Chapter 1: Caged

Caged
My whole body was shaking and I couldn’t control my breathing much longer. Panic was taking over as the footsteps came closer. The small pantry in the kitchen was not big enough for me but somehow I managed to squeeze in. The footsteps stopped right in front of the door and I froze solid. Everything that ever mattered to me did not matter at all now. The door handle turned and I cupped my hand over my mouth but as the door slowly creaked open I screamed at the top of my lungs. Not even knowing who was behind the door I started fighting with all I had.
“Paige! Paige! Wake up, sweetie. Open your eyes, it’s alright.” The sound of my dad’s voice snapped me out of my trance. I got out of the pantry and hugged him hard.
“I don’t know what we are going to do with you. I figured the whole sleepwalking phase would have been over with when you were younger.” I squeezed him tighter.
“I’m sorry Daddy. I’m sorry.” I said through my tears.
“It’s fine sweetie, let’s get you back to bed.”
The next day was rough I could barely stay awake in class and my eyelids seemed so heavy. After the last bell rang for the end of the day I decided to skip the bus and walk home, a decision I would soon regret, but it was only a mile and a half and I needed some fresh air. My thoughts and feelings were all mixed up and I was to the point where I couldn’t tell real life from my crazy imagination.
I turned left when I passed the school and was headed down the shortcut through the woods that cut right into the street next to mine. It was a perfect day seventy degrees with a slight breeze. I threw my head up towards the sky and took a deep breath to fill my lungs with the sweet smell of fall weather. I tilted my head back down to where I was facing the narrow wooded path and for some reason the trail looked much longer than usual.
I started walking and was taking my time, stopping every now and then to pick a flower or kick a rock. One flower in particular caught my eye, it was one I had never seen before. It was purple with a yellow center and I had to have it. I bent down to pick it from the ground when I heard the sound of leaves crunching from behind be. I spun around fast dropping all the other flowers in my hand but there was nothing.
“It was just a squirrel” I whispered to myself, trying to be as convincing as possible. I scooped up the flowers I had dropped, picked the purple one and started back on the path.
A couple feet after walking the hair on the back of my neck stood up, and my palms turned sweaty. I stood still not moving or even taking a breath. I could hear someone else breathing though. I slowly turned around and standing by the tree was a man in black sweatpants and a hoodie. I turned and ran faster than I thought possible but he caught up to me in no time and jumped on me. We rolled around in the leaves next to the path.
“Get off of me! Stop! Stop!” I screamed. Fighting with all I had I wiggled myself out from underneath him. I thought for sure I was going to be able to escape. I was on my hands and knees about to sprint away but his cold hand grabbed my ankle and jerked so hard I couldn’t catch myself and my head hit the hard dirt. My vision went black.
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I opened my eyes and everything was a little blurry. Blinking a few times cleared up my vision and I could see metal of some kind. I sat straight up and my head hit the metal bars after looking on all sides of me I realized I was in a cage. I could see the padlock on the door and my heart dropped to my stomach. This was a dog cage. Why am I being caged? What did I do? My breaths became shorter and faster and I let out a high pitched scream. I have never been so scared in my life. There was not much light in the place I was at but I could see a bit of daylight peaking through the small windows at the top of the walls. There were footsteps getting louder on the floor above me and the door to the room was in squeaked open and I scrambled to the back of the small cage, the moment I saw the man in all black coming down the stairs. 
“Good, you’re awake. Do you want something to eat?” His voice was nice and calm but my heart was beating so fast and I couldn’t get any words to leave my mouth.
“Let me out please. I just want to go home.” The words came out so shaky and I was hoping he understood me. He was facing away from me and I could only see the back of him.
“You can go home whenever you like.” His voice was cold this time and it gave me shivers.
“Now! I want to go home now!” By this time I was crying and I couldn’t stop it. Fear and anger all took over at once. The man started messing with something on the workbench in front of him and I froze. Surely if he was going to hurt me he would have done it by now right? He turned around and I saw something in his hand. His eyes were glazed over and his black hood covered most of his forehead. He slowly walked toward me and pushed the long object through the small openings in the cage. The stick touched my arm and everything locked up. The worst pain imaginable fired through my body and it seemed to go on forever. I felt like I was burning from the inside out.
The pain stopped and I was out of breath. I wanted to puke but there was nothing in my stomach so that wasn’t going to happen. I looked up to see him but he had already made his way up the stairs and I saw the door close.
This torture went on for days on end and several times a day. No food, only water, and he gave to me three times a day. I was physically exhausted and I wanted to go home. I prayed everyday that my parents were looking for me and that they would find me soon but no luck was to come.
On the fifth day he came down the stairs I already knew what was coming but I was too tired to even try and fight it. He stuck the stick back in the cage like he had done several times before and once again my body locked up, everything tensed and I couldn’t hold on this time. I passed out and all my muscles released.
When I woke back up bright lights were over me. I no longer saw the cage. Was I free? I tried moving but realized I was strapped to a bed by my wrists and ankles.
“Doctor did it work this time?” The sound of my dads voice brought tears to my eyes.
“Daddy?” I asked lightly.
“Yes Paige, I’m here.”
“Dad, where did you find me? Did you catch the bad man?” He looked at the doctor and back at me.
“Sweetie, there was no bad man. You’ve been sleeping this whole time.” His words gave me a numb feeling. I know there was a bad man. He made my life hell for three days.
“Dad he kept electrocuting me” I could not hold my tears any longer.
“She must have associated the shock therapy with whatever dream she was having.” the doctor said looking more than a little confused.
“Paige we have admitted you to the mental hospital just until you can learn to control your dreams and nightmares. You will be receiving shock therapy to help you with recovery.” I started panicking my heart started beating faster and faster and once again I lost consciousness.
I woke up and saw the wire around me I was caged again and all I could do was scream even though I knew I was alone in my made up world.