BEAUTY & THE DARK PRINCE

Episode 9

Hours drift by very quickly and even though I don't want the night to end I have to listen to my body and right now it says it’s time to head back home and get some rest. I no longer have the energy to stay up and it cannot be helped. Ayden insistently walks me to my car, “thanks for the dance I had a lot of fun.. we should do this again,” he grins. I almost blush and I look away as I respond to the words he uttered, “I had fun too but I doubt this can ever happen again," I say while nibbling my lower lip.

He looks a bit disappointed and so he takes a moment to respond.

“That’s alright.. l better leave so I guess I will see you when I see you,” he mutters before he trails off. I hop inside my car and dig out my phone to call Maria to ask if I should wait for her? She tells me not to worry about her, she will find her own way back home. That being said I start the engine and drive towards home. Only half a mile on the main road I spot Ayden walking alone and I abruptly stop for him, “Hey let me give you a ride,” I peek my head out the window and offer him a ride.

"Nah don’t worry about it I'm good but thanks for the offer," he declines. “Oh come on just get in.. I agreed to dance with you so the least you can do is to accept my offer and get in. I promise I won’t bite,” I insist with a silly smile plastered on my face.

He eventually gives in and jumps into the car, not long after that we cruise on the high way and suddenly a black van approaches at a crazy high speed and overtakes us. We are open mouthed as our widened eyes meet in shock. My mind is boggled by why someone would drive at such an unsafe speed at this time of the night?

While I'm still mulling over what just happened the van soon stops in front of us and blocks the road forcing me to curtly slam the brakes with force. My heart leaps and the sound of the tyres screeching rattles me.

"What the hell is he doing?" I'm infuriated by the behaviour of the Van's driver. My guess being, he drank more than he could handle.

Ayden and I exchange anxious gazes while awaiting what is to happen next. We watch in dreadful silence as a man hiding his face under balaclava clothing jumps out of the van and rushes towards our car pointing a long rifle at us. It becomes impossible for me to stay calm as I start drowning in my sweat. My heart begins racing as I fear the possibility of my pending death and all I have to worry about is my nana, who will take care of her and how will the news of my death affect her?

I frantically glance at Ayden on the verge of peeing on myself. He also looks as terrified as I am even though he is trying to hide it. He is a man therefore he believes he should not chicken out but try his best to remain calm as he watches the gun man approaching. The masked man aggressively pulls open the door to the passenger seat where Ayden is seated. “Get the f**k out of the car right now," he shouts with a robotic disguised voice. Ayden shoots me a panic stricken stare before he steps out of the car with his hands up as a sign of surrender.

“What do you want? We don’t have any money!” he hollers with pretence braveness only to be punched in the face multiple times before the violent man strikes him on the head with the back of the gun resulting in Ayden falling to the ground unconscious with some blood oozing from his head.

I have been letting out shrieking screams of terror from the time Ayden was forced out of the car even though there is no one to hear me or to come and save me from whatever is about to happen.

Gazing at Ayden who is lying unconscious on the ground strips me of all hope of escaping alive thence I become even more panic stricken now that I'm practically all alone. The masked man dares to use my precious silky pony tail hair to pull me out of the car. The pain is hot and unbearable and for a second I worry my hair roots may end up detaching from my scalp.

He ties up my hands and duct tapes my mouth and as if I were a piece of damaged goods he throws me into the back of his van and speeds off.

It feels like the longest journey of my life as time drifts by whilst we are still on the road. Its dark inside the van I can't see anything, my heart thumps inside my chest as I think of all the horrible things that he may do to me.

I'm jolted out of my fearful thoughts the moment the van suddenly pulls up.

I hear the driver jump out of his seat and march towards the back of the van. The sound of the doors being roughly opened unsettles me. He reaches for my arm and uses it to drag me out of the car.

I'm shaking in fear as I'm forced on my feet. I glance around the surroundings, it is now very dark and I have a hard time trying to figure out where I am. All I can see is we are in unknown woods far away from the city.

Even though I have never been this scared before I do not scream or try to fight my way out. I feel the sweat dribbling down from my forehead all the way to my lips. I assume the reason he has kidnapped me is to rape me and kill me afterwards. Maybe he will bury my body in these woods and it will never be discovered and no one will ever know what happened to me.

Tears stream from my eyes as I'm dragged deeper into the woods away from the road so no passing car can see us. By now I have lost all hope of surviving and I brace myself for death. If today is my last day on earth then I will find comfort in the fact that I had a good time, I dressed up and went partying with my best friend.

“Please let me go.. I can pay you whatever you want I don’t want to die!” I whimper as soon as the duct tape is removed from my mouth. “Shut up and sit down!!” He yells. I obey by promptly getting down and leaning against a tree.

When my kidnapper is convinced that he has my full attention he takes off his mask to reveal himself. My eyes pop out and I'm open mouthed in utter disbelief. My flustered expression quickly changes into rage, my face turns red and my jaw clenches in both anger and disgust.