"Mark?!" Both of the girls exclaimed at once.
In the middle of the pitch black room, a squirming face was illuminated by the white light of Josie's torch. His blonde hair had streaks of mud in, and he was bound to a wooden chair with tightly wrapped fabric. Not only that, but his mouth was bound too. He tried to speak, but all of his words tumbled out as a mumble.
Together, the girls rushed over and untied the boy, freeing him from the chair.
"What are you doing here?"
"Oh thank god you guys are here to save me. I didn't think I was gonna survive in this hellho-"
"Zip it, we're not here for the sob story. Why are you here?"
"I honestly have no idea how I got here. All I can remember is walking home this evening, then being attacked by this huge guy. Then I woke up here."
Josie couldn't help but feel sorry for Mark. He'd been dragged into this mess for no apparent reason whatsoever. She'd always loved Mark, as he was her first (and only) boyfriend up to date. They'd gone out for 4 years until Mark suddenly broke it off without warning not long ago. Seeing him now, after she'd tried so hard to dodge him, all her feelings came rushing back.
"Jo, you look as stunning as ever, even being drenched in sweat," Mark chuckled.
It made Josie suddenly very self aware. Her hair was all over the place, she had holes in her clothes from where the splinters of the cupboard had snagged them and dirt under her fingernails from climbing into the trap door in the first place.
"Haha, very funny Mark. I hate to break it to you, but we have more important things to discuss than how I look. Like how we are going after Anna and Jones."
"Anna and Jones? Who are they?"
"Listen, short stack we don't have time to explain. Like Jo said, we're going to find them and kill them. You in or not?"
"Kill them?! Absolutely not! That sounds completely mental! Are you out of your minds?!"
"Right, you have a decision to make here. You can either come with us, and live, or go off by yourself, and die. Really, your fate is in your own hands now, bud."
Mark scrunched his face up. He didn't like being bossed about and wasn't about to take orders from Sarah.
"I think I'll go off by myself and live, thanks! How do you expect to survive when you're going after these people? They must've done something terrible for you to want to murder them, who's to say they won't do the same to you two?"
They beat you up and brought you here. Oh, and they also killed Kaity. If only you knew...
"Okay, short stack. Your decision. Meanwhile, me and Jo value our lives, so we'll have to part ways from here."
As Mark shrugged and began to walk away, a nagging voice grew louder in Josie's head.
Don't let him walk away, Josie. You know he'll die if you do.
"Wait, Mark! You can't go. You don't understand, and we don't have time to explain it to you, but you're screwed if you leave by yourself. That guy who beat you up... He's out here. You're not the only one he's hurt, which is why we seek revenge on him."
Finally, the penny dropped for Mark. It occurred to him that this was a serious matter that he couldn't just brush off and pretend like it never happened.
"Fine, I'll follow you two. But the second I smell danger I'm leaving, okay?"
Without warning, someone slammed the door behind the 3, who were all stood in a huddle in the middle of the room. An ominous voice echoed throughout the room.
"Oh, I'm afraid that won't be necessary, Mark."