BOUND BY REVENGE: HIS FAVOURITE PREY

ELOWEN ASH'S POINT OF VIEW The alarm screamed like it was going to die. It made a loud noise that bounced off the walls and wouldn't stop. The noise kept going, loud and angry, as if it had a problem with the person who owned it. Something moved under the thick white duvet. A hand slowly came out. It was pale and smooth, with long, lazy fingers. The hand waved in the air, just missing the alarm. The sound kept going, now louder, proud of how it had won. There was a muffled groan coming from under the blanket. "Oh my goodness," a sleepy voice said. The hand hit the table hard. The alarm moved a little but didn't fall. The noise only got worse. The hand grabbed the alarm, squeezed it, and threw it across the room. There was a loud crack when the clock hit the wall, and it fell to the floor in pieces. There was silence after that. The room seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. The duvet moved again and then stopped. Peace came back, but only for a short time. A phone rang. The noise was quieter than the alarm, but it was much more dangerous. The walls could feel it. The air could feel it. The phone rang again, steady and patient. There was a growl coming from under the blanket. The voice said softly, "No." The phone kept ringing. The duvet flew off the bed. A girl sat up, her hair all over the place and sticking out in all directions. Her eyes were half closed, and her face was scrunched up in anger. Without looking, she picked up the phone and held it to her ear. "Uh-huh," she said. A loud voice yelled through the phone, "Where are you, Elowen?" Elowen pulled the phone away from her ear and winced. "I am at home," she said slowly. The voice said, "At home." "Yes," Elowen said, yawning. The voice yelled, "The test starts in thirty minutes." Elowen blinked once. Then two times. "Exam," she said again in a low voice. "Yes, exam," the voice said. Her eyes got bigger. "Exam," she yelled. She got out of bed so quickly that the duvet wrapped around her legs. The phone slipped out of her hand and hit the bed. "Elowen," the voice said again. She didn't hear it. She tripped and fell flat on her face. The floor hit her with a dull thud. She said "Ow" into the carpet. Her legs were still stuck in the duvet. She looked at it like it had planned this. "Traitor," she said quietly. She crawled forward and kicked until her legs were free. The duvet fell off the bed as if it were proud of itself. Elowen got up and rubbed her head. The mirror showed her reflection. Eyes that are a wide, honey color. Hair that was messy and covered most of her face. A sleepy frown that made her look more angry than scared. "Pay attention," she told herself. She turned and ran to the bathroom. With a soft click, the door shut behind her. Water rushed. The drawers opened and closed. With a light clatter, something fell to the floor. There was no mercy for ten minutes. The door to the bathroom opened again. Elowen stepped outside and put on her sweater. It was brown and soft, but a little too big. The black skinny jeans fit her legs perfectly. She had a messy ponytail in her hair. Her skin was dry, and her face looked fresh but rushed. "I'm busy," she said. She took her watch off the dresser. Once, the strap slipped out of her hands. She caught it the second time and put it on her wrist. Her heart raced. She ran into the living room. There was no noise in the house. There were no voices. No motion. She stopped for half a second. She said out loud, "Living alone is great." Then she ran into the kitchen. The cabinet opened. Bread came out. Then came the butter. She spread it quickly, unevenly, and thickly. She put the bread in her mouth and held it there with her teeth. She ran back into the living room. Her boots were by the door. Black. Very high. Used but loved. She hopped on one foot while pulling them on. "Come on," she said softly. The bread fell out of her mouth. She got it before it hit the ground. She pushed it back in and chewed quickly. She looked at the clock on the wall. "Ten minutes," she said with a sigh. She felt better. She said, "The university is five minutes away." She took her books off the table. Her fingers got cold. There was a picture below them. She picked it up slowly. A woman smiled back at her. Eyes that are kind. A gentle smile. A younger girl stood next to her and held her hand. They both seemed happy. Too much happiness. Elowen swallowed. She said softly, "Wish me luck, Mom." Her thumb ran over the woman's face. Her smile shook. "You always said I'd be okay," she said quietly. She carefully put the picture back where it belonged. She took a big breath. Then one more. She looked at the door. She stopped at the mirror next to it. She looked at herself. She pushed her hair back behind her ears. She fixed her sweater. "You can do this," she said. "This is the last test," she said. She nodded once. She opened the door and went outside. The door clicked shut behind her with a loud noise. The apartment was quiet again. The empty room was reflected in the mirror. The light hit the picture on the table. The smiles didn't move. Time went on without a care.