(Unedited) Stage One: Hope in Darkness

Lost Again (Annabelle)

Shadow was still holding onto me. I pushed him away, suddenly embarrassed about my behavior. I mean seriously? I was sitting here crying like a little baby. I hid my face from him. I knew my cheeks would be bright red, I could feel the heat. Shadow for once didn't say anything. He just stepped back a few paces and turned around. It was almost sweet that he was giving me a little privacy to get myself righted.

I wiped my face and blew my nose on a cloth from my bag. It took several very careful breaths before I tapped him on the shoulder. I signed, let's go get our girl. He smiled, "that one is always getting into trouble." His tone was light but I could see steel in his eyes. If I didn't hate those people more than he did I would almost feel sorry for them. They would be getting no mercy from either of us. They knew exactly what they were doing.

Who they were working for. They called him master, I called him monster. Shadow, Hannibal and I walked back to the gas station. Those men had not only taken Lara but also the truck. We would have to follow on foot.

"I know a guy who has a car." Shadow spoke up from behind me. Do you think he'll trade it to us? He smiled.

"I wasn't planning on asking." I smiled and shook my head. Under different circumstances I might feel bad about stealing someone else's hard earned things. But not today.

Lead the way. Apparently the guy who had the car was not in the direction His men had taken Lara. It felt wrong to be going the wrong way but we needed the car.

It was only a day's hike shadow had told me. The car would well make up for the time. Oh right I almost forgot. I still had a bone to pick with him. I turned to look at Shadow, his long strides put him slightly in front of me. I quickened my feet so that he could see me.

Why did you pretend you didn't know asl back there in the woods? I signed

"I wanted to get you all riled up." He smirked, "And it worked if I recall correctly." Why did he want me riled up? I signed my question to him. He just smiled wider and replied, "I was hoping you would attack me so I could get my hands on you." He looked me up and down, making his meaning very clear. I blushed. I couldn't help it. No one ever looked at me the way he did. Like I was his oxygen. And after people found out about my throat, well they lost all interest. No one wanted to be with a mute freak like me.

I swallowed and looked away. Why did this crazy thing make me so shy all of a sudden? I tried not to look at him as we walked. I didn't want to see those hypnotizing blue eyes for a while. Until I could get my traitorous heart back to a normal rhythm. I could feel those eyes on me. I ignored him. That only seemed to amuse him. I could hear him chuckling softly to himself.

I reached out my hand to Hannibal. I threaded my fingers into the fur behind his head. He nuzzled closer to me. Shadow and I didn't have time to indulge on whatever the heck this was. Our..... relationship, if you could call it that, would have to wait.

It was six twenty four when Shadow gave the signal to stop. "Wait here, I'll come pick you and the pooch up." I didn't like the fact that he called Hannibal a pooch but I stayed where I was. He would know how to get in and out better than I would. minutes passed before I heard shouts and the starting of a vehicle. The gate I could see in the distance burst open. Shadow behind the wheel of a suv. Subtle.I rushed out to the little dirt road. I threw Shadow in the back and climbed in after him. Shadow slammed on the gas just as bullets started to wiz by us. None hit the car. Course with the way Shadow drove I wasn't surprised. He swerved all over the road and I didn't even want to look at the speedometer. When we were safely away he stopped swerving but his speed didn't decrease.

Shadow and I were in the back seat. Not a lot of room for him to lay down so I pulled a dare devil move and climbed over the center console to sit up front. "Miss me?" Shadow piped up from next to me. I rolled my eyes. "One of these days the answer to that question is going to be a hell yes." Not in this lifetime. I signed back. He was silent.

All the adrenaline left my system quickly. I hadn't slept since the cabin. My eyes closed before I could even think. The darkness for sleep pulled me under. Something soft touched my forehead. I fell into a deep slumber.