Chapter 12

                                    

                                          
ACT - 2
Someone shook Amani awake. The sounds from her head made their pathway through her ears known. Silence buzzing through a man's sarcastic throaty voice coming from a distance. Her eyes snapped open to see a blinding pendant light loosely invading her vision. The irritation from the brightness gave way to the throbbing pain in her head. It felt as if a machine repeatedly crushed and revived her brain. The reeking stench of the room tingled her thoughts. She jolted her eyes open again, now dark spots dancing in her vision, she saw a man. The man. The man who took Marci. He rolled his eyes, 
" Are you done now? "
Amani felt a scream rising in her throat. She pressed her lips together to keep it in. There was no joke in the caramel-skinned man's expression as he looked toward Amani; it was the look of a man who is totally insane.
And Jesus, he was so fucking beaten. 
She smelled of mud and burned through the wet cuts in her skin as she shifted in her chair. 
" Okay then. ", his voice sounded tired and distant, like a message on a very old answering machine, " Why do you have the child? "
For a second Amani wondered what child he must be talking about. Marci didn't feel so divorced to be referred to as 'some child'.
" Where is Marci? Who the hell are you? And why am I tied up in a basement? Is this some kind of impractical Hollywood movie? Some cult shit? " Amani barked as the huge silver flare of pain in her body triggered itself. 
" Family time at the carnival, " the man said as he wrapped gauze around his gaping arm, " Do you know what a stupid idea that is? Trying to raise the abject poverty by taking from the bootlicking fascists, " he plucked the edge of a duct tape between his teeth, ripped off the roll. The man was missing two fingers. " What about the mass murders, terrorist attacks, ruthless killings? Three a day in a public place and counting? And how convenient for a family night?", he vigorously pulled the tape wrapping around the bloody arm. Amani scoffed at his ballsy irony. " Fuck what are you? Suicidal? Pathetic. ", his voice indignant as he trailed a knife in his hand, taking small steps towards Amani, the grey eyes full of laughter. She felt nausea seep into her as he wildly treated his wound. 
" What do you want? ", Amani kept up her bravado, unafraid. 
The man caught up and stabbed the knife with the spear point between her thighs. The wood of the chair chipped as Amani felt her heart stop. 
" Why do you have the child?" the man demanded. 
Amani started to scream for help on top of her lungs. Her voice croaked as the man turned away raising his arms and leaning his head on the locked fingers on his nape. Amani started to chafe the rope with her only nail. He walked in circles puffing his chest in mocking leisure until he paused and started to play like a conductor in an orchestra to her screaming sound. Amani toned down into a confused screaming. 
" Nobody can hear you through these walls. They are made underground for a reason. And the fact that you think the cops would be looking for you is moving because the whole world is going to shit out there. "
" Okay, "  Amani sighed, " here's a deal. You tell me where she is and will tell you why."
He didn't care to answer first as long as he got it out of her. " She is totally safe upstairs, sound asleep. "
" Then who are you and why are you doing this. "
Ruben pretended as if he didn't hear him speak, " Now you "
" I am her mother!"
" Oh don't even try. Tell me the truth. " the man snapped. He took it more personally than Amani imagined. She took from that that he was already on to something.