Chapter 2
Time slipped by.
The air was filled only with the sound of breathing and the drip of water onto the stone floor.
I didn't know how much time had passed when I heard the kidnapper stand up, dragging heavy footsteps as he walked toward me.
Was I dying?
My heart was racing.
But surprisingly, there was not too much fear in my heart.
Honestly, maybe death was better.
Nobody loved and cared about me. Did it matter if I lived or died?
The footsteps stopped right in front of me.
I lifted my chin, quietly bracing myself for death.
The expected pain did not arrive; there was only the unfamiliar feeling of the bottle mouth pressing against my lips.
Oh, I got it.
He wanted to poison me so that he could keep my corpse whole.
He was a kidnapper with some standards, apparently.
After waiting a long time without any severe pain, I couldn't help but ask, "Did you use enough poison, man?"
"What poison?" he replied.
He actually sounded a bit surprised.
"Wait, you didn't poison me?"
His voice sounded hopping mad. "What kind of person do you mistake me for? I am worried you would die of thirst, and this is your return?"
Seriously, what else was I supposed to think? He was certainly a kidnapper.
A deep silence fell.
To break the awkward silence, I started the conversation. "Hey man, what do you do?"
He remained silent.
"I mean, what makes you go down this road?"
Honestly, he sounded very young, completely different from those fierce kidnappers in TV dramas.
If I met him on the street, I'd probably think he was a college student.
After hearing my question, he sighed heavily, his voice low. "My sister is sick and needs a large sum of money for treatment."
He was doing this for his sister?
He might not be a good person, but he was a really good brother.
I sighed along with him.
"So, what's your next move? The Carter family can't care less about me," I said.
"I-I don't know. Anyway, don't even think about escaping," he replied.
He tried to make his voice sound fierce, but I could see right through him.
"So, is this your first time kidnapping someone?"
I might have imagined it, but I thought I heard him sniffling.
"Whether it's my first time or not, don't even think about running."
Seriously, I'd never met anyone so hard to talk to.
"I will not run."
He was clearly confused. "Who will not try to escape a kidnapping?"
I smiled. "It's not so bad here. At least I've got someone to talk to. Back home, no one pays me any attention. I'm just invisible."
He looked stunned.
I went on, "You heard that call just now. They're too busy celebrating their other daughter's birthday to care whether I'm dead or alive."
"So, if you two got mixed up at birth, that means today's your birthday, too, right?" he asked.
He was surprisingly logical as a kidnapper.
He waited a few seconds. When I didn't answer, he whispered, "Isn't it?"
"Yes," I said with my slightly dry voice.
He paused for a second and murmured, "Well, happy birthday."
My eyes suddenly felt hot.
Tears seeped from the corner of my eyes, soaking the cloth over them.
It was the first time anyone had ever wished me a happy birthday.
After a long silence, he spoke up again, but his voice was soft. "So, what's your birthday wish?"
Who would have thought that even a kidnapper had a conscience these days?
Leaning back in the chair, I pondered carefully. "I want to know what a birthday cake tastes like."
"That's it?" he asked with confusion.
"Yes, that's it. I've never had a birthday cake in my whole life."
He didn't say anything.
But I wasn't expecting anything. No kidnappers would give their hostages birthday cakes.
After a while, I heard some shuffling noises.
The kidnapper seemed to stand up, shuffled his feet, and stopped right in front of me. "Just sit tight. Don't even think about running. There's someone watching outside."
Then there was the sound of the old door being pushed open.
He had left.
What was going on here?
Did he leave to have dinner?
But it wasn't long before the door opened again.
The kidnapper walked in with something and placed it on the ground with a thump.
Then he asked, "Hey, want some birthday cake?"