A power failure would not be a big deal for most people but for Helen it was a major ordeal. Since the age of ten she had been profoundly afraid of being in the dark, even for a minute. Thunderstorms terrified Helen even now as a thirty-three year old businesswoman. She went toe to toe with some of the most powerful men in the world on a daily basis so you would think something as natural as a lightening storm would not affect her. Helen spun a pen between her index finger and thumb trying to get her mind off the storm raging outside her office window. It was a time like this she wished her’s was not a corner office. Anyone else might be amazed at the lights show flashing in front of him or her but for Helen it was a nightmare.
Conceding she was not going to finish the proposal that night Helen began packing her briefcase. When the light flickered then died she froze in mid motion. Her first instinct was to panic but she forced herself to stay calm. After a few minutes Helen realized the lights were not going to come back on soon. She reasoned a fuse had probably blown and would need to be replaced. Helen carefully placed her case on the floor then fumbled back to her office chair. Staring into the inky blackness in front of her Helen fought to control her breathing. Her heart beat rapidly against her chest and a thin film of sweat broke out on Helen’s forehead. With a shaking hand she reached to wipe her brow.
As the minutes ticked by Helen found it increasingly harder to stay calm. Her mind drifted back to the cellar ten years ago. She could see the door opening and even before the light hit him Helen knew it was her father coming to rescue her. She didn’t know it then but a high price had been paid for her life. As time passed her father never let her forget. She had been playing in the yard at a friend’s house when a green car pulled to the curb. A man leaned out the window and yelled to Helen. He acted as if he were lost. Pointing to the map spread on his lap he asked Helen how to get from where they were to the street he was pointing to. When she leaned in to get a better look at what he was pointing to he grabbed her and pulled her in the window. Before she could react the car sped away. The man held her tightly on his lap as they raced along the road. A cloth was pressed to her face and a sickening sweet odor filled her nostrils. As the blackness began to take her under Helen felt herself being tossed into the back seat.
When she awoke Helen tried to sit up. All around her was blackness. The smell of earth met her nostrils. Strong cords bound her wrists and ankles. She still felt groggy from the drugs she was given in the car. Where was she? She tested the cord holding her wrist and found them to be secure. The bonds around her ankles were the same. It would take a miracle for Helen to get them off. Scooting around she explored her dark prison. The walls surrounding her were made of rough wood. Helen yelped when she bumped her head on a hard shelf. She lay on the dirt floor and tried to think of a way out. Light flooded in as a door at the top of a long stairway opened. The man who had pulled her in the car window stomped down the steps and stood over Helen. She closed her eyes trying to pretend she was sleeping. He approached the spot she lay and solidly kicked her in the ribs. Tears sprung her eyes but she fought the urge to cry out. When he as convinced she really was still knocked out he left her alone. As the door closed the light faded away. When she was sure she was alone again Helen allowed the tears the flow. A small puddle formed below her face.
The next morning another man came down the steps into the dark cellar. Helen tried to pretend she was still sleeping but he picked her up by the shoulders and shook her roughly. He drew his hand back to slap her face and Helen opened her eyes. “You need to eat something Princess.” He sneered thrusting a stale cracker to her mouth. Helen opened her mouth to prevent her lip from getting busted. He was going to force the food down her throat either way. When the crackers were gone he dropped her callously back to the hard floor. Pain shot through her ribs where the boot had made contact the day before. She yelped but he did not even notice. Helen heard the door shut above her and knew he was gone. She fell into a restless sleep.
Helen felt herself being lifted and placed into the back seat of a car. She struggled and tried to scream but her bonds held tight and tape covered her mouth. Muffled shrieks were the only sound she was able to make. The two men drove to a park. In a secluded area they dropped Helen on to a bench. One of them took handcuffs and secured her to the bench. Without a word they walked away.
On the other side of the park a man waited anxiously shifting the suitcase in his hand. Glancing at his watch he found it was five minutes later than the last time he had checked. The exchange was supposed to take place at five thirty. It was that now. From a distance he saw a man wearing a long coat and large hat approaching from the trees. The hairs stood up on his arms. The man led him to a secluded spot before he began speaking. “Set the suitcase down and walk away quickly. Don’t look back or your daughter is dead.” Kevin started to protest but realizing Helen’s life might depend on him he did as he was told. Further down the path he met another man dressed in much the same way. “Your daughter in handcuffed to a bench on the other side of the park.” He said before disappearing into the bushes. His heart pounded and his heart raced as he tore across the grass. The man had not specified exactly where Helen was so Kevin began a search of every bench in the park. When he spotted her shackled to a bench in a secluded spot. Her head was tossed back and Kevin thought at first she was dead. As he got closer Kevin could see her chest rising and falling with each breath. “At least my money won’t be wasted.” He said as he approached the unconscious child. It had always been a guilty pleasure of his but Helen was not his favorite. Her sister Holly was the apple of his eye. When the girls were three he had taken to her and they shared a bond, which was close even today. Helen was quiet and reserved and Holly was outgoing and talkative. If someone didn’t know they would not even be able to tell Helen and Holly were twins.
Kneeling in front of her Kevin traced the chain on the handcuffs from her wrist to the rung on the bench. She started to stir as he was preparing to break the chain. Gritting his teeth Kevin forced his voice to take on a kinder tone than what he felt. “It’s okay. You’re safe now. I am going to have you free in a few minutes.” He said gently. Helen smiled up at him before falling back asleep. Working quickly Kevin broke the chain on the cuff then lifted his daughter into his arms. She jerked away when he wrapped his arms around her ribs. Regretfully he felt the broken ribs even though her shirt. Gingerly he carried her to the car and placed her on the back seat before getting in behind the wheel. “I’m hungry.” She said weakly. “I’m going to take you to the hospital so they can make sure you are okay.” He said glancing into the rearview mirror. He started the car and drove quickly to the hospital.
“Helen is in remarkable shape considering everything she has gone through. She is a little dehydrated and has four broken ribs, which are going to take a while to heal, but otherwise she is okay. We are going to keep her overnight to watch her. When she is in a room the nurse will come get you so you can see her.” The doctor told the worried parents. Kevin had called his wife Heather as soon as they had arrived at the hospital. After leaving Holly at a friend’s house she had rushed to be at her daughter’s side.
Hours later the anxious parents were led to a stark white room. Helen lay in the middle of the bed her eyes closed and breathing deathly shallow. Her mother rushed to the bed and began stroking her daughter’s forehead. Helen’s eyes fluttered opened and she fought to bring the face floating above her. When she was finally able to focus Helen was relieved to see her mother at her side. Her mother’s support had never wavered through out her childhood. From that night her father started a steady drift and her already unstable relationship had deteriorated. They seldom spoke now.
Helen was released from the hospital a few days later. There was an immediate change in the way her father treated her. Helen felt like she had done something wrong by surviving the kidnapping. The man who carried out the plan was captured when he tried to use the ransom money but Helen was the prisoner. When she returned home it was soon discovered her time in the darkness had a profound effect on her. When someone tried to turn lights off she would go into a panic. After several disturbing episodes her family had learned this was not an act, as her father so often implied.
