Page 81 of Web of Lies
A hand clasps around my mouth, muffling my tiny cries for help. Other hands paw at my arms and legs, dragging me off the ground. I kick. I scream. I do anything I can to get the three enormous bodies off me, but it doesn’t help. They lead us down an empty sidewalk to the rear of the school, where a single dumpster sits against the wall.
“No, no, no,” my mumbled scream rumbles against the hand clasped over my mouth, but they don’t remove it. They hold on tighter, crushing my lips against their palm, and sending intense pain through my still swollen nose.
“They warned you. Your friends have been warned, and now your punishment awaits.” Trent. It’s fucking Trent, whispering harsh words in my ear.
“Have fun with the trash, trash.” Oscar laughs from beside me. I’d never forgotten his manic laugh from the library. The third person I can’t see, but he lifts the lid of the dumpster. The putrid scent of fish, old food, and rotting trash erupts from the depths of it, making a gag hit the back of my throat.
“Have fun, Troll.” Fucking Carter.
I grit my teeth together, grinding them while they handle me like a rag doll. There’s no mistaking that stupid voice or stupid nickname. They rip my backpack off my back, taking my cell phone with them. And without hearing my pleading protests, they toss me in the nearly empty dumpster without care. I thud at the bottom, surrounded by a small amount of trash—something sharp cuts into my leg, making me cry out. I clutch the slice on my leg, almost panicking when tiny amounts of blood seep onto my fingertips.
“No, no, please, please don’t do this,” I beg from the bottom of the dumpster, curling my hands together like a pathetic loser. They stare down at me, smiles on their faces, and malice in their eyes.
“Can’t do that. They warned you,” Trent says with a shrug, sauntering off out of view. Oscar follows, but not before flipping me the bird.
“You best start praying someone fucking walks by to save your troll ass, or you’ll go out in the morning pickup.” Carter tilts his head down at me. He sticks around for a minute, rifling through my backpack with an evil smile on his face. “Oh, how fucking nice. You left your keys for me and your cell phone. No calling your fuck boys now.” He lifts a brow, waving my phone in front of me. “Bye, Troll. You can scream all you want, but who’s going to notice you’re missing?” Carter shrugs, shutting the dumpster’s lid, leaving me in complete darkness.
Two heavy thuds reverberate through the dumpster, coming from above me on the lid. I rise to my feet, my fingertips barely skimming the lid—damn short stature. I push with all my might, lifting onto my tippy toes. Useless. It’s a hopeless fight. There’s something heavy pushing the lid down. There’s no way I can get out of here on my own. And Carter’s right. Who is going to notice I’m gone? The boys? It’s Friday, they have a game, and then a party. They won’t notice I’m not present for any of it until a garbage truck has taken me.
Don’t panic. Don’t panic. Please don’t panic yet. My breaths constrict in my chest. My heart pumps a frantic beat, pushing panic through my bloodstream. Tears spring out of my eyes as I crawl toward the wall of the dumpster. I press my ear to it, listening to his distorted footsteps walk away, and then silence—crickets chirp. The wind rustles the leaves. Every sound echoes through my new, dank, dark prison.
I bang on the wall with all my might, the metal echoing in my ears. “Help,” I yell into nothingness, hoping for someone to walk by. Hoping. Praying. I need someone to save me this time. Because it’s all I can hope for. I don’t have a phone to call from and Chase’s old iPhone isn’t picking up the WI-FI signal. I have nothing……… And who’s going to notice I’m missing? Everyone is under blackmail orders to ignore and torture me. The only people I can count on are the boys who are carving their way into my heart.
Where’s my knight in shining armor when I need him this time?
From: [email protected]
September 25th 2020
Hey Kace,
SO Oh MY GOD! My date was amazing! I sswear. I got the biggest surprise of my life. I’ll lay it all out for you and just..picture this, girl, I swear! Candles. Loots and Lots of candles lining the apartmment. We didn’t get spagheetti like I thought! I was so surprised tthey went to some little Italian dinner place in Point Bluff and got a whhole spread. Garlic bread, olive oiil dip, and some fancy schmanncy italian dishes. They said they were their favorite and that this place is the place they ggo to all the time while at school. I just….. After Christmas…. I’m going to introduce you. Bbut for now with all this bullying crap going on, I can’t. It’s my little secret for now. Ours, really. I’m just… I’ve been walking on sunshine these laast few weeks or so. Everything will be ok. Even though….the bullying is getting worse.
I walked the hallways with my head ddown… I’m trying to stay inviisible and just learn, ya know? But they make it difficult. The teachers act like I don’t exisst, even when I need help. I tried to get a tutor, I wish you were here, I could use your massive, ggenius sized brain right now. Math is kicking my ass. But anyways…. soome asshole covered me iin a dark, stinky oil, and threw flour all over me whenn I walked into school yesterday. Thank ggod the person I’m seeing was close by, we met up, and they helped me get clean. That oil was so hard to get out of my hair. Even had to cut a little ooff. Stupid. But I’m pushing through this. If this is where I have to be for awhile, then so be it. I’m getting happier and happier every day with this personn by my side.
Listen..I miss you so much, you don’t even know how much I miss being by your side. I swear to you come Chhristmas we are having just…a movie night. Supeernatural night? Right? Need me some deany weany in my llife! Even if the graphics are horrible for todays standards. There is no me without you! Pplease be good, I’ll see you soon!
Mags. xoxoxox
The Hartbrakers echo through the dumpster. The sweet melody hums perfectly against the metal. The only piece keeping me sane. The only light illuminating my prison is the iPhone I thankfully had shoved into my skirt pocket. The drums bang, the melody picks up, and then she screams. A deep, echoed roar reverberates off the tin-can wall, filling my ears with her anguish and despair to match my thoughts filing through my muddled brain.
Time ticks by as slow as the yellow-tinted slug slithering across the garbage in front of me. The smell drifting through the dank air becomes manageable, my nose getting used to it. It no longer burns my nostrils or turns the acid in my gut. It just is. I tried for at least thirty minutes to lift the lid and escape, but it was no use.
By now, I’ve gone through the playlist twice, all twenty-five songs. Learning a chorus or two, lightly singing along. Darkness settles around me, the outside still as quiet as it had been a few hours ago. Despite the stench, my stomach gurgles for the dinner it missed. I wonder if the twins missed me at all. If they inquired where I was? The after-party would be underway right now. Would they notice I hadn’t shown up? Or did they even care at all? They seem to care for me, but why has no one found me? Why was I still going insane inside this stinky death trap?
If the point of putting me in a dark dumpster was to break me, well—they might win this round. The only conversation I have right now are the voices in my head. The doubt. Heartbreak. Am I good enough to finish this? Or is my death bed inevitable, like Magnolia? I sigh, knowing I need to use caution around everyone at this school. My guard can never lower more than an inch. Especially since they rushed me after class and threw me in here.
My back stiffens against the back of the dumpster wall. Leaves rattle outside, and hard frantic footsteps sound against the concrete sidewalk. Thudding. Echoing inside my stupid, smelly prison.Thud. Thud. Thud. Closer and closer, the footsteps get, stopping, turning, and yelling—my name. Someone’s looking for me. My heart speeds up, blood pounding in my ears. I finally make it to my feet.
“Hey,” I yell, pounding my heavy fist against the metal. It crunches and thuds making enough racket, hopefully gaining their attention. I quiet the music, desperation pounding through me. This might be my one shot at a rescue, so no mistakes. I hit harder, more frantic, yelling until my voice is hoarse. Desperately clinging to the voice of my potential savior like a lifeline.
“Kaycee?” The voice asks frantically in a high pitch. Relief spills over me in waves. My muscles let go of the tension I’ve held for the past few hours until I finally allow myself to relax. To feel nothing but relief.
“Yes,” I shout, pounding on the wall again. My eyes flutter up towards the roof of my enclosure. The familiar thudding of whatever sat on top to weigh it down is thrown against the ground with a thud.
Fresh air rushes into the dumpster. “Oh, Kaycee,” Chase says, reaching a hand in, “we’ve been so worried about you.” He speaks through a breath, lifting me out of the dumpster by my hand. I take in the fresh air to my lungs, chest heaving with relief.
