“You need to wake up Soph, we gotta get moving asap.” I was roughly shaken awake by a rather aggressive pair of hands. “Soph i’m dead serious right now, if you don’t get a move on you’ll be walking to school and I’ll not be hearing about it when you get home.”

With a groan I opened my eyes and blearily stared up at the face of my tormentor.

“Fiiiiiine Mom. I’m getting up just stop shaking my world!” I kicked the covers down and showed the offending hands away. “I mean really I hit snooze like twice.”

I mean, more like five times but still. It’s not that late.

I glance around my room, completely ignoring Moms disapproving stare as she stands by the bedside, looking for my phone. Not really remembering where i set it down the night before. The nightstand maybe? Nope, just some battered books.The floor? I glance over the side of my bed, only to be greeted with the sight of discarded clothes.

Okay. Fine. I see how it is.

I sit up, swing my legs over the side of the bed. “Hey mom… Is the ac on?” Damn it’s cold. With one more glance about the room, noting that it might well be time to ACTUALLY clean it I start to stand up.

“No hun the ac’s not on. You’re just naked.”

Ah ya that makes sen-WaitI’m what!?

I glance down and notice for the first time that I'm wearing nothing but my birthday suit. Not a single stitch more or less. I can feel the heat rush to my cheeks, which as a bonus seemed to help warm me, even if it was more than a tad mortifying. Scrambling under my covers I glare up at my mother. Her face was a mask of indifference.

“You see hun, being naked in a lot of cases leads one to be cold? Odd how that works out.” And with that her mask slips just a little and is then completely destroyed as she starts to laugh. Not a small giggle. Not a timid chuckle. But a full on belly laugh that only big boned, big chested women can seem to manage. “Bless your heart dear but it’s not you've got anything I haven't seen before. Why’d you scramble under them there covers so darn fast? Where ya up to something wicked last night hmm?” The gleam in his clear blue eyes could only be described as wicked.

“I- You- GET OUT!” I yell and throw a pillow at her. With one last chuckle she winks at me and calmly starts for the door. “Don’t ya worry your head. I wont tell your little boyfriend you where having one of them there nighttime fantasies. His name is Frank right?”

“MOM!” My face is so hot that it couldn't be anything other than crimson and I ready another pillow as she exits the room and quickly turns a corner. Her chortaling still somehow echoing in my head.

“Keep calm. Just deep breaths. God almighty preserve me.” With one last glare at my departed mother I stand up, making sure to keep the covers bunched about my body and make my way to my dresser, stepping quick to avoid the clutter strewn about my room. The assorted magazines, books, bags, and clothes doing little to hamper me. “Now where did I put my phone…”

“Oh and Soph? I found your phone on the coffee table this mornin’ Best be quick and get dressed else I might just start sending messages out of sheer boredom.”

What the hell is she some sort of mind reader?

“And watch your language!”

I… I best just hurry. Right? Right. School. Yay.

Glancing at my dresser I come to the swift conclusion that I should probably start putting my clothes away. The draws are empty. And stacked on top in what could be described as a tangled mess where what remained of my clean laundry.

Why do I do this to myself? I always say I’m going to put em away but somehow I never manage. What kinda hot mess am I?

Throwing caution to the wind I start sorting the clothing as best I can tell I have a somewhat passable outfit for the day. Going as fast as i can I throw my clothes on and head for the standing mirror in the corner of my room. Checking out what O managed in the short time I was given. And I gotta say I impressed myself.

A one size fits none t shirt hat was obviously a size or two to small for my frame. Admittedly I chose it for one simple reason. It accented my somewhat small bust. In a classy way. Just the right tightness. Just a hint of cleavage. And hey if it rode up if I breathed too deeply , while that was a small price to pay for fashion. Plus it was black and white striped. Which was a major bonus. My pants of course were artfully ripped. Showing just the right amount of skin in just the right places. A calf, a dash of knee, and just enough thigh to make it interesting. All in all it was a serviceable look.

Damn I’m hot.

I smile into the mirror. My green eyes twinkling as I drag a brush through my brown hair, trying to tame the frizzy beast.

“Soph if you're not down here in the next thirty seconds I’m sending random emojis to ‘That hot dude in chem’ and I will make it just saucy enough that he questions your honor!”

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“Coming!” I yell as I drop the brush and scramble around for a hair tie or scrunchy before running down out of my room and into the hallway. Stopping once to adjust my hair I rushed into the kitchen, bare feet slapping hard on the linoleum.

“Mom I swear to god if you sent anything we will have words!”

She of course just smiles, sips her coffee and hands me a brown sack lunch. Before gesturing to the counter. Where sitting next to a cookie jar in the shape of a grinning fat black cat is my phone. Mercifully out of my mothers hands.

Thank god.

I swipe the screen and nothing… I press the button on the side… And nothing. I hold the on button and…

“Oh ya, it’s as dead as a doornail Soph. Anyways, lets get goin’ we gotta beat that traffic and I swear to God Almighty, if I see That Clarice woman dropping off her daughter I will start a scene yes siree I tell ya I will. Thinking she can shift me out of the bake sale? Bless her heart but she’s messing with the wrong moma.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Thankfully ‘That Clarice woman wasn’t at drop off. Unluckily I rushed out the door just fast enough to forget just about everything I needed for my day, minus my lunch of course.

“Of all the things mom remembers to help with… It had to be that?” I mutter with a grimace as I exit the station wagon.

‘It’s not a car Soph. It’s a station wagon and you best keep getting it right lest you get a tanning’ Pfft like she ever once spanked me.

“What was that darlin? Did ya say something?”

“No mom, just kicking myself for forgetting my bag.” I reply

“Okay hun, well in that case remember you’ll need to take the bus home. I gotta work late tonight so you’ll have the house to yourself for the first little while. Order a pizza or something if I’m late, I transfer some money into your account so don’t worry too much about it! Love ya!” She says and blows me a kiss.

“Love you to mom, wake me up when you get home if it’s not too late.”

“Oh I will… And Say hi to Frank for me!” With a cackle she rolls up the window and drives away. Our brown wagon puttering along as if it had not a care in the world.

I turn towards the school and glance at the bustling crowd. Of the happy and not so happy people on their way to class. And I can’t help but feel excited. Class always made me giddy. Being out and about with people always brought a smile to my face. Not a common reaction to be sure. But I loved my school. I loved my friends. And I may well have been falling in like with a certain someone as well. All in all life was looking up, and as I crossed the courtyard and made my way up the steps to the front doors I couldn't help but feel blessed.

____________________________________________________________________________

I wake up in pain and confused, the taste and smell of something sickly sweet on my tongue and in my nose, lingering in the back of my oh so dry mouth. I try to speak and only manage a weak cough. I try to sit up only to find myself bound hand and foot in some dark enclosed space.

Where am I? What’s… What’s going on here?

I try to move and find that all I can do is wiggle ever so slightly and that something… Something is pressed over my mouth and nose. And then I notice the movement. A slightly rumbling. A jostle. A sudden turn that slams me painfully into a wall.

Am I in a car? Am I in the trunk of a car?! What… The last thing I remeber is waiting at the bus stop… And then…

It was blank. Other than pain she remembered nothing past the bus stop. Just a giant blank patch.

Was I. Am I being kidnapped? What? Why? What's going on.

I start to thrash as best as I can, which given the restraints amounts to little but useless inching forward and backward. My blood starts to rise and tears come to my eyes as the horrible reality starts to set in.

I’m tied up in the back of a car. Going God knows where. Why? I’m no one. A no buddy. My family isn’t even that well off! There’s gotta be a mistake. There just has to be.

I don’t know how long we drive. All I know is that the need to heed the call of nature comes and goes and I’m left laying in my mess for hours. Hours on end. I fall asleep. I wake up. And the smell that greets me just gets worse. There is no reprieve. There is no stretching. And in the end I just give up.

And then as suddenly we started we stopped. And I hear the engine finally give out followed almost immediately by the sound of a door slamming and muffled indistinct voices drawing ever closer.

“I’ve got the package right here in the back for you sir. Should be right as rain and healthy to boot. Just don’t mind the smell, we’ve not let it out since we picked it up so theres bound to be a mess.” I hear the scrapping of metal, and the sound of a key being turned.

“I honestly don’t care so long as you’ve gotten the right test subject. Each and every one was chosen for a purpose.” This voice unlike the first is crisp, clear, with just a hint of nasal undertones. The voice of a professional desk jockey. Or call center representative.

With a creek the trunk opens and I’m blinded by bright florescent light. I quickly close my eyes and and try to look away but my restraints prevent even that much movement.

“Well it looks like you got it trussed up like a pig, you had no problems I hope?”

"None whatsoever sir. Narry a peep. But thats due mostly to the mask as you can see.” Came the reply.

“Ah yes. What a handy little device. Please remind me to pick a few up, I can honestly say they would come in handy. Now… to business.”

I open my eyes and am greeted with the sight of a man that was almost too handsome to describe. Broad shoulders. Deep clear blue eyes. Long Auburn hair tied back in a clean sleek ponytail. And he was tall. Taller than tall. Almost a giant, or so it looked to me. Standing well over six feet in height. IT was honestly more than a little intimidating.

“Please miss, I’m going to ask you some questions. All you have to do is nod or shake your head to answer. Do you understand?”

I nod ever so slightly. To scared not to as I cry ever so gently.

“Good good. Now your name is Sophie Wexlar, correct?”

Another nod.

“Daughter of Vicktor and Abbie Wexler?”

I nod again.

“Fantastic. Just hold still now, you’ll be alright in a moment.”

He rummages in his pocket and withdraws… Something. I squirm. I try and move away. I fail and the next thing I feel is a slight pinch and a feeling of something cold running into my neck. Then nothing at all.