Rora didn't know how she was believing this, how she didn't think it was some kind of sick joke. It may have been that she knew it was coming, but more likely it was that she was used to evil surprises by now.
She sighed, and looked away, away from her mother, her soon-to-be step-father, and into the lifeless grey outside.
It wasn't her mothers fault, she couldn't blame her, she didn't know. Didn't know that she lie awake at night, in fear. The reason her friends at school had suddenly drawn away, of course they didn't really know, just that there was something wrong.
Her mother didn't feel it like they did. She was too blinded by love for her daughter to sense the change. How could she not notice it though? The change? The anger, silence, hole, blank expression, and feral eyes?
How could she not notice that, she looked like she had watched a predator with its prey one too many times.
The only thing those haunting green eyes ever showed was indifference.
You could bet your life that Ida knew that sigh, the one her daughter gave when she didn't want to dissapoint her parents. The bright light left her eyes as Rora, her one and only daughter, walked calmly out of the kitchen, and up the stairs.
Marriage! Marriage! You didn't have to be as smart as Rora to know that her mother would find the only day this summer that it wouldn't be storming here in the lightning capital of the world. What then? If he was seen than she would be dragged into it. Not only that, she expected her to be the flower girl? Who ever heard of a seventeen-year-old flower girl? Her mother would drive her off a cliff one day.
She sat on her bed, put in her earphones, and put the music at max volume. It didn't bother her that her over-sensitive ears should be bleeding, or that her mind was racing faster than it could comprehend, what bothered her was that, for the first time in two months, she was feeling something other than what her eyes showed. Indifference.
She couldn't lose control. Not now. Not when there was so much at stake. If she lost control, than he definitely would. She had to get out. Now. She had to make them believe it though, or she wouldn't get away without a fight.That would make her lose control.
This would bring her close, him even closer, she just hoped she got out quickly.
In one swift motion she lock ed the door to her room, yanked the earphones out of the cd player, and ripped the suitcase out from under her bed.
She threw clothes in there as fast as possible, grabbing the wad of cash in her sock drawer. She ran to the bathroom and back, shoving those things on top of the rest in the already-full suitcase. Thinking back later, she wondered how she had gotten through a locked door, but didn't ponder it too long.
Downstairs, the couple was growing angry.
"That's it, I'm going up there!" yelled John over the noise. At the top of the stairs he pounded on the door, music thundering in his ears. "Turn that down or I turn it off! Permanently!" he could hardly hear it himself.
Rora rolled her eyes, "Oh yeah! Then do it!" she challenged.
He slammed his shoulder into the door, then again.
"My god, John!" she shouted, opening the stereo top and taking out the cd, placing it on the top of the pile and zipping the suitcase.
He didn't trust her now, and ran at the door again, as it flew open into him. Rora pushed past him, down the stairs, past her mother, out the door.
It was raining. Duh. Of course it was. It was always raining, in storm season anyways. Thank god for that.
She ran to the car, slemming the door behind her. She threw the suitcase in the back, and slammed on the gas, screeching out of the driveway. She was no sooner to the city park than she looked at the gas.
"Damnit!" she murmered, cutting into the trees to hide the car.
The gas station wasn't far, but she couldn't risk someone recognizing it.
She swiftly braided her curly black hair, the plait only reaching just past her shoulders. She tied the dark purple bandana over her hair, thanking the darkness to hide her face.
Twenty minutes later she stood at the car again. There was someone there. He was waiting for her.
"Hello, Rora" he practically purred, approaching her slowly.
She froze, the voice was unreal, like... "Wh- who are you?"
"Oh, that hurts, Rora. Don't you remember me? Your homeroom theacher's son? I had a crush on you, Rora. But now... I think I'm going to crush you." he snarled at the end.
Rora smiled, "Are you upset that I didn't like you, Noah? How immature is that?"
The man walked forward, he was older than Rora by only a year, but he looked twenty. He grabbed her shoulders. "Why, Rora? Why didn't you like me? Was I ugly?" he questioned, marble features entirely too beautiful. "Was I rude? Was there someone else?" he snarled, looking into her furious eyes, "Was there?" he demanded, shaking her violently.
"No," she replied simply.
"Then why, Rora?" he asked, gently, purely confused now.
"Wow, Noah. I would think that you, of all people, should know that. Sometimes you love someone, and sometimes, you don't," she retorted, words turning to ice as she said them.
His steely grip tightened. He growled low, the sound moving up his throat.
She stared into his eyes, her bright green ones not letting go of the crimson of his.
He lunged forward, his lips on her neck faster than she could see. He hesitated for a moment, before biting down, hard. She screamed at the top of her lungs. A figure in the shadows tackled Noah, snarling.
Rora lay on the ground, gasping for air, clutching her neck. She watched the men fighting, stunned. She stood slowly, and ran.
She knew they could have easily caught her. They were a bit distracted though. Silently, she hoped that Noah would lose. He tried to kill her. That wasn't exactly something you just forgave.
She sat in the navy blue sienna, shaking violently. The white-hot pain was spreading, overtaking her body. It had had time to, since she ran full loop before getting back here.
She held her head between her knees, trying to calm herself.
Suddenly, a rap on the window dragged her briefly out of the fire.
She pushed the door open, looking up for only a fraction of a second.
"Move!" he snarled, oushing her into the passenger seat. He turned the key quickly, "You're not unbreakable yet, seat belt."
She nodded, buckled, then curled into her little ball again.
"Carter," he said, more gentle this time as he pulled out of the forest.
She nodded, "Rora," she said softly.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there faster, but now we need to get away. I know someone that can help. We have two days to get to Alaska. No way are we taking a plane. Across the country in two days, fun," he actually smiled.
Rora didn't respond, just sat there in silence.
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So how was it? Next chapter on I'll do from Rora's POV. Review! Go! Review! Please! I want your opinion!