Here's the next chapter of Runaway.
It's just a short one because I've been struggling with writer's block recently.

Thanks for the reviews, they're much appreciated.

I own Marianne, Joseph and Jack.

For somebody used to the hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle that was New York, Marianne still found the sound of birds and crickets on a morning somewhat strange. The brunette opened her green eyes and immediately shut them again as a stream of daylight blinded her. Shifting her body away from the bright light, the New York native winced a little at the unfamiliar pain coming from the lower part of her body. Glancing down at her lack of clothing, Marianne began to recall what might have caused her to feel so uncomfortable.

Part of her felt quite rebellious, while the other part of her immediately berated herself for being so foolish. Suppose Phillip ever found out about this, and he would kill both Marianne and Heath. Deep down, she knew that there was no way Phillip was going to leave without her. She had grown so close to Jack, Mickie and Heath recently that she wondered if surrendering herself to her fiancé was worth saving those she cared about in West Virginia.

"Are you awake?" Heath asked as he sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"Yes." Marianne nodded.

"Did I hurt you?" the redhead frowned.

"No." she shook her head, sitting up and turning to face him.

"You sure?" he frowned.

"Sure." The New York native nodded.

"Did you sleep ok? Heath asked her.

"Fine." She nodded, opting to leave out the fact that thoughts of Phillip had invaded her dreams.

Meanwhile, Phillip was still as determined as ever to find his fiancée and take her back to New York in time for their wedding. He had sent Gallows out on the lookout, as well as bribing Randy with the promise of more money than he had previously promised him. He knew plenty of men with addictions, and not just gambling ones. They would go to the ends of the Earth if it meant being able to roll the dice just once more.

"Are you not hungry?" Phillip asked Joseph.

"I can't do anything until I know my daughter's alright." The older man replied, pushing the food around his plate.

"I quite agree. We need to step up the search." Phillip nodded.

"Let's hope she's ok." Joseph sighed.

"I'm sure she'll be fine. The important thing is that she returns home to me and you." The younger man replied.

Phillip Brooks was glad that he had refrained from getting rid of the older man. Rather than seeing him as a liability, Phillip was realising that her father was probably going to be a major factor in getting her to return to New York. Truth be told, the younger man was quite fond of his future father-in-law. They had gotten on perfectly well before Marianne's disappearance, and Phillip's earlier doubts about Joseph's honesty had now subsided.

Marianne had persuaded Heath to let her get some fresh air, taking a leisurely walk down to the water's edge so that she could wash and enjoy some sunlight before being cooped up in the wooden hut once more. Heath had deemed it too dangerous to go near that farm, fearing that Phillip still had people looking out there. He was probably right, she thought.

It was a lovely day, with a gentle breeze that filtered lightly through the weeping Willow trees that surrounded the water. The warm sunlight set a beautiful glow on the surface of the water itself. Slipping off her shoes, Marianne dipped a foot in the water and gave a long sigh, enjoying the opportunity to relax for once. Slipping into the water, she immersed her whole body and slowly emerged as she used her hands to brush her wet hair back from her face.

After a few moments of relaxation, Marianne decided that it would be a good idea to head back before Heath got too worried about her whereabouts. Climbing out of the water, she slipped on her shoes and headed back the way that she had came.

As she walked along the path, the New York native couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. Feeling extra vigilant, she quickened her pace, gasping as she heard a twig snap nearby.

Stopping in her tracks, the New York native heard a familiar voice…

"Hello Marianne."

"Randy?" she slowly turned and saw the young man standing behind her.

"Who else would it be?" he asked her, as his icy eyes pierced hers.

"I thought you'd be out of town." She shrugged, changing the subject.

"I have some business to attend to here." Randy smirked.

"Oh?" Marianne's eyes widened.

"It's a shame too, because I really did like you Marianne…" Randy sighed.

"What do you…?" Suddenly the realisation hit her like a ton of bricks.

"I still do like you, but you're already engaged to another man, aren't you?" he added.

"Randy, I like you too. Just let me go, ok?" she pleaded.

"I'm afraid I can't do that…" he shook his head slowly, pulling off his tie.

What do you think?

Please Review! xxx

What's Randy going to do?
Let me know what you think!