"Oh, you look gorgeous." Fiona steps back, admiring her work, aka my face. "Perfectly sexy."
"Thanks, Fiona. You seriously know how to lighten up a runaway bride's day." I roll my eyes, grabbing the broken foundation mirror from her as she laughs. I see a face, and it's not really looking like mine. Thin, bags slightly hidden, but still I have to thank Fiona for making me look slightly human.
Plump lips, nice and thick eyelashes, she did the good work. I'm also wearing a tee, a flannel tied around my waist, and ripped shorts along with sneakers. Worn out, yes, but it'll do fine. "I have to repay you for this." I shake my head, staring out the window as the station's pass by and so do the buildings. We're in Switzerland.
"No, you don't." She smiles back, but I grab some clothes and the few cosmetics we bought a couple of hours ago from the train shop. I grab a red shirt and jeans, along with some sneakers.
I make her sit down, pampering her features with the lipstick and mascara. We only had enough for that. I finger comb her hair, and she pulls mine into a bun. "We.. We don't look like we ran away." She admits, as I pack the cloth bag, swinging it on my shoulder.
"Thanks to you." I smile back, just as Ethan barges in after two rapid knocks on the private door.
"You guys look freshened up." We share a smile, turning back to Ethan. I can tell he's tense, not happy. "Anyway, hurry up. I'll help you guys out."
We grab the last things of our journey, and I fold in a brochure and shower cap we got from the train services, because it's a souvenir. I don't know why I'm so sure, but Fiona's attitude has made me believe that I will see Alex again. She squeezes my hand, and us four step off the train as soon as the doors slide open.
"Finally, some fresh air." Fiona smiles, laughing too, as everyone is still a bit tense, and she takes a step toward me, and nudges me. "Don't be so serious. We're in Switzerland. Enjoy yourself!"
She's the kind of girl to light up a room as soon as she walks in. The kind who swears and is kind of rebellious, but not too much in a bad way. She's the kind who's bold. Who doesn't give two shits about the haters, and a layer of confidence outlines her body, as she easily walks beside me as we trail behind the two men to our next platform.
"Fiona." I stop as we reach a small tuck shop and the boys get some food. "Fiona, have you ever thought of what happens to our loved ones? Your mother? You know how cruel Ben is. Don't you worry about what he can do..what he's already done?" Fiona's eyes fill with something, just for a moment, before she squares her shoulders.
"No, I'm not afraid. This Ben is totally a bastard, I've got to say, but, we'll get to them before. Okay? You just have to believe, okay? Why would he kill my mom if she's the only one he can blackmail me with?" Her words hang in the air, and the world seems to go quiet even though there is endless chatters and laughter around the inside air conditioned station.
Josh, the blonde young man, around maybe two years older than me, turns to us with Ethan, some bags in his hand. "You might want to buy some books, magazines, even if there isn't much of a variety of them in English."
I'm dragged with Fiona to the big bookstore. I stand there, biting my lip. She carries some books, flipping through magazines. She comes up to me. "Live a little." She instructs, and passes me a copy of Paper Towns.
"Have you- Have you read this?" I ask her. I'd always wanted to read this book. Magnificent. John Green.
"No, silly," she smiles. "But we can get a copy of that, a copy of Looking For Alaska, and two magazines? It's all we can get." She informs me, her green eyes vibrant and beautiful.
"Yeah, that sounds good." I inform her, and she grabs two magazines, as we head to the counter. After paying, we align with Josh and Ethan. Hurriedly, we get to the station.
***
A gulp. Another hand flys up to my head. Giving my waves some more volume, I step out of the Tim Hortons bathroom, smoothing out my outfit. Fiona pulls my arm as we exit the homey, Cafe smell of Canada.
"Are you ready? I'm so pumped!" Fiona exclaimed. I nod slowly. We enter the car and the trees pass by along with shimmery tall buildings and houses out in the horizon. Gorgeous Canada.
"We've tried to track him down, yes. No. Okay. Robert, take care of what I told you to. Please. Thanks, man." Josh hangs up, as Ethan continuously drives.
"I got Robert to stand by the back door of the barn. He'll let us in." Suddenly, I feel sick. I gag, and Fiona quickly pats my back and gives me her empty Timmy's bag. I gulp, shaking my head, as I sit back.
Everyone stares at me then Ethan goes back to driving. "You kay?" He asks. I nod.
"I'm..I'm just nervous." I whisper. I feel another gag coming on but I stop it, leaning on Fiona's shoulder as I shut my eyes. I inhale her peach scent. I look back at her.
"Will I ever see you again?"
She slightly nods. Her voice quivers, and now I'm very anxious. Fiona never is low at confidence and never has a quivering voice. "Yes, I hope." And so I lay back on her shoulder and she wraps her arms around me as we go to the place where I have worst memories of.
***
"On the count of 3, run." Robert speaks from the Walkie Talkie that Ethan is holding. I can tell we're going to get hurt. I can tell that Ben will be around. I know that Alex won't forgive me, and I won't try to explain why I was sleeping with Ben. Alex may not know that it wasn't my fault, but I won't press him on with it. He has every right to be angry. But I can't help feeling so happy to see him.
Robert surges "3," and I go along with Ethan, bolting to the back door as the wind rushes to my face and the big barn towers over me. Memories invade my mind but I push them back.
We push the door open. Ethan shuts it close behind us. I'm met with the same stone hallway that Ethan caught me and Alex on. Fiona and Josh are guarding. Robert is keeping every guard busy.
My eyes adjust to the darkness. I take out the pocket knife from my pocket. We creep through, our breathing hard, as we try to keep quiet. Adrenaline surged through my veins.
Suddenly, my breath catches in my throat. I hold back a sob. In one of the cells, Kylie lies on the floor, blood smeared on her chin. Her eyes are closed, lips parted. There's a big bruise on her head, too. Ethan gasps, shaking the cell's doors as he unlocks the several locks. "Kylie? Kylie, please." Ethan cries, holding up her limp hand which falls back to the floor. I fall to my knees, watching as Ethan repeatedly tells his girlfriend he's here, he's back, she's safe. But she isn't. She's dead.
I'm too scared. I'm too scared to turn around the corner and find myself staring at the man I loved most in my entire life. If he died..he would die knowing I slept with Ben. He would know I betrayed him but I didn't. I bolt around the corner now, snatching the keys, as pass a woman and a man, both asleep, or dead, and find no one in the cell of Alex's.
"Report, report! Ben came! He has Alex! You have to run!" Robert speaks from the Walkie Talkie strapped to Ethan. Ethan sobs, as I reach him again, and he wipes his tears.
"I'm-We're coming." Ethan limps behind me, as I rush toward where Robert is. Through the narrow hay hall, through the little staircase, out the door. Robert stands, rigid, as he turns quickly.
"The others are in the car. Get away, okay? Everyone's dead. You'll be next if you don't go!" Robert whisper yells. Ethan just silently nods, and grabs my arm. I shake my head, my eyes bulging.
"But, Alex isn't dead!" I cry. Ethan grabs me, and I shove my way out of his iron grasp. "Alex. Is. Alive. I just have to get him!"
"Stop. Stop, Jenna." Robert instructs. "He is dying. Nearly dead by now. We have to run. Run, or die."
I whisper the words, they feel so real on my tongue. Of course he's dead. Of course he's dead and I'm next to be tortured. "Die."
I dash through the door, as I hear soft cussing and whispers behind me. My feet slap against the wood floor. I reach the big haystack and head up the stairs, heart pounding. He's dying! He's dying!
I throw open Ben's office door. There, standing, is Ben, two guards, and Alex limp on the ground.
"Stay out of this! Lock her up!" Ben yells at the guards. A buff one shoves me, and I raise my leg to kick his stomach. He grabs my leg and I wail in agony.
I feel my pockets. No pocket knife. Shit. I'll just have to do this the other way. Before the other one can strike, I knee the one who kicked me in the place where the sun doesn't shine, and he screams.
I charge at the other one, who's very buff and tall. He throws a punch at me, but I dodge it, feel my legs stiffen and ache. Before he can react, I punch him in the stomach. He groans but grabs my waist, carrying and throwing me on the ground. My head, back and arms contact the floor with a big thud. I hear a gun click, as Ben is reloading his gun.
Just before anything can happen, I crawl in front of surprised and bloody Alex. He stares into my eyes. I stare back. "I didn't do it. He drugged me." I whimper, and Ben growls.
"Get out of the damn way!"
"Kill me! Just kill me!" I yell back, feeling my uncoordinated arm and bruised head. "Do it!" Alex groans but I don't stop yelling.
Ben walks over, shoves my weak body, and aims for Alex. The trigger. The black gun. Ben's blue eyes. They used to be best friends. But Ben is another Ben. A cruel Ben.
I scream, closing my eyes. Suddenly, I hear two rapid gunshots. A huge thud. A gasp. Screaming. And then before I can even move, a hand shoved me and I heard footsteps, a thud, and then a mass of what felt like glass falling onto my legs as the pain took over.
***
I have no words
But btw the book doesn't end yet!
There's more.
xoxo