It would’ve been a perfect night under any other circumstances. The moon was slipping over the horizon while the stars already illuminated the rest of the sky. The air was warm, but a cool breeze danced across my bare shoulders. I inhaled deeply through my nose and the crisp air filtered through my body, cleansing every cell and relaxing every muscle. The serenity was briskly shattered when an icy hand clamped down on my shoulder. A chill ran down my spine and my muscles became rigid. My breath froze in my throat like icicles as my heart stopped pounding. The touch was so wrong and filled with malice. The hand steered me over to the bench in the abandoned park and sat down aside of me.

“You know what you must do in order for your sister to come home safely, don’t you?” the man said in a raspy voice.

A silent tear slid down my cheek as I croaked out a weak reply. Lily needed to be protected, no matter what happened to me. The man nodded, then pushed me to the ground. Keeping his ski mask on, he unbuttoned his pants and brought them down to his ankles. He untied his boots, then slid his pants off completely. He stood there in a pair of thin, plaid boxers that stood away from his legs so that you could only imagine what was inside. I shut my eyes in horror, only to get a brisk slap across the side of my face. Tears welled in my eyes as the sting turned a bright red.

“Don’t close your eyes. You want to see Lily again, don’t you?”

I forced my eyes open and held back tears. I repeated Lily’s name in my head as a mantra to keep me still. The man slipped off my bikini top and kissed from my collarbone to my stomach. The rough fibers of the ski mask irritated my skin while his lips sent purse hatred surging through my veins. His finger traced the inside of the waistband on my shorts. He unbuttoned them and slipped them down over my long, tan legs. Toying with the strings on my bikini bottom, he bit them sexily and pulled, removing every bit of clothing and security I had. He straddled my body and whispered in my ear.

“Remember, this is all for Lily. One squeal and you’re both dead.” Hearing him threaten both of our lives made me go rigid, and I felt him force himself inside of me. The sickening noises of pleasure he acted out made me feel like an animal; something disgusting and worthless that didn’t deserve a name. When he was finished, he dressed himself but left me lying in the grass. He began to walk away without saying another word.

“Where’s Lily?” I asked quietly, afraid she would lose her life if I spoke too loudly. He continued walking, so I repeated it as I stood up, louder this time. The man paused and turned around.

“I would suggest being a bit quieter, your sister could pay dearly for how loud you’re being.”

“Where is she? Where’s Lily?” A tear slipped down my cheek and my bare chest heaved up and down as I unwillingly let a sob escape me.

His ice cold eyes scanned me from head to toe and back up again, taking in every piece of my body. “I believe,” he began to say, “she is waiting to hear how cooperative you have been. I must say, if she does as well as you did, you’ll reunite in no time.”

What he said sunk in like a ton of bricks. “No,” I said as the blood drained from my face, “no! You can’t do that to Lily! She didn’t do anything wrong, you can’t rape her, too!”

“Rape? Is that what you think it was? Oh, honey, you have it all wrong. I would consider that payment, don’t think about it so negatively. All your sister has to do is pay me and she’s free to go.”

I shook my head and clenched my teeth. “Never. You will never rape my sister. Not over my dead body,” I growled.

“If you wish to tempt me like that, I’m afraid I cannot back away from a challenge.” He took a step toward me, and I braced myself for what was about to come. “The easy way, or the hard way?” he asked, pulling a switchblade and a gun from his jacket.

“Neither, neither! Just let me know what I can do to save Lily. I’ll do anything, I promise. Just don’t hurt her. Please!”

“Well….if you put it that way….” He put his weapons away and advanced towards me.