Locked. In the darkness. All one.

The sheer terror that courses through me is enough to spiral into a panic attack.

How long will they keep me, aside from my parents who would search for me I think while hyperventilating.

The sheer pressure of everything pressed down on me making it hard for me to breathe.

I practice my breathing exercises and go through my mantras that I was taught during my therapy session. I’m okay, everything will get better, not all is lost, but as I recite them in my mind I know that if I don't work fast that all will be lost.

I managed to stabilize myself and in the meantime, only one thought came to me….,” I have to get myself out of here” I whispered to myself.

I calmly observe what little I can make of the space I'm locked in, apart from the single bulb, a window, and the door, there’s nothing in the room that could help me.

My heart drops and I begin to feel hopeless.

After some hours of still silence and near madness, I hear some footsteps of men upstairs. It sounded like there was a group of men chatting about.

I heard a few yelling shouting drinks and guessed that they were drinking, then a plan struck me, dangerous but necessary.

I mentally give them about 45 minutes before I start shouting,” Hey!!! Let me out of here!!! You don't know who you're messing with, I’ll make you all pay!!!” I shout at the top of my lungs then hear sudden silence from above.

Now, I'm no one really but the goal is to anger them to at least send one down so that I could try and outsmart them in their drunken stupor. Not long after my shouts a large, heavily tattooed man bursts in through the door nearly knocking himself and the door down, he staggers down from the stairs, beer bottle in hand, and marches towards me.

He grabs my hair by the root, forcing my head up. A sharp pain spreads through my scalp and I hiss at the pain,” you filthy little thing, who the heck do you think you are to be running your mouth while tied up huh” he mocks me while looking down at me, I sneer and muster up a false bravado," errand boys like you only do what your good for and run around doing the errands of other people, I laugh at your false display of power” I mock him and watch as fury blazes in his eyes, next thing I know I get slapped across the face hard, my head swerves to the right and I blood seeps into my mouth, smearing it with its metallic taste.

The man heaves with anger then all of a sudden looks at me with a look I can only describe as evil,” Since you're so keen on showing us who you are, better to show off what you're made of to the rest of the fellas isn't that right?” He says as he walks around me and stops behind me, he drops his bottle at the side of the chair I'm tied to and moves to untie my hands.

Just as he frees my hands, I take advantage of his wobbly alcohol-induced movements and rush to grab the bottle on the floor and swing it to his head without missing a beat.

Cheers go off from above just as the bottle makes contact with his head, masking the sound of the bottle breaking. He falls to the floor with a thud and stares at his body, the sound of blood flowing through my ears and my heart still beats fast from the turn of events.

I rush to untie my legs quickly and get up from the chair taking a glance at the unconscious man on the floor I better make a run for it before he wakes up, by the looks of it may be out for the night but I can't bet on that I think to myself as I move to grab the walkie talkie in his back pocket, a large shard of glass from the broken bottle and slowly climb up the steps to the door.

I carefully peered out through the door and noticed that it was a long hallway and to my left was some sort of lounge where about 5 men surrounded by women were having drinks.

I observed to make sure they're well distracted then rush passed the door. I make hurried steps through the hallway while occasionally glancing back to make sure that I haven't been spotted yet and keep going.

Along the walls of the hallway were closed doors. I don't try to gamble with it about whether it's an exit or a room of sober men so I keep moving forward hoping that the corridor would lead to an opening.

Not long into my escape, the walkie-talkie comes to life ‘’all men within block C, the girl has escaped, move fast and catch her before she heads far” a male voice announces through the device.

Panic surged through me hearing that they know I'm gone and are looking for me so I bolt through the hallway.

The end of the hallway was just in sight when I could hear the murmur of voices behind me.

I dash towards the opening just as I hear a man shout “There she is, catch her!” I increase my speed upon hearing that.

I noticed that at the end of the hallway was a staircase leading down and I just prayed that it led to the exit.

I ran down the stairs and noticed that it was an open space with an open door showing land.

I run faster at the sight of freedom but before making it long, I got tackled to the floor on my left, knocking the items I held out of my hand, just before I could regain my bearings, I feel a sting on my neck and just before blacking out, I glance at the door once more, so close, then darkness.