REBELS

Episode 8

From one moment to the next we already had two cars on our sides, they accelerated strongly making the sound of the car's engine heard like a great pang in the head. I heard my father curse, I turned my face to see him but in the end I ended up looking through the windshield at the two cars that had passed us, now they were badly parked right in the middle of the road, blocking our way.

"Dad, stop!" I exclaimed with fear, if he didn't stop we were going to crash.

The seatbelt held me tight as my father slammed the car to a stop.

Only our short breaths could be heard inside the truck, no one said anything. We were trapped by four unknown vehicles and I did not understand anything. I didn't know what was happening. The only thing my brain could understand is that nothing was right.

I jumped at the sound of the truck door being thrown open.

Instinctively, I directed my gaze there.

Who is he ?

I was paralyzed as soon as the door of the truck opened suddenly.

A boy appeared in front of my eyes, leaning over looking into the car, his eyes on one person in particular. His head was slightly tilted, he kept a serious face, but suddenly his corners widened into a smile and his brown eyes glimpsed something that I couldn't interpret as what, but I could tell that he was looking at something that he was liking a lot.

So, he spoke.

"Finally I found you," he said with a rough voice and in perfect English, although it denoted a different accent, his face was young and I didn't think he was more than twenty-two, he had dark brown hair that was combed back neatly. By himself he had the appearance of a serious boy, more of a man who liked order and who did not admit mistakes. He was handsome, he had to admit it.

-What's going on?

"You're feeling what's happening... " the boy replied. My friend's eyes widened as he cringed in her seat as the boy leaned in further, bringing her face closer to hers.

What was happening?

Why was a stranger approaching Abby like this?

"You're mine and you must come with me," the boy informed her, invading her space, Abby turned her face in my direction and closed her eyes as she felt the pressure of the tip of the boy's nose brush her cheek.

The sound of the truck door closing made me look at my mother coming down to accompany my father and face this strange guy.

"Hey, get away from her!" Demanded my father in a demanding tone, reaching out his hand to move the stranger away from Abby, who turned to my father expressing his sudden anger.

When he walked away, Abby immediately jumped for the door, slamming it shut.

"Don't touch me again," he threatened. I understand her bewilderment, but don't move away from her again," he said with a warning note in her tone of voice, her facial expression turned dangerous as she uttered those words, "she's mine. And for that very reason I will take it with me.

"If you don't leave right now, I'll call the police," my father warned, maintaining an admirable calm, while Abby and I found ourselves glued to each other, fearful. The way in which they made us stop could have caused an accident, and more this. So go away and let's leave this as it is.

I could see how some men, surely bodyguards, arrived to complete the scene, they stood behind the boy, giving him support. His threatening posture warned me that things could get out of hand. There were six, s**t.

"Please, let's stay calm, we don't have to involve more people in this," Eleonor, my mother, intervened. Just let us go, if this is some kind of assault, you're wasting your time, we don't have much money and we don't have anything of value in our luggage.

The stranger gave a mocking half smile before speaking.

"This is not an assault, I'm just claiming what belongs to me, but you wouldn't understand that, you're just simple humans," he blurted out, one of his men approached him and informed him about something in his ear. There is an explanation for this interception, but right now all I want is to be with her so if you'll stop, my men can enlighten you.

He looked back at Abby, my friend immediately stiffening.

"What's going on, Rose?"

—I wonder the same thing, but my parents will fix it.

"I insist, go away or I'll call the police," my father said again, my mother at his side, caressing his arm and then they exchanged glances.

"You want this to be the hard way, huh?" He asked, "so it will be." Stupid humans,” he muttered under his breath as he turned his attention back to the people inside the vehicle, us.

Then again he opened the door, startling both Abby and me.

"Insurance, dammit," Abby chided herself.

"You'll come with me, darling ," he said after leaning into the vehicle, his eyes fixed on my friend who was staying very close to me. Abby shook her head. Come on, I don't have time to explain anything right now but please come with me,” she spoke to him in a velvety voice, reaching her hand up to touch Abby's cheek. I felt her shiver from her and saw her close her eyes for a moment.

"No," she whispered.

"Understand, pretty, I need you as much as you're going to need me from now on," he replied in the same tone. She turned her face to see me giving me a look that said: help me, protect me.

I lowered my eyebrows not understanding anything. I just looked at them, and when I noticed how the boy's demanding face had fallen, I felt sorry for him.

"I don't know you and I can't go...

"We'll have plenty of time to get to know each other," he started to say. Now, you'll come with me.” He raised his face and then turned it away and made a sign with his hand, making his men stand completely in front of my parents, blocking their way. My father had been arguing with one, but when he saw what they were doing, he fell silent and looked at the vehicle, concerned.

"I already told you that she's not going anywhere." The seriousness in my father's tone of voice produced a bitter sensation in me.

"Peter, you know this can get out of control if..." my mother tried to tell him something. But she stopped talking when she realized something.

-No! Let go! Abby yelled trying to pry the boy's hand off her arm. Instinctively, I grabbed her other arm to hold her from there and prevent the boy from pulling her out of the vehicle.

"She doesn't want to go with you, let her," I snapped, forcing myself.

"They're going to break me in two!" —Abby warned us in a shout. He released her immediately whereupon she slammed into me.