The Abduction

AN:

This is my entry for the 2017 Twilight Tricks and Treats Contest. It won 3rd Place in the Public Vote.

Thank you to Fran, EdwardsFirstKiss, Gabby1017, and AllTheWayIntoTwilight for editing and pre-reading.

The girl awoke to the buzzing hum of a fluorescent light. Its faint glow flickered, causing shadows to dance across the walls.

As she observed her surroundings, her body trembled.

The room appeared empty aside from the soiled mattress on which she lay.

Where was she?

Groaning, she sat up and rubbed her temples. Her head felt fuzzy; her body heavy. She attempted to remember how she had gotten there, but her efforts were futile. The drugs in her system had left her drowsy and unable to function; she soon fell back to sleep thinking she was all alone.

In a dark corner of the same room, a young man lay prone on the floor.

Cuts and bruises marred the right side of his face and neck. The skin around his eye was puffy and swollen.

Unlike the girl, he had not been drugged, but the impact of his assailant's weapon on the side of his skull had rendered him unconscious.

It would be another fourteen hours before either of them would wake again.

The next time the girl opened her eyes, it was to the sound of moaning. Terrified, she clutched the ratty blanket that covered her body.

The sound became louder and more intense. It seemed to be coming from the opposite side of the room. The more she listened, the more convinced she became that it was the sound of someone in pain.

Summoning every shred of courage she could muster, she called out into the darkness.

"Is anyone there?"

The young man had awoken several minutes before the girl, but the throbbing in his head had been so severe that he had remained curled in a heap on the floor.

When he heard the soft voice of the girl waft from across the room, he gingerly turned his body.

Clearing his throat, he answered, "Hello. Are you okay?"

"Yes, but I think I've been drugged. Who are you?"

"I'm Edward Cullen, a student in my last year of medical school at the University of Washington," he explained before pausing. The pain in his face was making it difficult for him to speak. "I saw a man grab you outside of the library while I was running. I tried to stop him, but I think he knocked me out."

"Oh my God! I remember being at the library. I had been studying with my friend Angela. I recall leaving, but nothing after that."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you were drugged. You were unconscious by the time I got to the two of you, and the man had a rag in his hand. Do you mind if I ask your name?"

"Of course, I'm so sorry," she apologized as she slowly stood. Her aching muscles screamed in protest. As she made her way toward him, she introduced herself. "I'm Bella Swan. I'm a sophomore at U-Dub."

After reaching him, she lowered herself to the floor and sat next to him. Once her eyes met his, she released an uncontrollable gasp.

"Edward!" She gently lifted her fingers and stroked his jawline, which was covered in dried blood. "Are you in pain?" she asked before saying, "of course you are. What a stupid question!"

"I'm sure it looks worse than it feels," he replied trying to relieve her distress. "I'm more worried about you and the effects of whatever drugs he gave you. Do you mind if I check your pulse and pupils?"

She nodded her consent, and he took her wrist in his hand. After confirming her pulse was only slightly elevated, he used his one good eye to examine each of her pupils. He then went into full doctor mode asking her if she was nauseous, confused, or had difficulty breathing.

Once he was reassured, she wasn't in any imminent danger; he discreetly gazed at her face. She was a beauty. Her deep brown eyes made a striking contrast against her porcelain skin. A tiny scattering of freckles adorned her pert nose. He was certain her full lips were the same shade as the azaleas that had grown in front of his grandparents' home when he was a small boy.

And his fingers itched to see if her golden-brown hair, though mussed from her ordeal, was as soft as it looked.

"I don't think there will be any lasting effects from whatever he gave you," he said while reluctantly releasing her wrist, which he still held.

"You said the man who grabbed me had a rag? Did you get a good look at him?"

"I didn't get a great look at his face, but he was about six-feet tall and a medium build. He also had long, greasy blond hair that was pulled back in a ponytail."

As soon as she heard the description, Bella knew who had attacked her.

James Hunter.

Bella told Edward about her suspicions.

"So this guy, James, he stalked you?" Edward asked in an effort to understand why she thought this man had abducted them.

"No, but he was always around - if that makes sense?" she said peeking at him through her lashes. "I first noticed him when we had calculus together last semester. A few weeks after class had started, he began to appear wherever I was. For instance, whenever I went to the cafeteria, he was there, or if I was at the student center getting my mail, he would show up in a matter of minutes." she sighed.

"Did he ever approach you? Talk to you?"

"No! Not at all! I even said hello to him one time in the beginning - before I realized he was so strange, and he only gave me a cold stare in return. He never said a word to me. He always just stood around watching me."

"That sounds a lot like stalking to me," Edward muttered.

"Why would he do this?" Bella wondered aloud, her voice breaking. "What does he want from me?"

Tears began rolling down her cheeks. Edward cupped her face tenderly in his hands and used his thumbs to wipe away the wetness.

"I'm not sure what he wants," he said softly, "but I promise you, I won't let him hurt you."

The next day, Bella and Edward slept side by side on the mattress. When he had offered to sleep on the floor, she had insisted they share the small twin cot.

Bella awoke first and became startled when she felt an arm wrapped firmly around her waist. After a few moments, she remembered where she was. Her fear was immediately replaced with a sense of security from knowing that Edward was beside her. Even though she had only known him for the past twenty-four hours, she had already grown to trust the young medical student. They had stayed up until the wee hours of dawn talking and learning about each other's lives. In that time, she came to realize he was not only handsome, but intelligent and kind.

They had so much in common as well. She had been amazed to learn they shared a love for pumpkin-spice lattes, Andrew Mayne novels, and indie music. They had even both recently been at the same My Goodness concert two weeks prior to their abduction.

"Wow! There were only like what fifty people at that show?" she had exclaimed. "Can you imagine if we had met then?"

"I just can't believe I went through the entire night without noticing you," he had replied, "you had to have been the prettiest girl there."

She had blushed in response.

As she watched him now sleep peacefully, it was easy to pretend they weren't in a small, dank room being held captive, but instead at his home. In his bed.

He was exactly the type of boy she could see herself falling for.

Would they have a chance if they made it out of here alive?

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear the door being opened or the approach of the man until his silhouette blocked what little light was cast from the ceiling above her.

When her eyes lifted and saw the masked figure looming over her, she released a blood-curdling scream.

Edward shot up; alarmed by the sound of Bella's yell.

"Get up," the man ordered. The sound of his voice was disguised by some type of device, which made it appear mechanical in tone.

Edward stood from the bed, gesturing for Bella to remain put. "Leave her alone!" he shouted, shoving the man against the wall.

The masked man drew out a gun which had been stowed away in the waist of his jeans.

Bella sobbed, clinging to the thin blanket as if it would protect her from the impact of a bullet.

Edward threw his hands in the air. "Calm down, man. Nobody wants to get hurt."

"Get up," the man ordered again, looking at Bella.

She raised her eyes toward Edward, and he gave her a small, encouraging nod before offering his hand to help her off the floor.

"Come with me," the man said to Bella gesturing for her to go first to the door.

Overcome with fear, she stood frozen unable to move.

"Now!" the man roared before reaching out to grab her arm.

Edward yanked Bella free from the man's grasp and pled, "Take me instead. Please, leave her alone."

The man tilted his head to the side and stared at his two captives.

"No," he said, "she needs to experience the pain she has put me through. She needs to hurt."

After hearing his words, Bella's legs buckled beneath her. She clutched onto Edward to stop herself from falling to the ground.

"I'll take her pain. Hurt me instead," Edward begged while trying to steady Bella. "Please, you can do whatever you want. Just spare her."

"No, Edward!" Bella wailed as she wrapped her arms tightly around him.

Incensed by her reaction, the man shoved her away from Edward. He then struck the butt of his gun against Edward's mouth. Edward's lip busted open, and blood spurted across his chin.

"Go!" the man ordered this time to Edward who promptly left the room before his assailant had time to change his mind.

Bella sat in the small, cold room by herself for what seemed like an eternity. Guilt ate away at her as she thought about the sacrifice Edward had made to save her.

Scenario after scenario of what could be happening to him crossed her mind.

A wave of dry heaves overtook her.

Was he even still alive?

When she wasn't thinking about Edward's fate, all she could envision was the image of their masked abductor.

The rubber jack-o'-lantern mask he wore was something straight from a horror film. Even though it covered his entire head, she had noticed a few strands of blonde hair sticking out from underneath the edges as he had left the room.

She had absolutely no doubt that it was James Hunter tormenting them and somehow, it was all her fault.

When Bella had almost given up hope that Edward would ever return, the door crashed open. Edward suddenly fell through the doorway landing on the hard, concrete floor with a thud.

Their abductor entered next, slamming a box on the floor beside Bella. He stood for a moment staring at her before abruptly turning and leaving the room.

"Edward!" Bella yelled as she scrambled over to the spot where he lay balled on the floor.

"I'm-I'm okay," he groaned as he tried to sit.

"Stay where you are," Bella cried as she began checking him over for new wounds. She didn't see anything other than his busted lip and sighed in relief. "Where did he take you? What happened?"

Edward rolled over to gaze at her; to the girl he had done all of this for. A brief second passed where he wondered if she was worth all the pain he had endured, but he quickly dismissed the thought as he watched her worried eyes regard him with an already growing affection. The cuts, bruises, and broken bones would heal.

"I'm not sure where he took me," he finally responded, "but it wasn't far. We didn't leave this building."

"You were gone for so long! I was so scared you weren't coming back," she said before breaking down into another bout of sobs.

Edward managed to pull himself up, his side ached from what he assumed was one or two broken ribs. He hadn't expected to be kicked so hard. Once he was upright, he put his arm around Bella's shoulder and pulled her gently against him.

"Shhh," he comforted, "I'm back now." He placed tender kisses along her hairline.

Burrowing herself into his chest, she soaked up the relief he gave. When she put her arms around him and squeezed, she observed his wince.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Not waiting for his reply, she lifted his shirt and noted a large, blue and purple bruise forming on his left side. She lightly placed her fingertips on the area, and he hissed.

"I think I might have a couple of broken ribs," he said, "I should probably get them bandaged."

Another set of tears fell from Bella's eyes as she thought about the suffering he had endured in her place. Wanting to do something to make up for it, she quickly said, "Let me do it. What do we need?"

"We need a piece of cloth." They both looked around the room. The only option other than the clothing on their backs was the thin blanket. Just as Bella went to get it, Edward asked, "What's in the box?"

Bella had forgotten about the box the masked man had brought into the room. It sat in the same spot he had left it. Instead of getting the blanket, she went over and opened it up.

"It's food and water," she exclaimed. It had been days since she had last eaten. There had been water in the room when they initially awoke, but no food.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Bring it over, woman!" Edward teased, "We will have a picnic after you bandage me up."

After ripping a small portion off the bottom of the blanket, Bella wrapped the cloth as tightly around Edward's ribs as she could. Once the bandage was in place, he seemed better able to breathe and the pain lessened.

While Bella began emptying the contents of the box, a terrifying thought passed through her mind. "What if the food is poisoned?"

Edward scrubbed his face with his palm. He contemplated the food for a few moments before answering. "Honestly, we can't go much longer without eating. The water was fine, I'm sure the food is too. If it will make you feel better, I'll try a small bite first and see if it's okay."

"No! I will," she proclaimed. "You've done enough already."

"How about we both try a little then?" Edward offered in compromise.

Bella eventually agreed, so they opened the loaf of bread and removed one slice. Then Edward spread a tiny portion of peanut butter using his index finger onto its surface.

They each ate a half piece of bread quietly. After about an hour neither had any type of negative reaction, so they felt it was safe to consume more. As they continued to eat, Bella asked Edward exactly what had occurred during the time he was gone with their abductor.

Instead of answering, Edward released a harsh exhale. He wouldn't meet her eyes when he replied, "I'd rather not talk about it." He then proceeded to make his way to the mattress where he laid down.

She studied him; she could see he was silently crying from where she sat. From his sudden change in demeanor, she knew that whatever had happened had been far worse than anything she had imagined.

Wanting to offer him some type of comfort, she walked to the mattress. After lowering beside him, she carefully lifted his head and placed it in her lap. She then began running her fingers through his hair while whispering that everything was going to be okay.

The next day, the masked man did not enter their room. Edward slept as often as he could knowing his body needed rest in order to heal. But whenever he was awake, he spent his time learning everything he could about the girl who encompassed his every thought.

They talked about their lives outside of the room and he found Bella to be as sweet and charming as he had imagined.

The following day, however, their assailant returned. This time, he stood in front of them and simply asked, "Who?"

Edward stood and left with him before Bella even realized what had happened. And again, he was gone for hours before he returned.

Even though he didn't have any new physical injuries, Edward's spirit appeared more broken than before. Instead of eating dinner, he had instead chosen to go immediately to bed.

Bella sobbed as she watched him sleep. Shame consumed her knowing she was to blame for the torture he had endured.

The pattern continued for the next three weeks.

One day of freedom from their abductor and then another of torment. And each time the masked man entered their room, it was Edward who left with him and bore the abuse.

Edward always refused to tell Bella what had happened while he was gone, so she had stopped asking after the third occurrence. Instead, she began awaiting his return on the mattress where she would welcome him back with open arms and provide him solace.

On their days of freedom, the two continued to grow closer. Once they knew everything about each other, they began making plans for what they would do once they left.

And the plans always involved the two of them together.

One evening as they lay on the cot, Edward whispered in Bella's ear, "I think I've found a way to get us out of here."

Shocked by his admittance, she exclaimed, "What?"

"Shhh, Love," he cautioned her.

Her cheeks reddened.

Even though it had been almost two weeks since he had first used that term of endearment, it still made her pulse rush.

He grinned at her response and gave her lips a gentle peck. It was taking every ounce of his self-control not to kiss her properly. But he knew it was only a small matter of time before he would be able to enjoy her thoroughly.

"What are you going to do?" she asked, impatient to hear his plan.

"Don't worry about it. Just be ready tomorrow. Wait by the door after I leave, and I'll be back as soon as I can for you."

"B-but what if you get hurt?"

"I won't. I'll be able to handle him; I'm feeling much stronger than before. Almost all my wounds have healed. In fact, my ribs aren't even sore anymore."

Bella tried not to be skeptical as she gazed into the eyes of the man who had grown to mean everything to her. Scared of losing him, she tightened her arms around his neck. Her eyes welled up with tears.

"Hey," he said, cupping her cheek. "None of that. Everything is going to be fine. We're going to finally get out of here and do all of the things we've been talking about for the past few weeks."

"You-you're right," she stuttered, "I just don't know what I would do without you."

"Well, you don't need to worry about that because I'm never letting you go. That's a promise."

As soon as Edward left with their abductor the next day, Bella waited beside the door as she had been instructed.

Twenty minutes later, she heard a crash followed by the sounds of two men shouting. She recognized one of the voices as Edward's.

When the door finally burst open, it was Edward who stood on the other side. He had a fresh cut at the top of his right brow, but other than that, he didn't look seriously injured.

"Come on," he ordered, "hurry."

The two made their escape out of what appeared to be some type of abandoned warehouse. When they finally reached the safety of a small diner and called the police, Bella asked what had happened to the masked man.

"I knocked him out. I left him unconscious on the floor when we left."

The police would inform them, however, three hours later that no one was found at the scene of the crime.

Two Days Later

Edward stoked the fireplace and added another log before returning to the sofa. After sitting, he gazed at the photos spread across the table before him.

While he studied one of his favorite shots, the doorbell rang. After placing the photo down, he jotted over to the door.

Even though he already knew who was on the other side, he still took a quick glance through the peephole before he unlocked the door.

"Hey, Jasper," Edward greeted, standing aside to allow the man room to enter. "I almost didn't recognize you with your new haircut."

The man ran a hand through his dark, close-cropped hair. "Yeah, I don't miss the long hair, but the blonde had actually started to grow on me."

"Well, you look like a completely different person now," Edward remarked as the two men made their way into the living room.

"That was the point, wasn't it?" Jasper quipped.

"Have a seat, and I'll grab us some drinks," Edward said gesturing toward the sofa.

Jasper sat and immediately noticed the photographs. There were hundreds of them. Many of them included him.

Edward walked back into the room with two beers. He handed Jasper one and kept one for himself.

"You have quite a collection here," Jasper said nodding toward the photos. "Do you think it's best to keep these? What if the wrong person sees them?"

Edward reached over and picked up the picture of Bella he had been looking at prior to Jasper's arrival. It was from a Halloween party and one of the first photos he had taken of her back when she was still a freshman in college. She had been dressed up as a cat and had looked so sexy. Her tiny black bodysuit, hand-drawn whiskers, and fuzzy tail had almost been the death of him. "No, I was actually getting ready to destroy them. I was considering keeping this one," he said, showing it to Jasper, "it has always been my favorite, but like you said, it's too much of a risk."

He then gathered all the photographs. After putting them into a large manila envelope, he placed it into the fire.

The two men sat quietly and watched it burn for a few minutes before Jasper asked, "I don't understand why you did it. I mean, you're a good-looking guy and you're obviously rich," he said as he looked around the upscale home. "Why didn't you just ask her out? I'm sure she or any other girl would have said yes."

Edward glared at him. "But, what would have been fun about that, James?" he said stressing the fake name the man had used for the past eight months.

Jasper chuckled nervously and took another drink of his beer. He hadn't meant to piss him off. Wanting to get his money and then get the hell out of there, he attempted to pacify him. "It was actually a genius move when you think about it. You got to play the hero and got the girl," he laughed. "The best part was all of those times you were off with me being tortured; we were actually eating takeout and watching Netflix."

Edward was fed up with the lackey sitting across from him. "Except that one instance when you actually broke my ribs," he responded dryly.

"Hey, I've told you time and time again that was an accident. I was only trying to leave a bruise like you asked, I swear."

Edward just shrugged. "It's over now. Bella's mine. She's completely devoted, and I still get to have one last bit of fun."

His interest piqued, Jasper couldn't help but ask, "What are you going to do?"

"Well, you know I'm a medical student. I've already had the opportunity to save several lives, but there's something I've never experienced before and I just can't seem to get it off my mind."

Jasper sat in anticipation waiting for him to finish.

Edward stood and strolled slowly to the fireplace before he continued, "I want to cause someone's death. Be the reason they take their last gasp of breath; watch their life force slowly drain from their body."

"You're going to kill Bella?" Jasper exclaimed. "After everything we went through, you're seriously going to kill her now?"

"No, you dumb fuck!" Edward roared as he revealed the gun he had stashed earlier in his pocket. "I'm going to kill you. I can't worry about you blabbering about what we did to the wrong person one day."

"You won't get away with it!" Jasper yelled. He tried to get up, but he felt off. Woozy.

"I gave you a sedative, and the best part about it is it's undetectable," Edward explained with a sly grin. He looked at his watch and said, "We need to get this show on the road. Bella's due in about an hour. Imagine her surprise when she gets here and finds me knocked unconscious and James Hunter shot dead." After shoving a lamp off a table and watching it crash to the floor, he gave a small laugh. "Time to stage a break-in and struggle."

"You're insane. I hope Bella finds out who you really are," Jasper spat.

"She won't," Edward simply answered as he walked to Jasper and yanked him from the couch. After positioning him on the floor he aimed his gun and pulled the trigger.

The End