Taron opened his eyes for the hundredth time since he was trapped in this place. They just kept on beating him up and leaving him to wake up. And usually, whenever he got up, one of them was always waiting at his foot to talk some more shit. Taron’s eyes adjusted to the place and he saw— bars? Had they changed his containment chamber? He sat up using his hands. And they had untied him and taken away the chair. He could see streams of light coming out from the far end, but he wondered just how far he was from civilisation. And most importantly, if there was any chance that he could run and escape. He put his hands out to test the lock, and of course, there was a padlock, and it opened with a key, not combinations. He wondered if Rebecca had gone to see Anthony yet, or anyone else except the police, and he thought about his mother. If he would ever see her again. Reaching out while holding the bars he pulled in the opposite direction, stretching his body enough to make satisfy

Rebecca had gotten a few missed calls from Taron’s mother, but she had missed them all. On purpose, that is. Her gut had told her that Eloise was calling to ask about her son, and Rebecca knew that she would fuck the conversation up, so she watched her phone ring and ring until it stopped. Three times. “What am I going to do?” She moaned into her knees. This was not what she was cut out for. She had almost had a panic attack once, and she had a crying session every night in her bath tub. “Why have they not found him yet? How unreliable are these people?” Rebecca asked herself in annoyance. “I told you, Rebecca,” She could almost hear Taron whisper. “the police are fucking unreliable.” “And we can’t do anything about it but wait.” Rebecca whispered and placed her head over her arms on the table. That was streak one of the Rebecca series: Weeping on duty.- “I don’t understand why he’s not picking up my calls.” Eloise muttered as she walked around in annoyance.

Eloise sat on her bed contemplating what to do. Something did not feel right, and her maternal instincts never failed her. Except for when she left her son for the wild, but still! Something was wrong, and she knew it. She could feel it in her bones. There was something that Anthony was not telling her. And Rebecca too! But what it was was what Eloise would like to know. Anthony had visitors, and they went up to discuss. Usually, Eloise did not like to be seen by visitors that Anthony did not introduce to her. It was a dark, dangerous world, and as much as Anthony was keeping her safe just fine, she had to do her best too. But not this time, Eloise thought. She took off her flip flops and dropped it in her personal bedroom before tip toeing up the stairs. She pressed her ear to the meeting room’s door. It was just her good fortune that whoever it was that went in last did not shut the door properly. Bad for the air conditioning, but good for Eloise. “Sir, we have traced some s

Taron felt drops of water on his face. He wiped them off with annoyance as he sat up, seeing himself on the floor of his bathroom. “How— what is going on? Was I dreaming all this while?” Taron asked himself as he stood up, his shirt drenched in water. Taron looked around. “I must have sworn that I was not here.” He was confused, but mostly relieved to not be in the company of those rats that took him away and that strange, cloaked woman. “Taron!” Eloise called out. Taron looked around and got out of the bathroom. “Mom? Why aren’t you with Anthony?” “Taron! Come here my boy!” Eloise continued to scream. “What do you want?” Taron looked around, wondering why it was starting to turn dark so quickly. Wasn’t the sun high up a few minutes ago? Taron went downstairs and saw Eloise cutting meat open with a knife in the living room. “Why are you doing that? We have three kitchens for a reason!” Taron yelled at his mom and went to take the meat and knife away. “Where are the

Rebecca had been in and out and over her head. She had not been able to think straight, or even sleep right since Taron was abducted. The only reason she was able to take some kind of control over the company was because she knew that Tarim would never allow it to fall to shambles because of any discomfort. That was what kept her going. She sighed as she looked into the mirror and looked herself over for the last time. She was sure that due to how terrible her mental state was, everything would be going downhill, and that would include her dressing. One of Rebecca’s biggest fear was going to work and having something on her, maybe a party on her hair, or unbrushed brows. Rebecca always convinced herself, making herself believe that Taron was alive, but he was probably being kept hostage by some kind of psychopath, and that was the only reason he was not back yet. Not that he was dead. Rebecca was not sure, of course, but she loved to tell herself that like it was some kind of hope