Strangers

Part 29: A Surprise

Images were passing in front of my eyes. At first there was no sound, but gradually I started to hear voices. They became too loud "You will kill or you will die!", "You're not a murderer", "She's your responsibility!", "There is no other way", "Don't hurt her!" People I knew once, long lost family and lands I'll never see again. Dragons, forest, weapons, blood, moon, friends, love. "I don't love you", "You're not leaving, are you?", "You still love me", "What's the problem?", "You make me want things I can't have", "Your future is the same, you can't escape!"

Suddenly I woke up. I needed a moment to realize I'm in my house. A sigh escaped my mouth and I run a hand through my hair then put both hands on my face. The night of full moon passed and I didn't change. I digged my head into the pillow still feeling sleepy. How long was I awake last night? A loud thud made me jump from my bed. Max opened the door and runned to me. He started sniffing my face "Stop! I'm awake!" he shook his head and started sniffing all around the house "What's wrong with you?" that's when I realized there's a letter on a table. I stood up and went towards it. "What's this?" I took it in my hand, Max came next to me sniffing a letter. He looked at me and I opened it

"I just want you to know that I don't regret anything. Do you?"

It's without a name, but it doesn't have to be written for me to know who wrote it. Images started flying in front of my eyes again. Flashbacks of last night. When it stopped I sat on a chair and hit my head against a table "What the hell did I do?!" Every time I close my eyes I remember what happened.  Max was walking around me not knowing what to do. When I calmed down I gave him fishes. He started eating like he didn't eat for years "At least someone has a good appetite" I left a letter on a table and went outside.

Normal day on Berk, everybody is busy. Twins were flying around on their dragon until they saw me and landed in front of my house. "Well well, look who decided to wake up" Tuffnut said with a smirk on his face. I raised an eyebrow "What are you talking about?", "We saw Corinne leaving your house really early in the morning" Ruffnut answered. "So?", "So? Jayden seemed pretty angry when she came back. He took her somewhere inside the woods.." His last words were interesting "Wait..repeat that" Jayden seemed pretty angry-", "No, not that! Where he took her?" Ruffnut answered instead of him "He took her inside the woods", "Do you know which way?" Tuffnut shook his head, but Ruffnut betrayed him "We do"

Before I could say anything I heard Willow running to me and yelling my name. "Hayden!!" she grabbed my arms and looked in my eyes while trying to breathe "What's wrong?!", "He...he took Corinne..." it started driving me crazy "Where he took her?!", "He took her to the cages!" my brain stopped working. I felt like everything stopped for a second "Hurry we need to find her!", "Just let me take a breath..." I rolled my eyes "Willow!" she groaned "Alright, alright!", "Should we go too?" Tuffnut asked but I shook my head and answered quickly "No! Stay here and don't tell anything to anyone!" Willow started running and I was following her.

She lead me into the woods, part where I was never before. Everything was dark, even darker than the part we were yesterday. After some time Willow stopped running "There..." she pointed to the right. Carefully I walked and pushed the bushes away from blocking my view. Willow stood next to me and pointed at Jayden. Corinne was facing him and he was yelling. I couldn't hear what, all I could hear was a sound of metal hitting silver. My patience was lost and I runned to them. The same moment Jayden noticed me his men tried to stop me. Willow came and we started knocking them out until we were surrounded.

He laughed "What a good plan, don't you think? And all I had to do is took her with me and here you are" Willow growled at him "You won't escape this time!", "I? Who's surrounded here, me or you?" I started to walk towards him, but he pulled Corinne closer to him and pressed a knife to her neck. "Knock out just one more of my men and you know what will happen" I stopped on my tracks. "Doesn't this looks familiar?" I clenched my teeth. He continued talking "Yes, but this time it's you who took something from me", "I was never yours and you know that!" Corinne said with angry voice.

His face became serious "Take them into their new home" his men dragged Willow and me into one of the cages. It was cold and dark, metal bars surrounding us. After they locked us they gave a key to Jayden. While he tried to put it in a pocket Corinne broke free from his grasp and ran towards us. She held bars in front of me that were separating us and whispered "I'm sorry..." her eyes were sparkling as if she will start crying every moment.  Jayden laughed "I never knew it will be so easy to trap you again" I looked at him while Willow tried the break the bars "It's useless, Willow, he can't break it, neither can you" she stopped and looked at him angrily "You'll burn in hell" he smiled "That's not nice to say to a friend's husband" I looked at Corinne again, her eyes were empty, looking at Willow and me on the other side of the bars.

"So, how will you torture us this time?" Willow asked, but he just shook his head "Torture you? Oh, no no no.. This time I have bigger plans with you two. First I need to show something to Hayden" I looked at him "Show me what?", "A surprise" I frowned "I'm not a fan of them", "I promise, you will like this one. Bring it here!" his men went to one of the cages and started dragging it toward us. I know that cage. Corinne moved away and Willow came closer to the bars. They pulled it really close. The bars were only thing that were separating us. The inside of cage was dark, but only half of it. "Did my wife tell you who saved you that day? Oh that's right, she didn't... Otherwise I'd capture you long time ago" everybody would thought it's empty, but what's hidden inside of it? Suddenly I saw something moving in the shadows, walking closer to the bars "Say hi to a girl who came back from the dead" a person stepped into the light part of the cage "Did you miss your brother, Amanda?"