(Complete)~BOOK ONE OF THE ENDEARMENT SERIES~
Arabella hasn't had the best childhood, resulting in bad grades, rebel behaviour and mental health problems. She moves to a new school where she meets Jace.
Jace has a great family, friends and life. But...
The days blurred together in a haze of uncertainty and fear, each one melding seamlessly into the next as I was whisked away from one nightmare to another. Time became fluid, bending and twisting under the weight of my captors' intentions, leaving me disoriented and adrift in a sea of shadows.
My father's presence was a suffocating weight, his every word a reminder of the life I had left behind—the life I had fought so desperately to escape. But now, as we moved through the crowded terminal of the airport, his grip on my arm like iron, I realized that escape was further out of reach than ever before.
Determined to blend in, he'd had my hair had been dyed a garish shade of blonde, the color foreign and unnatural against my skin.
It felt like a betrayal, a physical manifestation of the lies and deceit that had brought me to this point. But I knew resistance was futile. Survival demanded adaptation, and so I wore my new identity like a shroud, the weight of it heavy on my shoulders.
As we navigated the bustling crowds, my senses were assaulted by a cacophony of sounds and smells—the low hum of conversations in a myriad of languages, the sharp tang of jet fuel, the metallic clang of luggage carts. Each sensation heightened my anxiety, a constant reminder of the danger that lurked around every corner.
My father's movements were purposeful, his steps leading us inexorably towards our destination—a plane bound for destinations unknown. I stumbled along in his wake, my eyes darting nervously from face to face, searching for any sign of salvation in the sea of strangers.
And then, as if by some cruel twist of fate, I saw it—a gleaming lens nestled discreetly among the rafters, its gaze fixed unblinkingly on the chaos below. It was a security camera, a silent sentinel watching over the terminal with impassive indifference.
In that moment, a spark of hope ignited within me—a small, flickering flame in the darkness. With a surge of determination, I lifted my chin, meeting the camera's lens with an unwavering gaze. It was a silent plea, a desperate bid for help in a world that had turned its back on me.
I held that gaze for as long as I dared, willing the camera to see beyond the facade, to recognize the silent scream that echoed in the depths of my soul. And then, as quickly as it had come, the moment passed, my father's hand pulling me away, his grip like a vice around my wrist.
"Hurry the fuck up," he hissed and I obeyed him out of fear.
But the memory lingered—a fleeting moment of defiance in the face of overwhelming despair. It was a reminder that even in the darkest of shadows, there was still a glimmer of light—a beacon of hope that refused to be extinguished.
As we boarded the plane, the roar of engines drowned out the cacophony of the terminal, cocooning me in a blanket of noise and motion. With each passing moment, the world outside faded into insignificance, replaced by the sterile confines of the cabin and the ever-present specter of my father's presence.
But somewhere, amidst the roar of the engines and the ceaseless drone of the world outside, a silent plea echoed—a silent plea for rescue, for redemption, for a chance to break free from the shadows that threatened to consume me whole. And though the journey ahead was fraught with uncertainty and danger, I clung to that silent plea like a lifeline, knowing that as long as there was hope, there was still a chance to find my way back into the light.
I just hoped Jace would find me and help me find my way home.
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