Its Just One of Those Days

A disturbing tale of a young woman's life becoming a nightmare beyond anything she could have ever imagined. Who knew this could happen so suddenly? Who knew something like this could happen at all? Liz spends almost every day working at a nearby family-owned pizzeria, a family that she is fully accepted by but not actually a part of. Sure, her boss has a short temper and the work is both fast paced and tiring. Sure, the owner's daughter Nicole worries Liz because of all the drugs she does and Uncle Tim's drunken habits can definitely be cause for concern. And sure, she has to deal with a co-worker who quite obviously likes her (the feeling isn't mutual - or that's what she tells herself anyway). Nonetheless she's glad to have the job and has accepted her ordinary life. Little did she know that her life was about to turn upside down, inside out and become horrible mess. A violent man - a man who, Liz finds out, has murdered many young women like her - tricks her into thinking he's a kind old woman. He immediately abducts her and not much time passes before she ends up in her own personal prison. Being trapped in an uncomfortably small cage, feeling constant fear and anxiety, and enduring an incident with a security guard that leaves her feeling immensely violated are all distressing aspects of Liz's ordeal. As one would suspect, she gradually loses every last morsel of hope she has. Will she find a way to escape? Will she ever get to see her family and beloved dog Neptune again? Liz doubts it. In fact she's absolutely positive she'll never get out. Well, not alive anyway. Nonetheless she makes a shocking discovery along the way, a surprise that may just save her life...

Melissa Burke, 21, is the author of Poetry and Short Stories by a Bipolar Girl which was published in 2012. She currently lives in Massachusetts with her parents, sister and grandmother (plus her dog and hamster, of course).