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Description
It must've been two in the morning when they came to get him. James' captors, whoever they were, must've been immensely strong, because they never bothered to knock; they simply kicked the door off it's hinges, leaving it face down in the frame. They moved quickly, wasting absolutely no time in seizing James, who had barely had time to get out bed. “You're coming with us” said the taller of the two men, both of whom were dressed in black slacks with black trench coats.
“Who are you!” he started to scream, but managing only the first syllable before the shorter one forced his hand across James' lips.
“Shh, shh,” he said tranquilly, “there's no need for more fuss.”
“That's right,” said the other, “if you give us a hard time, I imagine this process will be much more unpleasant.”
“So,” finished the short one, “come with us peacefully and quietly and I believe this whole ordeal will end neatly and agreeably for all of us.” The man removed his hand to let James speak.
“Are you officers? Am I under arrest?” asked James.
“Arrest? No.”
“Am I free to go then?”
“Not really.”
“That's right. Just come along.”
James was forced to stand and then shoved to his closet, where the two men let go of him. James only stood there, dumbfounded with terror and confusion at these strange intruders.
“What? Dumb are you?” asked the taller one.
“Apparently,” answered the shorter, before adding, “come on, get dressed!”
James quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and an old t-shirt with fraying hems.
“Good,” said the short one, “let's go!” He shoved James into the hallway.
“Where are we going?” asked James, as he tried to keep the fear from creeping into his voice.
“You're going where we say. Move!”
So through the dark spring night the odd trio wandered. They crossed all over town in a weaving, serpent path that brought no obvious destination to mind. James had reason to believe the two men in black were simply toying with him for their own amusement.
They led him through the dark streets until, finally, they reached an idling van. Its exterior was ubiquitous—sleek and foreboding black. The two men opened the back like grand cathedral doors, and pointing to the hungry dark of the interior, growled: “Get in.”
The first man, the taller of the two, climbed in first. Once inside, he grabbed James' shoulder and tugged him, while the other shoved. James stumbled and tripped into the darkness. The other man climbed up and shut the doors behind him, sealing it like a tomb. Both men then grabbed James and shoved him down, saying “Sit!”
They blind-folded him despite the dark. On the ground and defenseless, blinded by the dark and his confusion, James asked:
“What's going on? Where are you taking me?”
He was answered by an explosive round of laughter from the two men who were joined by a third, undoubtedly the driver.
“You of all people should know” said a voice.
“That's right” confirmed another.
“Know what?” James asked.
He was once again answered only by laughter.
“I guess you'll know soon enough.”
“Drive!”
And with that word, the car lurched forward so ferociously that it practically left the tires behind. The sudden movement caused James to sway forward, then back, giving him the impression he was lost at sea. He felt sick. Who were these men? Why had they come to get him? But before James could come to any conclusions, he was struck across the back of his head with a heavy blunt object, the dull thud resonating off the metal walls. As he crumpled to the floor like a starched shirt, one of them called out from the darkness, “Damn! Nice shot! Looks like he's out for now...”
When James awoke many hours later he was sure his skull had been split in two halves like a melon. It hadn't, his head was mostly fine, but his headache was so intense he swore he was dying. As he groggily began to awake, still unsure of where he was or how he had gotten there, a voice said, “Aw, looks like he's starting to stir.”
That's when James remembered he didn't know where he was. He futilely looked around in the darkness to find the body that had addressed him, but was fruitless.
“Did you have a nice little nap?” asked a voice.
“Refreshing, I bet” commented another.
They all laughed in unison. When they realized that their guest did not find the situation as hilarious as they themselves did, one commented,“I bet he has a pretty bad headache.” Then he laughed again.
“Don't worry,” said another voice, probably the driver's, “we're just about here.”
“Where's 'here'?” cried James angrily.
“Does it even matter?” was the the response.
Once again he felt the shoulders grab him as they shoved him along in the back on the van. A hand that James couldn't see reached outward and opened the door.
“Step out” said a voice to James.
“Step where? I can't see!” he replied.
Groaning with annoyance, they shoved him harshly from the van, sending him crashing, coughing and bruised, to the ground hardened by cold. James hit the soil with a thud and moaned softly.
“Get up” said a voice.
James tried to stand, but fell.
“Get up” it repeated.
“Oh Christ, man!” said the other, exasperated, “just take the damn blindfold off, it's not like it matters anyways!”
“Fine, fine!” said the other with a begrudging voice as he reached forward and removed the fabric that covered James' eyes. He could now see that he and the two men were standing in a vast, monotonous field of wild grasses and first light had already broken over the lands, turning them to gold. James spun around to try and assign a name with his location, but there was nothing he recognized.
“Let's all go for a walk, shall we?” asked the taller man.
“Wait, where are we? Where are we going!” asked James to the two men.
They only smiled back wickedly and replied, “Oh, you'll know soon. You should know already!”
Confused, but clinging to his captors, James obediently followed them until they stopped at a small clearing about ten yards from where the van was still parked.
“Why did we walk over here?” asked James.
“Oh, sorry,” said the shorter man, “it's just that we didn't want you to get any blood on the van.”
“Wha—what?” choked James.
“Blood--”started the smaller one, but his explanation was cut short by the taller one's command.
“Kneel” he said forcefully to James.
“But--” he started.
The taller man repeated himself, “Kneel.” James fell to his knees with like a man who was desperately praying for a miracle that would never come. While James began to jabber and mutter incomprehensibly, the shorter man reached to his waist and extracted a black object with a stubby nose, like a pug's, that was hard to make out in the morning light. He handed it to the taller man, who then fiddled with it before sending an approving smile back to his companion. Holding James' shoulder in one hand, steadying the object behind James' head with the other, he said:
“Hold still for just one second. This should be brief.”
James began to babble. “Oh God--” he said, but was cut short. As he slumped forward, and the echo tore across the field, all the birds flew away.

Description
It must've been two in the morning when they came to get him. James' captors, whoever they were, must've been immensely strong, because they never bothered to knock; they simply kicked the door off it's hinges, leaving it face down in the frame. They moved quickly, wasting absolutely no time in seizing James, who had barely had time to get out bed. “You're coming with us” said the taller of the two men, both of whom were dressed in black slacks with black trench coats.
“Who are you!” he started to scream, but managing only the first syllable before the shorter one forced his hand across James' lips.
“Shh, shh,” he said tranquilly, “there's no need for more fuss.”
“That's right,” said the other, “if you give us a hard time, I imagine this process will be much more unpleasant.”
“So,” finished the short one, “come with us peacefully and quietly and I believe this whole ordeal will end neatly and agreeably for all of us.” The man removed his hand to let James speak.
“Are you officers? Am I under arrest?” asked James.
“Arrest? No.”
“Am I free to go then?”
“Not really.”
“That's right. Just come along.”
James was forced to stand and then shoved to his closet, where the two men let go of him. James only stood there, dumbfounded with terror and confusion at these strange intruders.
“What? Dumb are you?” asked the taller one.
“Apparently,” answered the shorter, before adding, “come on, get dressed!”
James quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and an old t-shirt with fraying hems.
“Good,” said the short one, “let's go!” He shoved James into the hallway.
“Where are we going?” asked James, as he tried to keep the fear from creeping into his voice.
“You're going where we say. Move!”
So through the dark spring night the odd trio wandered. They crossed all over town in a weaving, serpent path that brought no obvious destination to mind. James had reason to believe the two men in black were simply toying with him for their own amusement.
They led him through the dark streets until, finally, they reached an idling van. Its exterior was ubiquitous—sleek and foreboding black. The two men opened the back like grand cathedral doors, and pointing to the hungry dark of the interior, growled: “Get in.”
The first man, the taller of the two, climbed in first. Once inside, he grabbed James' shoulder and tugged him, while the other shoved. James stumbled and tripped into the darkness. The other man climbed up and shut the doors behind him, sealing it like a tomb. Both men then grabbed James and shoved him down, saying “Sit!”
They blind-folded him despite the dark. On the ground and defenseless, blinded by the dark and his confusion, James asked:
“What's going on? Where are you taking me?”
He was answered by an explosive round of laughter from the two men who were joined by a third, undoubtedly the driver.
“You of all people should know” said a voice.
“That's right” confirmed another.
“Know what?” James asked.
He was once again answered only by laughter.
“I guess you'll know soon enough.”
“Drive!”
And with that word, the car lurched forward so ferociously that it practically left the tires behind. The sudden movement caused James to sway forward, then back, giving him the impression he was lost at sea. He felt sick. Who were these men? Why had they come to get him? But before James could come to any conclusions, he was struck across the back of his head with a heavy blunt object, the dull thud resonating off the metal walls. As he crumpled to the floor like a starched shirt, one of them called out from the darkness, “Damn! Nice shot! Looks like he's out for now...”
When James awoke many hours later he was sure his skull had been split in two halves like a melon. It hadn't, his head was mostly fine, but his headache was so intense he swore he was dying. As he groggily began to awake, still unsure of where he was or how he had gotten there, a voice said, “Aw, looks like he's starting to stir.”
That's when James remembered he didn't know where he was. He futilely looked around in the darkness to find the body that had addressed him, but was fruitless.
“Did you have a nice little nap?” asked a voice.
“Refreshing, I bet” commented another.
They all laughed in unison. When they realized that their guest did not find the situation as hilarious as they themselves did, one commented,“I bet he has a pretty bad headache.” Then he laughed again.
“Don't worry,” said another voice, probably the driver's, “we're just about here.”
“Where's 'here'?” cried James angrily.
“Does it even matter?” was the the response.
Once again he felt the shoulders grab him as they shoved him along in the back on the van. A hand that James couldn't see reached outward and opened the door.
“Step out” said a voice to James.
“Step where? I can't see!” he replied.
Groaning with annoyance, they shoved him harshly from the van, sending him crashing, coughing and bruised, to the ground hardened by cold. James hit the soil with a thud and moaned softly.
“Get up” said a voice.
James tried to stand, but fell.
“Get up” it repeated.
“Oh Christ, man!” said the other, exasperated, “just take the damn blindfold off, it's not like it matters anyways!”
“Fine, fine!” said the other with a begrudging voice as he reached forward and removed the fabric that covered James' eyes. He could now see that he and the two men were standing in a vast, monotonous field of wild grasses and first light had already broken over the lands, turning them to gold. James spun around to try and assign a name with his location, but there was nothing he recognized.
“Let's all go for a walk, shall we?” asked the taller man.
“Wait, where are we? Where are we going!” asked James to the two men.
They only smiled back wickedly and replied, “Oh, you'll know soon. You should know already!”
Confused, but clinging to his captors, James obediently followed them until they stopped at a small clearing about ten yards from where the van was still parked.
“Why did we walk over here?” asked James.
“Oh, sorry,” said the shorter man, “it's just that we didn't want you to get any blood on the van.”
“Wha—what?” choked James.
“Blood--”started the smaller one, but his explanation was cut short by the taller one's command.
“Kneel” he said forcefully to James.
“But--” he started.
The taller man repeated himself, “Kneel.” James fell to his knees with like a man who was desperately praying for a miracle that would never come. While James began to jabber and mutter incomprehensibly, the shorter man reached to his waist and extracted a black object with a stubby nose, like a pug's, that was hard to make out in the morning light. He handed it to the taller man, who then fiddled with it before sending an approving smile back to his companion. Holding James' shoulder in one hand, steadying the object behind James' head with the other, he said:
“Hold still for just one second. This should be brief.”
James began to babble. “Oh God--” he said, but was cut short. As he slumped forward, and the echo tore across the field, all the birds flew away.