
352 readers · 10 chapters · 3 free
The cold concrete bit into my knees as I was shoved forward, my bound hands unable to break my fall. The warehouse air hung heavy with the smell of rust and abandonment. A single bulb flickered overhead, casting grotesque shadows across the vast emptiness surrounding us. "Mommy, I'm scared," Emma whimpered beside me, her small body trembling as one of the masked men roughly secured her ankles with zip ties. "Don't touch her!" I hissed, earning a backhand across my face that sent stars dancing before my eyes. "Shut up," the taller kidnapper growled, his voice muffled behind a black ski mask. "Unless you want the kid to get worse." I swallowed my rage and turned to Emma, whose tear-streaked face glowed pale in the dim light. Her favorite pink dress was smudged with dirt, and Hoppy, her stuffed rabbit, dangled precariously from her bound hands. My heart constricted at the sight of her terror. "It's going to be okay, sweetheart," I whispered, trying to edge closer to her.