I blink awake, finding darkness surrounding me. There is a single dim light source to my left side, which my head, I find, is turned in that direction. My neck hurts, like I slept on it wrong. I attempt to stretch it out, but I find that I cannot move.

I try to stretch my legs out, but they go nowhere. I am trapped in a box of sorts, like I am the subject of some kind of magic show. A magic show that I never agreed to be a part of. There is also a throbbing pain in my head.

The more I think and the more I become conscious of the world, the more that the pain sheers its icy wrath in my skull. I blink back tears and then realize something else.

I can hardly breathe.

A silky material is jammed into my mouth and tied around my head. I can feel long strands of it protruding from the nape of my neck. Conveniently where I feel my muscles are tight and cramped. A thought of what the material is punctures the pain in my head for a moment.

A scarf!

I wriggle around, now feeling the cold metal of the handcuffs still clasping tightly to my wrists and restraining them behind my back.

Suddenly a wave of pain hits me. I don't know exactly what if hurting and what I look like, but I don't know if I really want to find out. Everything hurts.

I stop pitifully struggling and just let all the pain cluster together. I close my eyes, wishing for death.

Then suddenly, the darkness over me is flooded with amazing, welcome light. I blink my eyes back open and find the faces of Spencer, Fabien, Tyler and Jonni all looking down at me. They are all horrified and stunned. No one is laughing.

I try to get out a, "please, help me!" but a low humming sound comes as my voice is muffled by the scarf gag.

"Get the scarf out of his mouth!" Spencer orders.

Tyler reaches down into the box and does so.

The material settles, hanging loosely around my tense neck and I gulp in fresh air.

"Geez man, you okay? You look like you were dragged behind your ex's truck and then lit on fire," Jonni remarks, helping Spencer to take me out of my hellish box prison. "And then also beat like a punching bag."

"I mean we saw some of the 'show'. But I guess Hannibal and Encrypto -- Lynette -- didn't want us to view anymore of it. I'm guessing they did this to you."

"I-I'm in so much pain, guys..." I croak out, my voice hoarse with the shrill agony I am battling with inside of my aching body. "How-how'd you find me?"

Spencer looks at me with concerned, sympathetic eyes as he replies with, "When the feed cut, Jonni received a text message that told us to come to the following coordinates. We'd find a Mystery Box that would link us to where you were.

"We had no idea that the box would actually be you though," Tyler tacks on, looking down at his feet.

Fabien holds up a tissue, which he uses to wipe the tears lingering in his eyes with. "There was also a strip of tape that attached a note to a bag of tissues, saying that we 'might need these.' Boy, was that an understatement, Radim. I was raped, but you--" He shudders and then covers his face in the tissues.

"How bad do I look?" I croak out, my mouth dry as ice.

"Bloody," Tyler says.

"Beat up with bruises," Fabien sniffles.

"Tied up," Spencer tacks on, as he attempts to remove the handcuffs with no avail.

"And all around helpless and defeated," Jonni mumbles, looking down at his feet with sadness. "In other words, buddy, I wouldn't wish what you went through and what you look like on my worst enemy."

I attempt to look down at myself and see just how bad it is, but I find that I cannot get a good glimpse.

"But what happened to you? I thought you'd gone to throw up in the bathroom, because of the...site," Spencer wonders, carefully picking his words.

"I was kidnapped outside. By a chloroform ambush attack. I think it was Lynette who got me. When I came to, though, I saw a bulky white man. And I was tied up on the bed...I couldn't make out who the guy was. But his voice sounded familiar." A sharp pain seers through my skull as I try to recall the voice and I scream out in agony. "My head hurts!"

Jonni gently claps a hand on my shoulder. "You were drugged and assaulted, bro, OF COURSE your head hurts. Just try to stop thinking for right now...we'll get back home and get you some pain meds like an Excedrin or something."

Spencer is eyeing the handcuffs that are still entrapping my wrists. "Did they leave a key...or something...or do they just expect you to remain handcuffed the entire rest of the time before they finally end this stupid shitfest by killing us all."

I blink, looking at Spencer. He very rarely cusses, first of all. And secondly, he sounds frustrated and almost overwhelmed by...a fearful conquering. Even when we were on the ice, losing 6-1 in the third period, he still managed hope and leadership. But he just sounded like he was giving up.

I didn't like it.

I shrug at him as Tyler looks into the box with Fabien.

Fabien's girlish squeal slices through the air, instantly followed by a lower-pitched, "Ah-ha!" Then I hear rustling in the cardboard box behind me and then a small golden key is thrusted into my vision path.

"I guess they did put it in!" Fabien exclaims and passes the key to Spencer, who quickly unlocks the cuffs and lets them fall off of my wrists and into the box.

"Thank God," I sigh rubbing my sore, reddened wrists, where the cold metal had been pressing into my skin. "Now let's get back home and kill this headache, before I try to think more..."

We leave the box with the handcuffs behind on the street corner and then return back home via a cab.

Spencer, Tyler and Fabien help to clean me up, while Jonni does some research on Hannibal Hacker via his phone. The more information we can gather about the madman the better, including what the police know about him.

As soon as I am cleaned up, the bruises and red marks are the only remnants showing my tortured incident with the villainous pair. I've taken about four Excedrin for my head, so I feel a flood of energy surging through my sore, aching body.

My cell phone lights up with an incoming call from my mother. I snatch up the device, trying to disguise my panic. Then a thought hits me. My family reunion is coming up tomorrow! I slap my forehead and answer the call, before it goes to voicemail and I'll have to hear the neverending rant from mom about missing phone calls from her.

What if there's an accident, Radim?

What if I'm in the hospital?

What if someone's died?

What if...? What if...? What if...?

I shake my head and muster all the fake 'nothing's wrong, mom! I swear!' energy into my voice greeting, "Hi mommy!"

"Radim Eric Raddysh, I know you were not about to let your mother go to voicemail! You know how much I hate when you do that! I don't know if you're alive, hurt, or in some kind of trouble! And what about me?! What if I was calling in a state of emergency because my back--" I hold the phone out, away from my ear and sigh, rolling my eyes as she goes on and on.

Spencer, Tyler and Fabien are looking at me. For once, in the past few days, they crack smiles. Spencer even chuckles at me.

I press the phone back to my ear. Big mistake.

She continues into my ear with more of her -- what seems to me like -- neverending rant, "--I only call you once a week. Is this too much to ask for? I mean, in the future who knows, I might be a bored old lady who just wishes to talk to her--"

I pull the phone away once again, mocking her with my mouth, causing Spencer to chuckle more.

"Alright, alright," Spencer chuckles, "Quit it and just talk to her. Find out why she's calling you. Geez."

I roll my eyes and put my phone back against my ear to hear -- thankfully -- the tail end of the mother speech: "--Just please remember to always answer my phone calls."

I once again fake happiness and like I'd listened to her, as I reply with, "Yes, mother, yes. I know. Don't worry, I'm fine and I haven't forgotten about the family reunion. I'll be the first one there!"

There is an obvious surprised, but relieved sigh from her. "Phew. Good boy. I always thought you were the best male child I had."

"Mom, I'm the only male child--HEY!" I gasp.

She laughs. "Relax, Radimie. I'll see you tomorrow."

"So why were you calling?!" I demand, still a little hurt inside from her comment.

"I was seeing if you remembered about the reunion. By the way, your cousin is coming. I know he's had some problems in the past, but he's cleaned himself up tremendously. Maybe you and him can talk some. He still doesn't have many friends and it'd be good for him to have some nice influences in his life, you know?"

"That's to make up for the other half-compliment, huh?" I jokingly poke back at her.

Jonni walks into the living room, where we are gathered by the couches. "Awwww, Radimiekins is talking to his mommy! How cute!"

I ignore him, as my mother says with all the sincerity in her voice that she can manage, "Cousin Dorian looks up to you. I'll see you tomorrow! Okay?"

"Okay." I know all about the problems Cousin Dorian had. He was a rebellious child, always sneaking out, drinking underage, the list of bad acts goes on and on. He had gotten caught once with illegal porn in his possession and he was always checking out younger women, way out of his age range at gyms.

My mother's voice pulls me back to reality and out of my thoughts, with the common closing term of endearment, "Love you, Radimie."

"Love you too, mommy. Bye," I mutter the response back.

I can see Jonni mocking me now as he joins Spencer. All four of my friends look at me with some bewilderment on their faces.

"Bye." I lower the phone as the call ends. I haven't told them about the reunion. Mainly because I had forgotten about it.

I flash them a smile. "Family reunion. Sorry. I meant to tell you guys, but I forgot."

"How do you forget a family reunion?" Fabien gasps.

I shrug. "Trust me, one with my family, you would..."