[WP] You are a mugger in NYC. You end up mugging a man who only had a USB stick in his pockets. After taking it and making your escape, you later find there's only one thing on the USB. A picture, of you, tied up in an unfamiliar room.

I looked around in a panic. The sweat was dripping down from the back of my spine as I sought a way out of this mess. Only moments ago, I was just hungry and looking for an extra penny to survive on. To stay alive, I simply did what most people would have in my position.

I only meant to steal her wallet, maybe a couple of dollars for a hot dog. The girl seemed like an easy target, the typical student wearing a navy blue round top, short sleeve shirt, white skater skirt and black oxfords. The teenager didn’t notice a thing when I slipped my hand inside and tried to pull out her wallet but when her friends caught me and called me out, I just ran with whatever I could get my hands on, a cold metal case, no longer than the length of my index finger. I sprinted for my life. No looking back. The last thing I wanted was to find myself in jail and hungry. For everyone who'd been there would know hunger makes you weak and weak is not what you want to be in prison.

The street behind me was empty, not a shadow tracing the escaping path I took. I wiped the sweat off my forehead, calming my nerves and pacing my heart rate back to the 100s. The trick to escaping from potential pursuers was to blend in with the crowd, don't act strange, go with the flow and act like you were on your way to your destination just like everyone else.

I took the USB stick out of my pocket again and glanced at the pointless little prize, sighing deeply in disappointment. It wasn't something I could use to trade food with, but then again perhaps the information inside would be worth something. Curiosity had always been my worst habit and my heart wouldn't let this opportunity slip away either.

It was only a matter of minutes before I found an internet café and a seat behind one of the empty computers. It was a slow-running 90s computer with the cube like screen and old sticky keyboards where some of the letters had mysteriously gone missing. I always wondered what people do with them. I shrug to the thought and retain my focus on the matter at hand. I insert the USB stick into the computer and patiently wait for the welcoming pop up. Several minutes later it does just that.

I opened the folder only to find a single file resting quietly inside. Don’t open. It said. I do what any person would and hovered my cursor over it. Once again, I look back to see if there was any reason for me to run, but the coast was clear and the room was void of people. My conscience had been playing devil’s advocate and I’m the victim. You can never be too sure.

Two taps it was and it had left me dumbfounded. Unable to comprehend the reason behind the image I saw on the screen. The screen portrayed a picture of me on a chair with my hands tied to the chair, blind folded and gagged by two sets of cloth. A bright lit vanilla lightbulb flared across the screen, lightly swinging across the room. Behind me was what appeared to be torn wallpaper and a painting; none of these I remember seeing before. At the corner of the picture I can vaguely make out what appears to be a calendar. 2015, October 22.

I look at my cheap digital watch, pressing proudly on the button to light up the display. My eyes widen with shock as I noticed the date imprinted on the top. 21-Oct-2015. But that means the picture is dated for tomorrow?

“I see you’ve found our picture, Ms. Son.”

Before I could turn around, I felt a pair of hands cover my mouth with a cloth and what smells like chemicals. My vision darkens, sudden fatigue… washi… washing… over… me.