Day 9        Charlotte POV            (December 25th 2013)

It was Christmas day.

I pictured the streets of Paris filled with giggling children, playing pretend with their new toys and treasures. I imagined my family at home with a lit up Christmas tree by the window, the stockings of my cousins all lined up underneath the TV. And for some odd reason I thought of Kelly, the girl who teased and taunted me all those years, sitting by the fire with her grandmother telling stories over a cup of hot coco.

And here I was: my hands bound, my butt numb, my eyes swollen, and my stomach growling in a damp U-Haul somewhere in Europe.

I stared down at my short legs that were folded up Indian style in front of me. For the first time I noticed a big spot of blood on my pant leg. I tried not to think about who it could have come from with a gulp.

I wondered what Perrie and Eleanor were busy doing now. As much as I hated being kidnapped and all, I was secretly grateful to not be in their position. I wouldn't have been able to survive not knowing what happened to the boys.

I just hoped the girls made it home alright.

Then I thought of my mom and her new husband. I prayed to God that neither of them had caught wind of us being missing, but they didn’t live under a rock. It had to be on the news at least once by now- and I knew how often my step dad was watching Good Morning America.

The driver of my prison took a sharp turn. I gasped, falling onto my back and sliding across the floor. I hit the opposite wall with a deafening “THUD”.

I made a whining noise at the back of my throat, bringing my hands to rub a new bump on the back of my tender head.

I rolled onto my knees and looked down at the water bottle I had crushed. Thankfully I didn’t break the seal and I still had a few swallows left. Because I had no idea how long I was going to be kept in here by myself, I was going to need as much provisions as they allowed.

I wondered to myself, why split the boys and I apart? Maybe I wasn’t doing my job properly. I mean, I hadn’t been very mindful. But even so, keeping me as leverage would make the most sense. I knew now that I wasn’t going home: Aubin made that very clear yesterday when he whispered into my ear.

I shivered at the thought.

I could only cross my fingers and pray that the boys were on their way out of Aubin’s reach: headed as far away as humanly possible.

Merry Christmas to all.