Capture This

CHAPTER THREE

The holes that were present in my curtains caused the sun to shine right through it. I wasn't even sure if it could be called a curtain anymore.

The fact that the sun was shining, told me that the snow had stopped. Christmas was only 20 days away, yet grandma and I had failed to start swapping our decor for the actual 'decent' ones that we owned.

A yawn escaped me as I sat up in bed and tried to figure out what I was going to do today.

A loud shatter came from the kitchen and on instinct, I ran to see if grandma was alright.

"Shit."I heard her murmur as I rounded the corner to see her standing over a now smashed dish.

"Grandma! Language."

It was only then that she actually noticed my presence and looked up to meet my eyes.

"I'm sorry honey. I thought I saw a rat in the cupboard."she smiled at me, rubbing the back of her neck so she could come off as innocent.

My grandma wasn't one to swear if it wasn't neccesary, so it was easy to give her the benefit of the doubt. I could only chuckle and walk over to her to give her her morning kiss.

"I'm just messing with you."I smiled at her as I took up the half of toast she left for me and ate it.

As I did so, I saw her moving around, picking up various items she would usually take when she normally goes out. My eating halted and I looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"Are you going somewhere grandma?"

"Yeah. I am."

I waited for her to elaborate but she never did, so I urged her into giving me more details.

"Uhm. Where?"

"Oh. Christmas is right around the corner so, I'm going to the church today. To see what they have to giveaway."

I'm not sure if I heard right but whatever she said caused me to spit my water out.

"What!? You're leaving me here by myself today?"

"You'll be okay Olivia."she sighed, taking up her small pouch and keys before walking away from me.

I followed her until she was standing at the door.

"Grandma. For the first time in forever, I'm home for the day. Can't we spend it together?"I pleaded with her.

"I'm sorry Olivia, but I have to go. Or else we won't be able to carry on the family tradition."she replied, still putting her things together.

"But grandma-"

"No buts Olivia. I'm going and that's final."

Then she finally opened the door, stepping out and closing it behind her, leaving me completely alone.

Finally accepting that I was utterly alone, I made my way to the living room and sat in grandma's arm chair.

Due to the fact that we didn't own a television, I reached for my favorite book and skipped to my favorite part.

"What about you? I'd like to know more about you."

"There's not really much to know about me. I mean.....look at me."

He caught her eye from the other side of the sofa and they both stared into each other's eyes.

"I'm looking."

The sound of the front door opening and closing broke my focus away from the chapter.

"Grandma?"I called out from where I was sitting.

Silence.

"Did you forget something?"

When I got no response again, I got up in an attempt to scold her and tell her it's impolite not to answer someone when they're talking to you.

"Grandma! Weren't you the same one who told me to always answer someone when they ask you a q-"I started as I rounded the corner, but stopped abruptly as I caught sight of who really entered my house.

I stood there, staring back at the slightly familiar face.

"W-what? W-where? W-why are you in h-here?"

The fear started to seep in again, crawling up the back of my neck. I could feel an anxiety attack coming, but I did my breathing exercises to calm down.

He started taking slow strides towards me, his eyes never leaving mine. With each step he took forward, I took a step back.

His pace then quickened, but I stopped, refusing to let this man get the best of me, and mostly because my breathing exercises worked and I'm now officially calm.

That didn't slow his stride though. He kept walking until he strode right past me.

"I think it's best if you find a not so cliche spot to hide your spare key. Everyone knows to look under the mat."his thick British accent spoke as his back was facing me.

"I-I don't r-remember inviting you i-into my house. As a matter a fact, I don't remember inviting you onto my property."I hurriedly defended, all fear forgotten in the end.

Right as I said that, he stopped and turned to face me, walking back in my direction.

"I didn't know you could talk so fluently."he stopped directly infront of me.

"Leave me alone Mickail."the shyness came back and I walked away and entered the living room, practicing my breathing exercises again.

"Oh. So you have memory too. It's good to know that you have the characteristics of a human being. You were acting sort of alien last night."I heard him say from behind me as he entered the room too.

"Why do you have buckets all over your floor? Are you a collector?"he asked again, his voice stern, yet amused.

I ignored him and took up my book that I was previously reading, gripping it tight in my hands before I made an attempt to walk past him.

Before I knew it, he grabbed the book out of my hands and held it out of my reach.

"Give it back you jerk!"

He ignored my constant shouting before proceeding to open the book to read the sypnosis.

"When college senior Anastasia Steele steps in for her sick roommate to interview prominent businessman Christian Grey for their campus paper, little does she realize the path her life will take."

A huge blush spread across my rosy cheeks as he smirked at me when he was done.

"Great erotica choice."

I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest, having nothing to say to him. "I dont care what you think. Now give it back."

He held it even higher from my reach and pouted. "Ouch. That wounded me sweetheart. What happened to you being the stutter monkey?"

"Just give it back!"I was angry now. He was walking on a very thin thread.

"Okay! Damn woman."

He placed it in my palm and I wasted no time in grabbing it from him, walking away into the kitchen.

"Why read the book? Why not watch the movie?"he asked, still following me. I guess me ignoring him wasn't enough because he wasn't leaving me alone.

"Uhm. You do know I'm talking to you, right?"

No matter how hard I try, his level of persistency was high.

"Olivia!"

"What is it Mickail!? Doesn't the fact that I'm ignoring you ring a bell. I. Don't. Want. To. Talk. To. You."I don't know where this sudden bluntness came from. I would never in a million years say that, but I guess he just brings out the worst in me.

When I said this, I saw his eyes dilate. The exact same way they did when he was with that man in the alley. I instantaneously gulped, regretting what I said.

"Well excuse me for trying not to be an asshole for a first impression. I guess you rather talk to the guy you saw in the alley then."his voice was now only stern, all traces of the little amusement was gone.

Now that he was like this, my on and off again confidence deflated once and for all. The girl who just told off the man that was infront of her was no more.

"I-I'm s-sorry."

He didn't acknowledge my apology, just walked over to me until he stood infront of me, the same distance he stood the night before.

This time was different. This time I actually looked up to meet his gaze. The way he was looking at me made me blush a deep red. It made me think to myself that he really was perfect. From his plump, pink lips, to his perfectly shaped eyes and his defined jawline.

"W-Why are y-you so c-close to me?"

"Because I want to tell you something."he whispered out, his breath fanning my face.

"W-what's that?"

"I need you to know that, I'm going to need that photograph."

The trance that I was in was instantly broken. I pushed him away from me and took a step back, crossing my hands over my chest.

"And w-hy do you a-assume I'll g-give it to y-you?"

"Because it wasn't a request."

I didn't know what to do. I did not want to get on his wrong side nor did I want to submit to him.

"Well, I t-think you're going to be w-waiting for a long time. Because I'm n-not giving it t-to you."

Something I couldn't decipher flickered in his eyes when I said that. He glared at me before taking a deep breath.

He then turned and walked to the door and opened it. When he was outside he looked back to me and stared.

"Well then let's go."

My eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"Excuse me? I'm n-not going to g-go somewhere with a m-man I just met. And even if I w-was, w-where would we g-go?"

"If I'll be waiting a long time for that photo, it's best if I preoccupy myself to pass the time, right?"

He didn't wait for a reply from me, just left my door open so I could see him make his way to his car.

I on the other hand, was dumbfounded. Caught between wanting to go and not wanting to.

He stopped as he reached the car door and looked back at me from the outside.

"Well? Let's go. Repetition is not something I believe in."

Then he entered his car, leaving me to write a note to my grandmother and leaving my house with no extra addition other than my camera.

♧♧♧♧♧

"So here's the deal. You obviously have some people issues so I'm going to say this bluntly and quick. We make a quick stop at this store for some important business, then I drive you back to your place so you can give me the photo. Got it?"

"I think not-"

"Good. Now follow me."

He was already half away across the parking lot that we were currently parked in. The kind that held the most expensive stores. Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Versace and one that I've never heard about before, Elenadora.

I exited his car and slammed the door, staring at his figure walking into the said store. He only looked back once, when he raised his eyebrows, urging me to run behind him.

I looked up to the sky that was now absent of the sun and watched the snow fall lightly. I brought my hands up to rub my shoulders and gasped when I felt they were bare. I knew what was bound to happen next, so I clutched my camera that was around my neck and ran, following him, dodging each and every snowflake that threatened to land on me as I entered the store. I sighed in relief as I finally made it inside and I looked around.

To say it was big was and an understatement. Even though I've never been into a*****e other than Dollar Tree before, I knew this was awfully big for a........clothes store.

Mannequins and racks stood all over, different aisles and different items placed in each, and different people scanning each variation.

"Olivia! Hurry up. Would you?"

I looked over to the side to see Mickail standing with a woman a little shorter than him, though she was still taller than me.

Still clutching my camera, I approached them.

"This is Ellen. The owner of the store, and sadly, my sister."he introduced, his accent coming out strong again, though it still held a hint of 'I could care less' in it.

"Hi. Nice to meet you."she smiled, an accent similar to Mickail's very evident.

"H-hi. I-I-I'm O-O-Olivia."

I don't understand why but I started to feel extremely cold. To the point where I could feel my temperature drop.

"Uhm, are you okay?"

"Y-yeah. I-I-I'm f-f-fine."

"What the? Why are you shivering?"Mickail grabbed my arm and pulled me to the side. His eyes bored into mine as mine into his. I just stood there and looked in his face, my lips chattering.

"Answer me God dammit!"

"Mickail! Be gentle with the poor girl."I heard Ellen say.

"No! She has a God damn mouth. She should know how to f**king use it."

I just kept staring at him. I wanted to answer him, but I couldn't. Meaning I physically can't. My lips were frozen. I immediately knew that it was happening again.

"So what? You're just gonna stand and stare at me and not say anything."he shook me slightly and I saw a snow flake fall from my shoulder. There was no doubt now about what was happening to me.

"F-f-fr-fre-fr-freezing."I whispered.

"What?"

"Fr-freezing."

"You need to speak up Olivia."

"God dammit Mickail! She said she's freezing!"his sister ran over to us and stared at me with uncertainty.

"What? How can she be freezing? It's like 80 degrees in here."

"Because you just drove her all the way over here while it was snowing without a coat you i***t!"

They kept bickering back and forth but I could barely focus. Every part of my body was numb. I felt myself fall forward and land in Mickail's arms.

"s**t! She's ice cold. Ellen! Get me one of your coats from your collection. Now!"he yelled, scaring myself and Ellen.

"What?"

"Just get me the f**king coat Ellen! I'll pay for it!"

Ellen dashed off and came back seconds later with a thick brown coat with fur on the inside.

"Here."

He quickly took it from her and wrapped me in it.

I didn't feel any better though, for all I knew I felt worse. My skin started to itch and I started to feel uncomfortable in my own skin.

"What the f**k?! She's breaking out in hives!"

He laid me on the ground gently and felt my temperature.

"What the f**k is going on Ellen?! She's still freezing!"

"Well what do you want me to do Mickail! I'm not a freaking doctor!"she screamed at him, tears streaming down her face.

"Then let's get her to a doctor!"

I froze at his words and gripped his arm.

"N-no. N-n-no d-d-do-doctor."the words passed through my trembling lips.

He looked down at me, unsure of what to do before he finally nodded.

"Okay."

"T-t-take m-me t-to my h-house."

He nodded again and proceeded to lift me up bridal style. He ran to his car, with his sister tagging closely behind.

I felt my eyes slowly start to shut but I struggled to keep them open. He looked down at me and caught my eye.

"Don't die in my arms Olivia. You still have a picture of mine."

Then came the darkness.