"Would you slow down? She's not wearing a seat belt."
"Oh, quiet. She's fine."
"Andrew, I'm serious. The last thing we need is her getting hurt."
"What do you care, you drugged her."
"I didn't have a choice! She wouldn't have come with us otherwise."
"And how do you know that?"
"I just do, now slow down!"
"What was that? You want me to speed up? Alright, I guess!"
"Andrew, knock it off!"
My eyelids fluttered open and I felt a harsh pounding at my temples. My body vibrated as the car sped down what felt like a very uneven dirt road. Slowly, I slid myself up along the seat until my back was resting against the door.
"Where are you taking me?" I mumbled, wiping my hair out of my face. I glanced up enough to see Alex sitting frozen in his seat, staring ahead.
Alex...
Memories of the past couple days since I officially met him rushed into my head. I felt my heart sink a little, but I pushed the feeling to the side. I wasn't going to let myself get killed tonight.
"I said where are you taking me."
"We heard you, princess. We're just trying our best to ignore you," Andrew responded, and Alex swiftly punched him in the arm.
"Leave her alone," he grumbled to Andrew. I saw him raise his hands in defense before returning them to the steering wheel.
"Alex, what's going on?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. He continued staring ahead, not bothering to answer me. I felt a lump in my throat and my eyes began to sting.
"Are you going to kill me?" I asked, and glanced out the window. Trees whizzed past at a speed I didn't even want to know. Andrew let out a sigh and I heard what sounded like him tapping his fingers against the steering wheel.
"Listen, it'd be great if you could relax and keep quiet so we can live out the remainder of this car ride in peace," Andrew said, and as impossible as it seemed, I sat back into the seat and stared out of the window. The car was going at least 80 miles an hour, there would be no point in trying to escape.
The trees seemed to get thicker as we drove on, and if I had to guess, we were driving deep into a remote forest. Which forest, it would be impossible to tell. Washington was packed with forests and woodlands. By the time anyone even knew which one I was in, I'd be long gone by then.
"Look, I promise I'll be quiet if you just tell me what's going on, please," I begged, switching my gaze back and forth between Alex and the back of Andrews' seat.
"No need. We're already here," Andrew responded. I quickly looked out the window in time to see a large Victorian style mansion. As the car pulled up, I noticed a fountain gushing neon lit water, sitting on the blacktop roundabout. Thick shrubs lines the exterior walls of the mansion, stopping at a five-step staircase that led to wooden double doors. It was beautiful.
"Alex, you take care of her. I'm not in the mood for this nonsense," Andrew said, breaking me out of my trance. I heard the sound of two car doors opening, followed by a bright light flooding the car. I shut my eyes and brought my arm up to cover my face. Before my vision could adjust, I felt a pair of strong arms pulling me out of the car.
"No," I mumbled, sleepily. Whatever Alex had given me was something powerful. I felt okay in the car, but as soon as I was on my feet I got a tremendous head rush. Alex's grip on my arm was gentle as he shut the car door. Out of nowhere, I felt a rush of adrenaline. I squirmed and wiggled, trying to escape Alex's grip. To my surprise, my arm broke free and I didn't waste a second before running off in the opposite direction.
My feet pounded against pavement as I sped off, not even bothering to look back. I took the few moments to try to sort out an escape route. I didn't realize I would have to figure out how to get out of here. I had no idea where I was going. Before I could sort anything out, though, I felt something hard slam into my back. My head smacked hard onto the blacktop, and once again, everything went black.
As I opened my eyes, I felt a white hot stinging at the side of my forehead. Wincing in pain, I brought my hand up to the source of the discomfort. My fingers came in contact with a large bandage and I swiftly pulled it off.
"Fuck!" I yelled in pain.
"Hey, now. Watch your language," I heard a voice say. I suddenly realized I was no longer outside, but in what appeared to be a bedroom.
I was laying in a queen sized bed with thick red comforters and silk sheets. Around me I saw walls painted to match the comforters, a door in the wall to the far left, a door in the wall straight ahead, a large bay window in the wall to the far right, and sitting in a chair caddie corner next to the window was Alex.
My face immediately got hot and I felt my blood boil with anger as he stood from the chair and walked calmly over to me.
"Sleeping beauty is finally awake," he said, a smirk on his face. He didn't sound like him, though. It was like there was a completely different person looking out from those green eyes.
"What the hell is going on?" I asked, pushing the comforter off of me. I was still dressed in the same clothes from the party.
Wait... The party...
Memories rushed into my head and I could remember every detail of what happened. I went to a party with Lindsey, secluded myself in the back yard, ran into Alex, went for a walk with him, he drugged me, shoved me into a car with a stranger, and now I was here.
Wait, he drugged me!
I stood up from the bed and took a step closer to Alex before smacking him hard across the face. His brows furrowed and he brought his hand up to his cheek but didn't look too phased by it.
"What was that for?" he asked, and my eyes grew wide.
"What was that for?!" I repeated, shoving him. "Are you kidding me! You drugged me and kidnapped me, you psycho!" I yelled, continuing to shove him. He took a step back with each shove, and when I was done with my rant he swiftly grabbed both my wrists and didn't let go.
"Look, if I were you, I would keep my voice as quiet as possible," he mumbled under his breath, tightening his grip around my wrists.
"And you're barking up the wrong tree, princess," he continued. "I'm not Alex."
"What?" I whispered, eyeing him. Of course he was Alex. He was standing two inches from me, I could clearly see he was Alex.
"You seriously haven't figured it out yet?" he asked, looking me up and down. "Wow, you're thick." I pulled my wrists out of his grip and took a step back.
"What the hell are you talking about? What's going on?" I questioned, rubbing my now tender wrists. A smirk skidded across his face again and he crossed his arms.
"He hasn't told you a damn thing, has he?" he asked, and I shook my head.
"Who?"
"Alex," he responded, and I let out an aggravated sigh.
"You are Alex," I noted. He cocked his head to the side and stared at me.
"No, I'm not, princess. I'm Andrew. Alex is my twin brother," he responded, and it suddenly felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. My mind was swimming with questions, but somehow, that sentence answered every single one of them.
It suddenly all made sense. How Alex was always disappearing and reappearing in random places that seemed impossible. How he knew things he shouldn't. How he claimed he knew people that didn't know him in return. But that still didn't answer on question. Why was I here?
"Why did you guys kidnap me?" I asked, feeling queasy. As much as I didn't want to know the answer, I was desperate to know what was going on.
"Wow, he seriously left out all the juicy details?" Andrew asked, and I felt my eyes begin to water again.
"Please, would you just tell me what's going on," I pleaded, and he sighed before walking back over to the chair and sitting down.
"Unfortunately, I'm under strict oath to not say a word about anything to you. So you're out of luck, princess," he said, and I felt my blood boil once more.
"Stop calling me that! You don't even know me!"
"Oh, but I do, Helena. We've been hanging out for the past couple days, remember?"
"That's only because I thought you were Alex!" I yelled. "You guys tricked me!" He suddenly stood up from the chair and made his way back over to me.
"Listen, I don't like this any more than you do, but I have no choice so you're either going to shut up and deal with it or the next couple centuries are going to be hell for you, got it?" he said, and I could feel his breath dance across my face. It took a second before what he said began to sink it.
"Centuries?"
"That's enough, Andrew," I heard a familiar voice say, and my eyes shot to the open door where Alex was now standing.
"Get out," he said, and the sudden authority in his voice sent a cold chill down my spine.
"Oh come on, we were just chatting," Andrew interjected, smirking at me. Alex marched over and grabbed Andrew by the back of the neck, pushing him towards the door.
"Don't make me tell you again," he barked, forcing Andrew through the doorway.
"You're no fun, brother!" Andrew yelled as Alex slammed the door in his face. There was only silence left between us as he turned around and faced me. Once again, a lump formed in my throat as I came face to face with my kidnapper. More memories of the past couple days I spent with Alex rushed through my head, and I realized I had no idea which memories were spent with Alex or Andrew. For some reason, that hurt the most.
"I want to go home," I mumbled, and the look on Alex's face was one of pain.
"I'm sorry, but that's not possible," he said, and my vision was blurred by tears.
"Why not? Please, Alex, just take me home. I want to go home," I pleaded, and I felt my bottom lip begin to quiver.
"Lena, don't cry," he whispered, and made his way over to me. I took a step back and looked up at him. He immediately froze and didn't come any closer.
"No, don't touch me. You did this, you brought me here. You take me home, now." I demanded. His facial expression didn't change a bit. For twins, Alex and Andrew were complete opposites.
"Lena, listen to me. I'm sorry for putting you through all this, but you can't leave." he said gently, keeping his gaze fixed on me.
"I won't tell anyone, I promise. I'll forget this all ever happened, just please, take me home. Please Alex, please," I begged, and I could no longer hold back the tears. Alex came over to me and I didn't have time to refuse. He wrapped his arms around me and my sobs were muffled into his chest.
"Please calm down, Lena. You've suffered from head trauma, any more blackouts and you'll need to go to the hospital," he said quietly. I held onto his shirt as I let out all the anger and pain I've been holding in over time. The death of my father, the move, and now this. I knew eventually everything I've been bottling up would come out, but not like this. I should be crying in my mother's arms, not in the arms of my kidnapper.
"Lena, look at me," he said, and lifted my chin up with his finger. Through my tears, I saw his careful expression looking down at me.
"Why are you doing this to me? Just kill me already, please, just get it over with," I begged, and he now looked at me with confusion.
"Kill you? Why would I kill you?" he questioned. He cupped my face in his hands and stroked my cheeks with his thumbs.
"You drugged me. You kidnapped me. The next step is to kill me. Everyone knows that," I said through shaky breaths. He shook his head slowly and furrowed his brows.
"No. No, Lena, you don't understand. I had no choice. I had to get you here, that was my only option," he explained. I still didn't understand, though.
"Where are we?" I asked, and he pursed his lips.
"We're in my home, Lena. Don't worry, you're safe," he said, but it didn't help.
"Why did you drug me? I don't understand, you could've just asked me to come over."
"It's not that easy. We're not just here to hang out, Lena," he said, and I once again felt that sinking feeling. If he wasn't going to kill me, but I couldn't leave, what was I here for?
"Oh god..." I whispered, tearing up once more and a horrified expression came over his face.
"No, no, no. Lena, no, I wouldn't do that to you. Look at me," he pleaded as I struggled to get out of his grip.
"Why can't I leave!" I screamed, pushing him away from me. As uncool as my mom was, and as annoying as my brother was, and as clingy as my sister was, there was no other group of people I wanted to see more than them. The fact that I wasn't being allowed that privilege was killing me.
"Because you're safe here, Lena!" he yelled back, and I looked up at him. What was he talking about? He drugged me, for crying out loud. How was this place safer than being home in my warm bed?
"No I'm not! I'm stuck her with a pair of psycho twins!" I retorted, and looked up at him to see his facial expression change. His eyes were burning with fury and no longer held the calmness that they used to.
"You don't know what you're talking about. I suggest you quit blabbering nonsense before you regret it," he said, and now it was my turn to be infuriated.
"I do know what I'm talking about, and I'm not safe here! I'm safe at him, with my family, and away from a crazy psychotic like you!" I yelled, and before I realized what I had said, his hand smacked hard against my face. The forced knocked me back and off my feet. My head slammed into something hard, and the next thing I knew, everything once again went black.
"How could you have let this happen?" a female voice asked.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't control myself. You know how much of a trigger that is for me," I heard Alex say.
"Well, you better learn to control yourself. The next time something like this happens, I'll have your head on a silver platter, you hear me?"
"Yes, ma'am," Alex mumbled.
"Both of you keep your hands off her. Especially you, Andrew. She has nothing to do with you, the last thing we need is your antics screwing things up."
"Yeah, yeah," Andrew responded.
"I have work to do. Someone keep an eye on her. I'll be back in a few hours," she said, followed by the sound of fading footsteps. I felt the mattress sink in to the left of me, and although Alex had just smacked me unconscious, I still hoped it was him and not Andrew.
"Do I need to leave the love birds alone?" Andrew asked.
"Shut the hell up," Alex growled.
"Hey now, just a question. If you need some smooching time, I'll happily step out."
"If you don't shut your mouth-"
"Alright, I'm gone," Andrew interjected, and I heard the sounds of his footsteps, and then they were gone. The room filled with silence, and I was suddenly aware of a faint beeping sound in the background. Any more blackouts and you'll need to go to the hospital. Oh, no.
"I'm so sorry, Lena," Alex whispered, and I felt his hand graze against mine. He scooped my hand up and held it between his.
"I wish you didn't have to go through this. You were so kind to me. No one else has even been so kind to me," he continued, and I felt the urge to open my eyes and let him know I was awake. I felt guilty for listening to him pour his heart out like this.
"I hope one day you'll learn to forgive me. I hope one day you'll realize it's all for the best. I just want you to be happy. I don't want you to suffer through all this," he said, and I mentally rolled my eyes. He didn't want me to suffer? He should have thought about that before he decided to drug me, shove me into the back of a car and take me to God knows where. Oh, and before he put his hands on me, repeatedly.
"I just want you to know this wasn't all my decision. I have no more of a choice than you in all this. Understand that, please. You're a sweet, sweet girl. You've been through so much already. I'm sorry for adding all this on top of it. Just know I tried to save him. I tried, Lena, but he was already too far gone. There was only so much I could do, but I tried, because I know how much your father meant to you."
My eyes shot open and I pulled my hand away from him.
"What?"
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See, I told you Chapter Eight would be up a lot sooner than the last one! :) I left you guys with a bit of a cliff hanger there though, didn't I? Don't worry, I'm already working on Chapter Nine.
CHAPTER EIGHT QUESTION:
WHICH TWIN IS THE EVIL TWIN? ALEX OR ANDREW? OR BOTH? ;)