Startled, I ran out of the room where I was with Joshua. The men were gone, as if they had never been there in the first place.

The screams grew louder, then stopped abruptly.

Silence was again perceived, which frightened me even more.

Would they hurt the girl? You could hear that it was a small child. Were her parents worried?

I'm sure that if something like that happened to me, my parents wouldn't worry about me at all.

I heard Joshua's unsteady footsteps behind me, and continued walking in the direction where the screams had just been heard.

After listening carefully, I realised that only soft sobs could be heard.

Slowly and fearfully, I walked on until I was standing in front of the door, which was locked with many locks.

So I was right with my assumption?

The door was unlocked and locked again.

The girl had to be in here.

Confused, I knocked gently on the metal door. The 'knocks' rang out as echoes throughout the building, leaving me with goosebumps.

Very unexpectedly, I felt a hand on my shoulder, which made me shiver.

With a jerk, I turned around, and looked into Joshua's face.

Relieved, I exhaled, and looked at him.

A sobbing voice broke me out of my thoughts again:

''Hey? Help me please.... I am scared. I want to go back to my mommy.''

Sobbed this voice again. I turned again to that door, and called out:

''We will try... How did you come here? What do these men want from you?''

My voice trembled as I asked these questions. I was well aware that there was no way we could save her. Still, I wanted to soothe her a little, maybe a miracle would happen, and she would survive after all?

Her sobs became less, and I could hear her pulling up her nose to stop crying.

In her dainty voice, she said:

''I don't know. My parents... they were with me in the park, and all of a sudden I think someone grabbed me and drugged me. Anyway, then everything went black in front of my eyes and I don't remember.''

She paused, and the silence was back.

I got worried and knocked on the door in panic.

She then continued:

''When I opened my eyes, I was lying here.''

This was my chance! I might not be able to help her out of it, but apparently she didn't know what these men were up to with her. That was exactly what I wanted to find out!

She was certainly not the first child to end up here.

I asked her cautiously:

''Can you describe to me what the room looks like from the inside?''

Curious, I waited for an answer from her, but she hesitated.

''It... I can't tell... It's dark in here.''

Shit!

That didn't help me.

Silently, I thought of another solution, and then noticed Joshua's questioning looks.

The trembling voice of the little girl broke me out of my thoughts again.

''Will you help me? Please, I want my mommy''

Why didn't Joshua say anything?

He just looked at me, shrugging his shoulders, which I couldn't understand.

A little girl's life was at stake here, and he did nothing?

Irritated, I looked at him, and he came closer to me.

At my ear, he stopped and said:

"Don't you see? We cannot help her. Our own lives are even at stake.''

How could he be such an egotist?

I exhaled in annoyance and wanted to say something to the little girl, but I was dragged by Joshua into the room where we were hiding from the men.

What was this boy up to?

I wanted to trust him and rely on him, but he was making himself very suspicious with his reaction.

Before I could think about what he was trying to do, he rummaged in his jeans pocket and pulled out the lost packet of cigarettes and drugs.

I flinched and looked at him questioningly. He cleared his throat and avoided my eyes.

Had he had it on him all this time and not told me?!

He took out my lighter, which he had apparently also pocketed.

I was still looking at him with wide eyes, waiting for an explanation.

But instead he took a cigarette out of the packet and lit it without hesitation.

Slowly, he put his lips around the smoky intoxicant and took a big drag.

The next moment, the room filled with smoke, and he closed his eyes.

First he steals from me, and now he stands in front of me, without an explanation, and also smokes on my cigarette, and remains so calm?

I tried to reach for my owners, but he lifted them up and opened his eyes again.

"Do you want one?

He asked me and took out another cigarette.

He put the rest of the drugs and cigarettes back in his pocket.

I decided to play his game and take my things back while he slept.

So I nodded, and he also lit a cigarette and handed it to me.

We sat down on the cold and squeaky floor, and took big drags of the intoxicant.

After only 5 minutes I felt 'drunk' or rather 'lost'.

While smoking, I lost all sense of time and tried not to think of anything that reminded me of my past. All that mattered to me was the moment I took in the smoke.

Although I was angry with Joshua, I leaned wearily against his shoulder and my eyes slowly closed.

I still caught him putting my jacket, which he had tied around his waist, on my bare legs.

_________________________________________________________________________

The next day, we woke up to loud screams and angry male voices....