Chapter 4

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(GRIFFITH'S POV)

Madeline has been missing for almost five hours now.

It is currently three o-clock and if she doesn't return in thirty minutes, she is going to miss her shift.

Knowing my dad, he would throw her outside to die without a second thought just because she was late, even if he knew it was his fault. He is just cruel like that. Then he would probably watch in his fancy oxygen suit as she breathed in the toxic air. He would laugh has she slowly lost consciousness and her beautiful eyes closed for the last time.

A shudder ripples through me at the thought.

I check the clock. It reads 3:21, and if I don't leave for the kitchens soon, I'll be late. I'm never late. I grab a white shirt and tug it over my head. I run my fingers through my hair, grab my old messenger bag and head out.

I peek across the hall, knowing that she won't be there, but part of me hopes she is. To my great surprise, the room is void of life. Madeline isn't back yet.

My footsteps echo off the walls of the dead silent hallway as I make my way to the first floor. I find myself longing for her musical voice to fill the air. Instead, I am alone and I don't know where she is. And that scares me.

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(ELLIOT'S POV)

I watch as her figure is swallowed by distance. I should've known. I should've known the bastard wouldn't tell her. Why would he put he risk the wrath of a woman? I should've known Madeline would react like that. She deserves a decent life. No one should have to be forced into a marriage. They should be able to chose for themselves. Aren't we in America? The land of the free? But then again, America isn't as free as it seems. The so-called president had every citizen under his spell. He got them all to believe that the air outside of his specially made developments is toxic. Everyone thinks he saved us all, but in reality? He just wants control. Of everything.

He doesn't have control over me, though. At least, not as much as he thinks he does. I'm smarter than he thinks. I've done my fair share of studying. He doesn't know that I've hacked into his computer system plenty of times to erase certain video tapes that I don't want him seeing. He doesn't know that once while I was doing that, I discovered a file, which I downloaded, that exposes all of his precious secrets. He does know that he could kill me whenever he wants. But he doesn't know that I could too, and that is exactly what I plan on doing.

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(UNKNOWN POV)

My feet slam against the pavement. Each slap sends jolts of pain through my body, but I can't quit. There is no quitting for me today. Hope fills my chest as I see a forest ahead. I run faster. Behind me, a motor roars to life. Sirens wail in the distance. My body aches, but there is no quitting. Not when I've already gotten this far. I hear the shouts of several men. The motor draws closer at an alarming rate. I'm almost there.

With a final burst of energy I sprint towards the trees. The man with a motor almost has me, but it's too late. I'm free.

I dash into the cover of the trees. Branches whip at my face. Prickly vines reach for my legs in hopes to snare them. I a little farther, yelling still echoes behind me and I know that they haven't given up yet.

I spot an oak tree in all of its glory and quickly begin to climb. I see another limb jutting out and I leap onto it. I carefully make my way from tree to tree. I can not afford a fall now. I pause when I hear the footsteps of the men trampling across the earth twenty feet below me.

It is getting late, and I am exhausted from many months of planning. I spot a little nook in the tree a little ways up and decide it is best to stay there for the night. I allow myself to be cradled by the branches. Leaves tickle my face and I sigh in content. Pulling out my backpack, I take out a rope and a piece of bread.

I'm free at last.

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(MADELINE'S POV)

I can not believe I have to get married! Who does that guy think he is just walking in there and practically saying that he owned me now! I am my own person! I have a fricken mind! No one owns me! No one has the right to control m-

"Excuse me young lady, I believe you have somewhere to be. And it ain't here"

Holy crap that guy is so tall I can't even see his face right.

"Um... Well you see I was just uh walking back from this place where the president what uh keeping me and I'm not really sure where I am. I guess I stopped paying attention to where I was because I was thinking real hard about something and then you kinda just jolted me out of my thoughts and that's when I realized I.. was... lost... Okay you're really intimidating right now sooooo I'm gonna go thanks"

I have never ran so fast. He didn't even help me! He just stared at me with his arms crossed like some macho fighter while I was talking! Oh crap! What on earth was I talking about! Why the heck do I always have to ramble when I'm nervous?! Seriously Madeline, have you ever heard of shutting up?

Wait. What's that smell? It smells like the kitchen!!

I barrel through the double doors that smell good and..

Bingo. We have a winner.

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Yay a long one 👏👏 and I have more written so I'll upload them soon

So what's going to happen next?? What is Elliot plotting? Who's the newbie?

Idk about you but I love how Madeline's thoughts go everywhere and no where at the same time. It makes me happy :)

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