How I Survived  A Nightmare

Chapter 1

Tara Cymric awoke to the sound of loud beeping. She groggily reached out to turn off the alarm clock. She stretched with a yawn and threw the covers off her body. Before she got out of bed, the bedroom door opened. Her boyfriend Brandon Aiden was holding a breakfast tray. A vase with a purple rose adorned the tray. A plate with a strawberry crepe and maple-roasted bacon was placed in the center, and a cup of chocolate mocha sat next to them.

“Aww, Brandon, what’s this for? When did you have time to make this?” she asked, staring at her handsome boyfriend as the pleasant aroma filled her nose, fully awakening her.

“Hey, I’m a master chef,” he replied, sitting the tray on the nightstand next to her.

Tara looked at him skeptically.

“Okay, I went down to Breakfast World and ordered it for you.”

“Still sweet of you.” Touching his clean-shaven face, Tara replied before eating a piece of bacon. “Seriously, what’s the occasion?” They had been together a little over a year, during which time she had learned Brandon only did stuff like this for special occasions.

“We’re celebrating your new modeling job.” Brandon paused, realizing he may have hit a nerve. A look of bitterness formed on Tara’s face.

“We shouldn’t need to celebrate my new job. I should have never lost my old one,” Tara said, shoving the pillow off the bed in frustration. Her light blue eyes met Brandon’s brown eyes. “I mean, I was only the hottest model Summer to Winter Fashion had, so what if I didn’t always show up on time?”

“Everyone makes mistakes and letting you go was sure a big one,” Brandon replied, stroking her shoulder length light blue hair.

“At least you found me a new one quickly. I still can’t believe you managed to negotiate that deal,” Tara said, impressed.

“I’m glad you think so. I thought Dimitri low balled me.”

“Five hundred dollars for a few hours of work is not low balling,” Tara replied, looking at him with starry eyes, grateful Brandon had found her a new job just when she had nearly given up looking.

“If you say so. I just wish the job site weren’t so far away. If something happens it will take me a while to come save you.”

Tara shook her head and laughed a little. “My knight in shining armor,” she said, rubbing his blond hair. “Waterford is only an hour and a half away. I’ve driven longer than that for a photo shoot. By the way, how did you meet Dimitri anyway?” Tara asked for her own curiosity.

“He’s a friend of mine from college. After college he started his fitness company and I became a boring bank manager at New Castle Bank.”

“Nothing to be ashamed of,” Tara replied. After finishing her breakfast, Tara got out of bed and showered. She changed into her photo shoot gear: a purple sports bra and purple exercise pants. She looked in the mirror, admiring her healthy slim build. Her attention soon turned to her hair, noticing the pink tips were starting to fade. I’ll have to get Romy to re-dye these, she thought. She exited the bathroom and went to the kitchen. Brandon was sitting at the kitchen table with his work laptop, finishing his own breakfast of sunny-side-up eggs and toast. Being a bank manager, he had the luxury of working from home several days each week. She noticed Brandon looking closely at her outfit.

“You’re planning on wearing that tonight, right?” Brandon asked in a lustful voice.

“Maybe,” Tara replied, using her index finger to gently tap him on the nose. She sat down next to him and played on her phone, occasionally talking to him while he worked.

At nine-fifteen, Brandon, pointing to the clock, said, “Tara.”

She glanced at the clock. “Aww, shoot!” she said, getting up. After taking several minutes to find her keys, which were in the right pocket of the pants she had worn the previous night, she returned to the kitchen and kissed Brandon on the cheek.

“I’m meeting Romy for dinner, so I won’t be home until around ten.”

“It’s okay; I’ll order out.” They kissed again, then Tara headed for the door. She abruptly stopped and moon walked back to Brandon with a look of forgetfulness on her face.

“Do you happen to know where the contract Dimitri sent over is?”

“I believe it’s on top of the dresser,” he replied. “You should have gotten organized last night instead of playing on your phone and watching TV.”

“That’s what my hero’s for,” Tara answered, returning from the bedroom holding the contract. “Found it. Emergency avoided,” she said, intentionally being overdramatic.

“Have fun at the shoot. I’m sure it’s an experience you’ll never forget.” The two shared a kiss, then Tara left her apartment. It was a pleasant seventy-five-degree spring day in New Castle, Pennsylvania. The leaves had returned to the trees and the grass was nearly long enough for the first cut of the season. Tara took a moment to admire the flowers that were beginning to bloom around the apartment complex. She thought years ahead to when she and Brandon would have enough money to purchase a home of their own.

The first landscaping project on her list was a koi pond surrounded by tiger lilies. The thoughts brought her feelings of joy and excitement for the future.

Tara’s thoughts returned to the present when she heard the landscaper say,

“Good morning.” Tara politely smiled and waved back. Creep. You’re not even near my league, she thought as she approached her car. She got in, typed the job address into her phone, and put on some pop music.

  Chapter 2

 After driving for about half an hour, Tara hit the favorite contacts button on the car’s home screen and clicked “your sister.”

After several rings she heard, “Hi, Tara.”

“Hey,” she said happily.

“Tara, turn the music down, I can barely hear you,” Romy Cymric said.

Tara turned the radio off. “Happy?” she replied in a loud playful voice.

“Yes,” Romy answered. Tara snickered, knowing her sister was rolling her eyes. “You’re talking on Bluetooth, right?” Romy asked.

“No, I’m holding my phone going around eighty on the highway,” Tara said seriously.

“Not funny, Tara,” Romy replied.

“I have some fantastic news to tell you,” Tara said in a giddy voice. “By the way, you’re not with a client, right?”

“No, I’m in my office. What’s this fantastic news?” Romy asked with interest.

“I got a new modeling job! On my way to a shoot now!” Tara answered with a happy yell.

“That’s great news,” Romy replied in a happy, surprised voice. “Where are you modeling at?”

“Some type of fitness company one of Brandon’s college friends started in Waterford, Pennsylvania.”

“That’s like an hour away, right?” Romy asked.

“Three hours for the entire trip, not that bad. I should be back between three and four. I might hit the tanning salon before I drop by your house—getting kind of pale.”

“Does five-thirty for dinner still work for you?”

“Sure,” Tara confirmed.

“When did you get the job?” Romy asked, hearing about it for the first time.

“I found out yesterday at dinner. Sorry I didn’t get around to telling you until now.”

“You have a contract, right?” Romy asked.

A feeling of irritation came over Tara. She hated when her sister’s business side came out. “Yes, Mom, I was sent a contract, not going to get screwed over.”

“Sorry for watching out for my younger sister. Are you modeling for the gym equipment or clothing?” Romy inquired.

“I have no idea. I’ll find out once I get there.”

“Wait, you don’t even know what you’re modeling for?” Romy asked, slightly concerned. “What’s the company’s name?”

Tara thought for a moment, then said, “Dimitri’s Gym Wears. Brandon said they don’t have an official office building yet, so they’re currently working out of Dimitri’s apartment.” Tara replied without a sign of worry in her voice.

“Wait, you’re going to someone’s apartment?” Romy asked, her concern growing.

Tara rolled her eyes. “Yes, Brandon knows the guy and researched the company, so everything is fine.”

“Tara, I really don’t like this; maybe you should cancel it,” Romy suggested in a worried tone. Deep down Tara knew her sister was right. She should have researched the company and people herself. Normally, she would have before agreeing to model for them. However, since Brandon claimed to have known these people and she was desperate for work, she skipped that step.

“Look, Romy, I appreciate your concern, but everything will be fine. You need to loosen up a bit,” Tara suggested. “Get out of your hair salon. Find a boyfriend, go have fun.” Romy didn’t reply right away. Worried she had upset her, Tara added, “Romy, don’t worry, Brandon vouched for Dimitri. If someone tries anything, I’ll let them know I have a brother in the Pittsburgh SWAT team, and if that doesn’t work, I’ve taken a self-defense class and I always have my pepper blaster.” The voice of the GPS caught Tara’s attention. “Hey, Romy, the GPS has me doing about five turns coming up. I’ll call you when I’m done with the shoot to let you know I’m alive.”

“Not funny, be careful,” Romy emphasized.

“I will. See you tonight.” The two sisters said bye before Tara hung up.

***

An hour later, Tara entered the parking lot of a small rundown motel. She parked near room number eight. The motel had sixteen rooms, eight on the ground floor and eight on the top floor. Two flights of stairs were located on each end of the building. This looks real inviting. She double checked the address on her phone. It matched the address showing on the GPS. Romy’s warnings started to fill her head. Her internal radar was going off, telling her not to go in, drive off, and forget you were ever here.

“Like Brandon said, just a small startup business, that’s all,” she said to herself, trying to ease her concerns. Tara looked in the car mirror, fixing her hair a final time. She glanced at the car clock, which read nearly ten minutes past eleven. Tara leaned back in her seat, frustrated she was ten minutes late. I hope they have a grace period, she thought.

She got out of the car and looked for room sixteen, soon spotting it on the upper level. She approached the staircase on the left only to be greeted by a pile of wet trash. Cockroaches and flies crawled over portions of decomposing food. A disgusted look formed on Tara’s face. “Brandon, you’re going to hear all about this when I get home.” She walked over to the second set of stairs, which to her delight was clean. She walked up to room sixteen and knocked. A few seconds later the door opened.

“Hi, Tara?” the man asked.

“That’s me,” Tara said in a bubbly voice. Her voice gained an apologetic tone when she said, “I’m so sorry I’m late. The traffic was horrible.”

“That’s perfectly fine. Please come in; my name’s Peter Jacobs,” he said, extending his hand. Tara shook it, trying not to snicker at the man’s nerdy look. Virgin boy who dreams of getting with the models, Tara thought. He was a thin built man with short brown hair. A pair of computer glasses sat on his clean-shaven face. Peter stepped aside so Tara could enter. She was pleased to see the room was pleasantly clean compared to the outside. A white studio backdrop was draped to the back wall. Two men sat on a couch, and another man sat at a folding table with a laptop. “Okay, Tara, let me introduce you to the team.” Before he could continue, Tara’s phone pinged. On instinct she looked at it.

“Sorry,” she said, embarrassed, putting it back.

Peter continued. “The big guy on the couch is Ivan, and the man next to him is Miguel.” Both men waved. Ivan was a bulky man with a stubby beard and shaved head. Miguel was Hispanic. He had an average build but was jacked. He had semi long black curly hair. Tattoos covered the length of both his arms. Both men looked to be around 6’1” and 6’3. “The man sitting at the table is Dimitri, our company’s data collector and website manager.” Dimitri was a thin built man with fair skin and brown hair. His handlebar mustache and goatee beard, along with the black suit, made him look like he was born one hundred years too late.

“Hello, Tara. You are as pretty as Brandon described you. Looking forward to working with you,” Dimitri said, getting up to shake her hand.

“Thank you,” Tara replied with a wide smile. Wait, I thought Dimitri was the owner of the company? Why would Brandon be college friends with someone who looks at least twenty years older than him? Tara thought.

“You’re a friend of my boyfriend’s, correct?” Tara asked, followed by her phone pinging. “Sorry,” Tara said, noticing the look of annoyance on Dimitri.

She switched the phone to vibrate as Dimitri said, “Brandon was a bright student of mine I got along with well; if that qualifies, then yes, we were friends.”

“So you were his teacher?” Tara confirmed, wondering why Brandon never mentioned that.

“Yes. I teach financial accounting part time, and work on growing my business full-time.” Tara chose not to focus on the differences between his and Brandon’s stories. She figured there was an explanation for them, plus she needed the money. She had been unemployed for a little over a month. Her living arrangement was Brandon paid the rent and she paid for food, utilities, and her car payment. Her savings were running low and she had too much pride to let him cover everything.

“Really nice setup you got here,” Tara complimented. “Did the motel let you remove the beds?” she asked, noticing they were missing.

“The bed and bathroom is behind that door,” Peter said, taking over the conversation. “I know the setup’s not much at the moment, but we’re a growing company and will soon have an actual office.” The vibrating sound of Tara’s phone filled the room.

“I’m sure you will. Now what would you like me to do?” Tara asked, anxious to start her new job. I’m going to get fired before we begin, she thought nervously.

“This is kind of embarrassing to ask, but would you mind placing your phone in the locker behind you?” Peter asked. Tara turned around to face the five foot metal locker behind her.

“Um, okay. Why do you want me to put my phone in there?” Tara replied, not feeling entirely comfortable with the idea. Peter noticed and gave a slightly embarrassed laugh.

“In the past we have had major problems with models and cell phones. Phones have gone off during shoots, like yours,” Peter hinted. “Or a model would stop to text. It’s really distracting, so our company policy is every phone goes in here during work hours.” He opened four of the nine lockers. “See, even our phones are in here.” Tara shrugged her shoulders.

“Okay, that makes sense.” She turned her phone off and placed it in the locker.

“My baby’s safely tucked away,” Tara said with a sad face. “Now what would you like me to do?”

“Believe it or not, you’re going to have a pretty easy day,” Peter said.

“That’s always good to hear,” Tara replied.

“We already got the paperwork you signed online—any questions related to it?” Peter asked as he walked over to the studio backdrop and grabbed a sign lying next to it. Tara shook her head no. Peter handed her the sign. “For now all you need to do is hold this sign in front of the white backdrop.” Tara looked at the white sign with the Chinese symbols 妓女 on it.

“If I have to read this, I have no idea what it says,” Tara admitted.

“I didn’t think you would. It’s our company’s name, which translates to Jìnǚ,” Peter replied.

“Won’t your customers need it in English to read?” Tara asked.

“It’s for our Chinese customers,” Peter replied. His voice was pleasant enough but Tara could tell the question annoyed him. Out of the corner of her eye she caught Miguel give her a momentary glare. Her internal radar started to go off again. Something about him and Ivan made her uneasy. Why were they even here? And if it’s a startup company, how did they have customers in China? she thought. Once again she tuned the warnings out and tried to rationalize them. Brandon knows these people. Ivan and Miguel are probably just the people who move the equipment around. Tara wanted to ask more questions but soon decided against it. You need this job and, more importantly, good references, so don’t mess this up, she thought. She thought about the past two jobs she had been let go from, and knowing she was gaining a bad reputation in the modeling field. Tara walked over to the table where Dimitri was sitting.

“Okay if I sit my purse down here?”

“Of course. Please,” Dimitri replied. Tara set her purse down as Peter readied the camera sitting on a tripod. When he was ready, she walked in front of the backdrop. Having the camera in front of her brought her back to     her element. She focused on it, removing the negative thoughts from her mind.

“Alright, Tara, give us a big smile,” Peter said. Tara held the sign up and gave a happy smile. “Beautiful, now turn to the right, then the left.” Tara changed to an open mouth and seductive smile on the two poses. “Those will do,” Peter said in a natural voice. He took down the camera and handed it to Dimitri. “Okay, we’re done.”

“Wait, that’s it? We’re completely done?” Tara asked, surprised. The entire shoot had taken less than ten minutes. Now she was getting nervous; five hundred dollars for three photos did not make any sense.

“What did I just say?” Peter replied, this time not hiding the rudeness in his voice. Tara stood, still confused. Had she done something wrong? She saw Ivan and Miguel walk over to Dimitri. They began speaking in a language she did not recognize. The feeling of nervousness began turning to fear. The short photo shoot, and now she couldn’t understand what the large men in the room were saying. At this point she didn’t care about the money she was owed; she just wanted to go home. She waited until Ivan and Miguel moved from the table. To her relief, Ivan walked out the door.

Acting bubbly and unaware, she walked over to her purse and started digging in it. She had intentionally gone to the side of the table the laptop screen was facing, wanting to get a look at what Dimitri was up to. She pulled out some lip gloss and a travel mirror. She turned her back to Dimitri and started putting her lip gloss on while at the same time looking at Dimitri’s computer screen though the mirror reflection. It was a trick her brother had taught her. She saw multiple copies of the photo set she had just done, only the language on the sign was different on each photo set. Spotting the set in English, she focused in on it. A stiff feeling of fear filled her entire body, and she could feel it beginning to tremble. Sweat started forming on her face and hands when she read the word prostitute.

She closed her mirror, shut her eyes, and breathed in heavily. What do I do? What do I do? she mentally said, nearly ready to panic. Stay calm. Freaking out will only alert them that you know something’s wrong, her inner thoughts suggested. She walked back over to her purse and placed the mirror and lip gloss inside. Okay, think, Tara, think, she said to herself. People know where you are. That’s a start. Now how do you get out of here? She knew her phone was out of reach. Now it made sense why they wanted it in the locker. Okay, plan A. Grab your purse and start walking for the door, see if anyone takes notice. She doubted it would work but it was worth a shot. Tara put the purse sling around her shoulder and started casually walking towards the door. Tara gave a slight gasp and her feeling of terror increased when she noticed the dead bolt and door handle were locked.

“Hey, where are you going?” Miguel asked.

“The photo shoot is over so I’m heading out,” Tara replied, still walking at a slower pace to avoid suspicion.

“Why leave so soon; do you have somewhere to be?” Miguel replied.

“Actually yes, I’m heading to my next modeling job, and after that I have a dinner date with my sister and possibly my brother if nothing happens that needs a SWAT team.” Tara hoped the mention of her brother being in the SWAT team would scare them off.

“No, no, we’re not done yet. We have a lot more stuff to do,” Miguel insisted in a tone that said listen or else. Tara noticed mentioning the SWAT team didn’t faze any of them.

Putting on an act, Tara said with a bubbly smile, “Well, if you want to take more photos, I’m game.” She turned her back to Miguel. This is not good, this is not good. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Dimitri moving nearer to the door. She swallowed hard, knowing she was going to have to fight her way out. She had taken a self-defense class with her brother. One on one, she thought she could knock down Peter and Dimitri long enough to escape, but there was no way she could win against someone Miguel’s size. Okay, you can’t win in a straight-up fight, but you might be able to outsmart them. Tara set her purse back down and reached into it. Inside she was still trembling but managed to keep a calm appearance on the outside.

“What are you doing?” Miguel asked, walking over to her.

“Bubble gum break,” Tara replied, talking out a roll of it. She put some in her mouth and offered some to Miguel; he refused. “You two want some?” She offered Peter and Dimitri, but both men ignored her. Tara looked at Miguel and seductively blew a bubble. She put the gum back in her purse while staring at him with interested eyes. With his focus on her, she grabbed her pepper blaster. Keeping it out of eyesight, she hid it between her pants and hand. She walked in front of Miguel, putting herself between him and the door.

“Ugh, my shoulders are stiff,” she said, moving them. Thinking he got the hint, Miguel walked over to her and started rubbing them. “That feels much better.” She sighed happily. She smiled slightly because he was right where she wanted him. With all her might and flexibility, Tara kicked her leg backward, hitting Miguel between the legs. He fell over screaming in pain.

One down, Tara thought as she bolted for the door. Now it was time to deal with Dimitri, who was strategically positioned between her and the door. She pulled out her pepper blaster and fired. She hit her target dead on.

Dimitri knelt down, howling in pain as the liquid spray dripped down into his eyes. Only one left. As she grabbed the door handle with her left hand, Peter grabbed her left shoulder, trying to slam her to the ground. With her left hand keeping her upright, she and Peter’s eyes locked.

“Try using your little toy on me,” he dared. A confused look formed on Peter’s face as he looked into Tara’s confident grin. Since he was wearing glasses, she fired at his forehead. The spray flowed down into his eyes. Just like Dimitri, he fell to the ground.

Tara pulled the door open, turning her head to make sure Miguel was still on the ground. She ran outside, feeling the pleasant spring air right before a large arm clotheslined her. The next thing she knew she was looking up at the motel’s outdoor ceiling. Her vision was blurred, a loud ringing sound filling her ears. She could taste blood in her mouth. She reached for her nose and felt a steady stream of blood coming from it. What happened, where am I? she thought, disoriented by the blow. She felt a hand clamp around her leg and everything came back to her. She looked up to see Ivan dragging her back inside the motel room. She used her free leg to kick him in the stomach, causing him to lose his grip. Tara spun herself on her stomach and started crawling. Seconds later, she felt hands around her legs again.

“Help!” she screamed as loud as she could. “Somebody help me!” A hand covered her mouth before she could let out a third scream. Her mind was in survival mode, knowing she had to escape before she was taken back inside. Tara opened her mouth, causing her lower jaw to slip under Ivan’s hand. She bit down, hoping to force him to release his grip.

“Miguel, help me get this stupid bitch inside!” Ivan yelled. Recovered, Miguel grabbed both her legs. The two stronger men easily started pulling her back. Tara grabbed on to the door frame in an attempt to prevent herself from getting pulled back inside. Miguel released a leg and used his free hand to slam the door against her fingers. The pain caused her to release her hold. With a hand still covering her mouth, Ivan lifted her up and slammed her back against the floor. The impact knocked the wind out of Tara. She tried to breathe, but Ivan’s hand around her mouth and nose was nearly suffocating her. “Miguel, grab the drug!” Ivan ordered.

“I’ll do more than that,” he said, lifting his leg for a kick. Tara winced.

“No, grab the drug!” Ivan reinforced. Miguel noticed Dimitri and Peter were still on the ground, so he did as Ivan asked. Tara tilted her head to see Miguel reaching into the locker. “That’s right, you lose,” Miguel taunted. In a last ditch effort, Tara moved both hands to Ivan’s face, hoping to stab him in the eye, still clinging to the hope of escaping, but the fighting and damage her body had sustained had drained most of her strength. As a result, her arms did not move nearly as quickly as she planned. Ivan caught both her arms with his free hand, and then he moved his knee onto her throat, slamming Tara’s arms to the floor, his vice-like grip making it impossible to move. Miguel knelt down next to her with a medical syringe in his hand.

“No, no, please!” Tara begged. Her words fell on deaf ears. Miguel rammed the needle into her arm. Tara felt lightheaded, and then everything went black.