After a fitful night's sleep, Mandy woke up early Sunday morning, feeling uneasy. A vampire witch? The phone rang, and she nearly jumped across the room.
"Good morning."
"Hey, cutie. I miss you already." Logan's warm voice brought a smile to her face.
"I miss you, too."
"So what do you want to do tonight? I was thinking we could go bowling, then go to Burger Bop with a few friends."
"Hmm." Mandy considered. It sounded like a lot of fun, but the memory of Brianna's severe tone told her not to take any chances. "How about we just hang out at my place tonight? We could rent a movie and cuddle."
"That sounds awesome."
Mandy brushed aside a pale pink curtain to reveal a bright, sunny sky. "I'm going to head out for a run. Call me before you come over. How's eight sound?"
"Sounds great. I'll talk to you then."
She slipped into sweats and headed out the front door, the sound of music Emily had downloaded for her filling her ears. She jogged down the S-shaped driveway and onto the back roads.
Running was a different experience than it had been before. Rather than flying effortlessly, Mandy exerted herself with each step. She gasped for breath as she pushed herself to keep up her pace. Her muscles ached, and her lungs burned, but it felt good to know that she was the powerhouse propelling herself.
Mandy was startled by the feel of icy cold fingers sliding down her back. The electric guitars in her headphones were replaced by an evil, echoing cackle. She twirled around. Five feet away, Valerie's green eyes glowed. Her auburn hair danced on the wind. A wicked smile was plastered on her face.
"You're not going to get away this time."
Blasted by a frigid gale so strong that it knocked her off her feet, Mandy dropped to the pavement. How is she doing this? Mandy's vision started to blur, turning fuzzy and gray and clouding with charcoal spots. Then, her world was black and silent.
Sometime later, when she awoke, her body was crammed in a small, dark space. Her knees were pressed against her chin, her wrists bound behind her back. When she tried to move her legs, rough rope chafed the skin on her ankles. A gag was jammed down her throat so far that Mandy felt like she was choking.
Panicking, she thrashed around in the cramped space. Pain shot through her kneecaps as they hit metal. She lifted her head and her temple smacked against the same hard surface. Terrified and claustrophobic, Mandy screamed, but all that came out was a muffled hum. Frantic thoughts raced through her mind. She was going to die. She was going to be murdered. She was trapped.
Take a deep breath, a calmer inner voice intervened. Relax. I am alive. There is still a chance to get out of this mess.
All of a sudden her body flew up, slammed against metal, and dropped again. What was that? Now that the voices in her head had quieted, she could hear tires spinning on pavement and the low hum of an engine. Mandy realized that she had been stuffed into the trunk of a car.
A few moments later, the car slowed and then came to a stop. Her heart thundered as the car door open and shut. "Hey, Licinia! Great to see you!" Valerie's voice was sweet and pleasant.
Wasn't that the name of the vampire witch that Brianna had warned her about? Oh no. She was in even deeper trouble than she'd thought.
"Great job on your first abduction, by the way! So where are we headed?"
"We can take her to Rocky Ridge Mountain. The park closes at dusk. Besides, no human would dare to hike that trail after dark. We can do whatever we want to these losers, and no one will ever see."