A Prisoner in a Safe Place - Part Two

“Lock the door.” He stares back at me but doesn't raise the gun.  It remains at his side and not having that barrel pointed at me makes it a little bit easier to calm myself. Wiping the tears from my face i turn to the door, stick the key in, and  lock the only way out.
When I'm once again facing the man i can’t help the deep hate i feel towards him. How dare he do this to us, i mean, what is he trying to gain from this? I can tell my emotions are displayed clearly across my face because he sneers at me.
“Go sit down,” He motions with the gun for me to sit against the wall in the front of the room, facing all of the desks. But the thought of doing what he says disgusts me, i hate how he thinks he can just control me so easily. So instead of sitting i just stand where i am, sneering back and not saying a word. I should have known ignoring this guy wouldn't be a very smart move and as he takes a step towards me, my heart jumps; too late i realize how dumb a move it was.
He’s quick as he strikes out his hand, rapping his fingers around my throat. My eyes go wide and i let out a gasp as he turns and forcefully shoves me to the the ground. The push was so hard that i slide a few feet across the floor and feel my head connect painfully to the wall. As black dots dance across my vision and I let out a moan, i hear Micah shout my name from a few feet away. The desperation and sadness in his voice makes me wish even more that this day had never started.
“Don’t you dare get out of that chair,” The man’s voice is directed at Micah, but his threat reaches out to everyone. “Nobody moves a muscle, got it?” I glance up and see he’s now looking at me.
“What are you expecting us to do huh?” I try to speak around the pain radiating in my head. “What do you want?”
“I, darling, want money. And all of you are going to help me get it. Now we’re going to sit here and wait for a phone call, while you shut up.” He walks, gun swinging in his hand, to the back of the room. And he sits, like he hasn’t a care in the world, in Mr.Hansen’s desk chair.

I turn my eyes to Micah. His look is desperate, searching, and i feel as if i can hear his heart pounding from here. Or maybe it’s just mine, mirroring his. Are you okay? Micah mouths the words and as i shake my head yes the last ripples of pain course through my head. I'm so sorry, i mouth back, wishing that i could just curl up in his arms and let him hold me. And i know he wishes it too, i can see him straining to stay seated in the desk.

As i sit up against the wall and raise my head to look at the man just as the phone on the desk rings. He lets it ring twice, smiling at it curtly, before picking it up.

“Hello?” He says it casually, like he’s talking to a friend. “Well hello there Mr.police chief.” My heart stalls for a second, this i realize, is who he has been waiting for. “Hmm, what do i want. How about you tell me what most people want in situations like this.” Another pause, “I guess i wont make you suffer any more, your little mind probably can’t stand all this trauma.” The man twist his finger around the cord of the phone, twisting and twisting as he stares into my eyes. “I want money, like any other self riotous man. And i want it now. One million dollars, in exactly one hour. There are enough kids here i think you can find a way to get it for me. Oh and one more thing, if i don't have it by then, on top of the roof with a helicopter and a safe way out, every fifteen minutes one of them will die.” He hangs up the phone. Leaving us to sit, staring with blank expressions, at his smiling face. He’s enjoying this, all of it, all the control he has.

“Why are you doing this to us?” It’s Sarah, speaking for the first time sense we’ve come in. Her voice is strained and cracked, obviously frightened. But it’s just like her, always wanting to know the truth.
“Oh i didn’t do this to you. It was your little friend there who chose this room. She did this to all of you, not me.” Everyone turns to me, looks of betrayal clouding their faces.
“No, no you can’t say that. He made me,” Fear beats through my heart, i can’t even imagine what it would be like if they all thought i did this. “He was going to shoot me! I- I .. I didn’t choose anything-”
“Oh but yes you did deary, you picked this room. These people. Your friends.” He stands, coming up the aisle, my eyes wont leave his face; i can feel the pleading look seeping from every crevasse in my body. “And now you get to choose something else.” The man stops only a foot away from where i sit against the wall. He crouches down so that his face is level with mine, i have the overwhelming urge to scramble away from him. But i hold my ground again, trying not to give in. “You get to choose which one of your friends dies first.”