Or maybe they were standing just far enough away that I couldn’t hear them, waiting to see what I did.
I didn’t know.
Not knowing was the worst part.
I shifted carefully, biting down on a groan when pain flashed through the side of my head.The rope around my wrists held firm.My hands were still tied in front of me, which was the only reason I could move at all.
My ankles were tied tight enough to keep me from standing fully upright, but not so tight that I couldn’t scoot or crawl if I had to.
They wanted me stuck.
Not dead.
Not yet.
The thought made my skin prickle.
I forced myself to breathe slowly before panic could take over.I lifted my head a fraction and looked toward the door.Something sat there that hadn’t been there last night.
A small bag of cheap, crinkled gas station chips.And next to it, still wrapped in plastic, a ham and cheese sandwich.
I stared at it.I didn’t remember them bringing it in.I must have really passed out to not even hear them coming in.
My stomach growled loud enough to make my face heat in embarrassment, even though I was alone.
Great.
Add hungry to the list.
I shifted again and carefully pushed myself up onto my elbows.I got my knees under me and sat back slowly, waiting for the room to stop tilting.
It didn’t.
It just tilted less.
My mouth was still dry, and I licked my lips.My bottom lip felt swollen, and when I ran my tongue over the inside of my cheek, I flinched at the tenderness.
Getting punched in the face was not something I wanted to do again.
I looked down at myself and somehow managed to laugh.
The raccoon costume was still on me.Or part of it was, at least.“Who kidnaps a cute raccoon?”I wondered out loud.
One of the arms was ripped open, the seam split, stuffing or whatever was inside spilling out in sad little tufts.The raccoon head was shoved halfway off, hanging behind my neck like a collapsed hood.
I hated that the last time anyone had seen me, I’d been laughing in that costume, thinking the world was safe enough to be silly.
I tugged at the suit awkwardly with my bound hands, cursing under my breath when the rope bit into my wrists.It took a few tries, and ripping to twist and wriggle like an idiot, but I finally managed to peel the deflated costume off.
I shoved it away from me, letting it crumple onto the floor in a heap of ruined fluff and nylon.
I stared at it for a second longer than necessary, breathing hard.
The birds chirped again.Like I hadn’t just fought to get out of that darn thing.“Again, who kidnaps a cute raccoon?”I asked the empty trailer.
My eyes drifted to the water bottle lying near where it had landed after being thrown at me last night.The plastic was dented on one side.A few drops still clung to the floor around it, dried into a sticky patch.
My throat tightened at the thought of drinking something I hadn’t opened myself.But my mouth was so dry it felt like it was cracking.