Awakening to a commotion outside my room, I rubbed my eyes to find my parents kneeling on the floor, their faces etched with concern. A towering figure loomed over them, a menacing gun pressed against his temple. My dad wore a mix of fear and determination, his gaze locking with mine as he desperately tried to communicate.
Pointing at me, he said, "There, he'll be enough to settle your boss's demands." My heart raced, my mind struggling to comprehend the gravity of the situation.
Before I could process the horrifying reality, the stranger seized my wrist with a tight grip, pulling me forcibly away. I stared back at my parents, whose forced smiles turned into tearful expressions. It dawned on me, a chilling realization: They were trading me off – to strangers I'd never laid eyes on.
