2.

Ashley awoke to pure darkness. From how the stone-cold floor she lay on felt, it was clear that she was not wearing the clothing with which she had left home in. For starters she was barefoot. Her arms were not covered by the sleeves of the top she had been wearing. She moved up into a seated position and attempted to get some sort of bearings as to where she is. As it is, there is nothing to see in that total darkness and there were no sounds for her to hear other than those she was making herself.

She soon got to her feet and began to tremble. Her legs felt weak, she felt weak, and she just about managed to stay standing. Wherever she was or is Ashley knows that she is indoors, how did she get here? Is she being held captive? If so, by who? And why?

'Hello' she fearfully called out.

Whatever clothing she so happened to be wearing only came down to just about being over her knees. It felt flimsy, soft as it were something intended for a doll to wear. Ashley is no doll, maybe her possible captor thinks of her as such. She could feel a cool breeze hit her shins and feet. Taking a step forward was a difficult task though she did manage two steps before calling out another 'hello'.

It wasn't particularly cold in this place, well part from how the ground felt and that brief breeze she had come into contact with. Maybe there is a refrigerated room close by. Ashley couldn't help but begin trembling all over. Every part of her now felt as weak as her legs did. She was barely able to take a third step forward let alone make an attempt to remain standing. She managed to stop herself from falling, though to the ground she was to go and almost as soon as she was back down on the floor ... Ashley passed out.

Lunch time from school and Gavin had returned home. He was sure that his mum would be at work so there would be no being given out to for not being in school the previous day if indeed his mum had found out that he had not gone in, nor would there be immediate repercussions for having not been home since heading off the day before, or so was the hopes. As Gavin got home and moved in through the front door, he was totally unaware as to what was going on and would react as such.

Rita straight away went for her son, thumping him on his shoulders a number of times and on one shoulder after the other.

'Where have you been?' she shouted. 'You and your sister had me so worried,' Rita locked her son in a bear hug and began crying. 'Thank God you are alright.'

'Mum, what is going on?' he asked upon being released from that bear hug.

'Your sister, she's not with you? Where is she? Where is Ashley?'

'No mom, she's not with me ... I don't know where Ashley is. She's not home? ... I haven't seen her since yesterday morning.'

'Don't say that, please don't say that. Tell me you know where your sister is?'

'I'm not her keeper mom; I have no idea where she is'. It is only at this moment that Gavin realizes that he and his mum are not home alone. 'Who are all these people?'

'Son, we need to ask you some questions' speaks one of the police officers as he takes a step towards the missing girl's brother.

'I'm not your son ...' Gavin says as he takes a couple of steps back towards the front door. His voice sounds cracked, and his eyes begin to well as he assumes that the worst has happened.

Before anyone else can get close enough to Gavin, he is gone ... having made a run for it. He wants to get to his sister, there is an immediate need to do this.

'Gavin ... Gavin ...' his mum calls out, but he is too far away to hear her calling.

Ashley awakes for a second time. She is no longer on a stone-cold floor. The floor she is now on is carpeted. It is not quite as dark as it had been the last time round. The room she appears to be in seems much smaller than the one she previously had been it. This room, it also appears to be moving. How can this be?

Feeling a little stronger than before, Ashley makes it to her feet. She does wobble a little though that is due to the fact that the room is somehow moving more than the fact that she has yet to completely regain her strength.

There is a long dark red curtain just a few feet away from her. Ashley moves towards it and pulls it back to reveal a small square window. Indeed, the room is moving. It appears that Ashley on the inside of some kind of mobile home and it is travelling along a dark and lonely road. No one is around to see her despair and confusion.

She puts both her hands against the window and as soon as she does, they begin to sting. Straight away Ashley pulls both her hands back and it is only now that she sees that they both are stained with blood, blood that is most likely her own for there are a number of small cuts on both her hands. It is also only at this point that Ashley discovers that there is a steel chain attached to her right ankle. There is little leeway, not much give from these chains though the room is small. There isn't very far for her to go if she could go anywhere at all.

This is where she begins to have somewhat of a panic attack. Ashley's eyes open wide, and her breathing becomes a little erratic. Who is doing this to her? Why is it happening? And where is Ashley being taken to? She begins to scream. Her screams are numerous and short though there is no one anywhere close to hear her screams, no one that is other than whoever it is that is moving this mobile home along that dark and lonely road.