Change My Ways

Brian’s POV I feel so bad for ignoring Elody, but I just can’t deal with this shit right now. I need to focus on the band, and our tour. We only have one week left, and I’m trying to make it through the best I can. As soon as we get back, I’m going to take her out to dinner, so we can sit down, and talk about everything. Hopefully she’s still talking to me, then. Though we haven’t been talking, she still calls and talks to the other guys to see how we’re doing, and where we are at on the road. It’s been several days, that I know of, since any of them have talked to her, which seems unusual to me. She usually calls about every other day. My phone rings, and I look down at it. I don’t recognize the number, but I decide to answer it anyway. “Hello?” All I can hear on the other end is faint screaming. I quickly hang up the phone. What the fuck was that? I just stare at the phone in my hands, trying to process what just happened. “Are you alright?” Zacky asks. “Some unknown number just called, but no one answered when I said hello, I could only hear someone screaming in the background.” “What the fuck?” Johnny asks. “Maybe you’re being punk’d.” Jimmy suggest, and we all can’t help but laugh. “That show isn’t even on anymore, Jimmy.” Matt laughs. “But nice try.” My phone starts to ring again. The screen says “Unknown.” I decide, against my better judgment, to pick up the call again. “Hello?” I answer. Again, I only hear faint screaming in the background. This time, though, it seems to be getting closer. I put the phone on speaker, so the guys can hear what I’m listening to. “Hello!” I yell into the phone. Suddenly, the screaming stops. “No! No! Please don’t bring him into this!” I hear a familiar voice yelling. “Elody?” My hands are starting to shake. “Brian!” There’s a sudden snapping sound, and she screams out in pain. The phone call ends. “No!” I yell, trying to call the number back, but it’s no use, it doesn’t go through. I hold the phone up, ready to throw it against the wall, but Matt grabs my hand, before I can, and takes the phone. “What are you thinking? If you break this phone, they won’t be able to call you back.” He says, sitting the phone down on the arm of the chair he’s sitting in. “Do you think…” I start to say, but the phone begins to ring again. Matt answers it, but doesn’t say anything. “I will kill you if you hurt any of them!” We can hear Elody yelling again. Another snapping sound, another painful scream. “You won’t do anything, Elody. You’re pitiful.” A male voice speaks. Another snapping sound, but no scream this time. “I know what you want.” She says. “And what’s that?” He asks. “You want me to scream. You want them to hear me in pain.” The guy laughs. “You always thought you knew everything. Let me tell you something, sweetheart… you know nothing about me. You don’t know what I want in the slightest.” “Then what do you want?!” She yells. “I want you to stop YELLING!” Another snapping sound. “And… I want you.” “No.” “No?” “You can’t have me.” “I can have whatever I want.” “Not me.” “Is that so?” “You can’t have me. I’m not yours. I’m not an object for the taking.” “I’ve already had you. It was marvelous.” “You make me sick.” “You weren’t complaining.” “How could I? I blacked out.” “I have that effect on some people.” “What is wrong with you?” “I think you want some more.” “I think not. Get away from me, you sick bastard.” “When are you going to learn that you have no control over me?” “Let me go, please… Please!” “You know I like it when you beg, it only turns me on more…” We can hear Elody sobbing in the background. “Please…” She sobs. “Please… no…” “Does your boyfriend touch you like this?” “I don’t want this.” Another snapping sound is heard. “Answer me.” “We aren’t dating.” “Oh? I thought for sure you were. You don’t have to be dating to touch eachother, though. I bet you guys have done lots of things, haven’t you?” “No.” “Talk so I can hear you!” “I said no!” “Really? I find that hard to believe. He’s never touched you?” “Never.” “What about the others?” “Are you kidding?” “I’m not.” “If I felt like laughing, I would. I’m not like that.” “You slept with your boss for many years, you slut, and he was married. How do you expect me to believe that you aren’t sleeping with any of those guys?” “Believe whatever you want.” “So none of them have…” “No!” “Yell at me again, and I’ll be forced to use this on you.” “What the fuck is that?” I realize that none of us have spoken this whole time, we’ve been listening to their conversation. Suddenly, the phone switches to Facetime. The camera shows Elody hanging by chains from a ceiling somewhere. She’s completely naked, and exposed. I feel so bad for her. I take the phone from Matt. “I really don’t want you guys to see her like this.” I walk over to the other side of the bus, and watch the screen. Another person appears in the screen. It must be the guy who’s been talking this whole time. He’s dressed in all black, his face covered, so I can’t tell who he is. “It’s called a cattle prod.” “Oh… no. Please no!” “Be good, and I won’t use it.” Elody nods her head. The guy puts the cattle prod on the ground, and walks closer to her. He runs a hand down her stomach, as she tries to move away. He uses the other hand to grab her, and keep her steady. “Do you think your friend likes seeing you like this?” He asks her. “What?” “You heard me.” “Brian?” She looks around the room, as if I’m there. I wish I was. I would kill these mother fuckers. “I’m here.” I say in the phone, watching, as she spots the camera. “I’m so sorry… “ “Brian…” She starts to sob again. “I promise I’ll find you, Elody. I swear to you, I will do everything I can to save you.” “Shut up.” The guy looks at the camera, and says to me. “Or, I’ll kill her.” “Don’t. Please.” I say. “Then keep your mouth shut.” He says. He proceeds to touch her again. He caresses her chest, and runs a hand up her thigh. “I bet you love to watch.” He says to me. He reaches down, and undoes his pants. Elody struggles, but he manages to wrap her legs around him. He smashes into her with great force, and she screams. The screen goes blank, as the call ends. “We have to find her. I don’t give one shit about the rest of this tour. We have to save her.” I say to the guys, who are staring at me. “We’ll cancel the rest of the tour.” Matt agrees.

Notes