Run

Chapter Forty

It's freezing. And dark. My face hurts. I can't see anything. My stomach aches as panic sets in. I hear footsteps in the darkness.

"Hello? Who- who's there?"

The footsteps don't stop. They sound like they're circling me. I try to stand up from whatever chair I'm in but my wrists and ankles won't move. The harder I pull the more pain shoots through me.

"Struggling is pointless."

I jump at the voice. It seems vaguely familiar. I struggle to place where I've heard it as the footsteps grow closer to me.

"Whoever you are you better stay the hell away from me!"

"Now, now, no need to be so harsh. You knew I'd find you eventually."

My heart sinks as my body starts shaking. I feel cold fingers across my skin as a cloth is pulled away from my eyes revealing a large, empty, poorly lit warehouse. Before me stands the devil.

"Long time no see my dear. I've been very much looking forward to getting to actually meet the little pest who messed up my deal."

Under normal circumstances, I'd find a voice like his smooth and tempting, but here it just sounds sinister.

"I didn't mess up anything!" I snap as I try to lunge to hit him. I know it's stupid to consider hitting the devil but..... I'm really sick of the cocky men.

He doesn't take my reaction well. Without a second of hesitation he leans in close and presses my hands deeper into the arm of my chair. "Brave little thing. Not half bad looking either, I can understand the attraction, but remember not to mix bravery and stupidity, it could be a grave mistake."

"Don't you dare threaten me! I'm not afraid of you! And don't think I'll tell you where Alex is either! You'll never find him!"

I try to lean away from his face as he sniffs my hair. "You may be brave and beautiful, but you are also rather naive and dumb. I have no doubt you'll do your best to protect Alex, I have no doubt he'll hide from me until he's ready to face me. You two hid quite well in the shadows for some time, but you forget one thing."

He leans back and stares at me with those glowing red eyes. "What's that?" I ask.

"The shadows will always betray you, because they work for me!" He takes a small clump of my hair and lets it slowly run through his fingers.

"What do you plan to do with me?" I try not to let my voice shake.

He scoffs, walking away I watch him wave his hand and produce a dark cloud of fog. The dark fog soon takes the form of a very real, very sharp knife.

His smile is sick. Like he sees I'm scared and takes pleasure in it, which he probably does. "I won't do anything to you... Yet. I trust that soon, Alex will come find you and then I'll have what I want."

"And if he doesn't?"

He's suddenly next to me, the tip of his knife barely against the skin of my arm. He slowly drags the knife up my arm, not cutting me, but I still feel the sharp edge threaten to draw blood.

"If he's not here in two days, well," He clicks his tongue and raises his eyebrow, "That's when I'll start seeing how pretty you are in bloody pieces."

My heart stops. I won't show him how scared I am, not willingly. It takes all my self control to maintain any composure I have. He wants me scared, he wants me helpless. I won't give it to him.

"Why so quiet all of a sudden? Losing faith in your rescuer? If you'd rather tell me where he is, I won't have to hurt you."

He seems so sure that he knows me. Like Alex did, and like Alex he's in for a surprise. I'm so sick of taking everyone's shit.