u/Radiant-Research-611

Dark, dusty, cold and industrial. Your company's parking garage is absurdly large, and unnecessarily so. Between AI, outsourcing, work from home and layoffs it houses maybe a dozen cars, a small fraction of it's capacity.

*THUB* thub thub thub.

Each step you take echoes throughout the cement cavern. White cheap florescent light intermittently lighting the way. You fibd yourself hatibg that lughting more than anything. Sheen black heels pounding against cracked asphalt. "Getting your steps in" the attempted joke your assistant makes close to daily. Each time you'd smile like it was the first time, like it was funny.

The stillness of a formally busseling area was striking, and a bit eerie. Atleast you don't have to worry about door dings. The spot you were assigned on your first day sits in a deep lonely corner. Why do they still enforce assigned parking? Bureaucracy, red tape, "synergistic company policy" according to the south west vp of regional marketing directive operations. The thought of that conversation, of your boss' ridiculous title forces and eyeroll to yourself.

As you round the corner to your empty section of the world you feel a slight adrenaline spikes in your chest. Just the sight of another vehicle in the F lot makes your heart skip a beat. The uncommon irregularity of it...

Fingers wrap tightly around your keys. Why is this dirty, brown Astrovan here? Calling security crosses your mind, but that's ridiculous. You were the first female executive in the history of Brockman-Jones, if you can handle BJ you can handle anything.

Your knuckles turn white as you squeeze your keys harder. The rhythm of your steps picks up, echoes get louder. The sound of footsteps, or your heart beating in your ears? What was that sound? For a moment it sounded like the footsteps were in stereo. That's not possible, you say aloud, breaking into a light job tapping your car's unlock button. You reach out and...

Grab the silver door handle on your brand new Benz. Relief, sanctuary. A flick of the wrist and your missing your purse onto your passenger seat. Sighing in relief, but the air isn't entering your lungs. Nothing is. Your fight or flight is trying to kick in, but your options are limited as your brain catches up to the situation. Tight, well worn black leather tightens around your mouth, stiffling and attempt at a scream. Skin, flesh, muscle... an arm. An arm wraps around your throat from behind m as you are pulled backwards, out of the cheap florescence into the darkness.

(Hello! 21+ ONLY. So, you're a high powered executive working at a dying company. You maybe, possibly were just kidnapped. You're bound, controlled, and what can you do about it?)

"Just a few more steps" you mutter to yourself, etes squinting, struggling to stay upright. A gauntlet of dry air, sweltering summer heat, and blinding sunlight nuking every inch of exposed skin. Vultures circled above, or maybe they didn't, it takes no time at all for senses to begin to fail in these conditions.

You wipe your brow, expecting the back of your sunburnt hand to be covered in sweat, but even that level of dehydration is only just a memory at this point. You've been walking for days? Minutes? Still, thoughts of a crisp, cold Gatorade, of the swimming pool in you childhood neighbor's backyard, of the ice cold air your car's AC spits out... until it died, suddenly, abruptly.

Nowhere, and miles from nowhere at the same time. Seemed like an easy trip. Point A to point B, just a sunny Southwestern day.

You attempt to lick your lips, but your mouth is just too dry.

It doesn't matter, you physically just can't do it anymore, in the distance a best blue pickup hums down the road. Delirium sets in and you realize that truck is one you saw earlier today, right before you broke down. You push forward, realizing there is no truck, no Gatorade, no chance...

You feel the dry dirt road cone up to meet you as you fall towards the Earth. Darkness embraces you, it's nice to rest, you think as you hear the sound of a truck door slam shut...

(Only 21+ reply. You found yourself in a situation, maybe put in that situation, who knows? Where the danger of the environment left you weak, vulnerable. Perhaps a kind stranger is well intentioned, helpful, and you are extremely grateful for the rescue. Maybe he is the sinister cause of your issue, and your issues to come. Maybe noone exists at all?)