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There was one more room to check before I went down the stairs and explored the back side of the house

I stepped back into the hallway and stopped

I saw her foot first

She wasn’t wearing her boot froht in the car, and her toes were bloody and swollen, but I kneas her With a sinking feeling in ed the door open It slowly revealed s were spread, and she would’ve fallen over, still tied to the chair, if it hadn’t been secured to a big bed behind her Her whole body slumped forward Even before I touched her I could tell she was unconscious

As long as she wasn’t dead

Holdingin, , but there was no one around to catch od Be alive Be alive Please, be alive I prayed silently as I neared her I took in the matted blood in her hair, the black and blue bruises all over her body, the way her shirt and pants had been ripped away, and I reached out But as I doing? How do you waken someone who’s been tortured because she took your place? No I shut that voice down, andsilently I pressed , and I opened my mouth in a silent cry But then I felt a beat, beat, beat I almost fell down She had a pulse She was alive

"Andrea," I whispered

Bending down at her feet, I looked for what held her captive Her hands were in plastic ties I needed to cut through the A lone dresser stood against one wall, but the draere open Nothing in the The sheets were torn off and thrown on the floor There were only two e cutaround in frustration I heard the clink of knives

Cursinga knife out, I began cutting away the ties "Andrea, Andrea, Andrea Please Andrea, Andrea, Andrea Wake u--" I chanted

My knife tore the last of the plastic, and she fell over I scooted back--had I hurt her worse?--as she gasped awake Her body twisted to the side as she woke, and I stood to step back, pressing ainst my stomach I could only wait and see her reaction

She looked at the other side of the roo Her eyes ild, and her asped

I knelt next to her "You’re okay?"

"Wha--"

A blood-curdling scream sounded from somewhere in the house We both juestured for her to stand "We have to go Now"

"Erabbed her arain

"Wha--as that?"

Not huh-pitched screah "We have to go Now," I said again

"Okay" She held onto me "Okay Thank you, E in return My fingers clutched her arether, like that, we h the kitchen There’s a back area"