll show you where that is,' he answered back. 'Oh by the way, my name is Aiden.' He held his hand out.


Summer shook his hand and said, 'Nice to meet you, my name is Summer.'


'After you've settled in, I could show you around. Stop you from getting lost, eh?' Aiden said walking up the cobble pavement.


Summer gave a slight nod and followed him up the path. He carried on talking, he talked about the town itself and where things were. The town was beautiful large in its own way. All the buildings were stuck close together, the cobblestone pathways were uneven and dusty. The large houses were all very grandiose and historical. Summer wanted Aiden to talk about the town all day but they had finally reached the Appleton Hotel.


'Here we are then,' Aiden said a little out of breath after talking so much. 'I hope I didn't talk on too much.'


'Oh no, it was very helpful' Summer replied. 'Thank you again for taking me here. I would of never found it on my own.'



'You're welcome,' Aiden said, smiling. 'I hope I'll see you again soon, just this time not lost.'


Summer laughed and waved goodbye as she walked into the hotel. Inside the hotel it was posh but cosy. Each wall was lined with large windows, sunshine flooding in. Summer walked towards the reception desk to find a girl close to her age typing on the keyboard. The girl had a small name tag saying Ashley, the girl had long blonde hair tied up into a neat bun. Her green eyes stared at the computer screen, oblivious to Summer's appearance. On the desk was a small brass bell with a sign saying 'Ring for assistance!' Summer gave the bell a small tap, Ashley looked up instantly, analysing Summer.


'Oh, you must be Summer.' Ashley said, tapping on the computer keyboard. Summer gave a timid nod as Ashley opened a drawer. In her hand was a door key.


'Second floor, room 12.' Ashley said, handing the key to Summer.


'Thank you... Ashley,' Summer said, taking the key.


Ashley smiled at her knowing her name. 'You're welcome, I hope you enjoy your stay here.'


Summer smiled at her, then walked towards the elevator. Maybe this place won't be so bad... Mum said it was a terrible idea for me to go. But this place is nice. Summer thought as she stepped into the elevator.

~​


Aria sat on one of the plush seats, watching the newcomer go up the elevator. Her eyes darted towards Ashley who was still smiling. Staring at the shutting elevator, Aria whispered into her small mouthpiece, 'I've found two promising victims.' Aria stood up and left the Appleton Hotel, smirking.
Bryce sat alone at the large table in the basement. He began typing on laptop, Aria's message had come through. She had told him about two girls, the receptionist at the Appleton Hotel, Ashley and a newcomer, Summer. He found Ashley's social media accounts on the computer, she had come from a large family, maybe a rich one. It took him a little longer to find Summer's social media, for he had no idea who she was and Aria's description of her wasn't too helpful.


Half an hour later, Bryce leaned back on his chair, rubbing his temples. He still hadn't been able to find anything about Summer. He went to click on his mouthpiece to Aria when the door on the left opened. Coming out of the room was Jacob holding a small figure by the hair. The girl shrieked as her dragged her along the floor to her room.


'Let me go! She cried, as she struggled.


Her eyes were puffy and red from crying and her jeans were torn. There was a bleeding cut on her arm. Her clothes were grubby and she looked incredibly thin.


'Shut up!' Jacob shouted, slapping the girl across the face.


The girl fell silent, tears falling from her grey eyes. Jacob carried on pulling her along the floor to her room. He unlocked the door and threw the girl in. She cried out when she hit the floor, but her screams became muffled when the door slammed.


'Who was that?' Bryce asked after Jacob locked the door.


'A pain in the neck, that's what she is.' Jacob answered, chucking the key onto the table. 'Her name is Eve, you remember getting that one?'


Bryce nodded, thinking back to searching her up. Eve's parents were both business owners. Bryce thought her parents would of paid hundreds for her return, but nothing came up. Her family didn't seem to want her to be found.


'Ava asked me to get some information out of her, where we could find some money, if she herself had any money, you know? Well she didn't tell me anything, tried to put up a fight. I gave up with her, I'm hoping I'll get to kill her.' Jacob said, cracking his knuckles.


Bryce didn't answer and went back to typing on the keyboard. Jacob went up the stairs back to the house, probably to talk to Ava. Once Jacob had left, Bryce clicked on his mouthpiece.


'Aria, I can't find anything on this girl. I need you to find something out, see what she's worth.' Bryce spoke into the mouthpiece.


Static filled his ears, but then he heard a click. 'The one called Summer? No problem, she just left her hotel room, I'll see what I can do.' Aria replied, then clicked off the mouthpiece.


Bryce clicked off his own mouthpiece and stared off into the distance. Who's next? He thought staring blankly at a wall. He turned towards the wall of doors. Each one of locked. Who won't be here tomorrow? Who will be here tomorrow? Questions filled his head, he ignored them all and went upstairs, slamming the trapdoor shut.


YUS! Make MOOOOOORE!
 
But I have a slight problem, I have no idea what to do for Chapter Three...

Hopefully I'll figure something out ._.
 
I have a Chapter Three ready to post for tomorrowww

In the battle of writers block, we can all gladly say: I WON
 
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I have a Chapter Three ready to post for tomorrowww

In the battle of writers block, we can all gladly say: I WON
yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
 
Chapter Three is posted woop woop

Time to think of what I should put for Chapter Four

yaaaay
 
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