The Petrov Brothers - J.L. Beck Page 0,1

a bad smell. I can feel it, see it.

The moment I step outside, and fresh air fills my lungs, I feel a little better. I peer up into the night sky, pressing against the brick exterior wall of the club. I flip my phone around in my sweaty hand to call my sister, but when I scroll down to her name, I realize that I have no signal.

Shit.

I start walking down the sidewalk, holding the phone up in front of me, hoping to find a spot where I get at least one bar. I take little steps, watching the phone screen more than my surroundings.

“Shit,” I mumble to myself, knowing I’m going to get my ass chewed whenever I do get ahold of Ella.

“Need a lift?” an unfamiliar voice calls out, making me jump. I quickly turn around, dropping my phone in the process. It’s the creepy guy from the hallway, and now he is standing a few inches away from me.

My voice is stuck in my throat, and all I can do is shake my head. The man gives me a sinister smile that has my stomach coiling with nervous knots. Looking past his shoulders, I realize that I’ve wandered away a good bit from the front of the club, and I’m completely alone with this unknown man. My heart rate spikes as fear surges through my veins. I don’t know how, or why, but I just know something bad is about to happen.

I take a step back, desperately trying to get some distance. I feel paranoid, like I’m losing my mind. I think he is going to grab me, but he makes no move to do so. I take another step back, and he smiles at me, his eyes darken as if he is enjoying this little cat and mouse game.

I take another small step backward, realizing then why he didn’t try and grab me. A set of strong arms wrap around me from behind. Fear and panic creeps in when a large hand covers my mouth, stopping the scream burning to escape from my lips. I start kicking and flailing my arms, attempting to hit any appendage I can.

Time seems to stand still when I feel a prick in the side of my neck.

I fight for another five seconds before my limbs get heavy and my eyes close. I’m vaguely aware of a car pulling up next to us and my body being thrown into it like a rag doll. I want to fight, scream, and cry, but my body is completely useless and not following any of my commands. I feel my mind drifting away as panic settles deep inside of me. My last thought before the darkness completely claims me is to wonder if I will ever wake up again.

1

Violet

I groan, my eyelids feeling as if they have been replaced with sandpaper. My head is pounding, making it hard for me to think...I shiver as a coldness sweeps over my exposed skin. Exhaling, I pry my eyes open and find that I’m lying in a bed, looking up at a white ceiling.

For a moment, I think I’m in the hospital.

Was I in an accident?

I turn my head, expecting to find an IV sticking out of my arm, or some type of medical equipment. What I see instead makes my heart stop mid-beat. A deep panic settles into my bones, sinking deep into my core. I’m in a concrete box. There are no windows. In fact, all four walls are white, with no paintings or decor.

It is a completely empty room minus the mattress beneath me. I scurry into a sitting position, pressing my back against the wall. It’s cold, and I stifle a whimper by biting my lip. My eyes move over the room once more.

The mattress beneath me is stained and doesn't even have a sheet on it. There is no blanket or pillow. Nothing about this room says I’ll be staying for a while, and that terrifies me. If whoever has me doesn’t plan on keeping me for a while then that means… I can’t even finish the thought without feeling like I might pass out.

I look down at myself. I’m wearing nothing but a damn skin-tight dress, and my shoes are long gone. Looking at my attire jogs a memory from my mind. I remember… my birthday… the club… that creepy, scary guy. Everything comes rushing back to me all at once.

Oh, god, no, where am I? What happened to me?

My gaze