To Be Claimed

✙ Chapter 9 ✙

Hey!

Couldn't sleep much last night, so wrote this up! Enjoy! ;)

~Lissa

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There was clanging of metal as I wandered down the cold passageways, helplessly dragging my hands along the wet walls. He was angry - very angry. The smell of rainwater and dirt was a constant reminder that I was underground somewhere; my bare feet splashed in the small puddles on the ground. I heard heavy footsteps - ones that weren't mine - and I whipped my head around, looking over my shoulder. There was his familiar figure, trailing behind me in amusement. His shoulders were slumped forward and he walked with confidence. He enjoyed chasing after me; the chase was his favorite part. It made him feel in power while I was the pathetic one, playing the prey. I released a small cry and grabbed a handful of my hair, tugging it until I bravely ripped a chunk out. No, I thought, staggering forward. He's in your head!

His sadistic laugh came and chills shot down my spine. "You're in so much trouble, Sweetness." The moment his nickname echoed throughout the passageway, I knew it was Daniel - he was the only one who called me that. "John is dead; my Beta was killed because of you." The snap of John's neck filled my ears and I smacked them with my hands, covering them. Yet, my hands didn't prevent Daniel's words from being heard. "I should kill your brother - I should rip his throat out! But, he's the only one close enough to possessing enough power to be my Beta. Not only that, but it would irritate you - your brother being my second-in-command." His laugh came again, much harsher.

I came to a stairway with cracking, concrete steps. Sparing a glance over my shoulder, I started descending down the stairs, nearly slipping on the wet surface. Pieces of concrete stabbed into my feet, drawing blood. "This isn't real," I whispered, hearing his approaching footsteps. "This is a nightmare . . . it's only a nightmare. . ."

I cursed when I came to the last step, knowing he was at the top, watching me with his cruel smile. I moved forward, finding myself debating between two passageways - one to my left and the other to my right. I glanced down both passageways with hesitation, noticing they were both filled with darkness, almost as if there was a black hole at the end of them. "Which way will it be, Sweetness?"

I started hearing him walking down the stairs and quickly, I turned right. I wandered down the passageway, hoping there wasn't something terrifying at the end. I patted the cold wall next to me, squinting through the darkness. There was a long moment of silence and I felt my stomach flutter - was he still following me? Did I lose him? Suddenly, a sliver of white light appeared up ahead and I gasped, relief flooding over me. With a grunt, I moved towards the light, praying it was going to suck me back into reality. The closer I got, the more the light stretched, nearly blinding me. A grin came across my face as I reached out towards the beautiful light, desperately. Please, I pleaded in my head. Please. Please. But, when my fingers touched it, I wasn't sucked back into reality. I didn't find myself back at the motel with Ryker. No! Please! I shoved my hand into the light, before pushing my whole body into it.

Slowly, I turned around, finding myself face-to-face with Daniel. Dark circles rested underneath his eyes and his hair was messy, sticking out in all sorts of directions. He towered over me, his dark eyes glaring down at me. A dark smirk stretched on his face, followed by his head tilting to one side. "If only you listened to me, none of this would've happened." He lifted his hand and dragged his knuckle along my cheekbone. "All you had to do was run in the Chase - that was it! But, no! You had to be difficult; you're always so f*cking difficult."