## The Christmas War

Post by bzzart » Wed Dec 14, 2011 9:49 pm

I smiled, looking at the old school that would be our home until after Christmas. All to ourselves! No parents, no adult supervision, just us girls, having fun. Just what we needed over the holidays.
Me and my girl scout troop would be staying at an old school over the winter holidays, alone. It would be great! There was enough food, and adults were only a phone call away. Though I was sure it wasnâ€™t necessary. Jade, our Girl Scout ambassador, was 16 years old and fully capable of leading us and was extremely responsible.
Besides, all we would do was have fun and work on requirements. It was like an infinite sleepover.
It was an elementary school, which I had no problem with. The school was green, and from an aerial view looked like a big X. It was one floor, and had four individual hallways, all which were pretty long. It had a library with various books, a computer room, and a recess area complete with a field. In a separate building they had gym. Classrooms were on every hall, each different and fitted to the teacherâ€™s preference.
We had set up our stuff in a fairly spaced-out classroom, and were getting comfortable. I chatted with my best friend, Thorn. Thorn was a little bit shorter than me, and had bushy brown hair that always seemed tangled.
â€œThis is so exciting!â€ She said happily.
â€œExciting?â€ I asked skeptically as I put on my Girl Scout vest. â€œWe havenâ€™t done anything yet.â€
â€œI know!â€ She agreed. â€œBut being alone here is awesome! I mean, weâ€™re only looking out for ourselves, weâ€™re on our own!â€
â€œNot really. Weâ€™re in a city.â€
â€œBetter than nothing.â€
I watched Julie, the smallest and second youngest of our troops take out her sleeping bag. Asian, and small even for an eleven year old. She was only four feet tall, a good two inches shorter than Tara, our youngest, at ten years.
Our troop had eight girls, ranging from ten to sixteen years. Ours wasnâ€™t really a small troop, but a lot of girls didnâ€™t want to spend their holidays in an abandoned school.
We went out and started to explore the school. It felt weird, being in a practically deserted place. We had keys to all the classrooms and other rooms, like the library. We explored outside as well. The field was spacy, and I liked the swings. The gym room however, was locked, and none of our keys could open it. I briefly wondered why they would want to lock us out of there. There were bound to be interesting stuff in there.
We went outside and played some games. You would be surprised how good Thorn was at soccer, she was athletic and skilled enough to beat most of the boys. I however, wasnâ€™t so great and got whupped by Thornâ€™s team.
After an hour or two where it looked like my team had no chance of winning at 4-18, it got too dark to see and we went back inside.
Fortunately, we were able to fix ourselves some dinner, as there was a microwave in the cafeteria that worked pretty well. After some nice spaghetti we decided to go to sleep.
â€œThat was fun!â€ Thorn whispered to me.
I smiled a little bit. â€œYeah, it was. Your team was too good.â€
Thorn laughed. â€œDonâ€™t be a poor sport.â€
â€œMe?â€ I said in mock-surprise. â€œNever!â€
â€œGo to sleep!â€ Someone said.
â€œSorry.â€
Last edited by bzzart on Sun Jan 08, 2012 12:38 am, edited 2 times in total.
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### Re: The Christmas War

Post by bzzart » Thu Dec 15, 2011 9:37 pm

â€œWake up! WAKE UP!â€
I could feel someone shaking me. Hard. Thorn, no doubt.
â€œSheesh,â€ I mumbled. â€œWhat is it?â€
â€œJulieâ€™s gone!â€ Thorn practically yelled.
My eyes shot open. â€œWhat!?â€
â€œYou didnâ€™t hear me! Iâ€™ll say it slowly: Julie-is-â€œ
I rolled my eyes, completely awake now. â€œI said â€˜whatâ€™ in surprise. I heard you.â€
â€œOh.â€
I looked around. Sure enough, Julieâ€™s sleeping bag was laid open and the rest of the girls had worried expressions on their faces. Where could she have gone? Julie was always abiding the rules, and she would have surely told Tara, her closest friend here.
I threw open my covers. â€œWhere is she?â€ I asked Jade.
â€œWell,â€ Jade said hesitantly. â€œRight now, I donâ€™t really know. None of us do. But weâ€™ll find her. Maybe she got something to eat.â€
â€œYeah right,â€ I replied. â€œWe got a bunch of food right here.â€
â€œWe have to focus on finding her, not why she left.â€
Jade was right about that. Julie left no obvious hints on where she went, so we would have to search everywhere. We split up in groups of two. I was with Thorn. We went down one of the long hallways and looked in each classroom.
â€œWhere could she have gone?â€ I said aloud.
â€œIsnâ€™t that like your first question?â€ Asked Thorn.
â€œShut up.â€
We looked through a classroom. This one was nice, it had a bunch of small Christmas lights. I wanted to explore more when suddenly I heard a â€œWE FOUND HER!â€ coming from our left.
Together, me and Thorn bolted into that direction. Tara and Tammy, a Hawaiian girl with shoulder length raven-hair and was struggling to open a locked door.
â€œShe locked herself in a classroom?â€ Thorn said, confused.
â€œUhh, I donâ€™t think she did it herself,â€ Tammy replied, stepping aside to let me see through the small window in the door. Julie lay in there, but she was bound hand and foot with white rope. It coiled around her knees and ankles, and when she struggled I could see her elbows and wrists were likewise restricted. A piece of tape silenced her cries for help. A bandanna hung from her neck, and I could tell it was forced off.
Thorn backed up. â€œIâ€™m gonna ram the door.â€
Immediately I dashed in front of the door to block her. â€œWait! Wait, wait, wait! That is not the solution! We are not busting down doors! We need a key!â€
â€œJade has the keys,â€ Tara pitched in.
â€œYeah,â€ I agreed. â€œWe need to find Jade and get the key. Satisfied?â€
â€œIâ€™ll get her,â€ Thorn said instantly.
â€œMe too,â€ Tara added.
â€œIâ€™m fastest.â€
â€œSheâ€™s my friend!â€
I rolled my eyes and dashed out to find Jade.
â€œJade!â€ I yelled. â€œJade? Jade! JADE!â€
I saw Jade running toward me. â€œDid you find her?â€ She asked.
â€œYeah,â€ I answered. â€œBut we still have problems. Do you have the keys?â€
â€œYep.â€
I led her to the door. Jade let out a small gasp before jamming random keys into the door until one of them unlocked it. We bustled in to help our friend.
The room was a spacious room with no desks, only four tables. Probably for lower grades. The walls were yellow and picture books lined two walls. A desk sat in the corner.
Thorn reached her first and started working on her ankles. I went behind and started loosening the knots on her wrists. Jade peeled off the gag.
Julie spat out some cloth. â€œThank you! Iâ€™ve been here for hours!â€
â€œHours?â€ Jade asked. â€œHow long were you here? And how did you get here?â€
â€œIâ€™ve been here at least an hour and a half before sunrise,â€ Julie replied. We had loosened the tight knots, so she stood up and rubbed her wrists. â€œI woke up with a hand to my mouth and blindfolded. They dragged me out of the room and told me they were just having some fun. They tied me up and carried me to this classroom and locked the door. They told me that they were only having fun, and that they meant no harm. The knots were really tight and all I could do was get off the blindfold.â€
â€œWho were they?â€ Asked Tammy. â€œHow many?â€
â€œAt least five,â€ She replied. â€œFast enough that they tied me up in less than two minutes. I couldnâ€™t see them through the blindfold.â€
Jade thought for a moment. â€œTara, Tammy, Thorn, gather up all of us. We need to talk.â€
Yeah, most of you can tell where this is going.
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### Re: The Christmas War

Post by xtc » Fri Dec 16, 2011 1:53 am

No. Surpirse us!
Boxer shorts are cool,
but little speedos rule!
More by the same author: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=22729

### Re: The Christmas War

Post by bzzart » Fri Dec 16, 2011 11:20 pm

We all sat in a circle. I looked at all of us. There were eight of us. Tara was sitting next to Julie, almost protectively. I kind of found this ironic since Julie was older, yet smaller. Most of us looked nervous or worried. Helen was biting her nails.
â€œAs you guys know,â€ Jade began. â€œJulie just got sort-of kidnapped and was tied up by some unknown people. Should we call the police?â€
Tammy nodded. â€œI think we should. There HAS to be a law against it. There is no way it came be legal to tie someone up and gag them. Itâ€™s just not right.â€
Thorn shook her head. She seemed the least concerned out of all of us. â€œNo, why should we have the authorities mixed up in this? This was personal, we should get some payback. They got us, letâ€™s get them back.â€
Jade sighed. â€œAt the very least, we should at least call our parents.â€
Thorn huffed. â€œThat would be the same thing as calling 911! They would just do it for us!â€
â€œThey said they were doing it just for fun, and they didnâ€™t hurt me,â€ Julie said quietly.
â€œNot helping!â€ Jade said.
â€œSorry.â€
I crossed my arms. â€œThe thing is, they actually havenâ€™t harmed us in any way. Maybe they do really think this is fun. But I agree that we canâ€™t let this slide. We canâ€™t just sit around and do nothing.â€
â€œWhy not?â€ Tammy said. â€œThey only did it at night. Letâ€™s just lock the doors and let them try. Itâ€™s obvious that they donâ€™t want us to know who we are.â€
â€œYeah, I donâ€™t want us to just leave,â€ Eliza piped up. A girl with fiery red hair and twelve years old, she sometimes spoke up, and seemed one of the less worried girls. â€œWe came here to have fun right? Thatâ€™s what I intend to do?â€
â€œWe canâ€™t ignore this,â€ Jade urged. But I could see more people were deciding to let it pass, to just lock these outsiders out of our rooms.
â€œLetâ€™s take a vote,â€ Thorn suggested. It turned out five to three, Jade and me losing to the majority.
As we got up to do our normal thing I glared at Thorn.
â€œWe canâ€™t stay here!â€ I complained. â€œIt could be dangerous!â€
â€œNothing dangerous has happened yet,â€ Thorn said calmly. â€œBesides, they said they werenâ€™t going to hurt us.â€
â€œYou call being tied up and gagged not dangerous! And how in the world can you trust that theyâ€™re not going to hurt us!â€
â€œThey wonâ€™t. I doubt they want to go to jail, right? Weâ€™ll be fine if we keep our eyes peeled.â€
â€œNot if theyâ€™re blindfolded.â€
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### Re: The Christmas War

Post by bzzart » Fri Dec 16, 2011 11:26 pm

Oh yeah, and for those of you who are wondering what the main character's name is, its Matty, if I didn't mention it before. But later on the point of view changes anyways, but still.
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### Re: The Christmas War

Post by bzzart » Sat Dec 17, 2011 12:10 am

But Thorn was right. Nothing happened. We watched out for ourselves the rest of the day, being careful with our activities. We locked the doors at night and had an uneventful night. I could tell everyone was still excited about it, as whispers were always through the air. Julie was being asked to recall her story multiple times, each time gasps and questions echoed through the air.
It was as if they had struck and withdrew. I could tell Jade was worried, still thinking that we should get out of here. I still agreed, but I was starting to be more relaxed. Call it letting my guard down, but if they werenâ€™t going to do it, there wasnâ€™t anything to fear, right?
We were spending our third day here playing hide-and-seek. I used to think hide-and-seek was a kidâ€™s game, but actually playing it with a lot of people was tons more fun. It was thrilling to hear a looker run past you. The way we played it was when someone got found, they became a looker, making it harder for the rest of the hiders. Of course, the hiders wouldnâ€™t be there without good hiding places.
I was currently hidden behind some tri-fold cardboard displays that were used for science projects. Apparently, Mr. Smithers fourth grade class was having a science fair. Good for me.
I had been waiting five minutes. Lately, my hiding places were found fairly quickly. The past four games I had not made it into the final four still hidden. But I hoped that his hiding place was better than the others. I had not started as a looker because the last person found became the next looker.
I waited, becoming bored. It was kind of dark, and every few minutes I would hear someone walk past and I would hold my breath in anticipation. I think I daydreamed a little bit, and thought about Julie. She actually seemed pretty okay with it, not wanting us to leave because of her. I thought she was being too nice, not wanting to ruin our trip.
Wait, what was that? I could hear a soft trickle of conversation. I listened closely and tried not to breathe too loudly. It sounded like guys, the voices were deeper and they were louder.
I scurried out of my hiding place. I had to get a closer look on these guys.
They were walking out of the hallway. I had to choke back a small gasp.
There were two boys, one had dark skin, and was tall. Another had sort-of spiked up blond hair and was a little younger and shorter, but both were a year or two older than me. My friend Helen, a girl of 15 and with her blond hair always in two braids, was being carried over the shoulders of the taller one. Eliza was being carried by the other.
Eliza had green ribbon all around her. Her knees, thighs, and ankles were bound tightly with it, and the ribbon wound unevenly, crisscrossing in random places so only about half of her jeans were showing. Above and below her breasts ribbon tightly pinned her arms, which I could see was also tied behind her back. Wide ribbon blindfolded her, and I could see another was thrust between her teeth and tied behind the back of her head, pulling at her cheeks Helen was likewise bound but with red ribbons.
What could I do? If I got out in the open they would surely catch me. I could see they were also carrying the respective ribbons that bound Eliza and Helen. All they would need to do was drop them and tie me up too. I would have to go back and tell Jade.
â€œMmph, mm,â€ Eliza complained.
â€œShut up,â€ Spikey-hair said.
â€œHey, donâ€™t be rough,â€ the other one warned. â€œWe donâ€™t mean any harm. This is just like a, ummâ€¦.â€
â€œItâ€™s kind of like sport,â€ Spikey hair said.
â€œSort of. All for the fun.â€
Helen and Eliza made muffled complaints and struggled to free themselves from the ribbons. But no luck, for it seemed tight and secure without any room to wiggle free.
I continued to follow them, always behind something to cover me. I had to wait until they walked all the way across the hallway and turned right. I hurried after them as quickly and quietly as I could. I was so nervous my foot slipped and I almost shrieked. I flew my hand to the wall with a semi-loud THUD.
I heard them stop. My eyes flew around me. Some lockers to my right, and some childrenâ€™s pictures to my left, which I had currently slammed into. I backed up.
â€œYou hear that?â€ I heard the taller guyâ€™s voice say.
â€œDuh, you think it was someone?â€
â€œNo harm in checking it out.â€
I ducked into a classroom, scrambling. Where to hide, where to hide? There! The teacherâ€™s desk was littered with papers under it, better to hide me more. I almost was sure they wouldnâ€™t check so thoroughly.
â€œHey, Tanner, I think it came from here,â€ I heard the tall guy say.
â€œYou sure?â€ Tanner asked.
â€œNot really. Maybe it was nothing.â€ I heard them enter the classroom.
â€œNothing is here dimwit.â€
â€œIâ€™m in charge Tanner, donâ€™t get cocky. It was worth checking out.â€
â€œNo, it wasnâ€™t. There is nothing here. Letâ€™s go, weâ€™re wasting time.â€
â€œWhatever, donâ€™t give me orders.â€
I started hearing them walk away. I got up after I couldnâ€™t hear them for two minutes. I was about to get up when I heard someone whispering.
â€œHey! Over here!â€ It was Tammy! She was cleverly concealed inside a closet behind some extra desks and tables. She mustâ€™ve been hiding here for hide-and-seek.
â€œTammy! We have to find Jade!â€ I said.
â€œJadeâ€™s not the only one in charge,â€ Tammy said. â€œLetâ€™s go follow them ourselves.â€
â€œWhat?â€ I exclaimed.
â€œYou have to learn to take action,â€ Tammy said. â€œWe canâ€™t rely on Jade for everything. Letâ€™s do it ourselves.â€
I grit my teeth. â€œFine. But weâ€™re going to find her later, deal?â€
â€œDeal. Letâ€™s go.â€
We hurried out to find them. From what I saw, they were heading right after their recent turn. We started there, running as fast and quietly as we could, in case there were more of them hiding in ambush or something. I had no interest in getting tied up like Eliza or Helen. I wished the rest of my troop shared my caution.
Finally, we saw them opening a door outside. They had apparently left their captives, because both were empty-handed.
â€œLetâ€™s follow them,â€ Tammy said. â€œWe might be able to find out where they stay.â€
â€œNo!â€ I protested. â€œWe need to find Eliza and Helen first.â€
â€œIâ€™ll go after them, you find Eliza and Helen,â€ She suggested. â€œOkay, Iâ€™m off.â€ She gave me a small salute and started running quietly toward them.
â€œWait! We need to stick together!â€ I half-whispered, but she wasnâ€™t listening, and before I knew it she had opened the door and gone off. Great.
I checked each classroom to find them. First one, nope. Second one, no. Third one, no tied girls. Finally, on the fourth one, I saw them. Thankfully, the door wasnâ€™t locked.
Both of them had their arms and leg bindings also tied with ribbons to desk legs on opposites corners of the room.
My eyes darted around the room. I would have to free them as fast as possible to catch up with Tammy. Scissors! Just what I was looking for. I dashed to the side of the room where a bucket of blue scissors were. I took the biggest and went to Helen who was closest.
â€œMm?! Mmph mm!!â€ She mumbled in surprise. I tore off her blindfold and I swear she tried to smile past the gag. I worked the scissors through the ribbons, which there were quite a few layers of each binding. I was almost sad to cut it, as it really was beautiful ribbon. She was free in less than five minutes.
Helen ripped off her gag and spit out a cloth and hugged me. â€œThank you!â€ She exclaimed. â€œHow did you find us so fast?â€
â€œQuestions later, free Eliza now,â€ I replied. Quickly, we started cutting through the ribbons restricting Eliza. With Helenâ€™s help we got through in half the time. She was free in no time.
â€œThank you!â€ She said happily. â€œBut Iâ€™m not going to hug you!â€ She said with a sly smile.
â€œNot much time for talking,â€ I said. â€œTammy is spying on those guys that got you.â€
â€œThen letâ€™s find her.â€
This is where I'm supposed to put a signature. Hooray.

### Re: The Christmas War

Post by bzzart » Sat Dec 17, 2011 12:21 pm

We searched in her direction but she was nowhere. I was starting to fear the worst had happened. We checked outside and called her name, but she didnâ€™t respond. I knew this would happen! Why couldnâ€™t anyone listen to me?
â€œIf what you think is right,â€ Eliza said slowly, â€œthen weâ€™re being captured a lot.â€
â€œNo kidding,â€ agreed Helen, â€œmaybe Thornâ€™s right. Maybe we should give them some payback.â€
â€œJust because they did something doesnâ€™t mean we have to do it back,â€ I protested. â€œTheyâ€™re just boys. We can negotiate.â€
â€œThey think this is FUN,â€ Eliza said. â€œWe should show them that we arenâ€™t going to just sit around and take it.â€
â€œI was afraid you would say something like that,â€ I muttered. I spotted the rest of the girls. Jade, Thorn, Tara, and Julie were all there waiting for us. We were in the recess area by the swings, the clouds blotted through the sky with a dull overcast.
â€œWhat took you guys so long?â€ Asked Tara.
I quickly explained the situation. Jade bit her lip. Julieâ€™s eyes widened. Tara scowled. Thorn just looked angry.
â€œWell?â€ Thorn asked. â€œAre we going to take this? Letâ€™s do something! They canâ€™t just do this to us! We canâ€™t LET them do this to us! Itâ€™s time for a counterattack!â€
â€œSlow down!â€ Jade said. â€œWe should just call our parents and the police. As you said earlier, this cannot be legal. These boys will just get in juvy and weâ€™ll be fine.â€
â€œI donâ€™t know about you guys, but I donâ€™t want the authorities in this,â€ Julie said quietly.
â€œYeah!â€ Thorn agreed. â€œThis is personal! Letâ€™s get some payback!â€
Jade glared. â€œHow? Are you going to tie them up like they did to us? Remember, there are at least five. At LEAST. There are bound to be more. They are stronger than us and are probably more familiar here. We would just end up like Julie.â€
I could see Julie blushing. This conversation was turning into a full-fledged argument. I knew that I would have to take sides with someone. On one hand, I agreed with Jade. These guys had to be stopped, and I didnâ€™t think that we were the ones to do that task. On the other hand, I didnâ€™t want police swarming this place and ruining our stay.
So who should I support? Jade or Thorn? Thorn was my best friend, but Jade was our leader! This was killing me!
â€œWhy do we have to do anything?â€ I asked, hoping to end the argument. â€œWhy canâ€™t we just let them be?â€
â€œWe tried that before,â€ complained Thorn. â€œItâ€™s either them or us, and Iâ€™m not about to let it be us. We need to go on the offensive before they do it for us.â€
I could already see nods of agreement. Thorn was always a good talker. Even Jade looked like she was changing her mind.
Jade sighed. â€œFine. Do you have a plan?â€
Thorn smiled. â€œI do, in fact.â€
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### Re: The Christmas War

Post by bzzart » Sun Dec 18, 2011 12:13 am

Yeah, from this point forward, I am changing the point of views with the names of each character. Just so you guys can keep track easier:
Matty, brown hair, brown eyes. Age 13.
Thorn, bushy brown hair, hazel eyes. Age 13. Slightly shorter than Matty.
Julie, black hair, black eyes, Asian. Age 11.
Helen, pigtails blond. Age 15.
Tammy, Hawaiian. Age 14.
Tara, brown hair. Age 10.
Jade, black hair, brown eyes. Age 16.
Eliza, red hair, age 12.
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### Re: The Christmas War

Post by Chase Ricks » Sun Dec 18, 2011 12:14 am

Interesting story for one who only does fictional ones here.
From whence I came and whence I went heaven said I was too evil and sent me to hell. Demons and devils succeeded in breaking my soul.

### Re: The Christmas War

Post by bzzart » Sun Dec 18, 2011 12:14 am

Yay, somebody replied! It was kind of killing me, actually, I was wondering if you guys didn't like it or something.
JULIE
I wondered if Thornâ€™s plan was the best. It was dark, creepy in fact. The moon shone and every once in a while a car zoomed past, bathed in the orange light of the lampposts. It was cold, but my part was crucial to our objective. Or was it? Most of the other girls were doing the same thing.
I put my raven hair into a ponytail. I was bored. Nothing was happening, and if nothing happened we would just be losing sleep. I scanned across the area, trying to spot my friends. I spotted Tara walking leisurely across, almost too obviously. Matty was to my left. I knew that both of them had vision to me and other girls as well. The plan was with all the girls in a web of sight, we could signal each other when a girl was caught. That girl would lead us to where they were, hopefully. Each girl was relatively apart to make it appear that each of us was alone.
I checked across my shoulder, the brick wall cold against my back. With me looking over there, I knew I was easily going to be ambushed. I would be the perfect target with my eyes off my back. I was one of the more concealed girls; it would be harder for the other girls to spot me. I was one of those in the most danger.
Or was it really danger? None of us was hurt. It was strange, being unable to move. I donâ€™t think I was ever restricted against my will before. I didnâ€™t like the tight rope at the time, but as I laid there for hours I expected it. Weird.
I heard a soft clack behind me. I whirled around. Nothing. The brick wall was long and gave a nice view. I briefly considered checking around the corner. It was dark, but a lamppost nearby would give easily enough light. Carelessness was what caused those boys to miss Matty. I wasnâ€™t about to make the same mistake.
I crept toward the corner slowly in order to be prepared to bolt away at the sight of one of them.
I was almost there until I heard a shriek. It was Matty! Immediately I switched directions, running toward the voice in order to see where they were taking her, which was my job as well as the rest of the girlâ€™s.
Then a hand clamped over my mouth, muffling my own shriek, and I was pulled into the darkness.
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### Re: The Christmas War

Post by SelenaGfan » Sun Dec 18, 2011 1:00 am

This is a good story a bunch of girl being captured,bound,gagged and maybe blindfolded.
Cannot wait to read more.Thank You for sharing.

### Re: The Christmas War

Post by bzzart » Sun Dec 18, 2011 1:00 pm

MATTY
I had been walking around, being deliberate bait. And then they struck. I had rounded a corner and they were there waiting for me. I was so surprised I let out a shriek that I knew the other girls would hear. One of them forced a rag past my lips muting my calls. They tackled me to the ground and forced me into one of those burlap sacks they use for bag races. Soon my world went into complete darkness.
I could feel rope being wrapped around in random places, both restricting me and keeping the bag on. All of it was done by multiple hands and fingers, quickly with trained precision. Soon the bag was tight, but not airtight. I couldnâ€™t move at all. They had got me.
Together they started carrying me. Good thing the other girls were watching, as I couldnâ€™t see past the bag. It was black, black, black.
I heard a door open and them walking through. It wasnâ€™t a hard surface, as I couldnâ€™t hear their feet clacking on the floor. Where were we? Most definitely in the main building, I would suspect. This was a problem. Or was it? The plan was to follow them into their hideout or whatever, but now I realized that they only tied people up in some random place before leaving. The plan was to follow them to their hideout or whatever, assuming they would bring me there. Hopefully, my friends would be smart enough to improvise and follow the boys after they were finished with me.
The boys stopped and dumped me on the ground. Now it was hard, and I let out a muffled groan. I started to feel the knots and ropes loosening, and before I knew it, the bag came off.
I was in the choir room. A piano was up front and five rows of seats were behind me. They were all colored black, and the walls were decorated with notes like half-note, quarter-note, full notes, treble clefs, and so on. I realized it was dark and my eyes must have adjusted to the darkness, because I could see everything perfectly.
Immediately I was forced onto a chair and I was plunged into darkness once more as cloth was wrapped around my head, blindfolding me. There were at least three of them, as I could feel two hands on each of my own pulling them behind my back, as well as one that held me down. I struggled furiously but they were all strong, much stronger than me. I growled and yelled at them, which the only reply was a wet rag and several layers of tape over my mouth, so my complaints were unintelligible mmphs.
As one held me down the others started to tape my hands together. I could feel the sticky substance wrap around my wrists innumerable amount of times. So many times that I knew there was no way I was getting out of it without help. After they were done with that, one started wrapping my stomach to the chair, the other started to wrap each of my ankles to the legs of the chair. Once they were done I could feel that the person was no longer holding me down. He started helping the others wrap my arms to the back of the chair.
Soon I was taped up and helpless, not being able to move a muscle, completely bound.
One of them checked my pockets. â€œNo, she doesnâ€™t have â€˜em.â€
â€œAww, too bad. At least it was fun. The next one will have it.â€
â€œMan, we did a pretty good job on this one,â€ I heard one of the boys said.
â€œYeah, good thing too. She was kind of loud though.â€
I grunted through my gag and strained at the sticky bonds, but nothing short of Hulk-strength could break them. I was stuck and nothing I could do would stop them from teasing me.
â€œOh, thatâ€™s too bad,â€ One of them said to me. â€œLooks like we win this round. And the last. And the one before that.â€
â€œMmm! Mmph! Mm!â€
â€œPlease, I canâ€™t here you. Later. Letâ€™s get out of here guys.â€ I heard them walking away, but one of them took off my blindfold. The boys were just dark figures walking away. Soon they left the room, locking the door behind them.
Trapped! I was trapped! Hopefully, someone would come and save me. Jade had the keys, and I bet they had followed the boys. All they would need to do is get in the room and free me. All I had to do was sit tight (wow, fits the situation) and wait.
I wiggled around, succeeding in nothing but moving my chair a few inches. The room was designed so the chairs were on small stairs that dipped down so the pianist or whatever was at the bottom, with the entire choir above and facing him/her. I was on the third row, so I was high enough that if I knocked over my chair it would be extremely painful. I stopped wiggling.
I looked down as much as I could at my bindings. Red and green tape, all wrapped several times. My arms were immobilized, my legs firmly stuck to the legs of the table. My upper body was glued to the back of the chair. I was going nowhere.
Where were they? What was taking so long?
This is where I'm supposed to put a signature. Hooray.

### Re: The Christmas War

Post by bzzart » Sun Dec 18, 2011 1:01 pm

Some action is coming up. Hold your horses.
This is where I'm supposed to put a signature. Hooray.

### Re: The Christmas War

Post by bzzart » Sun Dec 18, 2011 8:51 pm

THORN
As the boys walked out of the choir room and started heading in our direction we all hid behind a janitors cart-thing that we had wheeled in. Well, three actually, which wouldâ€™ve looked pretty suspicious but I didnâ€™t really care. Eliza, Jade, and Tara were all with me.
They walked past us and I debated what to do. Matty, my best friend was trapped and no doubt bound in the choir room. The boys were getting away. As soon as they were far away enough, I whispered to my fellow girls.
â€œJade, Eliza, go in and free Matty,â€ I said quietly. â€œIâ€™m going after them. Tara, are you coming?â€
Tara nodded eagerly while the others made quiet confirms. Me and Tara dashed out after them with as much stealth as we could muster. We followed them, at least eighty yards behind at all times, never letting the sounds of their footsteps disappear from us. They were easy to follow, we couldnâ€™t lose them.
Our spying took us outside. At least we knew that their main base wasnâ€™t in the main building. They walked across the playground and chatted a bit. Video games, how they were tying girls up, other weird stuff. I honestly didnâ€™t care.
They finally started walking toward the gym building. Of course! No wonder it was locked and none of the keys worked! They wanted it so only they could get in! I should have thought of it earlier.
But no use in dwelling on it now. My plan had worked, our mission was done.
Footsteps! Behind us! I whirled around, seeing more boys coming from the main building. They were walking toward the gym room. Quickly, I grabbed Taraâ€™s arm and hid behind the slide.
â€œYo!â€ One of them greeted. He was tall and had dark skin. He was maybe 15, or 16? Hard to tell.
â€œMal?â€ Said a boy from the group near the gym. â€œThat you?â€
â€œDuh, who else?â€
â€œSorry, you and your bro sorta sound alike.â€
â€œIf you say so. You got any of those girl scouts?â€
â€œYeah, I did! This girl with bushy brown hair was right there in the open! It was too easy! We used the burlap sack, it worked like a charm!â€
â€œWe finished things up too, you can check it out inside.â€
I scowled. Finished things up? I hoped he meant finished patrolling or something. Either way, it didnâ€™t sound good.
â€œAah! I hate how we have to do everything at night! Makes me sleepy all day!â€
â€œNo, Miles said that we might be doing it not just night, now that we revealed ourselves.â€
â€œLetâ€™s just get this over with and tell Miles what we did.â€
â€œBut first,â€ the one named Mal said, â€œletâ€™s take care of those two girls over there.â€
My eyes widened. They had seen us. â€œBolt!â€ I yelled at Tara. We scrambled up and ran across the playground.
I could hear them running and surely gaining on us. I curved a little bit over to the swings and pulled one up and let it go, making a slight swinging obstacle to slow them down. I risked looking back.
The guy just ducked it. But as soon as he did, another swing hit him in the jaw and he staggered. It was Tara! She had followed suit and actually got him!
I turned my head just quick enough to duck under another slide. I looked to see Tara was just behind me.
A boy got in my path. No way was he stopping me. I was one of the leaders! It was my duty to help all of them out, and I was not about to let me or Tara get captured! I thrust both hands and pushed him as hard as I could without losing too much speed. The boy furiously backpedaled to regain his balance.
Two incapacitated. I started to feel good. We would make it.
Or not. Mal got straight in our path and grabbed Tara in a full nelson. I feinted the boy who tried to grab me and dashed aside. The remaining boys formed a wall to protect Mal. I couldnâ€™t get Tara.
I could see the boy I pushed jogging forward. The one who got hit with a swing was advancing, albeit rubbing his jaw.
â€œThorn!â€ Tara cried. â€œHelp!â€ I wanted to help her but I would only end up like her if I charged all five of them.
â€œThorn!â€ Helen! I whirled around to see Helen and Jade coming towards me. They had come back to help me!
â€œBack off!â€ Mal said to his boys. â€œThere are a lot of them. This one will work out fine!â€
The boys hesitated.
â€œCâ€™mon!â€ Mal barked. â€œLetâ€™s go!â€
Reluctantly the boys retreated. I could see a final look of terror flash on Taraâ€™s face as she was carried away.
â€œItâ€™s all my fault,â€ I said miserably as they disappeared.
â€œNobody blames you,â€ Jade said. â€œRight now we need to focus on recovering her. Itâ€™s time to get everyone together again.â€
This is where I'm supposed to put a signature. Hooray.

### Re: The Christmas War

Post by bzzart » Mon Dec 19, 2011 12:12 am

MATTY
Good thing I was wearing long sleeves and jeans, or the duct tape wouldâ€™ve hurt when Eliza ripped it off. Jade had been helping, but ultimately she decided to help out Tara and Thorn. I really didnâ€™t have a problem with it.
Even with long sleeves the duct tape over my mouth stung when I took it off. I rubbed my lips when it was done.
â€œThanks, Eliza,â€ I said. â€œI donâ€™t know what I would have done without you.â€
Eliza let out a smile. â€œI imagine you would be stuck in this room, taped to a chair.â€
â€œFunny. But youâ€™re right of course.â€
â€œHey!â€ We looked to see Thorn waving to us. â€œTroop meeting!â€ We followed Thorn down and walked through hallways. We met up in our main room.
It was filled with our sleeping bags as usual, but now a space had been cleared for us to talk. We had to wait ten more minutes for Jade and Helen to show up.
â€œWhereâ€™s Julie?â€ I asked. She was the only one not counted for that wasnâ€™t (presumably) captured.
â€œI donâ€™t know,â€ admitted Jade. â€œWe spent all that time looking for her. We checked most of the entire school. Sheâ€™s gone.â€
â€œShe was captured,â€ Thorn said. â€œThose guys said something about â€˜finishingâ€™ something, and I bet they got Julie.â€
Helen gasped. â€œJulie again! They have three of ours! Julie, Tammy, and Tara are all captured! Theyâ€™re whittling us down!â€
â€œCalm down,â€ I told her. â€œThereâ€™s still us. But I find it saddening that theyâ€™ve gotten both of our youngest members. They werenâ€™t ready for this. We need to get them back. Tammy can take it. Sheâ€™s smart and tough. Tara and Julie are both young.â€
â€œThey are perfectly capable!â€ Argued Thorn. â€œThey did their jobs. Tara did an excellent job helping me and Julie was the first person to be tied up, so she knows what itâ€™s like.â€
I rolled my eyes. â€œEven so, we canâ€™t stop trying to rescue them. I fear that it IS time for a counterattack. A rescue mission.â€
â€œYouâ€™re kidding!â€ Eliza exclaimed. â€œOur last â€˜missionâ€™ just ended in epic failure!â€
â€œThatâ€™s why we need a new plan,â€ I replied. â€œAnd I think Iâ€™ve got one.â€
This is where I'm supposed to put a signature. Hooray.

### Re: The Christmas War

Post by Chase Ricks » Mon Dec 19, 2011 12:24 am

Good chapters.
From whence I came and whence I went heaven said I was too evil and sent me to hell. Demons and devils succeeded in breaking my soul.

### Re: The Christmas War

Post by bzzart » Mon Dec 19, 2011 11:30 am

ELIZA
I woke up and Mattyâ€™s plan buzzed in my mind. It had sounded better than Thornâ€™s, who was less of a thinker and more of a talker. Well, Thorn was no slouch, but grades-wise I knew Matty was superior.
Quickly we all did our morning duties. Unfortunately, our plan was set at night, since the boys had said that they only could do it at night, which only left us more time to practice.
After a small breakfast, we started practicing. We would need to get this right and fast, with only five people. First, we needed some kind of long wooden pole, or anything that was long and pole-like. Eventually, we settled with a mop from a janitorâ€™s cart. We got our entire collection of blankets and sleeping bags to help the fall. Our entire plan really only required four people, so Helen acted as the victim.
It was going okay, except Helen stated that she could see the mop every time. Matty replied that it would be more concealed during the night and that the boys wouldnâ€™t know it was there, so they would be paying less attention. I hoped so, or our entire plan would be much, much harder than we thought.
Eventually, after Matty thought it was good, we took a lunch break because it was around that time. We practiced a few more times, though it was pretty boring. Helen complained that her ankles were hurting after a while so we stopped.
I could hardly hold my anticipation! I was actually excited about this. Despite everything that was happening, I couldnâ€™t deny the fact that this was really fun. It was like we were in an action movie, actually doing things, not watching them happen on the screen. The thrill and excitement of trying to outwit and outsmart our enemies was great! They had beaten us so far, but that was about to change.
This is where I'm supposed to put a signature. Hooray.

### Re: The Christmas War

Post by bzzart » Mon Dec 19, 2011 5:21 pm

JULIE
Where was I? After the boys had got me, they made me change into some costume or whatever. It wasnâ€™t extremely comfortable, and I didnâ€™t even know what it looked like. I was blindfolded and they guided me into it. Anyhow, it had a dress with no sleeves and ended just above my knees, and right now was wintertime so, I was extremely cold as they led me wherever. Boots were put on me, as well as a hat that I thought might be a Santa hat because it had weight. I remember wondering how they knew my size. I mustâ€™ve looked pretty or something, because I remembered blushing when the boys said I was cute in the outfit.
Once I was in some building, they tied me up tightly in rope, just as they had done before. My wrists were bound behind my back, as well as my knees and feet, but they had refrained from tying my elbows like they did before. Instead, they pinned my arms to my back with rope. My thighs were also tied. I was now kind of like a fish, wriggling on the ground. Finally, they stuffed cloth and tape gagged me by wrapping it around my head multiple times. Good thing my hair was still in a ponytail.
But that wasnâ€™t all. Finally, they had stuffed me into some kind of small metal box. I could hear the door close in front of me, as well as a lock. I could see a small, boring room through small slits in the box. I could see I was suspended in the air somehow.
And that was where I was right now.
The box was cold. Really cold. The metal walls were close to my sides, my head touching the ceiling of it. I had taken a nap earlier, and I had been awake with nothing to do except for when they freed me for the small bathroom break they had given me earlier, blindfolded until I was actually in the restroom. They had swiftly tied me back up though.
I resumed my stay in the box. If I moved even a little bit something would press the cold surface. No room to even struggle, thatâ€™s how perfectly the box fit me. I grunted in my gag. I always thought it was unnecessary, seeing how I was stuck here, obviously where nobody could find me. I was near the boys, wherever they were staying. I had concluded that they had gagged me purely for fun, however fun that was. I guessed that they had more fun actually tying me up and watching me struggle.
I could feel the sticky tape plastered on my lips and both cheeks, also feeling it around my hair. I knew it would be a complete pain getting it off, literally.
All I could do was lie here and wait. Wait until what? What if the girls never found me! What if the boys never let me go! What if the rest of the girls were captured!
I shook my head, which only got me a bang from the small ceiling and right wall. On reflex, I tried to rub my head, but my hands were still useless behind my back.
How long was I going to have to wait? What was I going to do?
This is where I'm supposed to put a signature. Hooray.

### Re: The Christmas War

Post by The Black Falcon » Tue Dec 20, 2011 1:03 am

I am thoroughly enjoying this story. The multiple perspectives are nice and interesting. Happy writing!
College student by day. Crime-fighting vigilante by night.

### Re: The Christmas War

Post by bzzart » Tue Dec 20, 2011 2:19 pm

POINT OF VIEW SWITCHED TO ELIZA
It was time. It started snowing just as it got dark. I put on my jacket, my role was the most important out of just about any of ours. I couldnâ€™t mess up, if I did, if I was too slow, I would get captured. I had no interest of joining Julie, Tammy, and Tara.
I walked around the dark playground, snow crunching beneath me. It was still snowing lightly, but the snow was sticking. I looked out for a patrol of boys. I briefly worried if the snow would cause them to take a day off or something, that would postpone our plans, which we couldnâ€™t let happen. Who knew what was happening to the others? They might not have even eaten since they got captured!
I walked around the school three times, always careful to not get ambushed. On the third round, where I was already freezing, I saw them.
Two of them, neither I recognized. But they looked lean and fit, so I knew that they were probably decently fast. Not good. But with a good enough lead, I was sure I could stay ahead of them long enough.
I started running in front of them. Directly in front of their path, maybe a hundred yards away. They easily spotted me.
â€œHey!â€ One yelled. â€œWait!â€ Yeah right. In their dreams.
I heard them running towards me. I dashed around the eastern wall of the school and through the parking lot. I could hear them slowly gaining behind me. I turned to the front entrance of the school and raced in the school.
Jade always left the front entrance open in case we were locked outside. This was the easiest part of the plan. My wet shoes squeaked as I ran across the smooth flooring. I would be there soon.
I rounded around the hallway. I couldnâ€™t keep this up at full sprint. I was already slowing down. I could hear the boys catching up, but they were losing wind as well. I could make itâ€¦
There! The classroom! I could easily see it because it had an open door. Where our entire plan would take place. I turned and went straight into the classroom, being careful not to slip on the mop.
Immediately, Matty and Thorn lifted the broom about four inches off the ground in front of the doorway. It was dark, but I could see. A few seconds later, the boys came in and tripped on the broom! They fell over each other, sprawling.
I immediately jumped them and wrenched the keys from one of them. Two keys was all they had, but it was good enough. One started to get up but I pushed him down and raced out of the door, Matty and Thorn already waiting.
As soon as I got out Helen slammed the door followed by Jade quickly locking it. We had the boys trapped.
This is where I'm supposed to put a signature. Hooray.

### Re: The Christmas War

Post by bzzart » Tue Dec 20, 2011 2:20 pm

MATTY
It worked! It actually worked! I had been doubtful, almost expecting something to go wrong, but it worked! Ha, that sure showed Thorn!
â€œOkay, we got the keys,â€ I said.
â€œNow what?â€ Eliza asked as she regained her breath.
â€œOne of these keys almost definitely leads to the gym,â€ I explained. â€œYou see, when the other boys realize that these two are missing, theyâ€™ll send someone to find them. THAT is when we start some rescuing.â€
Thorn looked impressed. â€œNot bad.â€
I nodded. â€œAt least three will be gone, and Iâ€™m betting it will be four. So far they have traveled in at least groups of two, so thereâ€™s no reason that they would change now. This is going to work.â€
â€œI hope so,â€ Jade replied. â€œItâ€™s about time we started winning.â€
This is where I'm supposed to put a signature. Hooray.

### Re: The Christmas War

Post by bzzart » Tue Dec 20, 2011 7:29 pm

TAMMY
I struggled in my little Santa costume. It was kind of cute, actually. Ever since I was caught spying, they brought me to the gym and left the clothes in the locker room. I had refused to wear them, so they tied me up and tickled me. They did this for well over half an hour, so I relented.
Currently, my hands tied together in front of my and raised up, because a rope connected to my bindings was connected to an overhead basketball hoop. I was gagged with one of those Christmas bauble ornaments attached to straps behind my head. My ankles were restricted as well.
I was kind of embarrassed, because this was the part of the gym where the other boys stayed, the basketball court. Many of them would tease me as they walked by, and all of them looked at me sometime. I had only been freed to go to the bathroom and some meal breaks.
The ropes were always tight, and even if I did escape there were always at least four boys there at one time, and one would always be watching to make sure I didnâ€™t escape. It was practically impossible to free myself.
I guess I really should have waited for Matty. Look where I had gotten myself. Still, it wasnâ€™t that bad. I had no doubt that Thorn and the others would try to save me. They were good friends, and I had knew most of them for years.
Kind of pathetic for a fifteen-year old to be saved by girls one to three years younger but hey, it was my fault wasnâ€™t it? I couldnâ€™t blame them. I could certainly blame the boys who got me, them with their dumb game and amusement at tying girls up.
My arms had gone sore from being hung up a long time ago. It didnâ€™t help that I was so high up I was practically on my tip-toes. It was uncomfortable, I had to admit.
â€œHey, did you see Tom and Chris recently?â€ One of the boys, Tanner, maybe, asked.
â€œTheyâ€™ve been looking for those girls,â€ Another replied.
â€œTheyâ€™ve been gone for more than an hour. Somethingâ€™s going on.â€
â€œTheyâ€™re just late. Itâ€™s not like weâ€™ve been very on-time people.â€
â€œI donâ€™t care. Half an hour is too much. Itâ€™s time to see what theyâ€™re up to.â€
â€œWhatever, letâ€™s go.â€
I wondered what was happening. Maybe my situation was changing.
This is where I'm supposed to put a signature. Hooray.

### Re: The Christmas War

Post by bzzart » Tue Dec 20, 2011 8:12 pm

MATTY
â€œEveryone got some scissors?â€ I asked my fellow scouts. They nodded. It was dark and the boys had started coming out. We were in luck. Three of them were leaving.
â€œOk,â€ I said. â€œThis is all or nothing. If we get caught, I donâ€™t know, but I donâ€™t want to spend my Christmas gagged. We get, free who we can, and get out. Simple. If you canâ€™t untie the person, just carry her. Many of them arenâ€™t there, but there are bound to be more in there. Letâ€™s go.â€
As soon as the three boys left the building we raced along to the back door. I tried the key. Didnâ€™t work. I jammed in the other one and it turned. Perfect. I opened the door just a crack, and Thorn, Eliza, and Helen looked with me while Jade watched our backs.
It was a nice gym, designed to mostly play basketball in both a full courts and smaller half-courts. On the sides were a cart filled with basketballs. They had six hoops, one on each end of the rectangular room and two on each of the sides. All hoops hung from the ceiling. There were long bleachers that looked like it could hold well over five hundred people, an entire school. I guess it was used for assemblies as well.
Inside the boys were playing three-on-three basketball. Six! Six! I could never have guessed there were still so many! There were eleven so far then, three more than our eight in total. Right now they had six, we had five.
I could see Tammy, her hands tied above her to one of the hoops. For some reason she was dressed like Santa, but I dismissed the thought. We had to focus on freeing her.
No way we would be able to do this without being seen. It was simply impossible. She was right across from us, and we would be easily seen sneaking around, as there was nowhere to hide.
â€œWe need a distraction,â€ Thorn summed up. She got up and raced into the basketball court.
All I could do was hiss â€œWait!â€ as she pretty much ran in front of them. She went up right in front of the boy with the ball and pushed him. He was so startled he lost his balance, and Thorn stole the ball. The boys were all stunned at first, then one tried to grab her. Thorn rolled between two of them, still clutching the ball.
â€œMove!â€ I whispered. I pushed my friends gently as we advanced towards. We hid behind the thick basketball cart and watched a little bit, because I think one of them mightâ€™ve heard us, as he turned back, but then kept his eyes on Thorn.
â€œWhatâ€™s the matter?â€ Taunted Thorn. â€œDonâ€™t you want your ball back?â€
The boys hesitated. Thorn was the toughest out of us. But I doubted she could take six of them. I started whispering a plan.
The guy that she pushed got up. â€œIt was pretty stupid to come here alone.â€
â€œWho said I was alone?â€ Thorn asked. The boys advanced slowly, and then took a confused look around them. Thorn struck, throwing the basketball in the face of one of them, and grabbing it as it bounced back. One of them ran towards her and tried to grab but she dashed back and rammed him with her shoulder just as quickly.
â€œGo!â€ I whispered to my friends as Thorn threw her basketball at another one and taunted them.
â€œWhatâ€™s this?â€ She mocked. â€œI thought boys were good at dodgeball! You guys make me laugh!â€
The boys growled and stood there distance. We hurriedly dashed across. Jade and Eliza ran towards Tammy. Me and Helen ran towards the locker room.
I heard a boy say, â€œHey! Thereâ€™s more of them!â€ And the footsteps of a few diverted their attention from Thorn to us. We opened the locker room door and dashed inside. A boy was there to meet us. He charged, trying to grab Helen, but Helen grabbed his wrist and pulled down, forcing him to crouch. I jumped up and landed both feet on his back, sending him sprawling.
â€œSorry!â€ I said, just before dragging him out of the locker room.
I looked around. We were losing time, we had to find Tara and Julie. There were a bunch of benches for kids to change into P.E uniforms, as well as some lockers. Obviously. In the corner, was Tara. She was stuck in a cage that was probably meant for animals, in which she barely fit. Tara was definitely not fat, and she was small, indicating the size of the cage. She was tied up, as well as gagged.
Quickly, Helen helped me open the cage and pull her out, careful not to be too rough. We started working away with our scissors, hacking through the thin-ish rope that restricted her. I could hear Thorn yelling and taunting, though I knew we were running out of time.
As soon as Tara was free, she ripped off her gag (no, it wasnâ€™t a tape gag, that was a figure of speech).
â€œWhereâ€™s Julie?â€ She said frantically. I was kind of impressed that she immediately thought of her best friend, but now was not the time.
â€œWeâ€™ll find her,â€ I told her. â€œIâ€™m guessing sheâ€™s not here.â€
â€œI didnâ€™t see her.â€
â€œMaybe sheâ€™s in the other locker room,â€ I suggested. â€œLetâ€™s go check.â€
We came inside the gym and overlooked the ensuing chaos.
This is where I'm supposed to put a signature. Hooray.

### Re: The Christmas War

Post by bzzart » Wed Dec 21, 2011 12:45 am

JULIE
Was that yelling? I could see a little bit of light, but nothing major. There were boys grunting and bellowing, and I thinkâ€¦ Thornâ€™s voice.
They were coming to rescue me! Finally! Well, actually, it was a little bit sooner than I expected. I tried to grin, forgetting my gag. So in the end, my cheeks just hurt.
I listened closely. It was hard to hear, past the metal box and probably another door, so I knew that it must be pretty loud.
Then I heard a door fly open.
â€œYou see her?â€ Matty! She was here!
â€œUh, no, not really.â€ It was Eliza! This was great! Everyone had come to rescue me.
I grunted in my gag and started mmphing like crazy, trying to get their attention. I banged around in the box, trying to make as much noise as possible.
â€œJULIE!â€ Screamed Tara, running straight at me, it was kind of scary. She started thrusting her hand at the box, presumably the handle, and pulled.
â€œI donâ€™t know the combo!â€ She said helplessly. So thatâ€™s where I was! I was trapped in a locker! So typical, some kid getting stuffed in a locker. But they werenâ€™t tied up and gagged though.
â€œMmph! Mmm! Mm!â€ I muffled helplessly.
I heard the door open again. I could vaguely see a boy coming through. He was caught completely off guard as Matty pushed him against the wall and Eliza kicked him in the chest. He crumpled.
â€œWhat is it?â€ Matty yelled at him. â€œWhatâ€™s the combo? How do we free our friend?â€
â€œI-I donâ€™t know,â€ he said, â€œIâ€™m not in charge here.â€
Matty raised her foot in preparation to stamp his face. â€œWho does?â€
He lifted his hands weakly. â€œYou donâ€™t know him. His name is Miles. Heâ€™s in charge of everything. Please donâ€™t step on me.â€
Matty went straight up to me so she looked me in the eye. â€œJulie, I am so sorry about this. Youâ€™re so young. Iâ€™m sorry that you got into this and Iâ€™m sorry that we canâ€™t get you out of there. Weâ€™re on borrowed time. I donâ€™t think Miles is here, and we donâ€™t have time to try the lock. Iâ€™m sorry, but weâ€™ll come back. Weâ€™ll be back. Are you okay?â€
I nodded weakly and let a sad â€œmmphâ€.
Matty looked even more saddened. â€œWe wonâ€™t leave you here for them, weâ€™ll come for you. We never leave anyone behind.â€ She whispered the last part.
I nodded, and she grabbed Tara by the arm and Eliza followed them out of the room.
This is where I'm supposed to put a signature. Hooray.

### Re: The Christmas War

Post by Chase Ricks » Wed Dec 21, 2011 10:24 am

Excellent chapters.
From whence I came and whence I went heaven said I was too evil and sent me to hell. Demons and devils succeeded in breaking my soul.

### Re: The Christmas War

Post by bzzart » Wed Dec 21, 2011 10:47 am

MATTY
I donâ€™t know how I could hold myself together. We had no choice but to leave Julie. There was no way we could open that locker. Once I got out of the locker room I studied the situation. Thorn and Jade were throwing basketballs that were littered around the ground. I guessed Helen and Tammy had gone back. It was absolute chaos. Basketballs were flying around, and everyone seemed to have bruises.
A boy started running at me, but a basketball sailed through the air and nailed him on the back of his head. He stumbled. I ran forward and pushed him down, ensuring he would stay down.
â€œWhat took you guys so long? Did you see how I nailed that guy? Right in the back!â€ Thorn said. She tossed a basketball at me. I caught it.
â€œThorn,â€ I said, â€œnow is not the time for dodgeball. Letâ€™s get out of here.â€
â€œWhereâ€™s Julie?â€ Asked Jade.
â€œWe had to-â€œ I began, but saw the doors open from the back of the gym. Five boys stepped in. The ones back from the patrols and the ones that we locked in the classroom. Great.
â€œChange of plans,â€ Thorn said. â€œLetâ€™s run.â€
They charged at us. Thorn, Jade, and I all threw our basketballs at them, and they dived aside to avoid the missiles. We hurried in through the gap between them just as they were getting up.
Thorn and Eliza to my left, Jade and Tara to my right, we raced outside, somebody right on our tails. We opened the door and Tara turned around and pushed our assailant back. I slammed the door.
We raced as fast as we could, only seeking to get away.
â€œWell,â€ Jade said, â€œthis has gone out well.â€
â€œItâ€™s been kind of fun,â€ Thorn said. â€œI mean, I havenâ€™t ever been able to actually play real dodgeball. That was exhilarating.â€
Tara rolled her eyes. â€œJust wait until you get tied up. That will put an end to the fun. I could barely move in that pet cage, and it didnâ€™t help that I couldnâ€™t move my limbs anyways.â€
I found it weird that Tara decided to retain her Santa hat. She claimed it was comfy.
â€œYeah, now Iâ€™m thinking that we probably shouldâ€™ve called our parents.â€ I admitted.
â€œBack up,â€ Thorn said. â€œNOW, we definitely donâ€™t want them knowing. So what happens here stays here, right?â€
â€œRight,â€ I said.
â€œI guess so,â€ Tara said.
Tammy and Helen nodded.
Eliza sighed. â€œI suppose.â€
We all looked at Jade. She pursed her lips. â€œRight.â€
This is where I'm supposed to put a signature. Hooray.

### Re: The Christmas War

Post by bzzart » Thu Dec 22, 2011 12:21 am

JULIE
I woke up to the sound of the door opening and somebody yelling. Where was I again? Oh yeah, in a cold, lonely locker, tied up and gagged. Just checking.
I heard the combo start to twist and turn, them before I knew it, the locker door opened. I was pulled out by two boys, both which had many bruises, one who had a black eye.
They laid me on the cold ground, practically dumping me. I let out a moan as the impact settled. One of them started quickly unwrapping the tape stuck on my cheeks, hair, and lips.
It was more than I could handle. It stung like I couldnâ€™t describe. I guessed that the longer it was on, the more it would hurt taken off. Every second that they spent taking the tape off stung, and if youâ€™ve ever had to take off tape off your skin you would know.
I couldnâ€™t help it. The pain was so intense, that soon, a few tears streamed off my face.
Then it was over. The tape came off, but I could still feel my cheeks burning. I could feel the tears stream down my cheeks and I blinked hard.
â€œOoh, gosh man,â€ One of them said. â€œMaybe we shouldâ€™ve done it more slowly. I think sheâ€™s in pain.â€
â€œShe crying you @#!%&*, of course sheâ€™s in pain.â€
â€œI know, I know.â€
One of them bent down near my face, I had never seen him before. He had silky black hair and olive skin. He was older than most of them, like high school age. He had a frown on his face.
â€œWho has the keys?â€ He asked sternly. I realized then, that I was afraid of him. I knew that this guy was one of those bullies, one that doesnâ€™t push you down and physically hurt you. He was one that manipulated, played the strings. He was a more verbal kind of guy. He was a leader.
I understood that he could do some really bad things to me. And I could do nothing back. Heck, I couldnâ€™t even move.
â€œYou wouldnâ€™t know her name,â€ I said shakily.
â€œI want it anyways,â€ He said flatly. What use of his would it be to know Jade? Jade could be anyone for all he knew. I shut my mouth and stayed silent.
â€œHey, Iâ€™m sorry that youâ€™re like this,â€ he said softly. â€œBut you see, my friends have a bit of a different way of thinking. Fun doesnâ€™t come through video games or sports. Fun comes from doing things to others. In this case, tying people up. What difference is there really? Tying people up, playing sports, reading, all that? Being a girl scout? They are all just hobbies. Itâ€™s not my fault that people canâ€™t understand it.â€
â€œMaybe,â€ I replied, â€œbut you can help it. You donâ€™t need to go around tying us up against our will.â€
â€œYou fail to comprehend what I am saying. We do not mean any harm whatsoever. We are just trying to enjoy ourselves. But tell me, is it any easy task to find people who think this way? Months we spent trying to get our friends to enjoy what we enjoy, to think how we think.â€
â€œWhy donâ€™t you just find some girls to think that way? I mean, if tying up girls is really what you like, then why not find some that are willing?â€
â€œYour failure to listen irritates me.â€ I could feel myself blushing, and he smiled. â€œIt took months for us to do what we wanted. Unlike me, the boys over hear are rather impatient. They want action. They want to [i]do[i] things.â€
â€œOk, great. Still doesnâ€™t justify your reasons.â€
â€œI know. Iâ€™m sorry about that too. Unfortunately, you and your friends are just victims of our insatiable thirst. But that is not all. Part of it is, we were wishing that at least one of you would find the joy that we share.â€
I tugged at my bonds, realizing what he meant. He wanted us to LIKE being tied up, which I, personally, found the idea idiotic. Why would I want to be unable to move, unable to speak? The whole point of a victim being tied up was to try to get out, not enjoy themselves. Maybe my friends felt differently, but it would be a lot of time before I changed my mind.
â€œIf you think that weâ€™re going to spend every week getting tied up by you, youâ€™re crazy,â€ I said finally.
â€œI had thought that younger minds are more easy to change. You are much younger than your friends, are you not?â€
â€œNot young enough, apparently.â€
â€œAnd that brings me back to my point,â€ He replied. â€œWho has the keys?â€
This is where I'm supposed to put a signature. Hooray.

### Re: The Christmas War

Post by bzzart » Thu Dec 22, 2011 12:28 am

MATTY
â€œThis is really, really bad,â€ I said.
â€œWhat?â€ Thorn asked. â€œYou need another plan? Go in, rescue Julie, get out, donâ€™t get caught. Simple.â€
â€œNot really,â€ Tammy said. â€œThere are probably going to be more of them. Lots more staying there, to keep up security.â€
â€œRight,â€ I agreed. â€œThatâ€™s only the first of a few problems. The others is, not only will they be prepared for us, they are probably going to send someone to keep an eye over here, to alert them when theyâ€™re coming, if theyâ€™re smart. Plus, when we get to Julie, we canâ€™t open her.â€
â€œThat leaves that Miles guy,â€ Jade said. â€œThey said he knows it. Why donâ€™t we just find him, you ask? We donâ€™t know which one is Miles. And if we do catch him, I doubt he will talk.â€
â€œLose-lose,â€ stated Eliza.
â€œSeems that way,â€ I agreed. â€œSo we need Julie back. We have to do this at all costs.â€
â€œSo how can we do it?â€ Helen asked. â€œWe probably wonâ€™t find Miles, and there stuck to do whatever with Julie. I, for one, am not letting Julie stay there. We need to take ACTION.â€
Thorn nodded. â€œThey think weâ€™re just a bunch of girls.â€
â€œWe are,â€ I protested.
â€œYou know what I mean!â€
â€œYeah, yeah.â€ I shook my head a little bit. â€œStriking so soon again would only lead us to failure.â€
Thorn rolled her eyes. â€œDoing nothing will be just us waiting to be attacked.â€
â€œLose-lose,â€ Tammy echoed.
â€œAah!â€ Eliza cried, exasperated. â€œWe need to figure out a course of action or Iâ€™m going to go insane! Letâ€™s do something!â€
â€œWait a second!â€ I protested. I thought for a moment. It would probably be hard for us to make the boys give up their prize. The only way would be to have them willingly give us Julie, as we couldnâ€™t take her from them. But how could we do that? There was no way!
â€œOk guys,â€ I said. â€œWe have to make a deal.â€
â€œA deal?â€ Jade said carefully. â€œOn what?â€
â€œWe need to make a deal in return for Julie,â€ I answered. â€œItâ€™s the only way.â€
â€œWell, thatâ€™s great,â€ Thorn said, rolling her eyes. â€œWhat would they give for Julie?â€
â€œWeâ€™re about to find out.â€
This is where I'm supposed to put a signature. Hooray.

### Re: The Christmas War

Post by Chase Ricks » Thu Dec 22, 2011 12:30 am

Seems both groups have the same dilemna in a way.
From whence I came and whence I went heaven said I was too evil and sent me to hell. Demons and devils succeeded in breaking my soul.

### Re: The Christmas War

Post by bzzart » Thu Dec 22, 2011 12:38 am

Actually, I just noticed that, and I'm the author. Makes me feel ignorant, bleh.
This is where I'm supposed to put a signature. Hooray.