Extraordinary Royalty

Chapter 9 - Evangeline

Note from the author: Sorry for the formatting. I am still trying to figure it out. This Chapter is longer because it switches between memories from her childhood and what is currently happening. I might do 2 parts -- splitting it into 2 chapters, but I haven't decided yet. 

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I decide I need to go to the Bakery first to grab some supplies before walking into what is sure to be a trap. I run-up to my room and pull out my emergency box. In the box are a small stun gun, passports, burner phones, fake IDs, and cash loads of cash. I grab the gun and a burner phone leaving my cell phone on my deserted bed. I don't need Shawn tracking me and making things worse. I will leave the truck behind as well. Going on foot will be the only way I might catch Julian off guard. I rush back downstairs and out the front door grabbing my boa out of the front seat of the truck. As I am running into the woods, I hear men shouting my name. I assume it is Shawn and Dylan. I hate hurting them like this, but I have to save Elly. Running through the forest, my mind wanders toward the first time I met Shawn. The smells of pine and maple wafted off of his smooth skin as we walked into the town square. Since then, I have fallen in love with the smell. I sometimes find myself going outside to smell the pine trees. 

Bakers' Street isn't far from the Bakery, so it won't take me that long to get there. In fact, I grew up on that street when I was younger before we had to move. I don't really remember why we had to move, but I do remember snippets of burly guys busting into our house. I always thought that they were memories of a break-in or something like that. I never asked. When I come upon the house, I take it in. It looks familiar. The outside is deceiving of what it is hiding on the inside.  The tattered curtains on the windows, the ruffed-up wood floorboards, the broken glass scatted on the floor - reminds me off something far off in my brain. The glass crunches under my feet as I slowly move towards the kitchen. The kitchen table is turned on its side showered with bullets holes. There is shattered glass from dishes, windows, and picture frames all over the ground. I walk towards the living room and step on a pair of glasses. I pick up the crooked frames and a memory flashes through my mind. I see my father sitting at the kitchen table reading a newspaper, these glasses sliding down the bridge of his nose. I drop them on the ground and back into the living room - scrubbing the memory from my mind. My mind has to playing tricks on me.

The living room looks like a natural disaster. The couches are overturned and the T.V. is crooked hanging on for dear life. More broken pictures frames are scattered on the walls and ground making the path to the stair impossible. I see what looks to be a phone smashed on the ground next to bullet casings. I pick up the phone and prevent a cry of despair from leaving my clenched lips. It's Elly's phone. She must be here somewhere. I make my way up the staircase avoiding the rotting floor boards. I walk into the first room I come across and Elly is lying unconscious on a bed. Her arms and legs are tied together and there is duct tape over her mouth. I run to her side and check for a pulse. I let out a sigh of relief. She is going to be ok. I start untying her hands when someone hits me upside the head. I fall into the darkness as someone picks me up and carries me away. 

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Flashback:

I'm in my bedroom braiding my mothers' hair when I hear something slam into the wall downstairs.

"Mommy? What was that?" I ask her as I curl into her side. My mom leaves her seat on the bed and locks the door.

"Evangeline, I need you to hide in the closet. Can you do that for Mommy?" she asks worry lacing her shaky voice.

"Why? I want to keep braiding your hair?" I whine.