The silence was deafening.
Elena's entire body ached — her split lip, her bruised cheek, her bleeding wrists, and the throbbing pain in her ribs from where they had punched her.
The zip ties had cut deep into her skin, and every small movement sent sharp pain shooting up her arms.
She tried to fight against the ropes, twisting and pulling, but it only made the plastic dig deeper. Tears streamed down her face as the reality of her situation crashed down on her.
She was alone. Kidnapped. Beaten.
And no one knew where she was.
The adrenaline that had kept her going finally began to crash. Her vision started to blur at the edges as The room began spinning slowly.
Stay awake… you have to stay awake…
But her body had reached its limit.
Her head lolled forward as exhaustion and pain overwhelmed her, Darkness creeping in from the corners of her eyes, and within seconds, Elena slipped into unconsciousness.
