Celeste POV
"Celeste."
His voice sends a million different emotions through my mind. I blink a few times to make sure I'm not dreaming. My voice is weak and scratchy when I speak.
"You're here."
He approaches my carefully, as if I'll break if he gets to close. He kneels in front of me, his gentle eyes locking with mine.
"You're alive."
His voice is silent as if he were in shock and he smiles.
"You're alive!"
He speaks a little louder this time. His hand reaches out and softly grazes the side of my bruised face. His hand cups my jaw and I lean into it, so that it rests between my jaw and shoulder. He engulfs me in a hug and I inhale deeply. He really is here, I'm not dreaming.
I look back up at him. "How did you find me?"
He looks around before answering me. " I'll have to explain later, we need to get you out of here."
I nod and glance at him in confusion. "We?"
Lucas nods. "Jason's fighting him upstairs."
Him.
My kidnapper is so close, we needed to get out of here.
Lucas stands and searches for a set of keys. When he can't seem to find any he searches through my kidnapper's weapons. He pulls out a few thin tools and blades.
Lucas kneels beside me and carefully works with the lock that holds my hands behind me. It takes a few moments and suddenly my hands fall to my sides. Lucas smiles and moves to the other locks that constrained me.
He carefully takes hold of my wrists and helps me up from the floor. I instantly embrace him in a hug. He rests his chin on the top of my head and I breathe in his familiar scent. I've missed him.
Our moment is broken when we hear a cry of pain from upstairs. Lucas looks at me in concern when silence falls between us.
Footsteps begin to descend down the stairs and I expect to see Jason walk through the door. My breath catches when I see my kidnapper instead. His hands are drenched in blood and he grins creepily.
"My dearest, where do you think that you're going?"
His chilled voice sends fear running rampant through my spine and Lucas pulls me closer.
"Eli you can't keep her down here she-"
My kidnapper, Eli, takes a step forward.
"Brother, don't tell me what I can and cannot do with what is mine."
Brother? My kidnapper is Lucas' brother?
Lucas pushes me behind him. "She doesn't belong to you."
Eli laughs and circles around us. "She does belong to me. Anyone who counters that will die, Family or not."
Fear runs through my veins and I glance up at Lucas.
"She doesn't belong to you."
Eli screams loudly and rushes towards Lucas. He swings a quick punch that Lucas dodges. Lucas strikes at him and Eli grunts when it hits his stomach. They clash and Take the fight to the ground. They roll towards the pole where I was chained and I notice Eli reaching for one of the blades that Lucas used to unlock the chains.
I rush towards them, my steps weakened. I leap on Eli's back to push him away and he rolls over me. I gasp for a breath and he strikes me in the face.
My head spins and I notice Lucas pull him away from me before he strikes me again.
I roll so that I'm facing Lucas and Eli. My eyes widen when I see Eli take hold of one of the knives. Lucas notices that he now has a weapon and he attempts to knock it out of his hands.
I scream when Lucas can't block one of his swings and the knife slices across his shoulder. His hand goes to the wound to stop the blood flow.
I stand, adrenaline filling my veins. He strikes his head, knocking Lucas out. He then raises the knife to stab him and I run towards Eli, tackling him to the ground.
His knife clatters to the floor and slides away from him. He retaliates with a right hook to my face. I roll away quickly and get back onto my feet. My eyes lock with his, waiting for him to make a move.
He watches me and smiles.
He circles around me and instantly I'm transferred to the ring. My mind rushes through memories of my training and practices. My breath steadies and he blinks before glancing beside me.
I dodge to the opposite side of where he looked, just as he lunged. I extend my leg out while I spin behind him and he trips, falling to the floor. He grunts angrily and stands quickly.
He faces me and swings a few quick punches. I dodge them and sneak a punch in between one of his own. It hits his jaw and knocks him back. I swing a heavy kick into his side and I slip when he takes hold of my leg. My head spins when it hits the ground. He drops my leg and pulls me off of the ground. He then wraps an arm around my neck, putting me in a choke hold.
My vision gets spotty when I struggle to free myself and the oxygen in my lungs runs low. I claw at his arm and my hands begin to shake.
I thrust my head back in desperation and I feel the crunch of his nose breaking. His arm loosens and I send a kick backwards in between his legs. He frees me from his grasp and I spin away from him. I send another punch into his face and he falls back onto the ground.
When he falls, I hold him down with my knee over his stomach and I strike at his face repeatedly. My hands begin to ache with every punch and crimson blood rolls from his nose.
I'm losing control.
A set of arms pulls me off of him and I fight to attack him once more.
I want him to pay for the pain that he's caused me and others. I want him to feel the pain that he's given to me. I want him to never forget the pain.
"Celeste-"
I thrash violently in the arms of whoever pulled me from him.
"Celeste! It's me!"
I sag in defeat within Lucas' arms, his soft eyes meeting mine.
"It's okay."
He breathes softly against the back of my neck. I relax and hug him close to me. A sob escapes from me and tears fall from my eyes uncontrollably. I bury my face into his chest and I cry for what felt like an eternity.
"I love you." Lucas whispers into my ear.
"I love you too." My voice is scratchy and hoarse.
Lucas strokes my back gently with his hands. He keeps murmuring softly to me, calming the adrenaline that I had felt a few moments prior.
"Lets go home."
I nod and look up into his gentle eyes.
Lucas pulls me from the ground and I take in Eli's poor state. Was he dead? He was laying in a pool of crimson blood and his face was unrecognizable.
I really did lose control.
"Is he dead?"
Lucas kneels beside him and checks his pulse. He faces me and shakes his head.
"He's still breathing, but he's weak."
I nod slowly. I could've killed him. I could've killed another human being.
Lucas chains him to the pole in case if he wakes somehow before the police can arrive.
We climb the stairs quickly, searching for Jason. I glance around the room, which is completely destroyed and Jason is nowhere in plain sight.
We walk around the counter and I nearly slip in the crimson liquid upon the floor. Lucas grabs my arm to steady me.
My eyes then fall to the crumpled figure on the floor. Jason. When I notice the kitchen knife that protrudes from his abdomen, my heart sinks and I crumble to the floor beside him. An uncontrollable sob escapes me and Lucas is quickly on his knees beside him.
Eli couldn't win a fist fight with Jason so he managed to get ahold of a weapon and stab him instead.
Lucas checks his pulse and sighs. My eyes widen and he pulls out his phone, handing it to me.
"We need an ambulance, his pulse is very weak and slow."
Lucas' phone is cracked from his fight with Eli. I dial the number quickly and I force myself to speak steadily and calmly into the phone. When they hang up I lean my head against Lucas' shoulder.
This is why I didn't want to get close to anyone, the people I cared about just got hurt in the end. They should've left me here, they would be safe right now.
Nearly fifteen minutes pass before I heard the sirens. Lucas left the cabin to lead them here while I stayed to watch over Jason. He had a thick layer of sweat over his forehead and was beginning to look pale.
"I'm so sorry Jason."
My words were left unheard due to his poor state. The doors then burst open allowing medical persona and police to fill the room. They carefully lift Jason onto a stretcher and carry him out of the room. Lucas isn't in the room and they tell me that they're treating him for wounds now. They insist that they take me on a stretcher as well.
I felt fine, physically. I didn't argue though. I watched the cabin disappear into the distance when they carried me farther way. The police stormed down the staircase, when we left, to get Eli.
My eyes began to close and I allowed myself to sink far into the nothingness.
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