The car skidded to an abrupt halt. The night scenery that had been a mere blur rushing past the window glass was now motionless. The tall, thick trees that surrounded us almost seemed to cave in as if they were trapping us.

"Why did you stop?"

There was silence.

"Why did you stop?!" she asked, more frantic this time.

The driver turned around and gave a menacingly cold smile that made me shrink back against my seat in fear.

I glanced up at my mum. She was frozen in place, staring into the dark, calculating eyes of the man who whispered, 'Long live the king'.

He pushed a button and a mechanical voice started counting down from sixty. Without sparing another glance at us, he slipped out of the car and disappeared into the dark forest.

"What's wrong?" I asked, sensing something weird was happening. "Where is he going?"

She pressed a shaky hand to her heart and then turned to me with wide eyes. "Listen to me, you have to get out of here! Run away! Run far, far away. Dorothy will find you!"

"Why mum?" I whispered.

"There's no time to explain, you must escape!"

I had never seen her look so scared before. Her face was bone-white and her cheerful smile was gone. Her forehead glistened with beads of cold sweat.

"Escape from what? What about you?"

"Just go!" she yelled.

I winced at her tone and her eyes immediately softened. She stroked my hair tenderly, the way she always did to calm me down and I leaned into her hand.

"No matter what happens, know that I love you."

I stared at her while she reached over to open the door, but it wouldn't open. She threw herself against it with all her might, but it was no use. The man must have locked it before he left.

"No," she whispered shakily. "No! No!" she banged her hand against the door more frantically this time.

I was too scared to move.

"What's wrong?" I sobbed as she continued to beat against the glass.

The countdown was at ten now. What would happen when it reached zero? Would the man come back? Would mum calm down?

She suddenly moved to the other side of the seat, pulling me to her. She pressed my head against her chest and I could feel her heart racing.

"No!" she gasped.

In a second, the doors opened and muscular arms wrenched me away from her.

"Let me go!" I screamed, trying in vain to twist myself out of the man's iron arms. I needed to go back to her. She was scared and she needed me!

I heard a quick ticking sound, and her muffled screams drifted to me as I was taken further away from the car.

Then, everything dissolved into darkness.