Chained to You

Joy Ride

I groggily opened my eyes and wiped the crust that had started to form around them. Had I been crying?

I didn't have time to think about it because I realized I was in a moving car. The windows were barred and there were no handles. My breathing grew more and more wild. I remembered this. They're going to take me away again. But there were no handcuffs ensnaring my wrists, no metal rubbing against my skin.

"Are you awake back there?" I flinched when I heard the officer's voice. Sitting upright in the back seat, I glared at the rear view mirror where he was peeking at me.

"You lied to me," I growled. "You said you wanted to help me, but you're taking me back to that horrible cell." He stopped at a red light and looked over his shoulder at me and through the mesh that separated us.

"No," he chuckled. "I'm taking you back to my house." My eyes went wide.

"You're kidnapping me?!" This day just kept getting worse and worse.

"No," he repeated. "I'm hiding you." The light turned green and he stepped on the gas, focusing on the road again. "You let off a little too much steam earlier. You almost blinded my fellow officers. No doubt there are people looking for you right now." I scoffed and leaned my head on the barred window next to me.

"An officer breaking the law, how ironic." He smirked and looked at me in the mirror again.

"I'm not actually an officer, you know."

"This is sounding more and more like a kidnapping," I said, surprising myself at how calmly I said it. He chuckled again.

"My name's Kai," he said. "And I have answers for you."

"I haven't asked any questions." I still had a horrible headache and I wasn't in the mood for prophecy talk. "I think I have a concussion and you haven't even bothered to give me ice."

Instead of answering, he slowed down to a stop in front of an ancient looking manor. It was black, not even an inch of color and some of the paint seemed to be peeling away. A young woman with blonde hair sat on the front steps, twiddling her thumbs. She looked seventeen or eighteen, around my age, and even from this distance I could see she had purple eyes. That's definitely not normal.

Kai came around to the back of the squad car and opened my door for me. Hesitantly, I slid out, keeping my eyes on him the entire time. I could try to run, but I didn't want to get on his bad side. He didn't seem like he wanted to kidnap me.

Quickly and quietly, he led my to the old house, toward the young woman. When we got within five feet of her, I dug my heels in and refused to go any further, but Kai didn't force me to keep walking. Instead, he knelt down in front of me again.

"Look, I know you're probably terrified, but you've got to trust me." I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off. "I know it's a lot to ask for, but Valkyrie is a friend. I haven't hurt you and neither will she." I swallowed and nodded my head slowly. The blonde girl came forward confidently, smiled and stuck out her hand.

"We're gonna have a lot of fun."