"But mom, I don't want to" Annabelle always threw a tantrum whenever she didn't get her way. We all thought by now that she would have matured like everyone else, but here she is 23 years old and still acting a fool. "Look sweetie, I don't ask much of you. I am only going to be gone for the weekend. Why can't you just do something I ask of you without arguing with me for once." My mom is a saint. She has far more patients than I do. She usually lasts at least 15 minutes before ending her pleasantries. "It is particularly important that I attend this meeting, and your sister has her internship in Czecne so she can't do it. Pretty please, I will give you $60." In the end, Annabelle always caves and mom's out money. I guess it's a win-win for both of them. "Sharlah, what time are you heading to Czecne tomorrow?" Her eyes held a devious glint, one that always appeared when she wished to challenge me. "Not until 1pm, why? Are you buying again? I think I'm in the mood for some Raja tonight." I smirked at her playfully. "Tonight is the night that I will out drink you Shar. I can feel it in my liver!" She is rather optimistic for someone who had to get their stomach pumped last time.

So, it's like this. My sister thinks she is this badass who can win anything and everything against anyone. I will admit, when it comes to the general population, she definitely wins that argument. When compared to me on the other hand, she doesn't stand a chance. You see, my sister and I have spent our entire life competing over every single thing. We both enjoyed anime and video games, so much like that concept, we decided to treat life as if we were a living avatar and compete to see who can level up the highest. To this day, I have been proven the superior sibling and that is what drives Anna crazy. Lately, she has been trying to out drink me. See, I have never really enjoyed drinking beyond social events, so Anna thought that she would challenge me to a drinking competition since she drinks all the time. She has attempted this silly notion 4 times in the last 3 months. "Alright Anna, you're on! Don't cry when you have to use that $60 from mom to buy my bombass burrito tonight!" I can't help myself; I have to tease her. "Awesome! I will see you at 6pm. Don't be late or you lose by default!" With that I took my leave.

As I approached the front door, I noticed a yellow sticky note taped to it. It reads: 'Let's get lunch! The usual spot. xoxo forever yours, Z.' My heart skipped a beat. See, I dated this guy, Zander, about five years ago. Everything was great with our relationship. He showered me in gifts, took me to fancy parties, and rubbed my feet whenever I asked him to. We were together for a total of three months before he ended up going to prison for money laundering and fraud. I told him to take my advice, but he didn't listen. If he had, he would not have ended up in that situation.. Honestly, I am surprised to hear he is out. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison with a chance for parole after serving five years. He must have gotten it.. I opened the door, spotting Moon sitting on top of the plant table waiting for me. Moon is my 3-month-old Maine Coon cat. She is black with a white crescent shaped mark on her forehead with faded gray clouds surrounding it. I placed my coat and shoes on the racks by the door and headed to the kitchen. *BZZZZ* my phone rang from my coat pocket. Oh well, no sense in walking all the way back over there with an empty stomach. I proceeded to make some French toast.

45 minutes have passed. *BZZZZ* I snagged my phone from my coat pocket and glanced at the caller id 'UNKNOWN'. I decided to answer it, "Hello." "Hey there beautiful, it's about damn time you answer your phone. I have been trying to reach you for an hour!" A husky voice spoke through the phone. "I think you have the wrong number." And with that, I hung up the phone. *BZZZZ* 'UNKNOWN' Not again, "What do you want? I already told you that you have the wrong number." The voice grew impatient "Sharlah, you better not hang up this damn phone again. Do I make myself clear?" Talk about rude "And who are you that you think you can just tell me what to do asshole." My patience is already starting to wear thin. "Really, it has only been five years, and you already forgot about me!" The voice bellowed "After everything I did for you! Talk about ungrateful." It is Zander. "Zander, is that really you? Last I heard you were in lock up for not following orders" I have to admit, I am still pretty annoyed that he was stupid enough to get busted. To think, all he had to do was add another step to the process and he would've been in the clear. "Fuck yeah it is baby. I will see you in 10 minutes." The phone went blank.

I rushed to my room to put on something cuter than my sweatsuit. Three outfits later and I finally found the perfect one! I wore a green lacy blouse with a short gray skirt and my black heels to match. I scurried to the bathroom to fix up my makeup, then put on some tea. *Knock**Knock* I opened the door to find Zander standing there, hotter than ever. He is about 6'3", has shaggy black hair, a lip piercing, and built like a tank. "Hi Zander!" I hugged him tightly. I could feel his strong arms pressed against mine. He definitely has been working out. "Hello love, did you miss me? 'Cuz I sure as hell missed you" He smirked at me. "Well duh I missed you! Please, come in" I ushered him inside and pointed towards the couch. "Make yourself at home, would you like some tea?" He nodded as I walked to the kitchen. He likes his tea with 3 scoops of brown sugar and a splash of honey. After making our tea, I took a seat beside him. "So, what are you doing tonight?" Zander had a hopeful look on his face. "Anna has been challenging me to a drink off and we are having round 5 tonight. It's actually pretty great, because I have beaten her 4 times so far and every time I do she has to by me a fancy dinner of my choosing." Zander bursted out laughing. "I see you two are still as competitive as ever. Would you mind if I tagged along? I could be the official booze challenge referee." We giggled for a bit, reminiscing. "Remember last time you were supposed to be the referee. What was the challenge again? Oh yes! It was mud wrestling. You ended up with a mouth full of mud trying to pull me off of Anna." I really do miss those days. Zander and I have only ever had one fight and yes you guessed it, he didn't want to add the extra step into his process to cover his ass. I don't think he will make the mistake of being an ignorant fool again. At least one can hope. "Yes, it was hilarious. In my defense though, you did have her in a choke hold, and she was starting to pass out, so it seemed entirely necessary for me as the official referee to take action." He does have a good point. Although, all she had to do was tap out. She is about as stubborn as I am though. "Let me call Anna real quick and see how she feels about you tagging along. I will be right back; can you please find us a movie to watch." He nodded, grabbing the remote.

I went into the bathroom and called Anna. "Sharla, you better not be cancelling on me! I will count this as a win!" Anna yelled through the phone. "No Anna, I am calling to see if it was cool if I brought a friend. He could be the official referee!" I gotta admit, I am a bit nervous about telling her that Zander is back. Although Anna and Zander get along, she was really pissed off when she found out he was operating a shady business. She even threatened to beat his ass next time she seen him. Trust me, Anna can deal some major damage. In order to increase our stats, we spent a good majority of our youth participating in classes for kickboxing, martial arts, and fencing. She is a beast when it comes to hand-to-hand combat. She is also not the type who forgives and forgets easily. I truly fear for Zander. "That depends on who it is you are referring to. Since you used the term official referee, I am going to go out on a limb here and say it's Zander." Damn, she is pretty clever. "See, funny story, he got out of jail on parole for good behavior and he wants to catch up. I know how pissed off at him you are and if I wasn't leaving for Czecne tomorrow, I wouldn't even have asked. But as you know I am moving to Czecne tomorrow and I would really like to catch up with him." Truth is, I still have a lot of feelings for Zander. Even though we have been apart for the last five years, it seems like nothing has changed between us. "Really Shar, you gotta go and put this shit on me. I really want to punch him in the face." Yikes, as expected, she is still angry. "I know you do Anna, but I am asking you not to. I will tell you what. If he gets caught again, you can beat the shit out of him." Anna seemed to have calmed down. "Better yet, I think Zander can come, but only if I get to punch him one time in the stomach. That is my only offer. Take it or leave it." A smile flickered on my face. Surely with all of Zander's working out he can live through one punch. "Okay, it's a deal. We will see you at 6pm."

After talking to Anna, I rushed over to Zander to tell him the great news. "Okay, so good news is Anna said you can crash our challenge night and be our official referee. The bad news is, Anna is still pissed off at you, so she gets to punch you in the stomach one time. Take it or leave it." Amusement on his face, Zander cheerfully accepted the terms. "A punch in the gut for an entire night with you, it is totally worth it." His cheeky grin was contagious. Those warm, green eyes peered into mine. "We have a few hours before we have to meet up with her, what do you want to do? Did you find anything good for us to watch?" He handed me the remote. "Well, this is embarrassing. I actually have no idea how to work that thing. I guess technology advanced quite a bit in five years." He nervously rubbed his head. "Oh! I am sorry, I guess I just didn't realize. " As I took the remote control from him, my fingertips brushed against his hand. A surge of electricity passed between us, and though it was a fleeting moment, it was powerful enough to make my heart skip a beat. His skin was cool to the touch. While idly browsing through the available channels, I sought a program that would relax me. I ultimately settled on a comedy and then placed the remote on the table. "So, tell me, what did you do when you were locked up?' Zander's expression changed. "Oh, you know, I worked out 8 hours a day, got my business management degree, and I did tattoos for snacks." I shook my head. "Wow, you got your business management degree. Does this mean you are going to own a proper business this time?" I teased. "Yes ma'am, that is the goal. I want to do better by you and myself." He has definitely done some growing up. I think I am going to like the new Zander. "Well, I would hope so. Tattoos for snacks, interesting. Tell me more." I have never really been one to play into the mushy empty words shit. He is going to have to prove to me he has changed. "Surprisingly, tattoos are super easy to do and a lot of people really want them. It's only natural that I use my artistic talent to administer them." I see, so he wants to be a tattoo artist. That's cool. "If you want, I can make you a logo and website for your tattoo business." I hope this is not another coverup business. "Really, that would be amazing Shar! I would absolutely appreciate it." He placed his hand on my leg. My heart began to race, butterflies in my stomach. I am not a virgin or anything, I just haven't been with a man since Zander got locked up. Gosh it has been so long. I just couldn't force myself to move on. I knew deep in my heart that Zander would find his way back to me. "I have been extremely busy. Let's see, I graduated with my bachelor's in computer science, bought a motorcycle, bought a house in Czecne, completed 21 challenges with my sister, and I have a badass internship for Tech Enterprises in Czecne beginning tomorrow." My voice trailed off as I seen sadness fall upon his face. "So, you're leaving then. Moving to Czecne." I grabbed his hand as I gazed into his eyes. "Yes Zander, I am moving to Czecne tomorrow at 1pm." I may have been hopeful that he was going to come back to me, but he can't expect me to put my career on hold for him. This is my chance to make something of myself. "Well, if you're leaving tomorrow, then we better make the most of the time we have together." He pulled my face close, caressing my lips with his. I leaned into him, stroking my fingers across his chest. His arms snaked around my waist resting on my butt. He trailed one hand up the small on my back, grasping my blouse. He slowly pulled it over my head and tossed it onto the table. "Man did I miss this. Yum, you are absolutely delectable." His hungry eyes gazed upon my curves. His lips crashed against mine, pressing me down onto the couch. Desire took over as I pulled off his shirt. Damn he is toned, and he has a beautiful new chest tattoo. I traced his muscles beginning with his arms and trailing to his abs. Prison life certainly was good for his physique. With a snap of a finger my bra was unclasped and joined my shirt. He caressed my curves, softly squeezing while pinching my nipples between his fingers. His kisses trailed from my mouth to my ear. As he nibbled on it, he reached down and hiked up my skirt leaving me revealed. I rarely wear panties; they are the worst! So naturally I didn't think to put some on when changing into the skirt. His hand began at my knee and danced up and down my thigh. Instinctively, I pressed my thighs together. I can feel his cool touch against my flaming hot thighs. He then stopped and sat up to unbutton his pants and remove them, revealing his throbbing member. Damn, I forgot how perfect he is! Flustered, I sat up on my knees and looked Zander in the eyes. I ran my fingers up his thigh and across his waistline. Gosh do I love teasing him. Hunger burned in his yearning eyes as I slipped my hand around his throbbing member. I slid my hand up and down his shaft, lightly squeezing it. I slowly increased the speed of my hand when Zander let out a gasp. I smirked and brought my hand up to my mouth. I spit on it then proceeded to stroke his member. It began to throb the longer I stroked it. I then brought my face in and licked the tip. Slowly, I worked his member into my warm, wet mouth; sliding it to the back of my throat. I bobbed my head back and forth getting faster as I sucked. Suddenly, he threw me back on the couch and began stroking my clit up and down. "Sorry darlin', but it has been five years since we last had sex and I do not plan on finishing in your mouth." With that he slipped one finger inside me. "Damn baby girl, you really haven't been with anyone else, have you?" I gasped. It feels so good, I feel like I'm going to burst. "No, I have been waiting for you." His lips crashed against mine and his throbbing member replaced his finger. He thrusted in and out, sliding deep inside my warmth. His speed swiftened with every thrust until we both exploded. Breathing heavily, Zander laid his head on my chest. "Man, I really missed this. It's a shame I can't just move with you." Tears began streaming down my face. I really love this man; would it be so bad to have him live with me? I'm sure he could get work down there. Like I said, five years feels like yesterday. "We should probably get ready to go, we have to leave in ten minutes." We then gathered our clothes and headed to the bar.

When we pulled up, I seen Anna heading inside. "Quick, we have to run! It's 5:57pm and if we are late, I lose!" We ran inside and took a seat next to Anna. "Hey Anna, long time no see!" Zander gave a polite smile. "Hey Zander, you ready to get punched? Because I have been so excited about it since Sharla agreed to the terms." She flashed a toothy grin. "Can I at least have a drink first." He replied nervously. "Nope, if the terms are not fulfilled then you are not invited." She stood up. "C'mon, let's take this outside." We walked out the back door and into the alley. Anna clenched her fist and got into her strike position. "Alright Zander, consider this a mercy shot and if I ever catch you doing anything sketchy ever again, I will do this to your face. Do I make myself clear?" Her eyes were cold as a winter's night. "Yes ma'am, I really am sorry." She wound her arm back and punched him straight in the stomach with everything she had. Zander dropped to the floor, clenching his gut, and gasping for air. Damn, even after prison bootcamp, Zander was super affected by her punch. I hope he pulls through before too long. I reached down, grabbed his arm, and pulled him up off the ground to his feet. Placing my arm around his waist, I assisted in walking him back to the bar for that drink. "Alright Sharla, so this is how the challenge is going to work. We are each going to take turns ordering 1 shot and 1 drink for each of us. We can each decide what we are going to drink when it is our turn to order. At the end of the night, whoever loses pays the tab and has to buy Raja. Is that a deal?" I smirked at her. "You got yourself a deal, go ahead and order first." Man, this is like taking candy from a baby. There is no way I won't win. As long as we don't start with beer life will be great. "Bartender, can we please get 2 shots of patron and 3 whiskey sours." Looks like we're kicking it off old school, I like it. When our drinks arrived, we toasted and downed the shots then sipped on our drinks. "So, Sharla, are you excited about tomorrow?" Anna knew how much of a big deal this was for me. "Yes, I am beyond ecstatic! The movers will be there at 9am and I leave at 1pm." Zander finally came to and took a drink of his whiskey sour. The rest of the night played out pretty well for me. 14 drinks and shots later and I am finally starting to feel buzzed. Anna keeps dragging me onto the dance floor insisting I join her, and Zander follows suit. All in all, it was a great night, until round 32; 2 shots of rumples and 2 long islands. This is where things got interesting. I am extremely tipsy at this point, but not blackout drunk. Meanwhile, Anna is so drunk that she can't even stand. This means I am the true winner once again. "Hey Anna, guess what!" She was laying down on the bar. "Yeah Sharla, I know you're winning this shit again. No need to remind me. I don't understand how you can be absolutely perfect at everything. Its not fair!" Yikes, she's way too drunk and in her feelings. Time to leave. "Okay Anna, you officially lost so pay the man and let's go get some bombass burritos!" She reluctantly paid the bill, and we headed to Raja.

Raja is a hole in the wall Mexican restaurant that serves supreme burritos that are bigger than my head. It is the place to go. We headed inside and sat in a booth. "So, Anna, how's it feel to lose once again to Sharla?" Zander gleamed. "Shut up Zander. I will beat her at something someday, you'll see." She then stood up and ran out the door. "Really Zander, read the room. She was clearly very upset by it." I rushed after her, but when I got outside, she was nowhere to be found. Worried, I immediately tried her cell. To my surprise, a man picked up. "If you want to see her alive, you better meet me in front of the old theatre in 2 hours with $25,000 in cash." The phone went silent, and my heart felt like it was going to fly out of my chest. Anna must have been too intoxicated to fight him off. I need to do something, quick. I ran back into the restaurant, ushering Zander to the car. We flew to my house where I grabbed my laptop and got to work.

After 45 minutes, I was able to trace Anna's phone location. I quickly printed off a bunch of fake $100's out of normal printer paper and stuffed them in a suitcase. "Okay, here's the plan. We are going to place this briefcase in the car and drive to Anna's phone location. Then, I am going to sneak in through the back and attempt to free Anna. Your job is to stay on standby in the car incase more people show up or he tries to book ass out the front. In that case you are to take him down. Understood?" I just know I can rescue her. "What if it doesn't work?" Of course he would go there. "Then we bring this fake cash to drop off and go from there. It's called improvising for a reason. Now if you don't have any objections, let's go." We entered the car and rushed to Anna's location.

"Gosh, I hope we're not too late." I can't help but be worried about my sister's health. "I'm sure she's fine Shar, we have another hour before drop off." I kissed Zander tenderly before running behind the building. Of course, the damn door would be locked. There has to be another way. I studied the side of the building and noticed an open window on the second floor. Perfect, now I just have to find a way up there. I decided the easiest way up would be to climb on top of the trash can and then run and jump across to the ledge. It's going to be risky, but I've done sketchier things. I walked to the very back edge of the trash can and took my runners stance. I took a breath and counted to 3 before bolting across the trash can, leaping through the air, and catching myself by my hands on the ledge. I then pulled myself up and through the window. Thankfully, no one was in the room. I made my way out the door and down the hallway. Quiet as a mouse I listened for Anna but heard nothing. I checked my locator and seen that it was in the room to the right of me. As I reached for the handle, it began to turn. Startled, I quickly laid my back flat against the wall. The door opened and a huskier man walked out, shutting the door behind him. I took this chance to strike. Jumping on his back, I grabbed either side of his head and swiftly twisted, causing a *snap* in his neck. I then quietly laid him on the ground. Slowly, I opened the door and entered the room.

The scene before me was incredibly disturbing and distressing. Anna, a helpless victim, was subjected to a horrifying display of violence and degradation. She had been forcefully stripped of all her clothes, leaving her completely exposed and vulnerable. With her body tightly bound to a bed post, she was unable to move or escape from her tormentors. The torment continued as clothespins were cruelly attached to her sensitive nipples, causing immense pain and discomfort. To further intensify her suffering, a blindfold was tightly secured around her eyes, leaving her in a state of darkness and disorientation. And as if the physical torment wasn't enough, a gag ball had been forced into Anna's mouth, effectively silencing her cries for help and adding another layer of humiliation to her ordeal. The sight was deeply disturbing, evoking a profound sense of sadness and anger at the utter disregard for human dignity and the infliction of such unimaginable suffering.

"Anna, are you okay? Can you hear me? I'm going to get you out of here." No response. She must have passed out from the alcohol. Fuck. Now what am I supposed to do. I don't even have a knife on me. I removed the clothes pins from her breasts and looked around the room for anything sharp with no success. I then headed out the door and down the stairs towards the kitchen. "Man, I sure hope he doesn't ruin that beautiful pussy." A man's voice came from the kitchen. "I know right, he has a bad habit of mutilating them. Maybe we should have fucked her first." How utterly disgusting. Took everything in me not to hurl. I really hope I killed him in time.

I entered the kitchen by crawling on the floor, taking every precaution to remain undetected. The room was dimly lit, with only a few flickering lights casting eerie shadows across the tiled floor. Thankfully, there was a massive island positioned strategically in the middle, obstructing the view of the men who occupied the room. As I cautiously moved forward, the adrenaline pumping through my veins, my eyes caught sight of a gleaming knife resting on the counter to my left. I carefully maneuvered towards the countertop; my movements as silent as a whisper. With a steady hand, I reached out and grasped the knife, feeling the cold steel against my skin. My heart raced, fearing that the smallest sound could betray my presence. However, luck was on my side, and the men remained oblivious to my stealthy acquisition. I then hurried back upstairs to Anna. I cut all of the ropes, the blind fold, and her gag. "It'll be okay Anna, whatever he did to you we will get through this together." I whispered as I took off my shirt and put it on her. At least some clothes are better than nothing.

Now to figure our exit. After carefully assessing our options, considering the layout of the room and the potential risks, I concluded that the window provided the best chance for us to escape unnoticed. Without wasting any time, I swiftly retrieved the roll of rope that the oblivious men had carelessly left in the corner of the room. It was almost comical how their oversight became our advantage. With a sense of urgency, I flung the rope out of the window, ensuring it extended far enough to reach the ground safely. Skillfully threading it through the door frame, I secured a sturdy knot, providing us with a lifeline to freedom. Taking a moment to gather my thoughts, I then hoisted the rope back up, ensuring it was taut and secure, before firmly tying both Anna and myself to its end. Embracing her tightly, I braced myself for the daring descent. Without hesitation, we leapt out of the window, feeling the adrenaline surge through our veins as the rope gradually halted our fall just inches above the solid ground. Swiftly and deftly, I planted my feet firmly, preventing us from careening into the nearby wall. With a sigh of relief, I swiftly untied us from the rope, wasting no time in hoisting Anna over my shoulder and dashing towards the waiting car, our hearts pounding with a mix of exhilaration and the urgency to escape. I placed her in the backseat and Zander drove to my house. After getting Anna into my bed, examining her entire body, and putting her in pajamas, I performed a remote wipe on her phone to guarantee that no data could be extracted from it.

"What a crazy night this turned out to be." Zander hugged me and rubbed my back. "That would be an understatement." There is no way I can leave Anna after this. How am I supposed to go to Czecne and just leave Anna here. That is not happening. "Zander, do you think you could watch my mom's house for the weekend?" I hate to do this, but it's necessary. "Probably, why what's going on?" "Well see she is gone for the weekend and Anna is supposed to house sit, but I am going to take her to Czecne with me instead." Zander nodded, "Consider it done. You can always count on me darlin'" He smiled up at me. "Also, Zander, why don't you come move in with me in Czecne after she gets back. What do you say? Are you up for a new adventure with me?" An ape shit grin plastered on his face. "Wherever you go, I go baby girl." He leaned in and kissed me.