Her Strange Love

5. The Capture

Capture-
taking someone by force.

I let out a weary sigh as I exit the administration building. I'm pretty sure I just made a terrible impression because I was ten minutes late.

My head starts to pound, the telltale sign of the beginnings of a migraine. I search for a place to rest as I start to sway on my feet.

My gaze scans the quad. Beautiful, towering buildings with gothic architecture enclose a grassy expanse with winding sidewalks littered throughout. An ancient looking fountain riddled with moss sprays a stream of water above it before making a soothing splashing noise as it hits the surface. I notice an old, stone bench hidden by the limbs of weeping willows. If I wasn't searching for it, I would never have noticed it - perfect.

When I reach the bench, I sweep back the leaves that are enclosing it like a canopy. I stifle gasp; it's beautiful. The dwindling sunlight that's filtering through the leaves gives the air the impression that it's shimmering in the dim light. The grass seems inexplicably greener and more vibrant; the air rich with the scent of crisp fallen leaves. I've definitely found a spot that would be treasured by anyone stumbling across it's path.

I settle on the rich grass with my back resting against the cracked bench. I tilt my head back and breath in - this feels like the first breath I've taken in months that wasn't laced with an anxious undertone.

I sit and think for what feels like hours. Eventually, my lack of sleep from the night before and the calming atmosphere in this little bubble seemingly untouched from the rest of world gets to me; I fall asleep.

--

A bare hand grazes the length of my thigh. My short, maroon skirt has ridden up my thighs, baring it except for the thin, black tights adhering to my legs. Goosebumps break out across my body at the cool whisper of touch. For some reason, my drowsy brain doesn't register the fact that I'm not in my bed and that it's not William's hand that's skimming over my leg.

I let out a sleepy moan and stretch my body like a cat. The hand stills. I slit my eyes open, content until I realize where I am.

I sit up in a fast, jerky motion, and immediately shy away from the stranger's touch.

"I'm not going to hurt you," a silky voice murmurs. At the assurance, I warily look up. A gorgeous man of about 20 lazes on the grass. His vibrant eyes are the color of ice, and his golden hair is a stark contrast against the now black sky. A constellation of freckles are scattered around his face, much like my own, except mine are focused on the bridge of my nose.

A smile slowly graces his face at my obvious perusal of him. "You don't talk much do you, Siren?"

"I d-don't know you, do I?" I stutter, embarrassed at the question. A normal person would know if they've met someone before, but I'm not normal.

"I wish we knew each other," he drawls. Everything about him seems so lazy and relaxed. Even the way he's sitting is languid."If we knew each other, I would've made you moan a lot louder than you did." I gasp at his bold comment.

"I-I better go." I hate the way my tongue causes me to trip over my words. Ever since the accident, I constantly stumble over my words, which makes me sound unsure.

I stand and so does the stranger. I cower in to myself and part the canopy to my own little world. A cold hand on my shoulder stops me.

"What's your name?" His voice rumbles through me, causing me to shiver.

"Rune."

"I'm Kade Owens." My blue eyes look up in to his icy ones, and for some reason, I feel a bond snap between us, inexplicably tying me to him.

"Kade," I muse. I like the way his name feels coming from my lips, like a blanket of warmth flushing over me. "Goodbye, Kade." I decide I'm going to use his name every chance I get, if only to arouse the satisfied look in his eyes.

His chilled hand feels like a cool breath being blowed across my cheekbone as he brushes it over my face in a whisper like touch. "Goodbye, Rune."

--

As I walk down the dark, empty street, a smile dances across my mouth. I'm not sure why. Ever since I got finished at the administration building - I still can't remember when my first class is, but, thankfully, I have my schedule - I've been in the best mood. I'm sure something happened that I can't remember. Images of eyes that look like winter and a languid smile keep appearing in my mind, but before I can grasp onto them, they flit away, gone before they were truly even there.

Suddenly the silence that's hanging over the biting night air like a knife of the sharpest steel, turns sinister, snapping me out of my frustrating thoughts. I uneasily shift my eyes across the street. Nothing seems out of place. But from my past, I'm well aware dangerous situations never give a warning; they slam in to you unannounced, utterly throwing your life off balance.

I quicken my pace, ducking my head and pulling the lapels off my knee-length coat close to my face. Two more pairs of footsteps join mine, trying to disguise themselves by syncing with my own. My breath comes in short pants as fear riddles my body like bullets.

I fumble with the button on my pocket as I try to get my phone; I never even have chance to undo it. When my steps turn to a full out sprint to reach the house I now see in the distance, promising the safe arms of William, I feel a sharp pain in my thigh. I cry out and stumble, my pace slowing as I feel a warm wetness dribbling down my leg. I try to keep going, the house growing closer, yet farther away. A heavy weight hits my back, making me fall. I hear a heaving breath in my ear and I shrink closer to the ground to get away from it.

"You shouldn't have made us chase you so hard, little girl." My attacker's voice is a deep baritone that chills me to the bone with the utter aggressiveness lacing it. I hear other voices; I now realize I miscalculated how many footsteps I heard.

"I can't wait to get my hands on her."

"Yes, you will wait, Emmanuel. I get her first. You go after Gabriel since he caught her."

Against my better judgement, I decide to ask the dreaded question that's reverberating through my mind. "Who a-are you?" My voice quavers, giving away how utterly terrified I am.

"You don't get to ask questions, little girl," the man I assume is Gabriel says from behind me. He lewdly reaches between my legs from behind and cups his hand between my legs. I shudder at the intrusive touch, but, apparently, Gabriel takes it the wrong way. "You like that don't you, slut?"

"What do you want from me?" It comes out of my traitorous mouth like a sob.

At my words, Gabriel pushes off me and grabs me under my arms to drag me off the rough, stone ground that I know has left bloody, red scratches against my cheeks. He spins me around and leans his too beautiful face down to mine. He mutters something under his breath, and my whole body grows heavy; it feels like a huge weight is pressing down on my shoulders, forcing my body to sag against Gabriel's.

"I don't think you did enough," a snarky voice quips. I'm too tired to look up and see who's the owner of the voice.

"Well, I guess I'll have to improvise." Gabriel's chest rumbles under my cheek at his words.

I feel a finger probing my thigh where the pain is numbly absent. "Sorry." I hear the smirk in his voice, in his lie. He sticks his finger in to what I quickly realize is a bullet hole. I scream, a hoarse sound that doesn't even begin to convey the pain I'm in, especially when Gabriel twists his finger inside the gaping hole in my leg.

My eyes close. I want to cry at the sight of the familiar, welcome darkness that begins to encompass my vision - a pain-free place where I can blissfully disconnect. The last thing I see is three men smiling down at my bruised, beat-up body.

~~~
Song- Haunting/ Halsey