Awaken

Chapter 2

Mom’s office door was locked from the inside. There was no key so the only way in was for the door to come off the hinges. I pushed with all my body weight and kicked the door as hard as I could. The more I tried, the harder it got. I looked in the living area and the kitchen for something to help get the door open.

There wasn’t any luck so, I stood in front of the door and took a deep breath. Something in my body told me to try just one more time. I felt my energy rise and my leg raised. One swift kick and the door was off its hinges and off the floor. I smiled at myself as I walked into her study.

Everything was so neat. All the papers were stacked in a pile on the desk in the center of the room. The books on the shelves were color coded and not dusty. The pens were straight and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I sat in my mother’s chair, opening drawers, looking for something or anything. I stood up and went to look at the books. Each book was about a country or a few were translations. As I picked up a book I became angrier and threw them, one by one, to the floor. I felt my anger slip and I dragged my arms across the shelf, pushing down a whole pile. One book made a loud thump and a piece of paper fell out. All my attention went to the tiny slip on the floor. I bent down and picked it up, unfolding the paper slowly.

Under the desk

I stayed there for a minute and thought. It finally clicked and I pushed myself up. I made my way back to the desk and crawled into the tiny space. Sure enough, there was a big orange folder taped to the top of it. I pulled the folder off and crawled out, pushing myself into the chair. It had my name on it. What was it? Why is my name right there on the front? Did mom leave it for me? My heart was beating fast, hands were shaking. I began to slowly open the folder and there was a knock at the door. I looked up to see out in the hall.

I never noticed the clear view mom had to the front door from her desk as the door opened. Alex walked straight ahead, going to the kitchen I assumed. He was always a sucker for food.

I placed the folder under a stack of papers and walked out of mom’s study. Sure enough, Alex was opening the cabinets in the kitchen. I shook my head as I stood watching. He managed to find the peanut butter and was looking for bread when his phone went off.

“Hey Dad, what’s up?” he asked. I could hear Charles in the background but couldn’t make out the words. “Dad, I can’t hear you. What’s happening?” I took a step closer and he looked up and saw me. His face held no expression but I could see in his eyes something was wrong. “Were getting ready to leave the house now….no…. what do you mean we should…Dad? Dad!” Alex shouted. He looked at his phone and put it up to his ear and looked at it again. “Mal, we have to go. Someone is on their way to the house.”

“What?!” I looked at him like he was crazy. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Get your stuff and let’s go.” Alex wasn’t messing around. He ran into the living room and I ran up the stairs and into my room. I reached for my bag that was lying on my bed and slung it over my shoulders. I went back downstairs and back into mom’s study. I grabbed the folder, unzipped the bag, and shoved the folder inside the same pocket with the phone number Mom gave me before she left. I walked into the living room and Alex wasn’t there. I looked around and saw the front door was wide open. Without thinking, I ran to the doorway, looking outside, looking for my friend.

“Alex!” I shouted. There was no response. Millions of thoughts raced to my mind as I took those few steps down leading to the grass. “Alex, where are you?”

I was trying my best not to panic but that all changed as the silence got too long. Where was he? Alex’s car was sitting in the driveway, turned off. Didn’t he start it earlier? I ran to his black Jeep and opened the door. I set my bag in the passenger seat, closed it and turned to go back inside. My body froze as I saw blood on the ground next to the front tire. My hand immediately went over my mouth as if to stop the air I wasn’t breathing from coming in. Blood…why was there blood? There was a sharp snap somewhere in the distance, making me jump. I turned to run back inside but ran straight into a chest instead.

“Well, excuse you.”

I looked up to see a man with dark hair and black eyes. He was tall and muscular, dressed from neck to shoe in black the same shade as his eyes. I let out a scream but it was muffled as he turned my body away from him and covered my mouth, holding me so close I could feel his breathing in my ear. “One down, now where’s your friend?” At that moment, I was less scared because I knew that this man didn’t find Alex. When we were younger, Alex and I would always be playing hide and seek. He always said that he lived in the shadows. I believed him only because it took hours for me to find him when he could be in the obvious places.

I closed my eyes and tried my best to stay calm. The man picked me up like I was nothing and immediately I began to struggle in his grip. He cursed and held me tighter, making it hard to breathe. I felt a tear fall down my cheek and opened my eyes. Off in the distance, ever so quick, was a shadow of a person moving at a fast pace. Alex. My kidnappers grip loosened as he took a step forward and I took my chance. I bit his hand so hard, I drew blood. He yelped and threw me to the ground, but I was quick enough and landed on my feet. “You little rat.” He yelled. I smiled and ran back towards my house. He followed me but never made it to the steps as a body moved from behind the Jeep, tackling the man to the ground. I looked back and saw that the person was not Alex, not even close. His blonde hair and body structure were completely different.

“Mallory?” I stopped on the top step, frozen in place. Mom was standing in the doorway, facing me with fear in her eyes. I tried to run to her but I couldn’t make my legs move. “Mallory don’t move. Stay right where you are.”

“I don’t think that is a good idea, Mal.”

An unfamiliar voice spoke my name. I looked to my right and saw a woman standing behind Alex, with a knife to his throat. Her eyes were as red as fire. Her black hair was pulled back and still flowed down to her back. Footsteps came from somewhere behind me and I felt the other’s presence before his arms were around me yet again.