The light shining through the window reaches my closed eyelids as my body slowly wakes up. I look above me and see a sky blue ceiling. Sky blue? Where am I now? I try to get up but find my head is pounding and so so heavy.Wake up, get up--water. My first thought after heavy partying is no surprise My eyes widen as I try to flash through the events of last night with little success. The small mirror on the wall is my goal. My heavy feet touch the cool wooden floor and I slowly walk over to see how disastrous my face must be. The moment I reach it a gasp escapes me. Makeup is never this messy after a night out, especially mine. Where is my contour, not even a speck of highlight? The mascara is straight clumps on lashes and the overly bright pink doesn’t even match my skintone. Maybe we did makeovers and I don’t remember. My ears pick up a rushing sound and the window reveals a gray blue ocean. I trip over my own feet and catch myself on the window frame. The waves crashs on the soft sand as I try to think of any sort of logical explanation for why I’m here. The window has chipping white paint, almost as if it was mean to look distressed on purpose--it wasn’t. I mindlessly pick at it as I look over at the room finally and truly see it. A small closet on the right of the bed. The tiniest bed frame and a big window in front of the bed. A small vanity with a dresser that barely reaches my shoulders. I walk over and hope to see at least my wallet or phone somewhere in the vanity. Yet it holds very mundane things, lotion, drug store makeup, a comb and even a few hairbands. Something isn’t right. This room is too bare and houses after parties are never this quiet. Where am I?
“No, this is all a dream. This can’t be real.” I steady my breath before grabbing the door handle. The second the door opens a hear a shrill ring, and as I glance up at the bell attached to my door I let out a stream of profanities and run away from the room. Everything seems slower than it truly was and my legs simply can’t race as fast as my mind was. Then I realize why there isn’t even have a wisp of a memory from last night in my head--whoever took me made sure I didn’t remember anything. I hear loud footsteps behind me as I try to run faster. My escape into the outside hits me straight in the gut. The cool salty air invades my senses and I can barely see where to run. I hear the ocean around me but my mind is abuzz with adrenaline and I can hardly focus. My heavy legs are doing me no favors as I look around. Everything is so light outside and there is only a dirt road to my left. I try to run to the road but someone grabs ahold of me, I am being scooped up in strong arms. The ocean blurs around me and I see just a glimpse of a small gray truck as tan arms locks across me to prevent my escape. I can’t even sob because all I can think was that I need to leave, I need help. Yet he brings me inside kicking and screaming. My silent tears stream down my face as I register what he had done. How can I run away now?
“What are you doing to me? Why?” I try to sound forceful but my body is shaking too much that I could barely fool anyone into thinking I’m strong.
The next morning I wake up, my body hurts again. Everything is soft for a second and then the memories rush back at me. I must have fainted from fear, I thought that only happened in the movies. I throw the blanket off me and try to run to the window but am still so weak. It won’t budge and I sit down on the floor to think. I can break it but then there would be glass everywhere, also it would be loud and I can barely run right now. But I can’t use the door because the bell. Am I really kidnapped? Is this a sick dream? I hear heavy footsteps on the other side of the door and a light tapping.
“Are you awake?”
I snap my head at the voice and immediately wince at the force of my head.
“I left food out here, you can come out whenever you’re ready.” I look at myself in the mirror again and tightly braid my hair. Next I grab the tissues and try to remove the horrible done makeup and grab some water. I smell it first before drinking a tiny sip to quench my thirst. I get up and try to to tiny exercises to get the pounding out of my body. I feel incredibly weak and I just know I won’t put up a good fight but I have to at least try.
It seems like hours before I slowly open the door and a faint ringing sounds because of the bell. It wasn’t as loud as yesterday but I sneak through the door and look at my surroundings. The hallways is dimly lit from the sun and there are few decorations anywhere. There is another room down the hall and another right next to me. I shudder and tiptoe down the hallway to find the exit. I am halfway down the way when I see him and he sees me. I am in the middle of holding my breath and try to remember any self defense tips. We both stare at each other for seconds before I try and run the rest of the way and he grabs me. His mop of curls on his head is my first target as I yank them and try to knee him. He easily lifts me and I start to scream. He sets me on the couch and holds me there until I break into sobs.
“Look, you have to pay attention to me. Dan runs things around here and if you keep disobeying bad things will happen okay?” I search his eyes but he just looks back before letting go of me.
“I’m Ambrose. Dan told me you are Naomi. That’s a pretty name. Don’t be scared of me but trust me, I’ve already tried to leave a few times. I just end up almost dead.” My breath hitches in my throat at the thought of dying. Ambrose slowly walks over to the kitchen and starts to cook and I try to say something--anything, but everytime I try to I stop myself. I don’t trust Ambrose but I am not as afraid of him as I should be. Every little sound puts me on edge, Ambrose closing a cabinet, the tree branch hitting the window, the birds singing their songs outside is the only thing keeping me from screaming. I focus on the sound of my breathing and syncing it with steady songs of the bird. In, out, in and out. Suddenly the clang of a bowl in front of me causes me to yelp in surprise and fear.
“Sorry! It’s some soup that should help you relax a little.”
“Relax? Are you joking? I’m not on some spa retreat, Ambrose! I am literally kidnapped! I can barely breathe properly and you’re being nice to me which is weird! I could be raped any second and I hate this! I can’t deal with this! Just let me go!” 
“I can’t do that, I wouldn’t even know where to go myself.” I grab the spoon he set in front of me and try to eat. The soup tastes like absolutely nothing but I have to eat something. I glance through the glass door and my heart drops as I see absolutely nothing, no building, trees, nothing. Just ocean waves and a blue sky, I had never seen such a crystal blue sky look so dismal.
“Who’s Dan and why did he take us?” My voice is barely above a whisper and I set down the spoon. I glance over at Ambrose and he shifts in his seat away from me.
“He took me because he wanted a kid. He never told me but I eventually put it together. I still remember my actual family but the memories are fading. I don’t know why he took you too.”
“Don’t you want to try and escape with me? Dan doesn’t have to know.” I reach over and grab his arm.
“We could run right now.”
“Naomi, trust me you can’t just leave. He’s always watching!”
“What could you possibly mean? Are there cameras here?” Ambrose suddenly gets up and grabs one of my arms.
“Get up and go to your room you need to change before Dan comes back. Get cleaned up.”
“Ambrose, what the hell?” He drags me forward and rushes through the hallway. Before I can say anything else he flings me into my room and I collapse onto the floor. The silence overcame me, it entered my whole body before it started again. The anxiety, the stress, it. It hadn’t come in years, it made her lose control of her life at one point. Now it was back at the worst possible time. It starts with the scratching, involuntarily of course and I look down at my arm at the fresh red scratches. Soon I won’t be able to eat, then I’ll just be a body.
No. I can’t let it take over my whole mind again, I have to leave this hell first. I jump off the floor and look through the clothes. I settle on something sturdy enough for an escape. Dark jeans, a white long sleeve and a necklace. I slip on sneakers then start to braid my hair. Once I’ve finished I sit and wait. The sun is starting to set when I hear a low rumble from outside the house and I figure it’s Dan. I run my hands over the pants and pull on my hair to make sure it’s tight enough for a fight. Next is the waiting, I analyze every corner of the room and decide to inspect the closet for anything. The small closet holds many clothes but from who? The walls look ready to fall apart as I run my hands over them and I notice a section is loose. I pull on it and out tumble papers and a small knife.
June 1999
Dan tells me that soon he’ll let me go. But my God he took another person too! A child! He’s been here for a year and I feel the need to protect him but how? Every day I want to throw up and most days I do.
August 2001
I hold onto as much paper as I can and write only when I have to because I am afraid of what might happen if Dan finds these. My mind is slowly losing itself in this horrible place. Every night I leave my body as Dan enters. And every morning I try to think of somewhere far away from this place, somewhere beautiful.
January 2005
He says he has his eye on another girl. Men. How surprising. I hope he never finds her and I hope I die soon.
Tears escape at the realization that I am not the first girl here. Why didn’t Ambrose say anything? Am I the girl she’s talking about? What’s going to happen to me? I hear heavy footsteps down the hallway and talking. I throw the notes back into the small hole and shove the wood back in place. I force the pocket knife inside my boot and try to calm myself. 1...My name is Naomi, 2....I can do this, 3….You can do it. The footsteps come quicker and are closer to the door. I hear the lock being twisted open and I am face to face with the monster itself, Dan.
“Hello Naomi, I’m Dan. It’s very nice to finally meet you. Well I know you, you don’t know me.” He extends his hand and I almost throw up at the sight. He is tall, light blonde hair and pale sickly skin. He doesn’t look strong, but he definitely isn’t weak. His dark brown eyes hold no life in them. I can barely look at him.
“Come on now, let’s go have dinner. Ambrose seems happy to finally have a companion. I tried to choose the most beautiful girl in your town for him. But he doesn’t know that.”
“Are you trying to make us fall in love?” I whisper.
“Of course.” He grabs my arm and I yelp.
“You will love him.” Fight or flight. Fight or flight. Fight. I reach down and grab the knife from my boot swiftly and reveal it. Before Dan can twist my arm I push it into his neck. I run before I can see anything that will make me lose it then and there. Ambrose sees me and sees the splatter of blood across my face and hands. I hear a loud moaning from the hallway and a thump from his body hitting the ground. I am hysterical and Ambrose falls to the floor in shock. His hands are on his head and I am turning over the cabinets looking for the car keys.
“Damn it Ambrose where are his keys? Where?” I look at him and he just glances over at the island and I run over there. I open one of the cabinets and shift through the wooden spoons and plastic tools. I finally see the glint of silver and grab it before I hear banging from the hallway.
“I will..end you...Naomi.” I shudder and quickly run through the kitchen to Ambrose.
“Ambrose we have to leave, right now. Come on get up.” Ambrose listens to me and does as I say but he looks disorientated. I lead him outside and open the truck. I push him into the passenger seat and run to the other side. The second I step in I close the door and lock us in.
“Okay full gas, we should be good for a while.” I turn on the car and press on the gas so fast our heads hit the seat.
“How did you do that?” He looks out the window in awe.
“The girl that was before me, she left notes and a knife. She helped us.” I look over to see Ambrose have silent tears cascade down his face.
“We are going to be okay now. I promise.”
“She promised me I would get out one day. I wanted her to be alive too.”