Are You Afraid Of The Dark?, chapter 2
Jane came home a few minutes after Sarah had settled on the sofa. She was crying and her eyeliner had run down her face. "What's up?" Sarah asked.
"He's a fucking bastard! I swear this is the last time I ever, EVER fall in love."
"What did he do?" Jane lifted her face so Sarah could fully see her. There was a gash on her cheek. "Why?"
"Because I... "
"What? You what?"
"I wouldn't go back to his place 'cause I have to be up early for work tomorrow... "
"What time d'you have to be in nowadays?"
"I have to be in at seven, so I get up at half six."
"Ha, just like you used to... "
"What d'you think I've changed? I'm still a lazy cow!" Jane smiled a little and Sarah laughed.
"Well I'm off to bed now, night sis."
"Yeah, night Sarah... " Sarah climbed the stairs up to her room and Jane sat down on the sofa. She took off her black jacket and slung it onto the arm chair. She flicked through the channels of the TV and when nothing was on she got up. It was late. Sarah had been in bed for over an hour. I'll just go and play a few songs on the acoustic downstairs before I go to bed... if I go to bed. Jane opened the basement door gently, clicked on the light and walked down the stairs staring at her feet completely oblivious to everything around her. She walked over to her guitar in the corner, picked it up and sat on her red bean bag. When she finally looked up she saw three faces watching her and gasped. She almost dropped the guitar. How could she have not seen them before? They were sitting against the far wall! But then again, she was a bit out of it... getting hit round the head doesn't leave you in the best state of mind after all. They glared at Jane. Why were they glaring at her? Why were they down here bound and gagged? Jane rushed over and took the gag off of Billie Joe's mouth. He was about to say something when she put her finger to his lips. He frowned.
"Why the hell are you keeping us here?" he whispered angrily.
"Me? I didn't know you were here until... " Jane suddenly remembered. Sarah had suggested she go out with Tom that evening. Sarah had suddenly been interested in all the crime documentaries Jane watched. Especially the ones on kidnapping. "Sarah?"
"Who's Sarah?"
"My sister... we're twins... identical twins... "
"And you knew nothing about this?"
"No! And even if I did I would have done everything to stop her! I've looked up to you guys since I was seventeen - after Dookie came out! Why would I do a thing like this?"
"What about ransom money?"
"I don't need money, I've just been promoted... it's Sarah that needs money, she keeps going on about going to university back home... but she doesn't have the money... "
"Are you serious? You have an identical twin sister who kidnapped us and you somehow stumbled across us? I'm supposed to believe that shit?"
"Well it is my house you know... and I do come down here all the time to play... in case you didn't notice, there are shit loads of instruments around here... Sarah has no musical talent whatsoever, it's obviously not her who plays. So it's not unlikely that I'd stumble across you if you're sitting in my basement. And if you're wondering about my sister?" Jane walked over to the desk where she wrote songs and grabbed a photo of her and her sister on the night of their leaver's ball. Jane was wearing a green strapless dress and Sarah was wearing the same but in red. She showed it to him and he smiled.
"You're in the green dress right? You look pretty."
"Thanks... anyway, I'd love to let you guys go, more than anything in the world but she'd kill me. Literally kill me. She wants to go to university so bad and she's been acting like a maniac lately. Seriously, but I'll think of something to help you, I just need a bit of time. And if there's nothing done by Sunday I'll let you go ok? I swear. I just wanna get you guys out safe, and make sure I'm safe too." Billie Joe sighed and looked into Jane's eyes. "She won't hurt you, I promise. Now you guys promise not to yell? You'll just put us all in danger." Tré and Mike nodded fervently and Jane undid their gags.
"You're gonna keep your promise right? About Sunday." Tré asked.
"Of course. I promised. I never break a promise. Are you thirsty? Hungry?"
"Could we have some water maybe?" Mike asked. His voice was hoarse and he probably hadn't had a drink in hours. Jane smiled and walked over to the sink. She grabbed a few glasses and filled them with water. She put some straws in the glasses so they wouldn't have to hold them (which, with their hands tied behind them was gonna be a bit hard) and held the glasses up to each of them in turn. "Thanks," Mike said gratefully, "thanks a lot."
"It's the least I could do seeing as you're being held hostage in my own house... I dunno how she expected to get away with it. I mean if she lived alone then yeah... but with a sister who goes to the basement all the time? And she expects to get into university? She's just stupid."
"Yeah... pretty damn stupid. But pretty damn scary. Say are we still in California?" Tré asked. Jane shook her head.
"Nowhere near... this is the suburbs of New York."
"New York?" Billie Joe said shocked.
"Yeah, she drove all the way here? What time did you guys get picked up by her?"
"Couple of hours ago... "
"That's impossible... unless, no... what day was it?"
"Tuesday," Tré confirmed. "Well, it's Wednesday now judging by how dark and quiet it is... "
"It's Thursday." Jane said quietly. "She drove all day and all night... she must have left Tuesday morning! Like really early!"
"And you didn't realise she was gone?"
"Well I thought she was with her boyfriend... but obviously not... so you guys only got here a couple of hours ago?"
"Yeah... a couple of hours ago."
"But... they won't even think to look for you in New York! I mean how are they gonna find you?"
"Well it doesn't matter if you're letting us go Sunday." Tré said.
"No, I guess not. She really put a lot of effort into this didn't she?" Jane asked.
"Well the chloroform was a nice touch... much better than gun point or being whacked over the head with a brick... " Mike mused. He seemed to be taking his kidnapping pretty well.
"Well I'm really sorry to have to leave you guys but I have work in the morning and I have to get up in six hours... " Jane yawned and stretched her arms. She stood up from where she'd been crouching down before them and looked at them sadly. She was about to climbed the stairs when she was called back.
"What d'you work as?" Billie Joe asked.
"I work for Rolling Stone, doing interviews and stuff, I'm meant to be interviewing Usher tomorrow... stupid ass cleaning product... "
"What the hell? Cleaning product?"
"Yeah... Usher sounds like the name of a cleaning product... "
"Yeah... it does... well good night then!" Tré said cheerfully. Or as cheerful as you could be when you're tied to a chair in someone's basement.
"Wait, shouldn't you put our gags back on? She'll know otherwise." Billie Joe suggested. Jane smiled sadly and walked back over to them.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"For what?" Billie Joe asked.
"For understanding." She replied before tying the gag back round his mouth. She bit her lip and touched his shoulder before she left. Billie watched her carefully as she turned the light down low enough so they could still see each other. "Night," she whispered and shut the door quietly. Mike and Tré looked at Billie who was still watching the door as if Jane was going to walk right back in. He finally looked at Mike after five minutes of staring at the door who smiled a knowing smile behind his gag. Billie Joe hated that smile. Mike had always seen right through him. He read him like a book.
"He's a fucking bastard! I swear this is the last time I ever, EVER fall in love."
"What did he do?" Jane lifted her face so Sarah could fully see her. There was a gash on her cheek. "Why?"
"Because I... "
"What? You what?"
"I wouldn't go back to his place 'cause I have to be up early for work tomorrow... "
"What time d'you have to be in nowadays?"
"I have to be in at seven, so I get up at half six."
"Ha, just like you used to... "
"What d'you think I've changed? I'm still a lazy cow!" Jane smiled a little and Sarah laughed.
"Well I'm off to bed now, night sis."
"Yeah, night Sarah... " Sarah climbed the stairs up to her room and Jane sat down on the sofa. She took off her black jacket and slung it onto the arm chair. She flicked through the channels of the TV and when nothing was on she got up. It was late. Sarah had been in bed for over an hour. I'll just go and play a few songs on the acoustic downstairs before I go to bed... if I go to bed. Jane opened the basement door gently, clicked on the light and walked down the stairs staring at her feet completely oblivious to everything around her. She walked over to her guitar in the corner, picked it up and sat on her red bean bag. When she finally looked up she saw three faces watching her and gasped. She almost dropped the guitar. How could she have not seen them before? They were sitting against the far wall! But then again, she was a bit out of it... getting hit round the head doesn't leave you in the best state of mind after all. They glared at Jane. Why were they glaring at her? Why were they down here bound and gagged? Jane rushed over and took the gag off of Billie Joe's mouth. He was about to say something when she put her finger to his lips. He frowned.
"Why the hell are you keeping us here?" he whispered angrily.
"Me? I didn't know you were here until... " Jane suddenly remembered. Sarah had suggested she go out with Tom that evening. Sarah had suddenly been interested in all the crime documentaries Jane watched. Especially the ones on kidnapping. "Sarah?"
"Who's Sarah?"
"My sister... we're twins... identical twins... "
"And you knew nothing about this?"
"No! And even if I did I would have done everything to stop her! I've looked up to you guys since I was seventeen - after Dookie came out! Why would I do a thing like this?"
"What about ransom money?"
"I don't need money, I've just been promoted... it's Sarah that needs money, she keeps going on about going to university back home... but she doesn't have the money... "
"Are you serious? You have an identical twin sister who kidnapped us and you somehow stumbled across us? I'm supposed to believe that shit?"
"Well it is my house you know... and I do come down here all the time to play... in case you didn't notice, there are shit loads of instruments around here... Sarah has no musical talent whatsoever, it's obviously not her who plays. So it's not unlikely that I'd stumble across you if you're sitting in my basement. And if you're wondering about my sister?" Jane walked over to the desk where she wrote songs and grabbed a photo of her and her sister on the night of their leaver's ball. Jane was wearing a green strapless dress and Sarah was wearing the same but in red. She showed it to him and he smiled.
"You're in the green dress right? You look pretty."
"Thanks... anyway, I'd love to let you guys go, more than anything in the world but she'd kill me. Literally kill me. She wants to go to university so bad and she's been acting like a maniac lately. Seriously, but I'll think of something to help you, I just need a bit of time. And if there's nothing done by Sunday I'll let you go ok? I swear. I just wanna get you guys out safe, and make sure I'm safe too." Billie Joe sighed and looked into Jane's eyes. "She won't hurt you, I promise. Now you guys promise not to yell? You'll just put us all in danger." Tré and Mike nodded fervently and Jane undid their gags.
"You're gonna keep your promise right? About Sunday." Tré asked.
"Of course. I promised. I never break a promise. Are you thirsty? Hungry?"
"Could we have some water maybe?" Mike asked. His voice was hoarse and he probably hadn't had a drink in hours. Jane smiled and walked over to the sink. She grabbed a few glasses and filled them with water. She put some straws in the glasses so they wouldn't have to hold them (which, with their hands tied behind them was gonna be a bit hard) and held the glasses up to each of them in turn. "Thanks," Mike said gratefully, "thanks a lot."
"It's the least I could do seeing as you're being held hostage in my own house... I dunno how she expected to get away with it. I mean if she lived alone then yeah... but with a sister who goes to the basement all the time? And she expects to get into university? She's just stupid."
"Yeah... pretty damn stupid. But pretty damn scary. Say are we still in California?" Tré asked. Jane shook her head.
"Nowhere near... this is the suburbs of New York."
"New York?" Billie Joe said shocked.
"Yeah, she drove all the way here? What time did you guys get picked up by her?"
"Couple of hours ago... "
"That's impossible... unless, no... what day was it?"
"Tuesday," Tré confirmed. "Well, it's Wednesday now judging by how dark and quiet it is... "
"It's Thursday." Jane said quietly. "She drove all day and all night... she must have left Tuesday morning! Like really early!"
"And you didn't realise she was gone?"
"Well I thought she was with her boyfriend... but obviously not... so you guys only got here a couple of hours ago?"
"Yeah... a couple of hours ago."
"But... they won't even think to look for you in New York! I mean how are they gonna find you?"
"Well it doesn't matter if you're letting us go Sunday." Tré said.
"No, I guess not. She really put a lot of effort into this didn't she?" Jane asked.
"Well the chloroform was a nice touch... much better than gun point or being whacked over the head with a brick... " Mike mused. He seemed to be taking his kidnapping pretty well.
"Well I'm really sorry to have to leave you guys but I have work in the morning and I have to get up in six hours... " Jane yawned and stretched her arms. She stood up from where she'd been crouching down before them and looked at them sadly. She was about to climbed the stairs when she was called back.
"What d'you work as?" Billie Joe asked.
"I work for Rolling Stone, doing interviews and stuff, I'm meant to be interviewing Usher tomorrow... stupid ass cleaning product... "
"What the hell? Cleaning product?"
"Yeah... Usher sounds like the name of a cleaning product... "
"Yeah... it does... well good night then!" Tré said cheerfully. Or as cheerful as you could be when you're tied to a chair in someone's basement.
"Wait, shouldn't you put our gags back on? She'll know otherwise." Billie Joe suggested. Jane smiled sadly and walked back over to them.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"For what?" Billie Joe asked.
"For understanding." She replied before tying the gag back round his mouth. She bit her lip and touched his shoulder before she left. Billie watched her carefully as she turned the light down low enough so they could still see each other. "Night," she whispered and shut the door quietly. Mike and Tré looked at Billie who was still watching the door as if Jane was going to walk right back in. He finally looked at Mike after five minutes of staring at the door who smiled a knowing smile behind his gag. Billie Joe hated that smile. Mike had always seen right through him. He read him like a book.
