In the middle of it all.

CHAPTER 7

If she was going to do this, she needed to use her senses and memory to help her center herself. She knew she was in the middle of the kitchen and she remembered the kitchen being on the left of the house as you entered. She could hear a lot of noise coming from her right and she assumed that was where most of the staff were. To the left, she remembered the large living room but, that would take her passed the staircase.

"Right," she commanded. Instantly, Nelly began to move towards the right. She kept a reasonable pace while Mikayla held loosely on the lead. They walked quietly, every now and then Nelly would swerve to a specific side, no doubt avoiding an object. Mikayla could hear staff members going about their duty. Some were kind and greeted her as she passed, others simply ignored her. She wasn't sure where she was going. Nelly would only stop when commanded or when a dead end was reached; neither had happened yet.

The further they walked, the more disorientated Mikayla became and the quieter things around appeared. Slowly, she extended her right hand and let it stretch straight next to her body. She expected to feel something, even a wall but she felt nothing. Her fears quickly surrounded her, and her heart seemed to double in speed when her stomach dropped.

What if she was lost?

Nelly recognized her emotions straight away and without question, the dog stopped and began to whine as she rubbed her head all around Mikayla's legs. Mikayla tried to control her breathing, she tried to think rationally but her insecurities and fears were loud. What if she had accidently wondered away where no one could find her? What if the only person to find her was a murderer?

As her thoughts spiraled out of control, Nelly's whines increased in frequency. Eventually the dog was jumping on her hind legs, trying to push her snout into Mikayla's face. She could feel Nelly's tongue lick her on every odd jump.

"What is going on here?" Somewhere amidst her terrible thoughts and Nelly's whines, Mikayla heard a voice. It sounded muffled through the ringing in her ears. It sounded too far away. So did the footsteps.

Hands touched her unexpectedly, and she screamed; loudly. Suddenly the ringing faded and then all the noise hit her at once. She could hear Nelly growl, then suddenly whine as she remembered her handler. She could also hear a voice attached to the hands that tried to pull on her own. She didn't even remember putting her hands on her face.

"Da- Daxton," she whispered brokenly.

"Yeah it's me." His voice was clearer. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

Mikayla swallowed through the tightness of her throat. She needed water. She wanted to ask for some but nodded instead. "Where am I?"

Nelly had calmed down. She now simply laid across her feet, her snout pushing against her legs. It helped.

"You're in one of the large hallways at the back of the house. How did you get here? And where are Annabelle and Nick?"

"I needed to get away," she answered.

"Away from what?"

"Nick and Annabelle. They're doing my head in. They won't leave me alone. When Nick left for work and Annabelle rushed to attend to Sofia, I saw my chance. I just needed a moment alone."

"I get that. They have been a bit much, yeah?" She nodded. "How did you end up on this side of the house?"

She shrugged. "I just walked. When things got quiet, it suddenly registered that I could be lost. I panicked a bit."

"You can't get lost with Nelly," Daxton said with a chuckle.

"Actually, I can. Nelly isn't a navigation system. I control where we go, she just makes sure I don't bump into anything. Nelly is a dog; how would she know where I want to go if I don't tell her."

He hummed. "That makes sense. So, what was she doing jumping on you like that?"

Mikayla blushed. "It's her training. She was comforting me, trying to ground me."

He was quiet. "You were having a panic attack." It wasn't a question, merely an observation. She nodded. "You're safe here Mikayla. Even if you wondered off, someone on this property would see you and find you. You don't have to fear."

She wasn't sure how he knew, how he understood exactly where her thoughts had gone but she was so grateful that he did. "Thank you."

"Mikayla!"

"Oh no," she whispered. Annabelle had now realized she was gone and judging by her tone, she was pissed.

Daxton chuckled and soon she felt his hand in hers. He tugged gently. "Come with me. I know the perfect place we can go where she won't find us."

"You're sure?" She was skeptical.

"You want some breathing room, then that's what I'm giving you." She could hear his excitement and she felt it too in his pull and quick footsteps. Again, Mikayla found herself wondering around towards the unknown. Only this time, her anxiety was overshadowed by exhilaration.