He pushed her out of the door and locked it behind him, separating her from her now quiet friend. She glanced around the small rectangular kitchen with its round wooden dining table in the middle. The window above the sink swam before her eyes. She saw trees and sunlight swaying on the other side of the glass. A squirrel raced from one tree branch to the next. The kitchen counter and appliances seemed to be vibrating, humming loudly in her ears. She stared longingly at the window and then at the door that appeared to lead outside. Rachel was tempted to make a break for it, to pull herself out of his grasp and run toward freedom just like that squirrel. She knew it was futile, his grip on her was strong like she was his little rag doll to toss around and play with as he saw fit, so she shuffled forward alongside him. The man led her to the room next to the one they’d been kept in. When he flicked on the light, Rachel gasped. The whole room was tiled floor to ceiling and there was a drain in the center, like an oversized shower. What’s he planning on doing to me in here? He pushed her further into the room, near the drain. The shackles and the drug induced haze fought against her movements, causing her to stumble, but she slowly regained her balance.

‘Take off your clothes.’

Rachel turned and looked at him petrified. Oh God, is he going to rape me? she thought, as panic threatened to overwhelm her. She swallowed a few times before her shaky hands began unzipping her platform shoes. Next, she hesitantly removed her baggy jeans, afraid to disobey, afraid of the stun gun still clutched in his left hand. But with the shackles, she couldn’t take her pants off. Standing exposed in her underwear, she looked at the man, pleading silently with him not to touch her. He grabbed a pair of scissors from a drawer along the wall and moved toward her. She took a few steps back, shaking her head side to side. Her back hit the wall and her breathing became more rapid, desperate. He dropped to a crouched position. She flinched when his arm darted forward, the sound of tearing fabric echoing off the tiles as he cut her pants off.

‘Now the shirt.’