Thomas and I got sent home by the hospital quicker than I expected us to.

Except there's one thing left to do: a talk with the police.

Due to some issues with Thomas's parents, and to be honest our comfort, we convinced them to do the interview at Thomas's house.

So there we are, at his kitchen table.

"We were told you guys have been missing since Willamette's summer camp organized a party," the male officer starts. The woman next to him is recording our voices and taking notes. "Is that right?"

"Yes," we say in unison.

"Okay. How do you remember being abducted?"

"Thomas and I got drinks. Behind the counter, there used to stand a lady. But she had been replaced by a man. We couldn't see his face," I explain. "He gave us our drinks with straws. Next thing we know, it's super hot and we need air. I assume we were drugged. Outside, I remember fainting. I could no longer see Thomas."

"I fainted, too," Thomas confirms.

He nods. "And then?"

"I woke up in a giant room. It appeared to be a factory. I was tied to a chair, gagged. First, Marcus, the dealer, appeared in front of me. Then he called Austin, Thomas's father. They were discussing whether to kill us or just keep us forever."

He turns to Thomas. "And you were someone else?"

"Yes. I think I woke up before Lelia. I was in a smaller room. The room we then spent a lot of time in together."

"Did they say anything to you?"

I hate this. Marcus is dead and Austin better get lifelong in jail. I just want to rest.

"Not really. My father appeared. He punched me a few times, but eh, that was it."

I look around as Thomas speaks. If I look at him, I think I'm going to start crying. So I focus on something else; silhouettes of people on the stairs.

Automatically, I tense up. They're watching us. Who— oh, it's Minho, Lyndon, Teresa, and Newt. Must be overhearing this.

I don't want them to. I feel ashamed, knowing they're going to ask about my past with Marcus.

Luckily, I get to speak for a while. Takes my mind off things. I just plainly tell them everything I remember.

"And then they said they'd free us. We didn't believe them, of course. Austin wasn't there, so we figured he'd be waiting outside."

"Marcus took us by our wrists and started taking us to the exit of that building behind the cornfields. We had some silent communication behind his back, and decided to steal his phone."

"He was found dead in that mall," the man says, resting his hands on the table. "With broken ribs, a broken leg, and crushed, or damaged, skull."

I look down. So does Thomas. What are they going to do if they find out we killed him?

"I just want to know who caused that," the officer says.

We remain silent.

"I promise no one will go to jail for it. You were kidnapped, and it was life threatening. It would've been self defense."

"I stamped on his head after I got him on the ground," Thomas announces quietly. "I did it multiple times."

"Okay. That's okay. Thank you for telling us. And what happened then? You texted your family and then called the police?"

"Yes. We were told to go outside."

I tell the story about Austin chasing us and about how we fought him multiple times before we lost him.

"—and then we fell into the river. At some point, both of us blacked out from the cold. I woke up to the sun eventually. Lelia didn't. I really thought she was dead for a moment. No pulse."

"Her heartbeat must've been going very slow because of the cold," the woman says.

"Yes. I... punched her awake. I panicked and don't know anything about CPR," Thomas explains. "Oh, but before that, I went to check if the water was warmer. Maybe I could warm her up in there. I didn't find it being warmer. I did find a body. Noelle Marston."

"Yes. A jogger found it, probably the same day."

If only we would've stayed with her just a little longer.

I eye the ground again. Thomas talks about what happened at the cafe, and then in the neighborhood, and in the woods.

I hope we're done now.

"Okay. We had a talk with Austin. Got the reason why he helped abduct you kids out of him."

I look back up.

Thomas rubs the back of his head. "What's the, eh, what's the reason?"

"I don't think you're better off knowing—"

"He wanted to kill me? Revenge for sending him to jail?"

"...yes," the man sighs. "Anyway. Those are his motives. We did figure a few of Marcus's motives out by using his laptop and drug collection, but that doesn't tell us why he wanted to get you two specifically. We know he was friends with Austin. He helped him escape. Austin told us it was a great deal. Kidnap both of you together. Thomas for him, Lelia for Marcus. But why? Why Lelia for Marcus?"

There it is.

Leave, I want to tell them at the stairs.

I fumble with my shaking hands. I don't look anyone in the eye, the weight of all the stupid things I've caused crushing my chest. My stomach is churning in disgust.

Each breath feels like a confession already, and my mind is replaying every memory of buying his drugs. I want to shrink away from this moment, disappear, but there's no escape from this shame.

"One year ago," I start, "my old friends and I got the idea to buy drugs and then sell them again. We did this for a few weeks. We made great money. But one day, we decided to buy a crazy amount of drugs. He tricked us. Said we'd have to pay immediately and that he wouldn't take it back. None of us had ten thousand dollars, though. I froze in fear. The rest ran off.

"I had debts. At first, I didn't worry, until he started sending me notes. He started stalking me. It got to the point where he was sending the ones I care about to the hospital." I squeeze my eyes shut at the sight of Lyndon, covered in that blood.

They ask a ton of questions I answer with anything but ease. Then, out of nowhere, we appear to be done.

I want to stay locked up in my room forever now.

Don't want to face anyone.

A part of me, deep inside, wants the pills right now.

Because once you know there's an easy escape of reality, your body won't ever forget it. It'll always be a plan B.

A last option.