We pulled up to a very different sight from the mansion, a place I had been trapped in for at least two months, although the cabin was nowhere close to tiny. I was groggy by the time we pulled up, yet somehow my mind was still buzzing from the events from earlier. I imagined that my hands weren't going to stop shaking for a long time.
It was the first time that I wasn't the only one under strain; as the five of us walked into the cabin, Blake left down the hall without another glance to me. It appeared they actually had other things to worry about than terrorizing me, something I was thankful for. Jesse threw me a tired smile before heading down the hall as well, leaving only Dominic and Alex and I standing in the simple dark living room.
I was too exhausted to stand as Alex rubbed his forehead, "I'm going to bed and I swear to God Quinn, if you even think of-"
"She knows." Dominic interrupted flatly before Alex could carry out his threat.
Alex turned his gaze, glaring at Dominic but he'd simply glare back. There was such severe tenseness between them that it made me uncomfortable just to be in the room. Eventually, without moving his glare, Alex walked down the hall and disappeared around the corner.
I rubbed my eyes as Dominic walked me into a small bedroom, moonlight shining through a window at the top of the wall. It was fairly small and high up, looking unlikely for an escape route with some sort of lock on it. "Where're you sleeping?" I murmured.
He lied me down on the bed, "Across the hall, get some sleep. Night Quinn."
I nodded absentmindedly, knowing fully that sleep wasn't an option. I was sore and tired, but that wasn't enough to stop the rampaging thoughts running circles through my mind. He shut the door, submerging the room in darkness.
That's all it ever seemed to be; darkness.
I watched as the clock went from quarter after one to well past three, making me realize I had been tossing and turning for over two entire hours. I was too uncomfortable in every way or form to sleep.
I didn't quite make it to four in the morning before I clambered out of bed, wincing as my foot hit the ground. I used the furniture around myself to maneuver my way out of the room; it was painful to walk, yet it was possible.
I hesitated as my fingers closed around the doorknob, my mind flashing to the consequences of being caught. With the strain that everyone had been put under, I didn't even think Alex or Blake would even hesitate to shoot me.
It sounded silent, and I knew fully well that my sanity was draining while I sat there alone. I took my chances, opening the door as I determined I only had to cross the hall to be in the clear. The door creaked as if its sole purpose was to wake everyone in the house, causing me to cringe as I turned around. I suddenly felt a cold pair of eyes narrowed at me, "What the hell are you doing?"
I jumped out of fright as I whirled around, feeling myself freeze up as I recognized who it was. I dropped my eyes immediately, not daring to look up at Blake, "J-Just looking for a bathroom."
I cowered away as he backed me against the wall, a small squeak of fear escaping my lips as I shut my eyes. "You're a bad liar Quinn."
My heart rattled against my ribcage, throwing me back to the first time I had ever met him. I fought to bring my voice to a whisper, "I wasn't going anywhere, I swear."
"Oh I know where you were going."
He looked at Dominic's door; I looked at the ground shamefully. He suddenly chuckled coldly, "God that's adorable, you really think they'd help you, don't you? No one gives a shit about you Quinn, neither do they."
I shut my eyes, lip quivering as I prayed for him to stop talking and walk off. His voice was shock cold as he spoke next, "Don't get too comfortable, wouldn't want you getting your hopes up, right? Any one of us would kill you in seconds if we had to."
I was so disturbed that I hardly noticed he had walked away and left me alone. His words rang in my ears repeatedly, haunting me. They were probably true; hell, I knew they were true, but I somehow still found myself walking into Dominic's room.
I hadn't quite seen him like that before.
He was leaning up against the headboard of the bed, a cigarette hanging on his lip as he rested his head back against the wall. The only light came from a dim lamp beside him, submerging the room in a pale gold light. Tattoos lined some of his chest, easily visible as he wasn't wearing a shirt. His hair was a mess, pushed back out of his eyes as they flickered over to me. His stoic expression didn't change, and I assumed it was because he knew I'd show up eventually. It was the first time that he didn't seem angry or hiding any other emotion, he just sat quietly and I realized he simply looked like any other human being. He looked unguarded.
I slowly made my way across the room, sitting on the bed beside him as I leaned against the headboard as well. It was silent, but my mind had wandered off before I had even stepped into the room. I wasn't really capable of even knowing or caring what he was thinking. "You're shaking." He commented, bringing the smoke to his lips.
I looked down at my hands; it was such a common habit that I didn't even realize I was doing it anymore. I looked back up, not offering any explanation until he spoke up again. "Blake was out there. What did he say?" He asked quietly, making a statement more than a guess.
I shrugged, staring at the far wall. "Nothing I haven't heard before."
It wasn't quite true.
I tried to ignore them, but the thoughts that swirled my head worried me; I knew I was relying too much on Jesse and Dominic. I couldn't help it, I needed some sort of reminder that humanity still existed. I needed to know that there were still people that weren't fuelled by power, lust and pain. People that didn't want to see me hurting for the sake of amusement.
If Dominic and Jesse were to abruptly cease helping me... Things would fall to hell. "You're lying." He said it flatly, but made no sign of continuing the conversation.
He leaned over to the night stand to put out the cigarette, his back turned to me for a moment. Something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention, "What's that?"
He had instantly pressed his back against the headboard, erasing it from my view as he rubbed his forehead, "Nothing."
"I saw something on your back."
"Quinn, ignore it."
It was the firmest order he had given me in over a month, leaving us in an uncomfortable silence until he spoke up again. He sighed, "It isn't like any of us have a great past, Quinn."
I glanced over at him as he spoke, thinking it over. The thought hadn't actually crossed my mind, although I had a hard time imagining Alex and Blake with a real life and childhood. That made them sound human, and I didn't know if I could classify them as such.
After a moment, he turned around again and my breath caught in my throat in surprise. It stunned me, considering I had no idea about them.
Gruesome scars trailed his back.
They were no where close to recent, but the severity suggested otherwise. By the time he leaned back against the headboard, I was speechless. "They probably stopped around your age."
I watched him as he fought to get the words out without snapping at me; his lip twitched in discomfort as his eyes darkly looked at the far wall. He hated the subject but I went on anyways, although my voice was weak and quiet, "How did you get them?"
He ran a hand through his hair for a moment, thinking it over. "My father was a drunken bastard who didn't care for anything but booze and himself."
I wasn't expecting such an honest answer, not quite sure how to react or whether to speak again. "It doesn't matter much anymore. I was probably the luckiest out of all of us."
"What about the rest of them?" I asked, not sure whether he would respond.
He shifted his weight, "Jesse never actually met his family, other than his younger sister. She would've been around your age, maybe a little younger. They were thrown around in foster care a lot, but it's why he can't be serious. He hasn't even seen what seriousness looks like, he didn't stay in the same place for more than six months growing up. He started getting in shit with the law as a teenager, but then he met Alex."
He stopped himself for a moment, and we both realized he shouldn't have kept going. He watched the far wall at nothing in particular, seemingly not caring as he decided to start talking again, "This is Alex's life, it always has been. He's grown up with it and he hasn't seen anything different. His father killed his mom when he was still a kid and things didn't get much better. I'm surprised his dad never killed him too, considering the way he treated Alex. Blake grew up with it too, but I honestly couldn't say how he grew up. I've never bothered speaking to him in the three years I've been here."
After a moment he glanced over at me, "And that's not something you tell someone. Ever."
I nodded, knowing that it would end terribly for me anyways.
We sat there until the silence sunk back in, but my thoughts roared louder. I needed to say it; I needed it out in the open. I went ahead with a blunt question, getting to the point, "Blake said that any of you would kill me without thinking if you had to."
His immediate reaction was relieving; he cracked a grin and almost laughed as if I had asked the stupidest thing he had ever heard. He chuckled slightly as he glanced over, "And you believe the jackass?"
His sarcasm nearly brought a light smile to my lips, but I still answered firmly, "Maybe."
He turned and shut off the light, the both of us lying down as I realized the sun was probably going to rise in a couple of hours. I had just shut my eyes before I heard him speak again, "Well he's lying."
There was a loud knocking sound that cut off my relatively peaceful sleep, though before I had even opened my eyes, I heard footsteps walk into the room. My eyes fluttered open, registering that Dominic was gone when a familiar voice filled my ears, "Jesus, you're still sleeping?! It's one in the afternoon girl!"
He laughed as I groaned, falling back into bed and curling under the covers as I registered that it was only Jesse. The bed dipped as I felt him sit down beside me, though it didn't give me the motivation to wake up. "C'mon, let's go for a walk."
"Yeah, walks around cabins are thrilling." I mumbled flatly into the pillow, shutting my eyes.
"I wasn't talking about the cabin."
My eyes flickered open.
I propped myself up on my elbow, turning to him with surprise and the slightest hint of hope in my eyes. He waved his hand, "But I get it, you're too tired." He grinned, joking.
I sat up immediately, unable to fight the grin off my face as I realized that I was going outside. I threw my pillow at him to cease the sarcasm, clambering out of bed. It had been at least two entire months.
He watched me for a moment, a warm smile flickering over his face as he seemed content with my reaction. He got off the bed and guided me out of the room, down the surprisingly long hallway until we reached the front door.
I wasn't sure what was more evident in my expression; the shock in my eyes, or the widening grin.
It couldn't have been nicer weather if I had prayed for it. The forest couldn't have been more lively if I had asked for it, and I couldn't have been as happy if I had wished for it. There was something so calming and so momentous about finally being outdoors again, as if it were just a glimpse into the freedom that I was fighting for and sure to get back.
We walked slowly but I didn't care what pace we were moving at. We were moving. That's all I cared to know. After what must've been an hour of walking, I was still stunned and mesmerized; I watched every moment, every colour and every movement as if it was the first time I'd seen it. It was vibrant and captivating.
I could've chosen to be bitter, I could've chosen to be hateful. But I chose to look at the fact that the sole reason I was standing outside in my first blissful moment in weeks was because of the young adult standing beside me. "Thank you, Jesse."
There was genuineness in my words, enough to cause confusion to flicker in his eyes as he glanced over at me. He shrugged, elbowing me lightly and jokingly as he smiled, "Don't worry about it fighter."
It was hours later that we took a seat in a grassy clearing, surrounded by bush and trees. My ankle was in agonizing pain and I knew full well I shouldn't have been walking so much, the real reason I wasn't able to try running off, yet I couldn't tell myself to go back.
I stared up at the large oaks as I allowed my thoughts to run circles, thinking things over. I sat with my legs propped, leaning on my palms as I leaned back. Jesse was lying down contently, fingers locked behind his head.
Everything was calm and serene until there was sharp sounds of twigs snapping. I frowned in confusion, throwing my gaze around lazily yet I chose to ignore it. For the first time, I was peaceful and I wasn't going to give that up.
Until the noise continued.
This time, I sat up straight and carefully glanced around. Jesse heard it as well, sitting up uneasily as he bit his lip. We both knew what it sounded like.
Footsteps.
There. There. I strained my eyes until they fell over a figure, standing in the distance. My jaw nearly dropped, my heart nearly stopped beating.
There was a woman.
She stood in yoga pants, a sweater and running shoes. She could've been fifty feet away, completely oblivious to our presence. She looked down at her phone, headphones in.
The tension in that moment was so dire that it made time feel useless. It could've been ten minutes I sat there in shock, it could've been ten seconds.
Either way, the screams never left my mouth.
Jesse had clamped his hand over my mouth before I could make out the desperate cries for help, pressing me against the ground. I screamed, frantically trying to escape his grip but he pinned my wrists together in one hand, pinning them over my head, leaving me completely defenceless. He was speaking hastily under his breath, "Quinn I'm sorry, you've got to stay quiet!" His eyes were pleading.
Mine were desperate. The calculations ran wild in my mind; the woman looked like she was out for a run. She could live near by. She could have a phone. She could call the police.
This could be over.
"It's too risky Quinn, trust me, you'd never make it. Alex would flip if you tried to run, I'm trying to help you!"
Jesse hesitantly removed his hand, only by an inch and I immediately started pouring pleas, "Get off of me Jesse! She could help me, she could save me! Please, you've got to let me go! Please Jesse, let me go!"
I'd never seen such sadness and remorse in someone's eyes, but it gave me my answer. I tried to scream again but I didn't make it; he had covered my mouth again.
Desperate, frantic tears stung the back of my eyes and I'd never felt such a burning loss in my life. Nor had I ever felt as much raging anger at one single person.
Those moments were defining, painfully slow as I watched my freedom and hopes of escape slip through my fingers. It must've been minutes before Jesse glanced over his shoulder, moving his hand and lying back down. I looked over to see that the woman was disappointingly gone. Angrily I stood up, but Jesse tried to pull me back down. "Just stay away from me Jesse!" I snapped, refusing to sit down even though I couldn't walk.
He sighed and laid down, his arms covering his face. "I feel bad enough about you being here, alright?"
I scoffed at him. He didn't get the fucking right to say that. "You?You feel bad? That's absolute bullshit!"
"I know, alright?! But Christ Quinn, I'm not lying."
"If you felt bad for me, or had the slightest bit of sympathy you would've let me run for help!"
"It's because I do have sympathy that I didn't let you run!" He snapped harshly, "You wouldn't have made it three steps before Alex came and shot the both of us!"
I went on furiously, "Well maybe I'm goddamn sick of it! I'm sick of putting up with Alex and his sleazy comments and threats, I'm sick of being terrified of running into Blake because he might just kill me, and I'm sick of you acting like there's nothing wrong!"
"Quinn, I'm doing all I can to help okay? I can't do anything else! You can't just run!"
I turned around and attempted to walk, sending unbearable shots of pain through my leg. I kept going anyway, but Jesse stood up and grabbed my arm to help. "Screw off, I don't need your help!"
"Yes, you do. If you're going to get angry and flip out at me, do it sitting down before you screw up your leg even more."
I glared at him, painfully sick of this. I kept walking and he sighed in frustration; I thought he was just going to let me go but suddenly he picked me up. My god, I was pissed. "Let me down! I'm so sick of this, I'm sick of you! And Dominic and Alex and Blake and each fucking one of you!"
He ignored me and I felt so much anger I couldn't help it. I hit him across the face, hard. He stumbled a bit and set me down immediately. He glared at me angrily for the first time, it actually gave me a small sense of fear. But anger covered that up and I glared right back. He yanked me up by my arm and pulled me back to the cabin, setting me in my room and leaving. I harassed him the entire way, screaming profanities and harshness at him.
The door slammed shut, the lock audible. I was shaking violently with anger and fury; feeling the urge to rip my hair out and smash anything within reach. I was losing it.
Hell, I lost it a long time ago and we all knew it.
She was running. Her house must be nearby. There has to be civilization. People. Police. Help.
I had to get out of here.
Even though I knew it was locked, I pulled on the doorknob furiously and glared when it wouldn't budge. I circled around, turning my harsh gaze to the window. It was almost taller than me, and I wasn't even sure if I could fit through it. I reached up anyways, pulling on it but of course, it was locked. I banged on it in frustration, tempted to smash it open but I knew it'd attract attention and I couldn't just outrun them.
I was so consumed with glaring at the window as if harsh looks could open it that I hardly heard the door open behind me. I whirled around, turning my hateful stare over to Dominic. He had his arms crossed, looking at me expectantly as if waiting for an explanation. I fell onto the bed face down, groaning, "What the hell do you want?!"
He sat down beside me, "It takes a lot to make him angry. He's pissed."
"It used to take a lot to make me angry, and you wrecked everything!" I exclaimed.
He sighed, "We're back to this?"
I swore I almost tried to kill him. My look gave him his answer. "He told me what happened. You know he wanted to let you run, right?"
"But he didn't." I snarled bitterly.
"Because he knew you wouldn't make it. Alex would find out, he'd kill that innocent woman, hurt you and drive a country away."
Even through my anger, that woman's safety hadn't crossed my mind. It was enough to make me cringe, but I continued anyways. "Just get out Dominic."
"Why? So you can sit in here and drive yourself insane?"
"It's better than being in here with you, you selfish son of a bitch." I hissed, wrapping my arms around my knees.
He sighed again and stood up, but just before he left I stopped him by calling his name. He turned and looked at me. I knew it was crazy but I was not going to sit around here anymore. I was done. "Send Alex in here."