Hey guys! I have had this written for a while now, I just had no time to post it! Sorry! My summer is turning out to be quite a busy one! I hope you enjoy what I have written so far!
Just so you guys know, this is where the plot gets good. I apologize that it has taken so long to get this written.
—Annie POV
They kissed. They kissed. They kissed. The words echoed through my mind as I walked down the hall. They kissed. Tears were streaming down my cheeks. They kissed. They kissed. I pushed against the door that led to the fresh outside air. They kissed. I needed to get out of here. To get out of the classroom and out of the building. They kissed. With every step down the stairs, my tears became harder and harder to control. They kissed. Once my shoes connected with the bottom of the stairs, I ran. My feet carried me away from school premises.
I had run for about ten minutes straight before my lungs felt as if they were on fire. I was never a really fit person, and the short sprint had proved that. Breathing heavily, I inspected my surroundings. I was about a five minute walk from my house. Sucking in a deep breath, I began walking in the direction of my house but stopped dead in my tracks at the realization that the keys to the house were still in my locker. At school. I looked down at the textbook in my arms. A few small tears trickled down my cheek. I don't want to go back there. My parents were on a trip and they wouldn't be there to open the door if I knocked. I was alone. Knowing I had no other choice, I began walking back in the direction of the school.
They kissed. The words came back to mind, as I trudged back the way I had come. The textbook in my arms became ever so heavy. My breathing slowed. They kissed. Puck's words kept swimming around, not giving me any room to think. I thought back to about a half an hour ago, when Puck had uttered those words to me. I thought about how after the bell rang, I walked over to Sabrina. I thought about the look on her face as I pleaded with her to know why she had kissed Peter. Peter. The boy that I had told her not even a day ago that I liked him. My tears stung against my cheeks. Why? Why did this have to happen? Why did my best friend do that? How could she have done that? Betrayal, was all I felt. I couldn't think of anything else. It all made sense now. Why Puck had looked so sad and hurt. He was probably hurting just as much as I was.
I was so immersed in thought, that I almost tripped over the sidewalk. Looking up, I stared at the doors to the hallway I had just run out of. Taking a deep breath, I began walking up the stairs. I had left right after first period, which meant everyone was probably in second period by now. No one should be in the halls. All I needed to do was get in and out without anyone seeing me. I opened the door and paused. The hallway was dead. Perfect. I stepped inside and began walking down the hall. After taking a left, I made a beeline for my locker.
My tears had dried up, making my skin feel dry. I rubbed my face to relieve the sore feeling. I fumbled with the locker combination, messing it up the first time. Then my locker made a clicking noise, as I lifted the latch and opened the locker. I set my text book inside and grabbed my book bag, checking to make sure the keys were still inside the front pocket. Sighing in relief, I closed the door and almost squealed in fright. Standing there, where my locker door had blocked my view, was Dylan. My eyes widened. He was the last person I expected or wanted to see.
"Annie." Dylan stated. He look as hot as ever, wearing black jeans and a baggy blue shirt which made his eyes pop. A brown curl sitting in between his eyes. Eyes that seemed a little odd. Dylan looked stern, but his eyes were wide and glinted with something I couldn't quite place. I wasn't sure what it was, but the look in his eye made me uncomfortable. I swallowed nervously.
"Dylan." I said with a nod, acknowledging him. I didn't feel like talking to anyone, especially him. The last time I had talked with him was last night when I told him I had feelings for someone else. I slowly maneuvered my way around him, not wanting to engage in conversation. Before I could start my trek back to my house, Dylan's hand snaked around my waist keeping me in place.
"What are you doing?" I asked, nervously. Narrowing his eyebrows, he tilted his head down, his deep blue eyes seemed to stare into my soul, the longer I looked into them.
"I didn't appreciate what you told me last night." He started with a displeased tone.
"Umm... I'm sorry..." I stumbled, "But that is how I feel." I really didn't want to repeat everything I had told him last night. I wasn't in the mood and I could only imagine what I looked like. My eyes were probably red from crying a few minutes prior. Dylan scowled.
"You didn't even give me a chance!" He growled quietly. I raised my eyebrows in confusion. What was he talking about?
"What do you mean? I went on a date with you." I stated. Dylan's grip around my waist tightened, making me flinch. The sudden movement seemed to excite him as he smiled and pulled me closer.
"You know what I mean." He whispered into my ear, his breath making a shiver run down my spine. What was he doing? The skin where his hand was on my waist, began to feel hot. I tried to pull away from his grip. I wanted out of this situation now! A low chuckle came from Dylan. His hand fell away after I pushed away a second time. Relief filled me as I started to march down the hall. Suddenly, I felt his strong grip push me against the lockers. Fear flooded my mind making my heartbeat quicken. One hand firmly held my shoulder against the lockers and the other held my neck. I couldn't move. My feet were glued to the floor and I was practically glued to the wall, where he had me pinned.
"I am going to have to show you, that there isn't anyone else for you. There is just me." He whispered in my ear, making me shiver uncomfortably. What did he think he was doing? He was crazy! I tried to push him away as he leaned in, but it was futile. I felt his lips slam aggressively against mine. No! My mind screamed. In a panic, I head butted him, making him stumble backwards, grunting. Pain erupted where our heads had connected, making my vision a bit blurry, but I took this as my chance to bolt for the door. I let my feet carry me around the corner, down the hall and out the door. Once I felt the fresh air on my face, I ran and ran until I saw the safety of my home in view.
I didn't let myself rest until I was safe in the confines of my house walls. It was very unlikely that he had followed me, I tried to tell myself as I looked behind me. I fumbled with the keys in my hand, trying to get it in the lock. After three failed attempts, I got in. Once I was sure the door was locked behind me, I crumpled to the ground and cried. It was all too much. How had my life become this complicated in a few hours? I used to be jealous of the girls who had boys upon boys lined up to date them, but I had never imagined it to be like this. I cried and cried until I fell asleep on the ground in front of my front door.
—
I woke up to dry eyes and dented skin from the tile on the ground. I grabbed my phone, the screen light illuminating my face. It read 3 pm. I had slept through all my classes and then some. Slowly, I sat up. My head was pounding. I sat on the ground for a few minutes until my stomach screamed at me for neglecting it all day. With a sigh, I stood up and walked into the kitchen. After a few long minutes, I decided on making some Mac and cheese. It had been my comfort food growing up.
As I threw it all together, I turned on some music and tried to drown out the memories of today. I needed to distract myself. It would all be okay if I just distracted myself.
I spent the next hour making food, cleaning dishes and then finally sitting down at my couch to watch a movie. Romcoms were out of the question. Instead, I settled on a classic murder mystery. About 10 minutes into the movie, the home phone rang. I climbed over the couch to where the phone was located. If it was a salesperson, I wasn't even going to answer. The caller ID read an unknown number.
"Hmmm..." I wondered to myself. I picked up the phone. "Hello, this is the Burkhardt residence." I paused and waited for a response. Nothing. Then the line went dead. I guess they had the wrong number. Not thinking much about it, I grabbed my bowl from the coffee table and entered the kitchen to grab another bowl of Mac and cheese. I popped the bowl in the microwave and entered three minutes to warm it up. I casually hummed a tune as I waited, listening to the droning of the microwave. Suddenly, the phone rang. Urgh, again? Seriously. I swear if it is the same person. I picked up the phone.
"Hello?" This time, I heard rustling on the other end.
"Is this Alexis?" A deep voice asked. I squinted in confusion.
"Umm... no. This is not Alexis. I think you have the wrong number." I said before hanging up. Weird. I looked out of the window. The sun was setting. I gave a sigh.
BEEP BEEP BEEP! My heart stopped. Then I realized it was just the microwave, signaling that my food was ready. I took a deep breath. Calm down Annie. I covered my hands in my shirt so that there was a layer of fabric protecting my hands from the hot bowl and grabbed it from the microwave. I walked over to the couch and pushed play.
For the next hour, I watched as the main character got trapped in the same room as the killer. She tried to escape but was caught. She struggled and eventually was knocked unconscious. I was on edge. Is she going to survive? Then, the main characters love interest barged into the room. I groaned.
"Seriously? Why is there always a love interest!" I pushed pause and waited to recollect myself. This was dumb. I grabbed my phone and instinctively started to text Brina about the lame movie. I stopped mid text. I can't just pretend nothing happened. But I hated being on bad terms with her. All I wanted was to talk things through with her. Maybe Puck had not seen the kiss correctly? No, the expression on Sabrina's face when I confronted her was of guilt. I felt my eyes begin to tear up again. The thought of Sabrina's betrayal stung. But something about it was off. She had never in the years they had been friends done something like that before. There was no way that she could've been hiding her true colors this entire time! Besides, there was Puck! She loved him. There is no way she would ever have hurt him that way. Right? I deleted the text I had started and began again. I had almost gotten done with the entire text before the phone rang again. The ringing made me jump.
Jeez, maybe watching a thriller isn't the best idea when I'm home alone. I walked over to the phone. It was the unknown number again.
"Hello?" I asked after picking it up.
"Hello Alexis." The mysterious voice said on the other end. Frustration bubbled inside of me.
"Look, my name is not Alexis. You have the wrong number." I stated sternly, then hung up the phone. At this point, I was starting to feel upset. Maybe this was someone's idea of a joke? I sat back on the couch, home phone in hand just in case the mystery man called again. Just like I had thought, the phone rang again two minutes later.
"Look, I'm not in the mood. So cut it out!" I yelled into the phone.
"Oh... I'm sorry." Then the line went dead. My eyes widened. That wasn't the same person from before. That was a familiar voice. Peter. Peter had called me? And I had yelled at home to leave me alone. I groaned and sank into the couch in despair. Should I call back? Or even just text him? He had my number on his cell. He must have not dared text me, because a cell phone was a new contraption to him. I smiled. Wait, shouldn't I be mad at him too? I paused and sighed.
"Why should I be, Annie?" I mumbled to myself. "It's not like you are dating him or anything? You didn't even tell the boy you liked him yet!" Suddenly, the phone rang again. Peter? I grabbed the phone and picked up.
"Peter? Is that you?" I asked, hopeful. The other end was silent, except for the odd rustling. I had been so distracted by Peter that I had almost forgotten about the annoying prank caller.
"This is not Peter." The voice sounded quite menacing now. I cringed. This felt wrong. Something didn't feel right. Maybe this wasn't a prank caller? I felt chills run up my spine.
"Who is this?" I asked, trying to sound demanding. When there was no answer. "What do you want?" Again, nothing. I wasn't sure if I should hang up or stay on the line. Maybe I should call the police? But I also didn't want to burden them if it was just a prank call. I sighed.
"Look, I don't know what you are trying to do, but this isn't funny anymore. So please-."
"Alexis please," The voice interrupted me. Why did he keep calling me Alexis? This was really starting to freak me out. "Alexis, just let me in. I've been waiting for you." My eyes widened. Nope, I'm done dealing with this. I hung up the phone. I shivered. It was dark outside now. Maybe I should just go to bed. It will all be gone in the morning. I hurried up the stairs and into my room. I heard the phone ringing below, but I ignored it. I rubbed my arms, trying to calm my nerves.
I quickly undressed and grabbed a large T-shirt from my dresser. As I threw it on, I realized the blinds to my bedroom window were open. My eyes widened as I realized anyone outside could see me dressing. My dad had warned me many times to keep them shut when it started to get dark. I ran over to the window and started to shut the blinds when something caught my eye. Another shiver went down my spine as I caught the glance of someone in my backyard. It was a silhouette caught in the light from the kitchen below me. They were standing just a few feet from the kitchen window. I gasped as the silhouette waved.
Had they seen me? I didn't know what to do, I was frozen, staring down at them. The black figure moved their arm toward their head. What were they doing? Suddenly, the phone downstairs rang again. My eyes widened. It was the prank caller. Except, it wasn't a prank caller. I needed to call the police. But I was scared to move. What if they disappeared when I went to get the phone? Then it dawned on me. I had my cell phone. My hand instinctively went to the back pocket of my jeans, but they were in the closet. I had no choice, I needed to call the police.
I bolted to my closet and searched my jeans for my phone. It wasn't there. That's when I remembered it was on the couch, where I had left it. I walked back over to the window and peaked out. The silhouette was gone. My heart began pounding and my mind began hyperventilating. What was I going to do? Had I imagined that figure? I needed to calm down and think straight. I took a deep breath and stood up. I just needed to get to the phone. The man couldn't get in, I was safe in my home. Wait! Had I locked the doors? No! I need to remain calm. Deciding that the best way was to get be fast, I bolted down the stairs and grabbed the home phone. I looked around frantically, making sure no one had gotten into my house. I had pushed one digit, when the phone rang again. Terrified, I dropped on the ground. I looked up and into lightning blue eyes. I screamed. The man standing on the other side of the sliding door didn't look familiar. But his lightning blue eyes were petrifying. I watched as his hand went for the door latch. Crap!
I tried to lock the sliding door before he opened it, but I was too late. The door slid open and he smiled. Terrified, I ran to the kitchen and grabbed the first thing I could find to defend myself with. Somehow, my hand grabbed a pair of kitchen scissors. A knife would have been preferred, but my mind was frantic and I had lost all common sense. A pair scissors was better than nothing. I held the scissors out towards the intruder.
"Get out!" I shouted, my hands shaking. "I called the cops!" I hoped the bluff would stop him. He raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"What are cops?" He asked with a grin, his head tilting to the side. What? He was joking. He walked closer to me, his arms extended. There was something off about his hands. He seemed to be holding a hook of some sort. No, his hand was a hook. Suddenly, it all clicked. This man was an Everafter!
"Alexis, I've missed you. I have come to take you away from here." He said. I kept the scissor extended. I needed an escape route. I eyed the stairs to my right. He was still a ways off. I bolted up the stairs.
"Alexis! Don't run!" He shouted behind me. "You are only making this harder." Umm yeah! Of course! I'm not being killed today! Once I reached my room, I shut the door and locked it. I was breathing heavily. I looked around my room for something that could help defend or attack. I could grab my lamp from the wall? No, I needed to hide, or escape. I could climb from my window, but that would be a huge drop and nothing to hold onto. I would probably hurt myself and then it would be easier for him to finish the job. Deciding on a hiding place instead, I shimmied myself into the closet. I tired to calm my breathing, but tears were beginning to form as the reality hit me of what was going on.
A strange Everafter man, probably Hook, the Pirate from Peter Pan was after me. He thought my name was Alexis. He was in my house. Tears began to spill down my cheeks but I kept as quiet as I could be. No one knew I was here. No one was coming to help me. I was all by myself. I took a staggered breath and wiped the tears away. What would Sabrina do in a time like this? Kidnapping or murder was inevitable at this point. He was going to find me, unless by some miracle he decided to leave. What should I do? I need to leave a clue. I thought about all the things I knew. If Sabrina came looking for me, I would need to leave something for her.
I took the scissors I had in my hand and began scratching a word into the wall of my closet. Hopefully, she will be able to find it in her search. If she even looked for me. No! Annie, stop thinking like that. You are her best friend. Stop thinking negative thoughts! I went back to scribbling another word. I tensed when I heard the door frame crack. I pushed myself up against the wall in my closet. I hadn't even realized how quiet it had been.
"Annie?" A familiar voice called out. That was my real name! I slowly moved towards the closet door. "Annie, are you in here?" It sounded like... Dylan? Why was he here? Had he come to save me? I waited, still cautious. I hadn't forgotten what he did earlier. "Annie, please! I'm here to help! I'm sorry for earlier. I was being dumb. Please come out." Then slowly, the closet door opened. I clenched the scissor in my hand tighter. The light from my room lit up the closet that had once been dark. I saw Dylan, beautiful and all standing in the doorway. He smiled.
"Are you okay?" He asked crouching down to look me in the eye. I clenched the scissors harder. Tears spilled down my cheeks. "Hey, hey, hey, don't cry." He said, wrapping his arms around me. I suddenly felt safe. I was safe. But that still didn't explain what had happened with the man.
"The- the- there" I choked out between sobs. Dylan nodded. "A- a- man?" I managed to get out.
"Yeah! The man, I knocked him out. He is downstairs. I also called the police. They will be here any minute now." He said, stroking my hair with his hand. I sobbed into his chest. I was safe. The man was no longer after me. I relaxed enough for the scissors to fall from my sore hand onto the carpet in the closet. "Here," Dylan said, the light illuminating half of his face. He maneuvered his arms and scooped me up bridal style. I closed my eyes as the light from the room washed over my face. "Let me just bring you outside, that way you don't need to be in this house any longer." I nodded. I just wanted this all to be over.
We started down the stairs when I heard shuffling down below. I tensed up. Did the man wake up? I looked up at Dylan. He smirked. Why is he smirking? What was going on? Once Dylan reached the last step, I could see where the hook handed man was standing in the kitchen.
"Ah, Dylan. Thank you for finding my Alexis." He sneered. My eyes widened and my heart began pounding again. I felt a low chuckle erupt for the chest of the man holding me in his arms.
"Of course, Captain." He responded. Panic-stricken, I pushed him away, but his arms were clamped around my body, not letting me go. I needed to get away! Why had I trusted this awful boy! I struggled against him, which made him chuckle more.
"Alexis..." Hook cooed, standing tall over me, casting a shadow on me. My breathing quickened, but I stayed still, terrified he would hurt me. He brought up his hooked hand to my face. I flinched as the cold metal touched my cheek. It slowly moved down my face, creating a line of cold tingles, as he caressed my face. "You look just as beautiful as the day they took you from me." My heart threatened to beat out of my chest. I could feel my tears begin to form again.
"Captain, we should probably be off, don't you think? We don't want to be here when others show up." Dylan stated in a determined voice. I could feel him puffing his chest out. He seemed to want to impress the Pirate. I remained quiet and whimpering. The captain nodded.
"Alas, we should go." He turned on his heel and began walking back towards where he had entered my house. This was my chance. The minute the Pirate walked outside, I squirmed around and bit down on Dylan's arm, making him cry out in pain. He managed to drop me and I fell to the ground. I quickly stood and spit out his blood. Disgusting! I darted behind the counter, frantic to grab something of use since I left my weapon upstairs. However, the moment I slid past Dylan, he grabbed my hair and yanked me backwards, making me cry out in pain.
"You're going to regret that!" He seethed, as he pulled my hair harder in his direction. I stumbled backwards, the pain was unbearable. I stopped and submitted. He pulled me in the direction of him again. I saw him reveal a pocket knife and hold it in front of me.
"Don't test me." He sneered. He grabbed my arm and pressed the knife to my side, but only hard enough to know it was there. He pushed me forward towards the sliding door. I hatched a new plan. When we made it outside, I would scream and catch the attention of my neighbors. It was only around 8pm. They were bound to still be awake. As if he read my mind, Dylan pressed the knife closer into my side. Wincing, I felt the cold blade cut through my thin t-shirt and poke my skin, leaving a small trickle of blood. I tensed, and walked forward.
The minute I stepped foot outside the summer breeze brushed past my bare legs, making me shiver. I was wearing practically nothing. Then an idea sparked in my mind. I let my legs collapse as I pretended to faint. This made Dylan drop the knife and grab me with both arms.
"Nice try," he whispered, his hot breath tickling my ear. I cursed and tried to struggle, but it was no use. My body was exhausted and I just couldn't think of any other ways to fight back. I opened my mouth to try and cry out, but suddenly a cloth was covering my face. I whimpered and tried to push it away.
"There we go, go to sleep my Alexis." I heard Hook say softly, as my vision blurred and faded away into darkness. One thought still in my mind. Sabrina, please find m- Then everything went black.