Dark Crown

Chapter 1

"All teachers please lock your doors and move students away from all windows. There is a threat on campus," our principal's voice crackled over the loudspeaker. I quickened my pace to a sprint, trying to reach the nearest classroom door. My hand slams down on the handle, only to find that that teacher has already locked it. I run to the next door, and the next. These are locked to. I stop running, not wanting to attract attention to myself considering that there is some sort of suspicious activity going on on campus. I pause for a second to consider my options. I could stay put where I was and wait it out, I could just leave campus, or I could try to find a teacher who was maybe checking for people who were in the halls.
I decide to search around campus for teachers for a few minutes before I leave the school.
I walk towards the end of the hallway that I am in, taking careful steps so that I remain as quiet as possible. I peek around the corner, glancing around quickly for any signs that someone was there, before I step out into the open. I head toward the door that leads to outside and shove it open, wincing at the noise that it makes. I turn the corner and see three men, each one holding a gun. The youngest looks to be in their late teens, while the oldest looks to be in his late 30s. I immediately lead back against the wall, breathing as quietly as I can. They probably already heard the door open. With a noise like that, it would have been nearly impossible to miss.
I hear one of the men call out, probably the youngest one judging by the voice. "Who's there?" he calls out. I hear a pair of footsteps walking towards me. I shoot out out from the doorway that I was hiding in and sprint across the sidewalk. I know that it is stupid considering that they have guns, but the only other option was to be cornered against that door. At least this way I would have some sort of chance at escape. I scream as I run, hoping to draw attention from the police if they are at the school yet.
My years of track and cross country pay off as I pump my legs faster and faster. I hear the men behind me running as well. I take note of my surroundings as I run and notice that the trees and buildings are rushing by at a terrifyingly fast rate. I don't know what is going on or why I'm moving so fast. I tell myself that it is just adrenaline and my already fast pace. I also can also hear multiply pairs of footsteps behind me, meaning that the men are also somehow running this fast.
I don't have time to think about the issue of how fast I am running any further. I feel a hand grab my should and pull me to the ground. I slid across the concrete, my arms and legs stinging painfully as blood begins to cover my skin.
A hand slaps over my mouth and another one holds my hands together. I scream, but it is muffled by the hand over my mouth. I struggle to escape, though the three men holding me keep their grip.
"Let go of me let go of me" I repeat over and over in my head. I can feel my heart hammering in my chest.
Surprised isn't a strong enough for what I felt when all three men removed there hands from me and stood up, their eyes glazed over and their movements robotic. I watched in awe as they began to walk off, leaving me gaping and alone. What had just happened? Why had they just let go and walked off. None of it made any sense.
I hear someone nearing me and I look up to see a boy who looked about 16 running towards me. I prepare to run again, but he calls out instead.
"Hey don't run I'm not going to hurt you or anything."
I decide to stay put and wait for him. It is a matter of seconds before he reaches me and stops running. I stare at him, trying to find out what he could possibly want. He is strikingly handsome. He is very tall and slim and very fit looking. He has tan skin, dark brown hair, and hazel eyes that look green in the sunlight.
"Thanks for trusting me on that one," he says, "I'm Liam. Those men who just left? They have your heart set on killing you. Your Alexis, right?"
"Yeah I'm Alexis. And why would those men want to kill me? "
"I'll tell you all that later. I'll just tell you now that it is a long story. For now, come with me. We need to get those scrapes clean and then I'll explain what just happened and why."
For some reason, I felt like I could trust Liam. I know that sounded foolish, but I also felt pulled to him by curiosity.
"Ok. I'll come with. I don't know what else to do, and I certainly don't want to run into those men again."
"Oh they are gone. But come with anyways. Your about ready to have the experience of a lifetime."
What was that supposed to even mean?
Curious, I followed Liam around the side of the school as he lead me to what I was assuming was his car. He walked up to a black Ferrari and unlocked the passenger side door, opening it and motioning for me to sit. I enter the car and sit down on the black leather seat. Liam
closes the door behind me and circles around to the driver's side, sitting down next to me in front of the steering wheel. He puts the key in the ignition and reversed the car from the parking spot.
"Where are we going?"I ask.
"We are going to my house. We'll be there in 10 minutes."