In The Woods ➳ H.S.

☙ s i x t y - s e v e n

His heart was beating fast, matching the pace of my own, and I'm quite happy to know that I had the same effect on him as he had on me.

After a while, he let me go. Claiming he had something important to do and that he would see me later. And that was pretty much that last I saw of him before he dashed down to a different corridor.

I wait for my heart to calm down from the encounter before moving down the staircase in search of where they were holding my sister.

The so-called cabin was much, much smaller than the castle, but was surely bigger than the average home, even in the first town up this kingdom. I was certain I had been in the makeshift dungeon before, so it shouldn't be that hard to find it again - though it had been months since I've been here.

I walk around aimlessly, attempting to hear any screams that might point me to where my sister was, but the whole place was silent, which was quite the feat as there must be over a hundred people in the structure at the moment.

Time upon time passed until I finally recognize a hallway. A hallway that would haunt me for the rest of my life, and possibly even my next ones if the fates willed it.

I ran my hands over the cold walls, my mind recalling the first time I walked here. With Liam dragging me by the sleeve of my dress, offering me a bath.

I turn my head to see the door that lead to the room Liam let me through. I remember the events that happened next vividly clear now. Harry's filthy hands forcing my own to pleasure him, and the memory strikes both fear and anger in me.

But not towards anyone in particular.

That Harry does not exist anymore, and nor does that Annalyn. I have grown stronger - I would like to think so, at least - and so has Harry. We have both regretted, and repented. What's done is done, and what's gone is gone.

I attempted to map my way towards the dining hall from then on, remembering that the makeshift jail was near it.

It took me a while to finally accomplish the task and soon I'm opening the door to the room I needed to find.

I may have dropped my plans of making a run for it, certain that I'd somehow come running back anyway, but that doesn't mean that I'm not breaking my sister out from here.

"I'll get you out, I promise." I hear someone whisper, the soft voice echoing through the empty halls of the place.

"Don't put yourself in danger for me. Please, Mia. Just keep safe." A voice responds to it, this one was a lot more familiar.

"Sickening, isn't it?" I voice whispers into my ear from behind me, causing me to jump and attempt to punch the person at fault.

I turn around, launching my fist only for the person's hand to easily catch it. My eyes meet familiar cold blue ones and I glare.

"Nice to see you too, Annalyn." Niall greets.

I scoffed, retracting my hand. "Can't say the same." I reply, before crossing my arms. "Where have you been then?" I question, realizing that I haven't heard from him for a quite a while which made me feel on edge knowing he was probably setting more things up for his plan.

His shoulders carelessly shrug. "Out and about." He says, before leaning against the wall behind him.

"I love you." I hear Mia's voice speak again. Now that me and Niall were done talking, you could hear the pair get cozy.

Niall's face twists in disgust and discomfort, just a hint of anger showing as he crosses his arms and scowls. "They've been talking like that for an hour now." He says, obviously annoyed.

I raise my eyebrow at him. "And that should bother you, because?" I ask, only for him to look away.

"I just don't like that Zayn guy." He says, and there was something in his tone that told me there was more to this story that he was letting on.

I let it slide, not wanting to spend more time down here than necessary, so I immediately jump to the question I needed to ask. "Where's my sister?"

"Last cell on the left." Niall answers quickly, which was a shock since I expected more of an argument from him. I stare at him, waiting for him to tell me that he was only joking and that he wasn't actually going to tell me where my sister was.

And just as I thought he opens his mouth - but his words are not what I expect. "But I don't think you should see her right now." He says, voice softer.

"Why not?" I fire back.

Niall's eyes filled with pity as he detaches himself from the wall and uncross his arms. "She's not herself right now, Annalyn. Lea's in love with the dark, and last I saw she was basking in the fact that she had murdered a man.

"Believe it or not, I know what it's like to want to protect something, so just take my advice on this." As his words stop, the only sound that was heard was Mia's soft laughter echoing in the dark.

I let his words sink in, refusing to believe that Lea would be proud of such a thing. But the longer I think about it, the more it made sense. With who our father was and the environment she grew up in.

It was much worse for her. At least me and Christian had felt our mother's compassion for a short while before her sickness struck - Lea was very young then, possibly couldn't even remember it now.

"So what am I supposed to do? Leave her here?" I ask Niall.

He shrugs in reply. "We're in war. She'll be as safe here as she will be in any other part of the cabin."

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My q's for u!

1. Frickity frackity is coming up soon, would you prefer it in Harry's pov or Anna's?

2. What class do you hate the most? Honestly fucking hate theology, it's repetitive af and irrelevant.

vote. COMMENT. And uh don't shampoo pineapples.