Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 148962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 745(@200wpm)___ 596(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 148962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 745(@200wpm)___ 596(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
I find my way to the backyard and see four men sitting on the dock around a patio heater, all of them wearing plain white masks. That alone is enough to set me on edge, but they’re also dressed alike in black slacks and dress shirts, like it’s some kind of uniform.
“There she is.” Nate strolls toward me, immediately recognizable by his voice. “Come meet my friends, Gabi.”
A shiver of unease crawls down my spine as I stand there, immobilized. “I thought you said there was going to be a bunch of bio students here.”
“They bailed because they’re lame.” Nate shrugs.
“Why are you all wearing masks?”
“It’s never too early to celebrate Halloween, is it?”
When I don’t answer, he comes over to meet me with a red cup in hand. “I got you a wine cooler. I figured you wouldn’t like the harder stuff.”
He’s already poured it, so there’s no way I’m drinking that. Everything in my gut tells me I have to leave now, and the familiar notification sound on my phone confirms it.
“One second.” I glance at the message from Eros415.
What are you doing, Gabi?
It feels foreboding, like he can sense something is off. Or maybe that’s just my imagination. Either way, I’m not sticking around to find out.
“I’m so sorry.” I glance up at Nate, hoping he doesn’t notice the tremor in my voice. “Something’s come up, and I have to go.”
“Aww, come on. You just got here.” He tries to shove the red cup into my hand. “At least stay for one drink.”
“I can’t. I’m sorry, but I have to go.”
I turn to leave, but he catches me by the arm and pulls me back.
“One drink,” he clips out. “I bought it for you. The least you could do is drink it.”
Fear slithers through me as my heart accelerates, making it hard to breathe. My survival instincts tend to malfunction in traumatic situations. Rather than fight or flight, my body shuts down. I can already feel it happening—my limbs growing heavy, my vision tunneling. If I don’t force myself to move now, I won’t be able to in a minute.
I yank my arm from his grasp and attempt to make a run for it, but I don’t get far. A solid weight slams into me from behind, knocking me onto the ground so hard, the air evacuates my lungs.
I claw at the grass as Nate’s friends approach, their voices drawing nearer.
“Come on, pledge, get that drink down her throat. Don’t disappoint us.”
Pledge?
The realization that this must be some kind of initiation sends a fresh wave of terror through me. I don’t know what they’re planning to do, but it can’t be good.
“That’s right, you little cock tease.” Nate straddles my back, pinning me to the ground. “You’re going to take a boat ride and have some fun with us.”
Those words rattle around my brain as I try to fight him off, but my limbs don’t cooperate. When a strangled sound escapes me, Nate grabs me by the hair and growls into my ear.
“Shut the fuck up. Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”
Liquid sloshes out of the cup as he yanks my head back and plies my jaw open. He tries to pour it into my mouth, but I turn my head to the side with what little leverage I have, and he misses.
“Goddammit,” he grunts. “Can’t you at least help me hold her?”
“What part of our instructions did you not understand?”
“Fine.” Nate hurtles the cup across the yard and pulls me up with him. “I’ll get her onto the boat and make another drink.”
“Tick tock.” Another man taunts. “Proba te.”
Despite my dead weight, Nate drags me across the lawn with ease. He’s much larger than me, and I doubt I could do much to stop him, even if I could put up a fight.
Still, it doesn’t stop me from trying. I attempt to reestablish the connection between my brain and body, but it’s not working. The chances of me coming out of it right now are improbable, and the short distance to the boat proves as much.
Nate carries me on board while the other men follow with a cooler.
Time seems to slow as he props me onto a seat and grabs another drink. After he opens the bottle, he removes something from his pocket and dumps it inside.
I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to remember how to breathe. I won’t be able to stop him this time. He has me trapped, and I’m outnumbered.
Tears leak from my eyes as I brace for the inevitable. A second passes, followed by another, and a loud crack splits the air.
Someone curses, and three heavy thuds sound in quick succession.
“What the fu—”
Nate’s words abruptly die off as a fourth heavy thud falls.
I open my eyes in a panic, choking on a sob when I see a man in a black balaclava towering over Nate’s prone body. His features are obscured beneath black clothing, gloves, and a dark reflective visor that covers his eyes. He’s much larger than the other men, both in height and strength, and the way he took them down so quickly triggers another cascade of fear. In a matter of seconds, he rendered them all unconscious, and I’m afraid that his attention will shift to me now. But it doesn’t.