I sat on the mattress, gripping my ankles and rocking back and forth.

More of them. There were more of them.

More animals who thought it was okay to kidnap people and force them into a new life.

No. Two were more than enough.

The hard sound of footsteps drifted up the already opened trap door.

"God damn it," I whispered to no one.

"What's its name?"

I looked up, aware that I was the 'it' being discussed. "My name is Raiden. I'm not an 'it' though."

He smirked and walked up to me. "It's disrespectful, Adam."

"I've had him for a week. Give me a break."

"My girl was at my feet by the end of my first week. You must be losing your touch. That, or you're going soft."

Adam's hand turned to a tight fist before taking a deep breath and relaxing it. "Watch it, Thomas. I don't criticize how you do things."

"Yeah. 'Cause there's nothing I do that needs criticizing. I get things done."

He smirked smugly and bent down in front of me, taking the bone of my jaw in his rough hand. He turned my head and opened his mouth to talk, but I snapped my hand onto his wrist and pulled him off of me before he could start his sentence. He shrank back an inch, startled, as I stared him down. Fear built in his eyes as I tightened my grip. Serves him right.

Adam stepped in between us and ripped me off of him. His large hand found my throat and lifted me up off of the ground. I marveled at the strength to get me off of the ground and hold me there with only one arm while clawing at his fingers in a feeble attempt to get him to release me.

"Never, ever, lay a hand on him again." He pulled me mere inches from his face and tightened his grip until it felt like he was crushing my airways like a straw. "You and him? You're not on the same level. Every day of your life combined means nothing compared to a day of his. You will either treat him with respect or receive a punishment so bad you'll wish I'd killed you instead. Am I clear?"

I reached for the ground with my feet and tried to nod and say something while attempting to pull air into my lungs through the closed straw my throat had become.

Just as I reached the point of near unconsciousness, he dropped me onto the mattress. I struggled for my next breath, the effort making me feel like I was going to throw up. Somehow I managed to hold it in and start breathing before something worse could happen.

Back under control, I looked up at Adam's disappointed face. "God damn it, Raiden. I've been lenient with you up until now, but that is not okay. I expect an apology."

"I–I–I... I'm...s–sorry," I managed to stutter out. Tears welled in my eyes as I looked back down at the ground.

"Not to me," he sighed. He pulled me to my knees on the wood floor by the back of my shirt and pushed me forward until my hands rested there too and I was bowing down before his cousin. "Apologize to him."

When I tried to look up, Thomas set his foot on my head and forced it back facing the ground. The tears I'd been holding in broke past and fell. "I'm sorry, Thomas... I was out of place and it won't ever happen again. Please forgive me..."

He pulled his foot off my head and I allowed myself to relax a little. "Do not ever let it happen again. You'll regret it if you ever cross me like that again. Got it?"

"Y–yes."

He kicked my ribs hard knocking my arm out from under me and sending me down to my elbow. I held myself quietly as I felt the room cool down around me.

"Are you alright, Tom?" Adam asked, his voice thick with concern.

"Yeah. Just keep it under control from now on. Is it even safe for my girl to be around it?"

"He'll be fine. He gets rough when he feels threatened. Your girl is going to get along with him just fine."

"Good." He started heading for the stairs. "But if he hurts her, I'll kill him."

Adam turned around, glaring at him. "Touch him without my permission, and you'll regret it. Go get your girl. I need to talk to Raiden for a minute."

He nodded and walked back down the trap door stairs.

His footsteps drifted off and I started shaking once again, waiting for the verbal berating that would be following. Adam turned around quickly once Thomas was out of ear range, making me flinch.

"Rai... What was that?" He set his hand on my shoulder, comfortingly.

I looked up with tears welled in my eyes, crumbling at his soft voice and touch. "I'm sorry... Please don't hurt me again..."

"Oh, Raiden..." Carefully, he sat down next to me and pulled me in between his legs. "That won't have to happen again if you act correctly. Understand?"

I nodded as I took a shaky breath to compose myself.

"Great. Now, I don't know why you did that. Behavior like that is not okay. Why did you pick today to act up?"

When I didn't respond, he ran his hands through my hair.

"Will you be okay alone with his girl?"

"Y-yes..."

He kissed the top of my head. "Good boy."

We sat there until Thomas returned. He turned the girl with him around to face him and he whispered something softly to her before motioning Adam over. Adam stood up, ruffled the top of my hair, and left with Thomas.

The girl looked around shyly, then walked over to me and held out her hand.

"Hi... My name's Jenna."

I shook her hand to be polite, but I didn't quite know what was happening.

"Raiden."

She smiled and sat down on the floor just out of my range of motion. "I've heard a lot about you. It's a milestone for our family."

"What milestone? What are you talking about?"

She averted her gaze and tucked part of her hair behind her ear nervously. "You're the first boy they've taken."

"Who cares who they've taken? They're kidnappers! Are you okay with this?!"

"Of course I am... Thomas loves me..." She scooted closer to the trap door and away from me.

I took a deep breath and calmed my voice before I scared her off. "Jenna... Do you know why we're here?"

"Of course, silly," she laughed. "We're starting a family with them. That's why it's such a surprise for you to be here."

"But... Wait... You said only girls have been taken. Do the daughters not 'start families' then?"

She looked up with a dreadfully serious look in her eyes. "We don't have daughters. If one gets born, they're abandoned at the steps of a hospital or church."

"That's...awful..."

"Maybe, but it's not as bad as what our country cousins do with theirs. The father will snap the baby's neck at birth. I'm so glad we don't have to do that..." She set a hand over her stomach and looked off blankly. "But who knows. With you here, we might be able to change some more traditions. We might be able to have and keep daughters now..."

I looked over the small, fragile girl. She couldn't have been much older than me or Adam or Thomas. "Jenna, are you...?"

She smiled and her nose and cheeks turned a crimson red. "Two months last week. It was meant to be. So surely it'll be a little boy... I won't have a girl if Tommy has to get rid of it. I just won't let myself..."

"No, of course not," I reassured her.

The trap door swung down suddenly, halting our conversation.

"Jenna, come help our aunt for a moment," Thomas called up.

She jumped up and hurried down without hesitation.

Adam walked up slowly and took her place. "How are you doing?"

"I... Fine."

"You're crying, Rai..."

"I'm not." I quickly ran the back of my hand across my eyes and turned away.

"Did Jenna say something to upset you? Do you want me to say something to Thomas?"

"No! Please don't!"

He sighed softly. "Rai... I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong... It hurts me to see you like this, boo..."

"Stop calling me that. I've always hated it."

"Don't change the subject. If you don't want to talk about it while Thomas and Jenna are here, then just say so. We can talk about it when they're gone. But I need you to communicate with me please... Will you talk to me about it later?"

I nodded.

He pulled me closer and kissed me. I pushed him off as quickly as I could, but he grabbed my wrists and held me near him.

"Watch yourself. I will be lenient this one time because you're upset, but don't expect to continue getting away with that attitude."

I nodded again and quickly apologized. That was not the time to pick a fight with him.

Each day seemed like a day further from escaping. Half the time, I forgot my objective. I had to stop that. I was going to get out of the house one way or another.

But I had to stay focused.

My name is Raiden Loeffler. I am sixteen years old. I have two parents who love me very much. Turner is looking for me. I will be found.

I can't forget...