27. Tilly

27

TILLY

I smooth out the red and white striped fabric covering the carnival stand, feeling the coarse material under my fingers. It’s still a little wrinkled, but it’ll have to do. Alice will be selling stuffed animals at this stand.

“Oof, these boxes are heavy!” Alice huffs, dropping an armful of plush toys onto the counter with a thud. Her dark hair falls across her face, and she blows it away impatiently. “Why do we have to lug all this junk around?”

“Junk? These are priceless treasures!” I tease, grabbing a fluffy teddy bear and squeezing it dramatically. “Don’t let Duke hear you talking that way about his babies.”

Alice rolls her green eyes at me but can’t hide her grin. Lily giggles softly beside her, always the quieter one. She runs her fingers over a stuffed elephant, a small smile playing on her lips.

“I think they’re cute,” she says simply. Her big brown eyes are warm and kind as always.

Aurora steps behind us, looking innocent and dangerous in her tight black shorts and tank top. Her full lips quirk up at the corners.

“You would think that, Lily,” she teases lightly. There’s a hint of something darker under the surface, though.

I feel a little shiver go through me like there are layers to Aurora that I haven’t even begun to uncover yet. We only met a week ago when Phoenix decided I could leave the trailer, but she intrigues me.

“Oh, don’t give me that look,” Lily protests with a laugh, giving Aurora’s arm a playful shove. “I know you’ve got a soft spot for the cute and fuzzy ones too.”

Aurora arches one perfectly shaped eyebrow but doesn’t deny it. The two of them grin at each other.

“Alright, let’s get the rest of this stuff set up before the crowd gets here,” Alice interrupts, all business again as she picks up another box. She jerks her head at me. “Tilly, grab that case of bouncy balls, and let’s get moving.”

I hurry to follow her instructions, grabbing the case she indicated. As I straighten up, our eyes meet for a second and she gives me a wink.

With a smile, I return to the task, feeling lucky to have quickly made such amazing new friends here.

After another hour, it’s getting late, and I know Phoenix will wonder where I am. And I notice Lars lingering nearby. Nudging Alice in the rib, I clear my throat.

“Looks like your man is calling,” I tease, nodding towards Lars, who seems to be seeking Alice’s attention .

As she walks away, I head back to the trailer to find Phoenix. The thought of seeing him sends a flutter through my chest. Our connection is still new, but there’s an undeniable magnetism between us that I can’t quite explain.

I weave through the lively crowd, dodging families and groups of friends, when suddenly, a tall figure steps directly into my path. I nearly collide with him, and I look up, startled.

“Excuse me, could you move, please?” I ask, trying to sidestep him.

But the man doesn’t budge. Instead, he smirks down at me, his gaze appraising. “I know who you are,” he says.

A shiver runs down my spine, and my heart rate picks up. “I... I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I stammer, suddenly realizing how isolated we are in this particular spot.

The man takes a step closer, and I instinctively step back. “Don’t play dumb, Tilly Jane Lawson. I know all about you and your little situation.”

My blood runs cold at the sound of my full name. How does this stranger know who I am? And what does he mean by my “situation”?

I try to back away from the menacing stranger, but he grabs my arm in a vise-like grip. A sickly sweet smell invades my nostrils as he presses a damp cloth over my mouth and nose. Panic surges through me as I realize he’s drugging me.

My vision starts to blur and my limbs feel heavy, like they’re being weighed down by lead. I attempt to scream, but only a muffled whimper escapes. The man smirks cruelly as I slump against him, all strength leaving my body.

“That’s it, nice and easy now,” he murmurs, scooping me up effortlessly.

I’m vaguely aware of being carried, the sounds of the carnival fading into the distance. My eyelids droop, but I force them open, desperate to take in any details that could help me escape this nightmare.

We reach a dark van, and the man shifts me in his arms to open the rear doors. “Got her!” he calls out gruffly.

A pair of boots appears in my sight as another figure approaches. Though I can’t make out any distinct features, the dread coiling in my gut tells me this is no chance encounter.

With surprising care, the man lays me down on the van’s floor. My head lolls to the side, and I glimpse the carnival lights twinkling in the distance before the doors slam shut, plunging me into darkness.

I hear muffled voices from the front of the van, but no matter how hard I strain, I can’t make out what they’re saying. It’s like deciphering a conversation underwater, the words garbled and indistinct.

Fear courses through my veins as I realize the true extent of my predicament. My entire body is frozen stiff, completely immobilized by the drug. I try to wiggle my fingers, move my legs, and do anything to prove that I’m still in control, but it’s useless. I’m a prisoner in my skin, trapped and helpless .

Despite the paralysis, my mind is painfully aware of everything happening around me. I can feel the vibrations of the van’s engine, the hard metal floor pressing against my back, and the suffocating darkness that engulfs me. It’s like being buried alive, conscious but unable to scream or claw my way out.

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, but even they refuse to fall. I want to cry out, to beg for help, but my lips remain stubbornly sealed. The only sound is the thundering of my heartbeat in my ears, a mocking reminder that I’m still very much alive and aware of this waking nightmare.

Questions swirl in my mind, each one more terrifying than the last. Who are these men? And why did they target me specifically? I think back to the stranger’s words, how he knew my name and hinted at my “situation.” Does this have something to do with Phoenix faking my death and the reports he came across?

The van turns sharply, and my body rolls limply with the motion. I try to brace myself, but I’m completely at the mercy of the vehicle’s movements, being paralyzed by the drugs in my system. The voices up front grow louder momentarily, and I catch a snippet of their conversation.

“...boss wants her alive...”

“...gonna have some fun...”

Ice-cold dread seeps into my bones at the implications of their words. Whatever they have planned for me, it’s clear it’s sinister. I’m trapped, both physically and mentally, with no way to escape or even call for help .

As the van speeds into the unknown, I close my eyes and silently pray for a miracle. For Phoenix to somehow find me, for this to all be a terrible misunderstanding, for anything that could save me from the horror that awaits. But deep down, I know that I’m on my own now and can only try to survive whatever comes next.