The Bunker

Cassie ends up kidnapped on a visit to the skatepark.

The Bunker

 

As I place my bag on my mattress, I make out the bold ring of my phone buzzing. I step over to it and answer the call. 

        “Cassie! Did you forget? We were counting on you to meet up with us at the skate park thirty-five minutes ago!” shouts my best friend, Lynn.

         “I’m so sorry! I’m coming immediately, I swear!”

         I grab my elbow and knee pads and headgear and hurry to the garage to find my skateboard. As I’m skating along the pavement, I notice it’s silent on the street. The only people I see are the two women walking their dogs. I turn the corner and reach the wire fence separating me and my buddies.

         The “skate park” is, in reality, a deserted construction site. They were building a pool but ran out of money to carry it out. Instead, it’s turned into a hangout for skateboarders. We disregard the “No Trespassing” notices posted on the fence and nearby trees. Cops don’t patrol this area frequently.         

As I push my skateboard through a gap in the bottom of the fence, I listen to a vehicle pull up nearby. I think to myself, It’s most likely Jane and her new boyfriend. When my board is on the other side, I climb up the grated fence. 

         “Young lady? What do you think you’re doing?” I hear a low voice inquire. 

        I drop down and turn to face a man in a blue and black uniform. Crap. Maybe we should mind the signs. He reaches behind his back and snatches his handcuffs. He sways them in front of my face and motions for me to turn my back. I contemplate running but establish that wouldn’t be intelligent. Maybe he’ll let me off with a warning if I cooperate. 

        He handcuffs me and points to the sign. “Do you know what that says?” I nod and he leads me into a black SUV.

          “Why do you drive an SUV instead of a typical cop car, Officer?” I ask him, becoming rather uneasy.

         “Because I’m not a cop,” he answers and grasps a cloth from the floor. Before I can fight him off, he holds it to my nose and mouth and I vanish into darkness.

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        When I wake up, my vision is fuzzy and spotted. I can scarcely open my eyes. My eyelashes feel as if they’ve been stitched together. I can see enough to recognize it’s night and I’m still inside the SUV. I attempt to move but, in addition to the handcuffs, my legs are bound. 

         “Yeah, Jackson. I’ll keep her down there until we get a bid. She’ll go fast.” There’s a pause on this end. “In perfect health too.” 

        No longer able to keep my eyes open, I pass out again.

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         I open my eyes to find myself in a new space. I’m lying on a small mattress in a small metal room. To my left there are a few cabinets and a table and chair. In front of me is a bookshelf. There’s a single mechanic-shop-type light providing minimal light in the metal room. 

        Remembering what happened, who knows how long ago, I jump up and search for a way out of here. I notice a staircase that I couldn’t see from my previous position. I run up it, nearly falling from not being on my feet for a while. When I reach the top, there’s a metal door with a small window in the center. I look out the window and see that it’s daytime and I’m in the middle of the woods. How will anyone find me in this place? Are they even looking? My friends knew I was going to meet them and that I’d tell them if my plans changed. My parents would wonder why I’m not home. Surely someone will come for me. 

        I run my hand down the side of the door and feel a slight notch. A keyhole. I think back to all of the crime shows I watch and remember someone using bobby pins to unlock a door. Would that work for me? The least I can do is try.

         I search in my hair for bobby pins and find three from the braid I had in it before, noticing how oily my unwashed hair is. How long have I been here? I try to use two of them in the lock but they get stuck. I pull as hard as can without breaking them and they budge.

         I walk back down the stairs and sit in the wooden chair near the pantry. I begin to chew the ends of the bobby pins to sharpen them so. the next time I try to pick the lock, they won’t get stuck. I spit out extra pieces of plastic until I feel they’re sharp enough. 

        I take the bobby pins and head toward the stairs but I stop when I hear a loud thud. I drop to the floor and scoot over into a corner. What was that? Is he coming? What is he going to do to me? 

        I hear another loud noise and the door busts open. I reflexively cover my head with my arms and begin to cry, yelling “Please don’t hurt me! Please!”

         “We’re not going to hurt you, Cassie. We’re here to help you. Here, give me your hand.”

         I look up and see a woman in a pantsuit. She has a curly wire hanging from her ear. I reach out to her and she leads me out of the room. When I look back at it, I realize it’s a bunker. Similar to a storm shelter. 

         As we walk further towards the sound of police sirens, I see my mom and dad. I run up to them and hug them. I haven’t hugged my parents in a long time. Affection is rarely showed much in my family.

         “I’m so glad you’re okay. This scared us so bad!” Imagine how I feel, Mom.

Reviews

[barleygirl]

Your writing is constructed with perfection & your storytelling is well-done & compelling. I really like when a writer uses the most recognizable, meticulous & accurate details, such as biting the plastic off the ends of the bobby pins. This is the kind of vivid imagery that makes a story sing. Even tho this is a pretty short journey thru a harrowing experience, you've managed to help us feel time has gone by with such "show, don't tell" effects like the oily unwashed hair. Your writing is spot-on.

[Quinn W]

Aaaw! Thank you so much!

[moonlit_cove]

This has a nice build-up of suspense for being as short as it is. Not knowing what was going to happen to her when the door opened was frightening. Not wanting to spoil it for anyone else, I'll just say I liked the resolution. :-) I like how the perpetrator(s) don't explicitly say what they have planned. The reader's imagination will fill in those blanks with whatever frightens them most. I enjoyed reading it!

[Quinn W]

Thank you so much! This was one of my first times writing something like this so I was concerned it wouldn't be very good.