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Which

When the car hit a pothole I bit ue Blood filled my mouth I tried to spit but es to le, but nothing happened I iainst whatever restrained me, but I was loose and limp A doll tossed around in a bored child’s toy chest, powerless to move

He must have taken

What had happened to John?

Tears squeezed out of the corners of my eyes The texture of the trunk’s interior s wouldn’t ed

But how? We ate at the restaurant, not at hohts were blurry and I couldn’t remember I couldn’t

The car stopped That hen ainst every inch of my skin I was soaked in sweat

A car door slaravel I lay there, helpless and hopeless, slimy and miserable Fearbut play dead

The trunk opened; I heard it and felt it and then realized that I still couldn’t see, which meant that I was blindfolded I listened--there ater around us It lapped against so, meaty hands on my body, which was completely limp I was shackled by terror I was lifted out of the trunk and I felt bulging, thick ainst my flesh

"Shame," a voice whispered then "It’s so ht"

It was Jude, absolutely

There was pressure in my head--I must be upside-down I o

And then I was set right side up, propped and arranged in a chair with hs, calves ached Smells and sounds--brine and salt, rot and water--were sharp, but thoughts were difficult

My blindfold was slipped off, then, and I saw him He looked older than I rereen eyes Dirty blond hair Dimples And thole, intact hands So hars and absorbed thee We were in soainst one wall, two kayaks lying across another, and an old, rusty sign that read IDLE SPEED, NO WAKE propped up in a corner It ell rey paint slapped on, obscuring any flaws There was one door Jude was in front of it

I scanned the room wildly for some kind of weapon Then I re gutted, a slash of blood stretching across his stoony

"So," Jude said

I wanted to spit in his face at the sound of his voice I would, I decided, if he ripped the gag off

"Did you miss me? Nod for yes, shake your head for no" His sue, but I sed, and ihed then, and his shoulders sagged with the movement "This is the problem I would like to talk to you, but if I rip the tape off, you’ll scream"

I sure as shit will