Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.
The sound of water dripping began to wake me.
Drip.
A cold drip of water splashed onto my nose making me jump up. I quickly pushed my hair from my face.
Water dripped in various places through the stone ceiling. The constant dripping was in the corner. The entire room was made of stone. There was a hole in the right wall with metal bars through it. Light streamed through the hole. The hole wall in front of me was made of metal bars - a door.
I was sitting on an old mattress. It had dirt smears and stains all over it.
I was still wearing my jean, converse, and Marco's shirt, but the knot had fallen out so the T-shirt fell to my mid-thigh.
My heart rate picked up, remembering what had happened. I closed my eyes and began to take a few deep breathes.
Thump thump thump.
At first I thought that it was my own heartbeat picking up, but then I realized that it was footsteps coming towards the cell.
I looked up when they stopped. The hooded figure stood there. Watching.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT!" I screamed. It came from my throat so it was that high pitchy squeel kind of scream.
The hooded figure grabbed a ring of keys out of his pocket and jammed it into the locked. He strutted in, grabbing me at my upper arm.
He yanked me up and began to drag me out of the cell and down the hall. He dragged me up some stone stairs and into a hallway with creme colored wallpaper.
I lost track of all the door and hallways we passed. Although, I tried.
If I had a chance to run, I was gonna take it. It may sound ridiculous, but what other choice did I have?
I kept my eyes on every door we passed, studying every one we passed. Marking, wood, color. Which was a lot hard then it sounded since they all looked so close a like.
The hooded figure finally pulled me through heavy french doors. The room he pulled me into looked like a scene from a movie. It was one of those super old throne rooms, one you would see in an old castle. With the big dramatic throne on the opposite wall, on top of layer of stairs. There was pillars and statues that led up to the single throne and the room over all was an orangy-creme color.
On the throne sat a man... Boy? I couldn't tell from this far. I kept my head down, because I didn't want to cause any trouble. I didn't feel adrenaline, I didn't feel brave, nor did I feel strong. One of the things that I couldn't do was fight.
I was pulled along through the room. I seen the bottom of the steps at the top of my vision before I was pushed to the ground. I heard the footsteps of the man, that was sitting on the throne, coming down the steps.
"Hello, Asherlyn." The voice spoke to me.
I swallowed. No. Why? Not him. Seriously?
This was so not happening.
***
Marco's P.O.V
"Marco, there is still absolutely no sign of her."
I looked up at Devin from my seat of my desk. I stood up aruptly. "I don't care how f*cking long it takes! Hire more f*cking people to scout the area! I don't care how much money it takes, just find her!" Anger boiled inside me.
A hand gentely touched my shoulder. I looked back at the face to see my mother. She gave me a warm gentle smile. My anger slowly subsided.
I sighed and turned back to Devin. "Please, just find her."
"Marco, we are going to find her. I promise," Devin told me.
I nodded at him. Trying to manage the best smile I could.
He turned and walked towards the door. "I'm gonna go hire more scouts." Then he walked out the door.
With a heavy sigh, I fell back into my chair.
"Marco, it's going to be okay. Ash will be fine. She's a strong girl."
"I know, mom. I'm just-" I was cut off.
"Scarred." My dad cut in. They've been staying with me while Ash was missing because they were afraid I'd so something stupid or reckless.
It's been two days and there was still nothing to be found on Ash. It was as if she had just disappeared. It was my fault she was gone. It had to be someone getting revenge on me because of my job. I also figured that it had to be this reason because I was knocked out.
The night that Ash had went missing I had been knocked out. I woke up about two to three hours later. Ash was gone and I stayed out until nearly seven or eight in the morning looking for her.
Afterwards I immediately called my parents and they helped me gather a search party. I've spent most of today looking over and mapping out every five miles all around the Walmart parking lot.
"I am scarred, dad. I lost her once, actually it's been two or three times that I've lost her, and I just don't want to loose her again. I can't loose her again," I told them. My parents were the only ones in my office with me.
"We understand," my mom said.
I sighed and put my head down on the desk. I just really hoped they did understand. I hoped they understood how my much I really had to loose.
***
Ash's P.O.V
My first thought was Winston, but no. I knew better. This voice was younger. Although they sounded so similar. I hadn't realized until now.
"Asherlyn, it's so good of you to join us." I could hear the sneer in his voice.
I looked up at him, finding the courage to finally speak. "Did I have a choice?" I sneered back at him.
He smirked. "Well, of course not. We would've... I would've caught you one way or the other."
I pushed myself up, trying to seem stronger than I felt as I stood before him. "Vincent, listen. I don't know what you want, nor do I really care for that matter. Ju-"
My body fell to the ground as sparks of black threatened to cloud my vision. My cheek stung with immense pain from the slap.
"Bite. Your. Tongue. I'm in charge here... Do not... I repeat... Do not speak unless you are spoken to first. Got it?" he sneered at me.
I slowly nodded. Anger boiled inside of me. My fist bawled up. Vincent began to ramble on and on about something. I tuned him out. I began to check my options.
It was Vincent and one other guy in this room - a gaurd, I guessed. I wasn't entirely sure how many gaurds Vincent had roaming this place. But I could take my chances.
There was also an open window on the far right side.
The way I seen it, I had three options.
Option number one: run. I had no clue where the exit was. On the way to this room I tried to memorize each and every door and hallway we passed, but I could hardly remember now. I also had no clue how many gaurds roamed these halls... Maybe just the one... Maybe hundreds.
Option number two: wait. I could always wait and see if Marco would come to my rescue. The thing was, I'd learned over the past few years, don't rely on others to do your dirty work, or in my case don't wait in hopes of a knight in shinning armor.
Option number three: jump. The window to my right I could easily jump through. I had no clue what floor we were on or anything. I could run and jump out the window and hope for the best...
I chose option number one.
With every ounce of energy in my body, I pushed myself off the ground, and ran.
The doors out of the room were heaver then I thought and so it set me back. It took me longer than I had thought it would to push the doors open.
"GET HER!" Vincent roared.
I pushed myself down the hallway. My legs carried me as far as they could. I could practically hear my heart beating in my ears. I needed to find a hiding place, I could hear someone close on my tail.
***
My arms were stuck.
My legs were stuck.
I couldn't seem to pull my body free. When I finally managed to get my eyes to open, I could see why. I was tied to a chair. My wrist buckled to then arms of the chair, and my legs were buckled to the legs of the chair.
I struggled against the restraints, but they were stronger than me. My body felt weaker than it had. Although, I did question wheather finding out Vincent was the enemy was a dream.
I felt weaker, though. It had to have been the lack of food.
I sighed, letting my body rest.
"You're are such a dumb girl. Well then again you've always been such a dumb girl."
So, it wasn't a dream.
"Vincent, get out here and stop cowering in the shadows... You... You... Coward!" I spat vinum. Or, at least I felt like I did. I'd never felt so much courage in my life.
Vincent stepped from the shadows, rolling his eyes in the process. "I'm no coward. If anyone's a coward, it would be your beloved boyfriend."
I furrowed my eyebrows. "What do you mean?"
He smirked, crossing his arms. "Of course. I thought he didn't tell you. I'm glad to see that I'm right."
"What do you mean?" My voice grew louder.
He chuckled. He began to circle me. It was as if he was a volture and I was his prey. He was circling me... Teasing.
"Vincent..." I spat. I wasn't teasing. I wasn't messing around.
He chuckled. "You don't know Marco's job." He paused. It wasn't a question. "Do you really know anything about him? He's been trying to keep his secret from you. For what? I'm not entirely sure. I do know that he's been trying everything to keep you completely safe." He ran his fingures along my jaw. I jerked my face away.
"He failed though." He pulled his hand away and began to slowly circle me again. "All his extra security. Trying to keep you locked in. The baby sitter he hired for you. None of it was worth it. He failed in the end. He was scarred to bring you into his life because he knew this exact thing would happen."
"What?" It was hard to hold my anger back as I clenched my fists.
He continued, as though I'd never spoke. "All his enemies are trying to hurt him, but they can't not really. That man is a bull. But mentally... Hurt him so bad mentally that he hurts physically.
"But you hate being trapped. You went against his rules and he's leniant on you because he loves you. But that's his mistake." He walked away back towards the dark shadows of the room.
I couldn't go without knowing. I needed to know. I needed to know now.
"What is it?" My voice was loud.
He turned around slowly. "What is what?" He teased.
"His secret." I knew I couldn't trust him. I knew I should trust Marco that he kept his secret a secret for a reason. But I needed to know. Everything he was saying he knew, because he was a stalker. I just needed to know. It was eating at me.
He looked me dead in the eyes and smirked.
*****
Soooooo..... Thoughts?
Sorry, it took so long. I know I say this in like every single freakin' chapter. My life is just crazy...and it's way faster to read then it is to write... I hope you peoples understand.
Yes, this book is almost over and yes, there will be another book. Not a sequel. Sorry.
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Words: about 1,900
-S <3