Clare couldn't see much around her; she barely could see a foot in front of her. She felt around the floor, her breathing still heavy. She never thought that this would happen to her.

She could still feel where the blade had threatened the skin of her neck, and it still frightened her. Clare fought the urge to swallow while a bruise enveloped.

She easily found her shirt, but that was the only thing that she could feel around her. She simply started to cry as she sat down, only in her undergarments. She knew he would be back by the end of the day, or by the morning; she couldn't tell what time it was anymore. She had been so out of it that she didn't care to keep track of time.

Making sure she wasn't heard, she silently sobbed to herself, praying to God that someone would find her and get her life back on track.

A sudden light appeared in the room from where the door was. Clare kept the image in her head to make sure she knew where it was once it was dark again in the small room.

Clare looked up at the boy in front of her, seeing that he was stunned that this girl was in this room, not knowing who she was. He had never seen her before.

"What the hell…" He wandered off, shouting to someone named Jake. The boy, who Clare feared the most, ran over to him.

"Yeah?" He asked, and then her grinned menacingly towards Clare. She could feel the tears overflowing, but faster.

"Who is this?" He asked, waving his hand towards Clare.

Jake seemed to just laugh. "Her? Oh, she's just keeping me company right now. Right?"

Clare didn't know what to do; if she nodded, she'd wish she would suddenly die. If she didn't, though, she could get hurt. Worse.

Clare nodded, looking regretful. She wanted to speak, but she couldn't.

The boy's mouth opened and closed several times before he asked, "Then why does she look so depressed to be here?" Jake shifted his weight, from one foot to the other.

Jake then shrugged. "She had a bad fight with her family; she's not quite over it yet."

Clare looked at him dumbfounded. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out but air.

The boy raised an eyebrow, letting the silence overwhelm Clare. "Really?" He asked, skeptical. Clare silently listened to the two go on about her presence in the room, and she saw that Jake was getting annoyed.

"Listen, if you don't want her in here, I can take us somewhere else." Clare's eyes nearly shot out of her head, wishing to be able to protest. But the look on Jake's face was so, revengeful, that she couldn't do anything but freeze in place.

He looked over at Jake before saying, "Fine. But if you're not telling the truth, then you're kicked out of here, man."

Jake looked back at Clare who was now shaking. "Get your clothes on." He said harshly, leaving the door open just the slightest.

Clare sobbed over and over, asking God if he could just grant her one wish—to let Eli find her.

ELI

I grinned to myself; I had remembered that the hotel had internet access! I could finally communicate with people other than the Torres family, without them even knowing!

I logged on fairly quickly, since the hotel was new. Everything seemed to be new; the furniture, the rooms, the elevators—everything. But that's what I would expect on vacation.

I smirked menacingly as the login was a success. I was free!

I hurried to log onto my email to see the wondrous emails Cece sent me that I couldn't get for the time being. She sent some worried messages, but didn't overdo it like most parents; she knew about the Torres' "tradition".

The bell from the front door rings throughout the lobby, and I can't help but look up to see Alli's distraught figure walking towards the elevators.

"Alli." I said, and she instantly turned. I guess I was who she wanted to see.

I expected her to smile, but instead she looked frantic. She ran towards me. "Have you seen Clare?" She said all too fast, but I could translate enough of the message. My smirk dropped.

I shook my head, and Alli looked like she was going to cry. "She left yesterday for the trolley, and I haven't even heard from her! I thought she'd come in late or something, so I went to sleep but her bed is still made."

My eyes widened. "Where the hell is she then?" I asked, and Alli cried, "I don't know! That's why I'm here; I need your help."

I could feel the flashbacks coming into my head of how many times Julia would run away from her parents; she would run to my house while her parents quickly called everyone they knew. But Clare wouldn't do this; she was alone in a tourist attraction.

I jumped up from my seat, running through the hotel doors with Alli right behind me. She was lucky not to be wearing heels.

"Have you seen a girl, about this high and has brown curly hair?" The shake of a head sent me to think the worst; Clare possibly could've been kidnapped. I had been doing this for hours, and I still didn't have any witnesses who saw Clare. I didn't know San Francisco well enough to know where things like this would happen, but I surely knew that it wasn't somewhere close to the Bay.

I swallowed hard; what if they drowned Clare in the Bay? What if they got away with it? I felt Alli's hand on my shoulder, making my thoughts pause.

"Don't think the worst; Clare probably wasn't drowned." Had I said that aloud?

Great. Now I was loosing my mind. I shook my head, my weary eyes looking into Alli's. "I don't know where she is," I said. "I mean, yeah, we broke up, but I still have feelings for her. And I can't help but think of how she can disappear like J-" I choked on the word, putting my face into my hands.

Alli nodded. "I know, but history does not repeat; it moves forward. We won't let anything happen to Clare." She sternly said, and although I felt horrible, I couldn't help but feel her calm my mind.

"Wherever she is, we'll find her; and those people will go to Hell—I'll make sure of it."

Drama, drama, drama galore!

Well, at least soon :)

6 more reviews and the next chapter goes up; which means that the total should be 20—my OCD wants the number to be even.

What are your guesses on what'll happen to Clare?