Page 32 of Fallen Stars

sampled recent catch from a buddy

Not too eager. Vague yet straightforward. In their words and hinting that I know someone in their circle.

I can do this.

Ihaveto do this.

A new line fills the screen and I hold my breath as I read it.

hook_n_release_cap

@fall_or_rise39 welcome. which buddy? don’t want them to miss out on their referral bonus

Are they serious? Is this their way of verifying if I’m a cop or creepster? Either way, the lasagna is about to make a comeback.

Swallowing, I type out my reply with the user Tymber got from his buddy at missing persons and hit send.

fall_or_rise39

@hook_n_release_cap @night_angler54 would have my head if I didn’t mention

The feed quiets for several minutes. No one chimes in with a single word or reaction. My heart thrashes in my rib cage as Iwait forsomething.Breath caught in my throat, my lungs burn as I wait foranything.My knee bounces as I bite the corner of my thumbnail.

Still, I wait. For a response, for the site to kick me out.

Hour-long minutes tick by as I stare at the blinking cursor on the screen. On the cusp of sayingfuck itand shutting down my computer for the night, a new message pops up on the screen.

hook_n_release_cap

@fall_or_rise39 verified referral. check out the market place. new members are encouraged to wade through the surf and explore before sampling catch.

I just got accepted into an underground human trafficking ring forum. Via a fake referral. For my job. To find missing children. And the person on the other end is telling me toexplorebefore sampling.

I react to the message with a simplewill do.

Then I set down my laptop, bolt for the bathroom, drop to my knees, and lose my dinner.

EIGHT

NUMBER 263

Day One

Blinding,debilitating pain pulses in my skull. A persistent, breath-stealing torture bouncing in the confines of my mind.

I inhale, the action stilted as my ribs scream and scrape my lungs. A pungent smell wafts up my nose—a nausea-inducing mix of bleach, filthy bathrooms, mildew, and metal. Reaching up to cover my nose and mouth, weight tugs at my wrists. Metal clinks and grates the ground and I wince.

Confusion swirls with the pulsing pain in my head as I try to recall anything before I woke up. As I try to figure out what happened and where I am. But the harder I think, the more it hurts. All I feel, all I think, all I am is pain. Burning and screaming and paralyzing pain.

Easing my eyes open, darkness greets me as I survey what little I can see.

Lying on my side on the ground, I notice divots in the concrete floor. Damp spots not far from where I lie. Gradually, my gaze drifts to my wrists and the metal binds mottled with dark splatters.

My stomach churns and cramps.

Without hurry, I press my palms to the ground and push myself up to a seated position. I dizzy with the simple action and close my eyes, taking a deep breath, followed by another. When I open my eyes again, the room spins and wobbles less.

My gaze falls to my wrists once more and this time I notice the chains linked to the cuffs. Following the chains with my eyes, bile claws at my throat when I spot the large metal ring anchored in the floor. Fear crawls across my skin when I see a second ring with chains that lead in my direction. Before bearing witness, I already know where they go. I already feel the immeasurable weight around my ankles.

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