4 Wrong Place at the Wrong Time

Covering my mouth, I slowly lowered myself next to Sera behind the trash compactor and prayed silently hoping whatever that is did not see me.

Sera poked my shoulders, and looks at me with her drowsy yet curious eyes. I turned towards Sera with frightening eyes and crossed my index finger with my lips, making a silence signal.

"I'm done." Sera mumbled sluggishly.

My eyes widened with her sudden comment. I quickly reached my hand to cover Sera's mouth attempting to contain any noise coming out from her.

Without warning, a gloom hovered over our crouched bodies. I raised my head lifelessly to meet the shadow. From the dull glow of the streetlight, I caught a glimpse of the figure's face. It's a young man with a composed face though his eyes looked livid. A scar defined the corner of his right eyebrow.

I felt a sudden blow to the base of my neck and the hazy alleyway blackened.

…

Reaching consciousness, my eyes felt heavy and I could not open them. My head slumps downward. My arms felt numb.

"WHO ARE YOU GUYS? PLEASE LET ME GO! I don't have anything valuable!" A high-pitched cry rang through my ears next to me.

Is that Sera?

I heard a deep chuckle, some shuffling, and more weeping from a voice that sounded like Sera.

'What's going on?' I thought. The incident from alley flashes through my head and my heart felt heavy. My head throbs with pain.

Exerting my last bits of energy, I lift my head and pry open my eyelids.

I winced as my eyes adjust to the brightness of the room.

In front of me, stood a tall frame leaning on a desk dressed in a black short sleeve and black ripped jeans. His tousled jet black hair waved effortlessly covering parts of his sharp, narrow eyes. The intensity of his copper brown eyes brought a hint of ashy grey.

His eyes caught mine. His captivating appearance made me feel some type of way I could not explain. Calm yet dangerous.

I broke off the stare and turned to my side. Sera is tied up with a zip tie slouched over on a chair next to mine sobbing tirelessly. I tried to reach my hand to her but realized my hands are tied up behind the chair as well. I wriggle my wrists and winced at the pain.

"Sera." I carefully called out.

Sera's head bounces up abruptly. "Mirae! What did you do? Why am I here?" She cries. "Tell them! Tell them we don't have anything!"

My head throbs again with pain. I glanced away and swiftly investigated the room with my tired eyes. A big open space with a black couch paired with a rectangular coffee table toward the back of the room. Three men were in the room scattered by the door on the side of the room.

I felt a keen stare from one of the men.

I gasped.

His right eyebrow is marked with a scar.

"Seems like you noticed something." A deep, smooth voice called from the front of the room, catching my eyes again. He is now holding a glass of wine while leaning on the desk.

"What did you see?" He asked, stepping off his desk, striding slowly towards us.

"N-nothing, I didn't see anything." I lowered my eyes.

"Seems like you girls were at the wrong place at the wrong time." He lifted my chin up to meet his eyes.

His fingers are warm underneath my chin.

"What is he talking about Mirae?! What wrong place? Tell them to let me go!" Sera cried.

He leaned in closer to my ear. "Tell me while I'm being patient. What did you see?" He almost whispered, sending chills down my back.

"I didn't see anything." I whispered back. "Please let us go."

He leaped back and hurled the wine glass towards me. The sound of broken glass filled the room.

My heart missed a beat. Sera yelped and started wailing louder.

"I hate liars." His fingers interlocks with my hair and grabbed my hair back. His face inches near my face.

I squeezed my eyes shut to numb the pain.

"This is your last chance." He gritted his teeth. "Before I reenact the scene you've witness before. You and your little friend here will not make it out alive."

My head spins. I took a deep breath to calm myself down.

"I won't say anything. I'll erase it from my memory. My friend was drunk before. She doesn't know what's going on. Please, just let us go." I whispered.

I sensed a smirk. He backed away.

Sera screamed as he whipped out a pocketknife with a golden tint embellished with a white gem, a black gem, and a red gem.

"Please please please don't hurt me. Please let me go." Sera pleaded once again while bawling.

I flared my eyes back at her. 'Why is she screaming nonstop? It's not helping at all. In fact, why does she keep saying to just let her go? I'm stuck here too.' I thought angrily.

"Please let US go." I said louder, emphasizing on the fact that there are two of us.

Sera's blood-shot eyes dashed back at me. "MIRAE, THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! MAKE THEM RELEASE ME. I HAVE A FAMILY TO GO BACK TO!" Sera screamed as she tried to wriggle herself free.

My heart sank. Something got caught in my throat. Tears somehow managed to escape my eyes. I felt empty.

He twirls the pocketknife in between his fingers and strutted behind us.

-Snap-

A zip tie was slashed off.