'Where am I?' Robert Miller opened his eyes. 'This isn’t my house'. The place was dark and he couldn't see himself. But he thought he was sitting on some hard surface, probably a floor and leaning backwards against a pillar. 'Why am I finding it hard to breathe? and when did I get this headache'. He wanted to put his hands on his head and press against his temples, but 'I can't move either'.
'I'm hungry..Am I tied?'
As Robert gained more consciousness, he realized he was tied to a pillar on which he was leaning against. Rope was taut enough to make him hard to breathe. His hands were taken behind the pillar and tied together. His legs weren't tied. His mouth is not plastered. But short of breath, made it difficult for him to shout for help. 'Try, no harm, Robert'.
'Help!' it sounded funny when he managed to shout only the first syllable of it.
'I should have never thought about helping that stranger' Robert thought as he recollected what had happened to him.
A few hours back, Robert was riding his bi-cycle from his school to home. It was his usual deserted path. He was surprised to see a mini-van parked by the shoulder today. A man in his 30s, standing by its side with some paper in his hand, brown hat on his head to match his brown suit and looked confused.
"Sir, do you know where Newton High school is?" the man shouted as Robert passed by him. Robert stopped immediately and turned back.
"That way" the boy pointed in the direction he was heading.
"Are you going that way?"
"I am taking a left in a few minutes, but you may have to continue for say 5 more miles"
"I have a map, but I am confused where exactly I am in this' the man took a closer look at his map.
Robert turned his bi-cycle and came towards the man "Lemme take a look", sitting on his bi-cycle, the boy leaned towards the paper on the man's hand.
It didn't look like a map. Looked like some front cover a Magazine "What is.." before he could complete, the man thrusted the paper on his face with one hand and held the boy's head with his other hand. 'What is this smell…' He felt some one else pushing him inside the van from behind.
Robert wished it was all a dream, but it wasn't. He was tied now shouting for help.
Short of breath, he wondered if anyone could ever hear him at all.
A few moments later, he heard a screeching sound from behind...and a dim light filled his room. He thought, it was the light from the adjacent room.
'Some one must be opening the door'
"How have you been?" the man came from behind and kneeled by his side to take a look at the boy. It was the stranger he met on the road. Not a stranger anymore.
The boy didn't reply. Not that he didn't want to, but because it was so hard for him to speak with the rope so taut.
"I wanna see the victim" the boy heard another voice. It was a smiling old man. He must be in his 60s. A stern faced young man accompanied him. He guessed this young man may be of the same age as the stranger he met on road. He wondered if he is the one who pushed him in the van from behind.
"He is not speaking, Bob" the man who was kneeling told the old man.
The old man took a closer look at the boy.
"Josh, he is a kid. Loosen the rope a bit. He can't breathe" the old man said.
Josh stood up, went behind the pillar and loosened the rope. The boy had a great relief, stooped forward sighed heavily. The boy could now feel his racing heart beat. Felt blood rushing all through his arteries and veins.
The boy looked up all 3 men with panic in his eyes.
"Please let me go home" the boy whispered in a crying tone.
"You shut up!" the stern faced young man yelled. "We know when you will go home"
"Nick, you don't speak to a kid that way" the old man said.
"You wanna do the talking?" Nick looked at the old man.
The old man gave a sorry look to the boy "See you later, kiddo" the old man left the place.
"Look here" Nick got the attention of the boy looking at the old man who was leaving.
"The deal is, you stay calm, you play no tricks on us, you go home in a few days..understood?" Nick scared the boy to death.
"Yes sir" the boy sobbed as tears running down his cheeks.
The two young men left the room closing the door behind.
A few hours later, the boy was happy to see the old man again.
He came in with food in his hand. He closed the door.
He untied the boy.
"You got a name, boy?" the old man sat beside him and asked in a friendly voice.
"Robert Miller, Sir"
"Father's?"
"James Miller"
The old man had also brought a plate for himself. As he ate, he gestured the boy to eat.
"Don't mind Nick. He is not in a good mood today. He will be alright tomorrow" the old man said as he chewed his food.
"When can I go home?"
"I can't say right now, but I assure you will be safe home soon"
"Why am I here?"
"Boy, no more questions, just enjoy your food"
The boy obediently nodded and ate his food. The boy felt happy that there was atleast one soul in this rotten place who made him feel better.
The boy finished his food.
"There is the bathroom" the old man pointed to an attached restroom on the corner of that room.
"Be back soon, I got to tie you"
"Please don't. It hurts"
"I will tie it loose"
"Please.." the boy pleaded.
The old man thought for a while. He knew it is impossible for the boy to get out of this locked room.
"Well, don't play any tricks. You will regret." the old man said in a firm tone.
"I won't sir" he pleaded again.
"Better don't even think about it. Good night" the old man left the room, closed and locked the door from outside.
"Thank you, Sir" the boy had no intension to escape. He believed that the old man will let him go home soon, if he didn't venture any escape.
Secondly, he couldn’t think of a way to escape from that locked room.
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