"She couldn't believe this was how the story ended; it felt all wrong-as if someone had dropped the pages of her life and picked them up at random and everything was shuffled together and none of it fit." – Jessica Arnold, The Looking Glass
Kate watched the sky turn towards twilight, painting the cresting waves beneath in brilliant reds and radiant oranges. She dropped her gaze, the colors of day's end seemingly mocking her with their serenity. A scream stuck in her throat as her line of sight fell upon the rows and rows of perfectly aligned chairs out on the lawn, several already laying flat for transport. Dropping her head into heads, the tears that had become her new voice flowed freely.
She'd tried to choke out the story. Heaven knows she'd tried. But it had been garbled, a mess, and if it wasn't for the officer that had followed her back, it most likely never would have been explained at all. She'd needed air the moment the secondary call had come, confirming remains found but in her rush she'd placed herself at the foot of the aisle she'd never walk down, their guests turning in their seats in confusion. Never was she more grateful for friends then, as Ryan and Esposito were all that kept her from hitting the hard ground.
The tears ran until the numbness returned and she needed to move, to focus on the sensation of one foot in front of the other to keep her from thinking too far or too hard. She was restless, an insubstantial form, merely non-existent, needing the warmth no blanket could bring as she got to her feet and wrapped her arms about herself. She kept her head low, counting each step, trying to imagine the floor she crossed as someplace else, some random room, in some random place, in some random corner of the world. Anywhere else, because if she was here, the truth would hit her and she'd need him, need his embrace, his gentle words of hope, of fate, of fairy tales, and the truth would beat her harder, cackling as it gouged out the remains of her heart with a broken, rusted reality.
He woke to a splitting headache and the cold seeping into his back. Placing both hands to either side, he pushed himself up into a seated position, wincing as he hit a bruise or opened a scab. He rubbed his forehead, his fingers coming away with flakes of dried blood. Blinking, he tried to process his situation as his eyes slowly adjusted to the dark. He sat in the corner of a small room, the floor and walls made entirely of cement. A single door resided across from him, guarded by a single lone figure, sitting at a small metal table.
"Finally awake, took you long enough," the figure began, rising to his feet and pushing in his chair. "The fall wasn't that damn far. You'd think I shoved you off Mount Everest."
"What do you want?"
"It's not what I want, it's what my employer wants, Mr. Castle," the man continued, stepping closer, his hands behind his back. "Now I apologize for ruining your big day but, orders are orders and I prefer money over sentiment, so no hard feelings, eh, Romeo."
"Who do you work for? Is it Bracken?"
''You said it, not me. Last I heard he was in prison awaiting trial. But, if I were him I certainly can understand the desire for vengeance." His captor stopped short and stared down at Castle, his features unreadable. "As it stands, my employer does have similar goals and nothing to lose so I think it would be better for you if you just prepare for the worst."
"What have you done to Kate?" Castle winced as pain shot up his arm the moment he tried to push himself to his feet. He fell back to the ground, gritting his teeth as more pain lanced through his bones.
"Easy now, Romeo. I haven't laid a hand on her. Shouldn't even have to if all goes to plan, she'll just do my job for me." The man returned to the table and rested a hand on the back of the chair. ''That was the mistake the others made. They went in head on but to defeat a bull you have to destroy its will, make it want to die." He took a seat. "Like I said, prepare for the worst."
A/N: A big thank you to all my readers. Hope you guys liked this start :) A big thank you to my Beta, Dmarx. Your help has truly made a difference in my work :)