I don't know what the time is. I wake up, kind of, under a very hot boy. A boy I get to call my boyfriend. Yup, even I don't know how that happened. He has one hand tightly wrapped around my waist. His hold his very hard to get out of. I feel safe in these arms, never do I want to get out of them, except right now, only because I really have to pee. Travis looks so angelic in his sleep. I'd look like the devil if I even try to wake him up. But I really have to pee.

So with all my might, whatever little I have anyways, I get out of Trav's arms and get off the bed. His face now has a deep frown. He grabs the pillow next to him and hugs it tightly.
I just got replaced by a pillow. Wow.

I then go to the washroom.

Once I get out of the washroom I can't help but feel that the house seems more quiet than usual. My mum and brother should be at home. I don't think they are.
I get a sudden rush of adrenaline and fear and start calling out for them. I look through every room in the house and I can't find them. 

Where have they gone?

Suddenly everything is blacking out and I feel myself falling.

99 Days till graduation. 99 Days till my life begins.

I wake up after that dream where I felt like I was falling into an endless void and I find myself in a chair with my hands tied behind me. 

Oh that's right, I got kidnapped.

Welcome to the life of Louisa Edwards. 

I feel like an elephant is stood on my head. My head is just throbbing so much that I can't even handle the little streak of light coming out of the window high up on the wall beside me. 

The room looks dingy and is quite dark. It looks like a room you'd see in a horror film. 

As my eyes continue scanning the room and I find another person in here. I thought I was alone. 
Imagine my shock when I realize that that person just happens to be Michael bloody Hamish.

His eyes are closed and he's on a chair, tied up, but his head is facing the floor.

"Michael!" I shout.

His head shoots up and he's looking at me dead in the eye.

"Lou. Oh god. I can't believe we're in a situation because of me again. I'm so sorry Lou-"

"Hey. It's alright. On the bright side, you've clearly found something that can put down Mr. Darcy for good. We wouldn't be in this situation otherwise, isn't?" I question. I'm not sure if he has really found something. 

"Yeah, yes, I actually did. You're not going to like it though. But please hear me out alright? So Travis is-"

"Hey! Look who is awake!" I turn to see a guy, I don't think I know, enter the room. 

The guy walks over to Michael and hits him hard on the head with his rifle. 

I wince.

"Look, your girlfriend is awake! Now maybe you'll be more cooperating with us. Maybe answer the questions we have for you?" the man snickers but Michael looks at the floor and refuses to agree or make eye contact with him.

On realizing that Michael is not going to budge, he walks over to me.

"Hello love! You can call me Dan. You are here because your boyfriend was being a pain in the arse. We needed some incentive you see." The way this guy talks just gives you the chills.

"Michael isn't my boyfriend." I hear myself say. I'm surprised I'm still able to talk. In the back of my mind I'm hoping this is all a prank and it'll be over soon and we'll come out of this laughing. 

It does not look like it's going to end up that way.

"Oh that's right! Your boyfriend is Travis Darcy!" he says and gives out the most obnoxious laugh. 

"Michael! You clearly haven't told her the entire story. You've known for sometime now haven't you?! Oh this is just gold! Anyways, enough of the chit-chat don't you think?" Dan says and yanks my head backward and brings a knife to my neck.

I've seen this scene play out in movies. But actually being sat here, in the victim's position might I add, is an entirely, different, story.

In the single stroke of his hand, this could all end.

"Michael, here's something that I can teach you. Slitting a person's throat accomplishes three things." On hearing him say that, Michael looks up and looks utterly spent and helpless.

"Dan, please, no." I then hear Michael finally speak up. 

With the knife still on my throat, Dan ignores Michael and continues. 

"So once I slit her throat, her trachea is severed first, which prevents screaming or yelling. 

Second It severs the carotid artery preventing new oxygenated blood from reaching the brain.

 Lastly, it severs the jugular vein allowing blood to easily flow from the brain.

These things will bring unconsciousness with death shortly to follow. But it is not like it is in the movies. It is a gruesome thing to see. It takes 30 seconds to a minute till the blood loss or lack of oxygen eventually kills the person. Unconsciousness would have happened much sooner, but the heart will continue to pump squirting blood from the carotid until there is not enough to pump.

The whole while she will be taking giant gasping breaths through her severed wind pipe gargling blood and coughing. It is neither quiet nor quick like it is in the movies.

And you thought that I was downright daft!" Dan finally finishes. 

I didn't think it was possible to be this afraid.

"Dan. I'll tell you what you want, just leave her alone. Please."

Dan then laughs.
How one manages to find humor in such a situation, effing bewilders me.
He then removes his knife from my neck and I let out a breath I did not know I was holding.
Just as relief floods through me, Dan cuts me on the cheek, I wince and I feel blood trickling down the side of my face.

"Sorry love, that was just to show him that I'm being serious and that if he doesn't give me the answers I'd be more than happy to give him a practical lesson on what I was teaching him earlier."

"So, Michael, who is the mole in Mr. Darcy's business? Who gave you the info-"

Dan is cut off by the door being broken down. The sound echos through the room we're in. 

The person who comes through the door is none other than Travis Noel Darcy.
My knight in shining armor or the reason I'm here in the first place?

His eyes find mine and quickly move to Dan's.

Well nice to see you too Trav.

"What the F*ck Dan?! I thought we were clear. What Michael gets into, is his bloody business. I told you to leave her the f*ck alone." Travis then yells. You can see the veins in the side of his neck. I eyes follow his arms and I see he's clutching a gun.

"Your dad's orders Trav. The boss's words kind of overrule yours mate." Dan replies very calmly. He was having the time of his life when Travis wasn't here. Now even he looks quite worked up and annoyed. 

"I'll have a word with him. Just f*cking leave her out of this next time." Travis replies. I thought Travis wasn't on speaking terms with his dad.

What else do I bloody not know?!

Travis walks over to me and is about to untie me when Dan lifts his rifle and points it towards him.

"I can't let you do that Trav. Once I get what I want from Michael, I'll let her go. For now, Back. Off." 

Travis gives a chilling smile and lifts his own gun and points it towards Dan.

"I can't do that mate."

They stay like that for what seems like forever. 

Dan is suddenly falling. Michael has managed to kick him from behind I think. The rifle falls out of his hands and before he can get to it Travis shoots him in the arm. 

Dan yells out in pain.

Travis is then helping me out of the chair. He then carries me and makes a dash for the door.

"Travis! Michael is still in there!" I shout at him as he takes me out the door.

"We haven't got the time Lou."

"I don't bloody care. If it wasn't for him we wouldn't have been able to get out of there."

Travis scowls at me but stops and unwillingly puts me down, asks me stay put and goes back.

I hear another shot go off in the room and I feel the blood drain from my face but I couldn't be more relieved when a minute later I see Michael and Travis dash out of them room. 

I give a quick smile to Michael. Silently thanking him. He tells me that he'll talk to me soon and runs out of where ever the hell we are.

I am suddenly in Travis's arms again and he's making a dash out of this place as well.

"I know you guys have kissed and you both are quite close. The least you could do is not show it in front of me." Travis says while trying to get out of the place.

How does he know we've kissed?

Travis, Michael, Mr. Darcy, they're all part of or something big that I'm not in on. Or at least they know about it.

Travis has some explaining to do. 

Where do I fit in, in all this?

~

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Without Wax,
Sanjana Ramesh