Kidnapped part 1

What is going on here? Erica asks herself when she opens her door to
find her house pitch black inside.

"Anyone home?" She yells, but the echo of her own voice was the only
answer.

She flicked the switch on still found the house dark and silent. No
electricity. A shiver went down her spine. This was not right surely at
least either Ronnie or Carrie if not both would be home. Where were
they? She suddenly was scared; she was alone in her own dark home. It's
amazing how terrifying something so familiar can become.

She slowly moved along the wall stumbling over a desk, then a chair,
finally the table that was the resting spot for the phone. She blinked
her eyes and they finally adjusted to the darkness. She picked up the
phone and heard no dial tone. She then knew she had to get out of the
house.

She started to run quickly toward the door when she stumbled over
something soft in her way. A flash of lightning lit the house for a
brief moment to reveal Ronnie lying on his back his eyes closed.

Erica stifled a scream and ran haphazardly toward the front door. She
didn't even stop to see if Ronnie was still alive or not. She continued
to run until she reached her neighbor's house. She pounded on their
door praying that they were home and would help her. The door opened at
a kindly older woman looked at Erica.

"What's wrong honey?" She asked putting a small arm around Erica's
shaking shoulders.

"Call 911," Erica said blinking hard.

"Why?"

"Ronnie is?is," Erica stammered.

"Is what?"

"Hurt. Dead," Erica sputtered then fainted.
Voices swam and floated around her and her unconscious body was carried
into the house b strong arms. Erica slipped in and out of consciousness
for the next few hours. Finally she opened her eyes and slowly focused
on the people standing and sitting around her.

"Erica? Can you hear me?" A male voice asked.

Erica turned her head toward the voice and her eyes fell on a man that
was slightly older than she was. She nodded her head weakly.

"Do you think you can sit up?" Erica did what she was asked to, the
man's brown eyes kindly looking over her. She then realized she's seen
him before. It wasn't clear where or when.

"We called and ambulance and sent it to your home, Ronnie is fine. He
received a nice bump on the back of the head and he'll have to get some
stitches," he said kindly.

A wave of relief swept through her as she heard the news of her
cousin's health and safety, but the wave was swept away quickly as it
went with the thought of Carrie's safety.

"Did you find Carrie?"

A dark cloud seemed to descend over the expression on the man's face. A
feeling of dread and a tight knot formed in her stomach.

"Oh god!" Erica moaned as she realized what kind of trouble the little
girl could be in.

Erica was supposed to look after her with her life. She let down her
sister big time.

"She's been kidnapped," the man murmured quietly.

Erica sighed deeply, from mixed relief. There was a chance that the
little girl was safe, alive and unharmed. Of course there was a chance
that she wasn't but Erica was still optimistic.

"I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself. The name is O'Brien, Charlie
O'Brien. I'm a friend of your neighbor's. I just got a job working as a
photojournalist at the newspaper, and I'm in the middle of finding a
place."

"I remember you, you and I went to the same college together a few
years back."

"Oh yes, we were in acting class together. Didn't we even do a scene
together?" He said, the dark cloud seemed to slip away. "I'm sorry we
had to be reunited under such a horrible situation."

"Where is Ronnie?"

"He's at the hospital taking some tests. They want to make sure there
wasn't any damage to his brain."

"Do you think I can go see him?"

"Of course. Do you want me to drive?"

"Thank you. I'm not sure how steady I am yet anyway."

"Are you sure, you're up to seeing him yet?"

"I'll be fine really. I just want to make sure he's all right. After
all he and Carrie were under my care."

"Erica, this was not your fault. How could you have known this was
going to happen?"

"I could have been home sooner. I shouldn't have stopped at Vanessa's
after work."

"You're safe. Ronnie is safe, that's all that counts. We'll get Carrie
back, I mean you'll get Carrie back," Charlie said helping Erica
stand.

Erica stood shakily, her head still swam and her legs threatened to
buckle again. Charlie's arm was holding her steady. A flash came into
Erica's mind: a memory. Erica remembered that this wasn't the first
time Charlie had held her, supported her.

It was long ago, almost a lifetime ago. She could only remember the
action, the feeling, but not the consequences. So much time has passed,
so much has happened since then. Hurt became a scab, the scab is picked
and new is hurt is inflicted, that heals and soon you can't remember
the reason for the original hurt. Hurt sometimes overpowers happiness.
Hurt can even overpower love. Erica finally stood steadily enough so
that Charlie could guide her outside and into the car.

"I think while we're there the doctors should take a look at
you."

Erica nodded weakly, her eyelids started to droop again. She fell into
a deep sleep.
Charlie drove to the hospital and parked in the parking lot, he quietly
turned off the engine. He pulled a blanket from the backseat and
covered Erica. It wasn't the first time Charlie was there at the right
place at the right time. Just like Erica, he could only remember the
actions, and some of the feeling, but he couldn't remember the reasons.
Charlie sat back in the seat and stared out of the windshield and tried
to recall that night. He could picture her face, young, but wise yet
still na?ve. She came to him for help, he couldn't turn away then, and
he couldn't turn away now. How could he? The expression on her face had
pained him so much; it stuck with him these past five years. He however
still couldn't remember why she was in pain then. Does she even
remember it herself? Five years has come and gone.
Slowly details of that night come into place. Freddy: the name popped
into his head suddenly, and a shiver went down his spine. It was that
night, of course he remembered; he was the one who had found her. It
was the middle of February, Valentine's Day to be exact. The weather
was bitterly cold, and a snowstorm had just started to brew. Charlie
was walking to his car after night class, black and white photography.
He still smelled from the chemicals he used in the lab. He got into his
car, and turned the ignition the lights came on and shined on a huddled
mass in the school's playground. Charlie left the lights on in his car
and walked over to the huddled form on the ground.

It was Erica, her pretty pink dress was tattered and torn, her hair was
matted with mud, and blood, and her face was smeared with dirt. She was
in a fetal position rocking and crying. He took off his jacket and
wrapped it around her, and helped her to his
car. He put the heater on full blast and went to rub her hands and
arms, when he saw the bruises all over her body. Erica, sat up suddenly
and tried to get away from Charlie, her eyes were wild.

"It's ok, Erica it's me Charlie, I won't hurt you, I'm here to help
you. What happened?" Charlie said holding his hands up and stepping
away from her.

"Freddy."

"Your fianc?? He did this to you?"
Erica nodded, and started to weep uncontrollably. Charlie, got into the
front seat and drove to the hospital, and called 911 on his cell phone
and told him what he suspected happened to Erica.

He sped down the road to the hospital and carried her inside. The
doctors and nurses rushed to help Erica and Charlie was pushed to the
side. Within minutes they put her on a gurney and had an IV pumping her
with who knows what drug or solution.

Charlie sat on an uncomfortable waiting room chair. He propped his head
in his hands and waited.

"Charlie O'Brien," a male voice said.

"Yes," he said, his head snapping up to see a uniformed officer
standing in front of him.

"I'm detective Williams, I need to ask you a few questions."

"Yes, sir."

"The hospital opened up a room, so we can talk in private, follow me,"
the officer said.
Detective Williams questioned Charlie about how he found Erica, how he
knew her, and if he knew anything about Freddy. After an hour of
questioning, a nurse came in and told them Erica was able to have
guests.

Charlie entered the room and sat in the chair next to her hospital bed,
she was sleeping. Her bottom lip was swollen and there was a bandage
just above her forehead. Charlie gently took her hand in his, being
careful not to disturb her or hurt her. She had bruises up and down her
arms and her knuckles were cut and scraped she must have tried to fight
Freddy off, Charlie thought to himself.

"I'm so sorry," Charlie whispered, and Erica's eyes fluttered
open.

"Hey you." Erica said hoarsely.

"Ms. Gregory can I ask you a few questions?"

"Why not? I'm not planning on going anywhere soon," she said, even when
she was in pain continued to crack jokes.

"If you need me I'll be right outside," Charlie said starting to stand
up to leave.

"No, stay please," Erica said grabbing his hand.

"Are you sure?"

Erica nodded, and Detective Williams began his questioning.

Apparently, Freddy and Erica had been out for dinner when a fight broke
out between the two of them. Erica, not wanting to cause a scene told
Freddy to take her home. Freddy paid the bill and roughly dragged Erica
outside. Once outside the restaurant Erica slapped him across his face,
which angered him and pushed her to the ground, knocking her
unconscious. He then carried her to the car and drove to the school,
when she woke up he beat her up some more, and tried to rape her. She
kicked him in the groin and scratched his face and tried to run, but he
knocked her down again and he continued to beat on her and rape her
then left her in the snow bleeding, that's when Charlie had found
her.

The detective then told her that with the DNA evidence from the Rape
Kit and her account was enough to arrest him and put him away for a
long long time.

Charlie sat by her side day and night at the hospital and didn't leave
her all through the trial. Freddy was found guilty of Rape and Assault.
He was sentenced 10 years in prison. Erica and Charlie grew close and
Erica even developed feelings for him. She however waited until the
last minute to tell him and he felt the same but he got a job in New
York that started a few days later. He never forgot her; she was always
smiling even when the world wanted to crumble around her.

Charlie's thoughts were brought to back to the present when he heard
Erica stir beside him.

"Hey you," she said opening her eyes, causing a sense of d?j? vu within
Charlie. "We're here? How long was I sleeping? Why didn't you wake me
up?"

"When I realized you fell asleep, I didn't want to disturb you. I
figured you needed it." Charlie replied, his mind still in the past.
"And if I remember correctly you are the type of person who would
sacrifice herself for the people in her life. Which means you'll be
sitting by Ronnie's bedside until he leaves that hospital."

"I think you must be confusing me with someone else we know." Erica
said yawning and stretching.

I was just remembering that myself. So how did you come to live here in
sunny Florida, I mean last time I talked to you were going to live with
your sister in New Jersey."

"Yeah, well you know that my sister invited me to live with her and her
fianc?e Alex. She was sick, she was sick all of her life, but she was
also pregnant with Carrie. The doctors told her that if she had the
baby, she probably wouldn't live much longer. Elizabeth was stubborn
though; she wanted to have the baby even if it meant killing her. She
didn't even tell Alex, she was sick, she told him she was tired and
weak because of work. So Alex told her if she didn't quit her job, he
would leave her. Elizabeth flat out refused; she loved working for the
school. I tried to convince Alex to stay, but it was no use. Liz had
the baby all by herself, the delivery was difficult and long, it took a
lot out of her. The baby was fine; Liz on the other hand went into
cardiac arrest a few hours after delivery. They saved her, but the
doctors told us that she would die within the year. The doctors were
right, just before Carrie's first birthday Liz got sick, and slipped
away in her sleep. Alex never even came to the funeral; he still hasn't
even seen Carrie. She'll be five next month. Two years ago, I got
transferred to a school here in Florida, and took Carrie with me.
Ronnie came along with me, because he didn't want me to be in a new
state with no friends or family near by. He was only 17 then, he
graduated from high school and got accepted to a school near here. So I
take care of both Ronnie and Carrie, of course Ronnie think he's the
one taking care of all of us. Well, that's basically everything. Are
you sorry you asked?" Erica recounted the last five years to
Charlie.

"No, but I'm sorry that you had to go through that all alone. Why
didn't you call me or e-mail me?"

"Because, I had to do it on my own with out anyone's help. I knew I
should have called you, and told you what was going on, but I didn't
want to trouble you."

"Erica, I was there for you five years ago, when you sent your own
fianc?e to jail for raping and assaulting you, I certainly could help
you with a baby." Charlie said passionately.

"I know. So enough about me, how has life been treating you? Have you
left a string of broken hearts where ever you went?"