He stepped out of the car. The sounds of the crows were making their call, breaking the silence in the cold morning sky.

He entered the lobby of the small motel. He was greeted by a receptionist that smelled of stale perfume. The tables had ashtrays instead of flowers. It was dingy, dark, and cheap. That was fine for Jaune. He relaxed as he knew he wouldn't be in any danger here. He asked for a room and without any hesitation, the room key was dropped in the lines of his hand. He grasped the key before departing to his room.

There was no luggage. Nothing but the clothes on his back. Tattered clothes that he scrapped from the thrift store on the way to the motel. The car, stolen. The money, there was none. The owner had mercy on Jaune there. The man did enter the shop with nothing but his underwear. He was fortunate that the owner didn't call the police. He concocted a story that he was a homeless man on his return home. He told the owner in grief that he needed clothes and a place to stay for the time being. Or at least until he was able to find a way home.

Once more, the owner took mercy on him. He gave the poor soul a pair of clothes and a few dollars for food. He even told Jaune that his wife owned the motel down the street. Jaune just needed a week. And he promised that he would be out of town. So much so, he asked for the man's identity so that he could repay that man for his kindness.

Jaune turned on the nozzle. He was in a dire need of a shower. It was not every day he had opportunities of using one. Often on the road for his job, it was his line of work that he had to find alternatives to taking care of himself. He was very familiar with using streams to cleanse himself. Every now and again, he would frequent restrooms of parks to take care of himself. It wasn't suitable, but it would make do. Contrary to the naysayers or those who didn't know him, it didn't take much to please Jaune.

Once the shower was warm, he removed her clothes. He placed them on top of the toilet. He gently stepped in. Waving his hand to get himself adjusted, he let the shower spray all over him. He could think of many places to take a shower instead of this seedy hotel, but this was a luxury.

Hhe sat on the shower floor while the water covered him. The water covered his tears. The hot water hit his neck. He winced when feeling the sharp sting on his neck. He didn't touch it. He wouldn't touch. Piercing remarks of his troubled situation. Piercing remarks of where he just came from. It was his line work that put him in this position. And it was this line of work that made the blonde expressed for the first time, regret.

Nothing was prideful anymore. Nothing was sacred. He learned that first hand when this last assignment put him in a place where he wouldn't wish it on his worst enemy.

Darkness swallowed him whole like a pit. He felt surrounded in dark, murky waters. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he reached for the soap to cleanse himself off.

Dirt, grit, grime, blood made a combination from his body to the drain. He kept his eyes closed. Eerie it may sound, he wished that she could have been like the others in his past, kill him.

Jaune turned off the nozzle and stepped out of the shower. He wrapped himself in a towel before returning to the room. On his bed, there was a slip of paper he kept hidden in the confines of his "nature pocket." Kept for emergencies whenever the time was needed.

And now, it would be useful, he thought as he felt the jaggedness of his beard. He was long overdue for a shave.

Still, in his towel, he reached for the phone to call the number. The number that would alert those from his guild that he was alive and well. The number that can be used to send a rescue crew for him. It was also the number that he was going to use to announce his retirement from the guild.

His final assignment. He was done. No longer was he going to put himself in that position again. Especially when there is an enemy that is unrelenting. Just the thought of her irked him each and every time she entered his mind.

The eeriest thing about her is that she doesn't say anything. She uses her hands, her feet, her mind, and worst of all, her mouth.

It didn't surprise the blonde that the number was out of service. It meant that he was too far out of their district. It meant that he needed to find a way to contact the neighboring guild so that he can contact the others.

He wasn't going anywhere today. He was weak, tired. He didn't even want to eat. All Jaune wanted to do was to sleep.

It was the first time that he would appreciate a bed. Firm, sturdy, it didn't matter. It beat sleeping on the concrete, being chained just to be used as her meal and mammalian sustenance.

He lied back on his pillow. He allowed the ceiling fan to aid him to sleep. He had told himself that when he woke up, he was going to get in touch with the neighboring guild. In some way, shape, or form. But as of now, he wanted to rest.

His heavy, worn eyes couldn't help but to appreciate this temporary peace. He was away from her. No more dungeon. No more bondage. No more being bitten. No more being used as a pleasure post.

No more Neo.

A sound of a loud siren woke up him up. He quickly bolted up and released panting noises. Each pant he made was more hoarse than before. He stared into the darkness. At least that he was witnessing after fixated his eyes. He looked around to see the heavy curtain blocking the window. The lamppost that was emitting from the bottom was the only detection to alert her that it was evening.

He looked at the clock on the nightstand.

It was a few minutes after one in the morning.

Seventeen hours, he thought before resting his hand on her knee. Jaune was lucky if he could get even two, maybe two and a half hours. Most nights, he had hardly slept. It was because of she began to fear sleep. Each time he shut his eyes. Each time he began his sleeping cycle, he would return to the realm that he hated the most. He didn't need a reminder of that. The constant fear of her return. To fulfill her pleasure and making a so-called dynasty for their new covenant.

It was something that he didn't want to be a part of.

It was the grace of Oum that Jaune managed to escape. One benefit of eating deprivation, it helped him lose weight. A technique he had learned from his guild in event of capture. Eat the bare minimum to survive, he learned.

It was because of that that he managed to slip out of his cuffs. It was in the daylight where he finally made his break.

Freedom.

Fear raveled his mind. With it being late, he knew that Neo was on the prowl. She was out there lurking and searching.

But, he told himself that it was impossible. He had driven nearly three hundred miles to get away from her. He didn't know where he was headed, he just needed to get away from her. After running out of gas, it finally registered in his head that he was no longer in her line of sight.

Hungry and in need of food, the only alternative Jaune could think of was to go to the diner and see if he could work for a meal. He remembered seeing it on the way to the hotel. He got up and got dressed to head to the car. Remaining vigilant, he felt safe as he got inside of the car.

As he drove the lone stretch of the highway, he underestimated the utter blackness of nighttime driving through the woods. In his mind, the trees would be black trunks against a bluish charcoal sky, the path would become deepest brown and the moonlight would bleach the stones within it. Hadn't every painting of woods at night been like that? Even if there was a moon tonight its silvery rays would not penetrate the dense canopy above. He was in too far in to turn back, the twilight he had mistaken for night had passed rapidly. It could be no blacker in a coffin, six feet under and piled with dirt. He began to breathe the cool air more rapidly. The darkness pressed in on him from all sides and his body screamed for him to run.

He kept telling himself that everything was going to be fine. There shouldn't be a need of panicking.

He drove into the parking lot of the diner. Unfortunately, it was closed. It wasn't to be opened for a couple of hours. He took a breath, trying to calm his frustration. He returned to his car and closed the door. Knowing that it wasn't long until it opened, he decided to stay.

He told himself that he was going to rest his eyes as he leaned on the window.

His eyes snapped open. He quickly bolted up and released panting noises. Once he regained his composure, he saw that he was still in the parking lot. It was still closed. He looked at his watch and saw that he had been sleeping for a few minutes.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead before hearing a tapping sound on his window. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the pink brunette.

Her hauntingly beautiful pink and brown eyes glowing in the night. She stared at the window. Her cape covered her as she looked at Jaune. She tapped again.

Wake up, darling. I've found you.

Jaune was stunned. In disbelief of the sight that he was witnessing.

C'mon now. Roll down your window so we can talk.

"Neo," he shouted. "How...how...how did you find me?"

I don't want to fight. I won't argue for it is bad for the baby. Roll down your window so we can talk.

Jaune slight made a small crack to the window. The scent of her honeydew entered the car. She furrowed her eyebrows.

I mean all the way down, my dear.

"This is far as I will go," he said.

Do you really want to test my patience? All right then. Then, I have no other choice but to do this.

Without warning, Neo used her fist to shatter the window. Sparkles and shard of glass showered Jaune. He covered his face as he felt it hit his body.

Neo frowned at the scene. Look at what you made you do. And to that owner's car? I will be sure to take care of those damages. She pursed her lips to him. But you really tested my patience. That is a bad influence on your daughter. Now, get out of the car so we can talk. And I wouldn't dare to try to start the car. You know you won't make it. Don't even dare!

There was a pregnant silence between the pair. Jaune stared at Neo as she did the same. He took deep breaths. Once again, he was back in her grasp. He got out of the car.

Good! Now, let's go for a walk, shall we? We need to talk.

To be continued….