“Thank you Seamus. Good night to you to,” said grabbing his face and giving him one last kiss. I let go of him and walked into my room and closed the door. Had I really just kissed Seamus? Did he really just kiss me? What now?

These thoughts continued to run through my mind, until I drifted off to sleep. I suddenly see their faces the men who had taken me. “She’s a real pretty one, Yin. What do you think? Should we take her to Xang? You know how much he likes the pretty ones,” The short man that smelled like old cigarettes and grease said. He was looking to a man the exact opposite of him. This man was tall well kept and smelled of expensive cologne.

“Yes put her in the back of my car. Make sure she is tied up good and tight. Don’t need any issues on the way to see Xang,” He ordered to the small smelly man. He had his hands on me. He was pulling me towards the car. I was trying to scream but his filthy hand was on my mouth. I felt another set of hands on me and as they pushed me into the trunk. Another tall man had grabbed my hands and held them as the small smelly man tied them. I was able to scream now, but no one came. Why would they? Crime was a way of life here.

The trunk was closed and I was left in complete darkness. I felt the car move. Were where we going? I beat on the lid and suddenly the car stopped and it was open.The smelly man and the other tall man pulled me out and began walking me toward a very expensive looking door. I was full of dread. Where am I? The tall man banged on the door and a woman, a maid, opened it. She had a sad and sympathetic look on her face as we passed her. We walked down several long hallways. All decorated lavishly.

We came to a stop at some black twin wooden doors. The smelly man knocked and a deep, and menacing voice on the other side answered, “You may enter,”.

We walked in and there at a massive brown desk sat a tall plump man with thinning hair. He just sat and smiled at us as we walked in. “Ah Ling, what bountiful beauty have you brought me this time?” He asked looking at me and licking his lips. I was suddenly filled with ice cold dread.

“We have for you an American girl it looks like. She is very pretty and just by the looks of her very well endowed,” The smelly man I now knew as Ling said while grabbing my chin.

“Bring her here let me have a nice look at her,” The man at the desk demanded. They brought me to him. They had to pick me up because my legs were frozen in fear. “You did not lie. She is quite beautiful. Take her to my home by the ocean. I will be traveling there for the weekend. Make sure you get her ready. You know how I like my play things,” the man said leaning forward in his chair and looking at me. The look in his eyes was nothing but pure evil. His smile was even worse.

With a jolt I woke up. I was covered in sweat. I heard knocking at my door, then it was opened. Seamus walked in with a very warm smile that disappeared as soon as he had seen my face. Walking over to the bed he calmly asked, “What be wrong Irean? Yer covered in sweat an white as a ghost.” his face showed concern as he sat on the bed. The feeling of dread still filled every cell of my body. All I could do was sit and stare at him wide eyed. I felt cold. My sight was all spotty. I fell back on my pillow. I felt the weight shift on the bed and the faint sound of footsteps leaving the room and the distant sound of Seamus’s voice. I closed my eyes. The fear was still there. I could see the scary man’s face. I could feel the evil in him.

I felt a pair of hands on me and found my voice. I screamed and I fought the hands. When I opened my eyes Branson, Agitha, and Seamus were all in my room looking at me. It was Branson’s hands who were touching me. I was able to breath again and suddenly I was out. Nothing but darkness.

I heard voices. “What ‘appened, what be wrong with her?” one voice said, it was Agitha.

“To me it be looking like she be in shock, or be ‘aving some sort of ‘orrendous memory, or nightmare. Whatever it be, it was sure awful for ‘er to be this terrified. It best to be keeping an eye on ‘er,” A voice said who I assumed was Branson.

“I’ll do it,” Agitha said. I could feel her sit down on the bed and touch something to my forehead. “You both go on and be eatin yer breakfast,” she ordered. Receding footsteps was all I heard before drifting back off.

I woke up fully this time to the sound of humming. The tune seemed happy. I rolled over to find Agitha sitting in a chair reading an old looking book. She looked up from her reading and gasped. “Well thank the angles you be waking up. Ye ‘ave been sleepin for the ‘ole day. Ye be giving us quite a fright ye did,” she said standing up and walking over to the bed.

“I’m very sorry. It came out of nowhere,” I said sitting up.

“What did me dear?” she said sitting on the edge of the bed and looking at me.

“I had a dream about the night I was taken by those horrible men. They took me to an evil man who kept looking at me in such a way it made my skin crawl. He wanted me to be his plaything,” I told her with tears pricking at the edge of my eyes.

“Well you are ‘ere now. No one will be hurting you ‘ile you be ‘ere,”She said pulling me close and rubbing my back. I loved the feel of her embrace. It was just full of such love and warmth. “Now would ye be liking to get up an around? Seamus ‘as just been worried to ‘is core bout you.” She said letting me go. I nodded and she smiled.

“I’ll be going downstairs to tell the boys ye be awake. Come on down when ye think yer ready,” She said walking out of the room. It took me a little bit to finally get out of the bed. I went to my bag of clothes and found a pair of jeans and a shirt. I put them on and went to look at myself in the mirror, I was still in my braids. I sat down and took them out and I watched my long hair come tumbling out in pretty rivets. I then stood up walked out of my room and went down the stairs. I saw Seamus at the bottom and when he saw me at the top he came running up.

When he reached me he gave me a very strong hug. He looked down to the bottom of the stairs and took a few steps back into the hallway. Before I knew why he put his lips to mine. With the touch of his lips I forgot all of the fear of my memory. There was no fear to find in his arms. After those long seconds we parted and made our way to the livingroom to be with the rest of the family.