It was six o 'clock in the evening, and the sun was setting slowly out of the sky leaving the town in a premature darkness. I had logged on to a chat site to cure my boredom while my mom was downstairs curing her depression by drinking. I was looking through the list of people who were online when a pop up appeared on my screen.

Derek26: Hey

XxEmoHeartxX: Hey

Derek26: A/S/L?

XxEmoHeartxX: 16/f/usa

I didn't even think twice about giving some random person my information.

Derek26: Wow! Really? I'm 16/m/usa, what state do you live in?

I was a little hesitant at first but then typed my response.

XxEmoHeartxX: Minnesota

Derek26: I live in MN too!

XxEmoHeartxX: Really? What town?

Derek26: I'm not telling you ... you could be a stalker!

I laughed at this. Me, a stalker!

XxEmoHeartxX: I'm not a stalker! I just wanted to know if I actually knew you before now.

Derek26: Well what's your name?

XxEmoHeartxX: Mandi

Derek26: I don't think I know a Mandi

XxEmoHeartxX: I can only assume that your name is Derek, and I don't know a Derek.

Derek26: You do now!

His comment made me laugh but I wasn't sure what to say.

Derek26: So can I ask you a question?

XxEmoHeartxX: You can ask me anything you want. However, I can't promise I'll answer.

Derek26: Are you pretty?

XxEmoHeartxX: That's a trick question

Derek26: What do you mean?

XxEmoHeartxX: If I say yes I'm conceited and if I say no I have no self esteem.

Derek26: You're very smart! Can you describe to me what you look like then?

XxEmoHeartxX: I'm about 5' 5", and 115 pounds. I have long thick straight black hair, and hazel eyes.

Derek26: I hope you don't mind me saying this but you sound very pretty!

XxEmoHeartxX: Thanks ... so what do you look like?

Derek26: Well I'm 6' 3", and weigh about 210 pounds. All my weight comes from my football playing muscle. I have shaggy brown hair, and deep blue eyes.

Ugh! I hate football playing jocks!

XxEmoHeartxX: You play football?

Derek26: Hell yes!

XxEmoHeartxX: So you're a jock...

Derek26: Well, I suppose that would make me a jock, yes.

XxEmoHeartxX: Sorry, I don't talk to football playing, arm wrestling, think they know it all, jocks! Plus I'm emo and in the words of a few jocks who have stepped off their pedestal to talk to me, "our kind hates your kind" ... so good bye talk to you never!'

I knew that what I had said was way judgmental but I didn't care. In my eyes all jocks were the same. Just as I was about to log off he typed something else.

Derek26: WAIT!

Wait? Now he thinks he can tell me what to do ... typical jock! He expects me to do what he tells me to do? I don't even do what the police tell me to do! Before I could stop myself I had responded.

XxEmoHeartxX: What?

Derek26: I'm not like the other jocks! The only reason I play football is because it's the only way to get out of the house for a few more hours! Please don't stop talking to me! The only reason I said that stupid thing about the football playing muscles is because girls usually like that sort of thing! I just wanted to impress you because you sound really pretty and you're really nice! Please don't hate me...

XxEmoHeartxX: How do I know you're not lying?

Derek26: Well ... you're just going to have to trust me!

XxEmoHeartxX: We met like 20 minutes ago and you want me to trust you?

Derek26: Please Mandi

XxEmoHeartxX: Well ... I guess I could talk to you for a little while longer...

Derek26: Hip hip hurray!

I laughed a little.

XxEmoHeartxX: So what do you do for fun?

The next morning I had to wake up early for school. I was so tired because I had stayed up till midnight talking to Derek. He had asked me to be his girlfriend and I accepted, even though I had just met him. I gave him my email address so that we could stay in touch. He understood that I didn't feel comfortable giving him my phone number just yet. I told him what town I lived in, after he told me what town he lived in. I don't know why I did it though, because I had always been taught not to trust people off of the net. There was something about him though, something so innocent, and attractive that I was almost willing to do anything for him. I had told him about how my mom was an alcoholic whore and how my dad had died. I told him about how I was failing some classes. I had told him some of my deepest secrets, even the fact that I was still a virgin.

I got dressed in tight black jeans, and a tight, black, long sleeve shirt with a neon blue fairy on it. Then, after brushing and straightening my hair, I parted it the way I always did, with it covering half of my face. I finished getting ready, grabbed my black skull shoulder bag and headed out the front door.

I was glad I was able to avoid my mom. She was always a bitch in the mornings because she always had a hangover. My friends were already outside waiting for me, thankfully.

School dragged on slowly, and afterwards my friends gave me a ride home telling me to meet them at the only pizza joint in town in an hour.

I turned to the driveway after watching my friend's drive away and noticed that there was a new car in the driveway. 'Great ... mom has a new boyfriend!' I thought sarcastically. I slowly walked in the house and called out, "I'm home!" As I was closing the door I whispered, "If you care..."

The only response was the sound of my mother's annoying laugh that she only used when she was drunk. I walked past the living room where my mother was sitting on the couch next to a man that was leaning over and whispering something into her hear.

I rolled my eyes and walked up to my bedroom. After setting my skull bag down on my bed I sat down at the computer and decided to check my emails.

As I logged on I noticed I had received some strange email. I opened it and it read:

Hey honey, this is Derek. I miss you a lot! I know it seems weird since we have only talked for a short amount of time but I think I'm really falling for you! I wish you were here with me right now. Can you send me a picture of yourself? Derek

I clicked reply and attached the best picture of me that I had on the computer. I quickly typed my reply.

Hey Derek ... I miss you too! Anyway that's me in the attached picture. My friend's and I are planning on hanging out at the pizza place in town for a little bit later tonight and I better start walking unless I want to be late. Mandi

I hit send and then shut down my computer. Suddenly my phone started to vibrate in my pocket. I answered it quickly, "Hello?"

"Hey do you want a ride?" my friend Kevin said on the other end.

"That would be great!" I exclaimed, now glad that I didn't have to walk.

"Yea ... OK ... I'll be there in a few minutes!" he said as he hung up.

I hung up my phone and put it back in my pocket. I ran down to the first floor and walked out of the house, not even bothering to tell my mom where I was going. Ever since my dad died when I was thirteen she didn't really pay much attention to me. She just got drunk and had sex with random men. She wasn't even smart about it. I mean seriously! If you're going to be a whore then at least get paid for it!

As I got into the passenger seat of the car I said, "Hey, thanks for picking me up Kevin..."

"No problem..." he said as he put the car into gear and started driving again.

We pulled into the parking lot of the pizza place a couple of minutes later and got out of the car. My other friend's, Matt and Becca, were sitting in a booth making out. They had been dating for three years and ever since the beginning of their relationship lust was a big part of it.

Besides them there was only one other customer in the entire place. He was sitting at the bar typing away on his laptop and having a drink. If I had to guess I would say that he was about 6'3, and weighed 200lbs. He had shaggy brown hair and piercing ice blue eyes. He looked to be in his late 20's, and he was staring at me intensely. I tried to ignore it and I sat down next to Kevin, across from Becca and Matt.

Kevin laughed and said, "God, Matt, let her breathe!"

Matt and Becca instantly pulled apart. Matt was laughing and Becca was blushing a little.

An overly cheerful waitress walked up to us and handed us each a menu as she said, "Hello my name is Sandy and I will be your waitress this evening. Can I get you something to drink?"

Kevin ordered us each a soda.

"OK I'll be right back!" she said giving us a smile and then walking off to get our pops.

We stayed at the pizza place for a couple hours. We never ran out of things to talk about.

Afterwards I told Kevin that I would walk home. It was sprinkling outside and I loved to walk in the rain.

By the time I was halfway home it was pouring down and I kept wishing that I had taken that ride.

Ironically enough, a truck pulled up next to me on the side of the road. The driver rolled down his window and said, "Excuse me miss do you need a ride?"

Without thinking I nodded my head and ran to the passenger side door and got in, happy to be out of the rain. "Thank you so much!" I said laughing a little. I looked over and suddenly realized that it was the strange man from the diner. My body instantly tensed up.

"No problem ... it's really pouring down tonight huh?" he said as he pulled away from the curb and started driving again. Without waiting for my response he said, "So where are you headed?"

"Just keep going straight for a while..." I said trying to hide the hint of fear in my voice.

He tried to start small talk but it was a little awkward.

Then out of nowhere he pulled over. He turned to me and asked, "Do you recognize me?"

"No," I replied with a hint of confusion to my voice.

"It's me ... Derek!" he replied with a smile on his face.

"Derek!" I practically screamed. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to take you back with me," he said with a dark smile on his face. "So we can really be together!"

"I can't go back with you Derek," I said seriously. "I barely know you, and the fact that you took the time to find me is really creepy! I think I'm going to walk the rest of the way home."

I was about to get out of the truck, but he gabbed my wrist. "No! I'm taking you back with me! It's for your own good, you'll see!" he said as grabbed a gun out from underneath the driver's seat. "Now just sit still and I won't have to hurt you. Do you understand?" His eyes looked so dark, yet serious. He looked like he really believed what he was doing was going to help me.

"Derek please let me go home! You haven't thought this through. This is kidnapping and you're going to go to jail for it! Let me go!" I pleaded as I started to pull against his grip on my wrist.

"Sweetheart you will soon find that I don't care about the law," he said as he put the gun to my head. "I do what I want, when I want, and right now I want to bring you back with me! Now stay still."

I started to cry and my whole body began to shake. I closed my eyes tightly, not wanting to see what he was going to do.

I felt a needle being stuck into my arm and my eyes shot open. I hated needles. I had a phobia of needles. I truly wished that needles had never been invented.

As he pulled the needle out of my arm my body began to feel weak. He leaned over and kissed my forehead and then whispered, "Go to sleep sweetheart. We have a very long drive ahead of us. When you wake up we will be in my RV and you will be restrained. Don't worry though sweetheart, it's only to stop you from doing something that might get you hurt. Sweet dreams."

As he was speaking I could feel myself drifting into the land of sleep.

I woke up lying on what I assumed was the small bed inside his RV. My hands were tied to the headboard and my legs were spread apart, individually tied to the end bedposts. There was tape over my mouth and a blindfold over my eyes. I felt that the vehicle was moving and I assumed that Derek was up front driving us to wherever he was taking me.

At first I tried to escape my restraints, but after a while I gave up. It was no use. The restraints were too tight and too strong for me to really do anything.

I'm not sure how many hours I was awake before I finally felt the RV stop. I heard Derek's footsteps coming closer and closer to where I was restrained. My heart started to beat faster with every passing second. Then his footsteps stopped.

"Are you awake, darling?" Derek asked.

Hesitantly I nodded my head. Maybe if he knew I was awake he would let me out of the restraints.

"I'm going to let you come out to get some breakfast. If you try anything stupid I'm going to put you right back where you are now. Do you understand?" he asked as he started to walk closer. His voice was stern but calm.

I nodded my head again, showing him that I understood.

He untied my ankles first. Then he gently took the tape off of my mouth. Next he took off my blindfold and then untied my hands, making sure to keep a good hold on my wrists. He gently pulled me to my feet and stood behind me, still holding onto my wrists. He led me out of the small bedroom area and into the main part of the RV.

After he let go of my wrists he motioned for me to sit down at the small table, and I quietly obeyed. I could see the gun tucked into his pants and that alone made me want to be obedient. I didn't want to take the chance of pissing him off. I was too young to die.

"What would you like for breakfast sweetie?" he asked as he leaned against the counter and looked at me.

I shrugged my shoulders as I stared out of the window. "It doesn't matter," I said quietly as I tried to figure out where we were. There were no signs around, and all I could see was a field and a bunch of trees.

He sighed as he turned around to face the refrigerator. "Do you want scrambled eggs and bacon or pancakes?" he asked in what sounded like a disappointed tone.

"Scrambled eggs and bacon I suppose," I answered as I stared at the blue sky. Scrambled eggs and bacon was much easier to poke a fork at. I wasn't really hungry, but I was willing to do anything to stay out of those restraints.

He silently started to cook my breakfast, and I continued to stare out the window. I tried to think of something I could do to escape.

Minutes later he sat down at the small table across from me and set a plate filled with scrambled eggs and bacon down in front of me. Quietly he handed me a fork and then began to eat his own plate of food.

As he ate I poked at my eggs and took a few small bites of the bacon.

When he was done he looked at me and asked, "What's wrong? Don't you like my cooking?"

"It's fine ... I'm just not hungry," I answered quietly with my head down. His gun was sitting on the table now, pointing towards me. It was reminding me not to piss him off.

"Are you sick?" he asked in a worried tone as he reached over and placed the back of his hand on my forehead. I instinctively turned my head away.

"Come on, let's get you back in bed so I can start driving again. We still have a long ways to go," he said coldly as he stood up. He took the dishes and put them in the sink. He turned to face me and held out his hand for me to take.