A case of Stockholm.

Chapter Eight.

I pull myself up from my huddled position on the floor. Callum had left to go and make us some lunch after he heard my stomach making its usual plea for food. The sounds it made were that of a dying whale. Walking through the hut, the floor creaks under my feet in several places. When I reach the kitchen I realise that this is the first time that I've seen it.

There's a small cooker against the back wall next to two, what would be, magnolia benches but time had changed them. A small rickety, wooden table with only two chairs to match. Callum stands over three bowls and is pouring something from a pan into each of them. I clear my throat.

"Oh hey there. How you doing?" It's nice that he seems real.

"Um... well I could be better I suppose. Thank you for earlier. The last thing I'd want to do was pile the guilt on you. I'd try with Elijah but he seems oblivious to human emotions."

He smiles at me. "You have no idea." A distant look passes over his face and an instant later it's gone. His cheery expression lighting up his features again. He turns back to the food and hands a bowl to me. "It's not much I'm afraid. Just vegetable soup." I look up and force a smile. He's slightly shorter than Elijah but not by much which means I still had to tilt my head to look at him.

The soup is pretty good. "So Gwendolyn, do you mind if I call you that?" I nod and continue eating. "What exactly did Eli save you from?" I look at him and realise he had only been partially in the loop with Elijah's plans.

"Well my mother can be rather stern at times and my father never stands up for himself. My best friends are my maid and my butler although I see them more as family than hired help. My parents aren't bad people but I get the feeling that I was always an inconvenience to them. Also they arranged a marriage for me. I was actually living the ideal life." I finish with a sarcastic tone.

"Oh." The only response I receive.

"It wasn't too bad. We had a huge library."

Callum looked intrigued. "You read?"

"Did you think the books that had been taken were for decoration?"

Callum looked away sheepishly and blushed. He was kind of cute when he blushed.

"Sorry. Yeah I do like reading. What about yourself?"

He looked back up at me. "I read when I can get a book. Do you have a favourite?"

This was a difficult decision to make. I settle on an answer. "I can't choose one. Can you?"

"That's an easy one. The Alex Rider series."

"The children books?"

"Yeah. They were the last books my mum bought me before she died."

"Sorry to hear that." I put the bowl down on the counter.

"The party has arrived." Elijah strolls into the room looking like he's just rolled out of bed. "Woah what's with the aura of depression?" He says smirking.

"Nothing." I say leaving the room and heading to the bedroom.

I walk into the room and suddenly I realise that I had disrupted something. Gwendolyn had walked out so I looked at Callum and see that he looks exhausted.

"Cal, you should really get some sleep. You don't need to constantly watch her."

"I know but she's been taken from everything familiar. She needs a friend right now, can't you see she's distressed?"

"She'll thank me. Her life wasn't exactly ideal."

"Dammit Eli. We can barely afford to look after ourselves. She's another mouth to feed. Why not just take her home?"

"This is her home now. No matter what she needs to stay here."

Callum looks defeated. Dark circles around his eyes. "I'm going to take a nap. Keep an eye on her and try not to be yourself." He turns from the kitchen and walks towards the sofa. I get that we struggle money wise but we did what we could.

I sit on the mattress in the room. What was I doing here? I needed to get home as soon as I could. I would bide my time before leaving here. I'd wait for the perfect moment. As I sat there I decide to try and finish The 100, but when I pick up my copy and I flick aimlessly through the pages. I start again from the beginning and the world embraces me like a long lost friend. With Clarke and Bellamy and Wells I followed them through their lives and encountered their problems. I left reality and it felt absolutely amazing.

I put the book down at the end of one of Bellamy's chapters and exhale slowly. I was back in the cabin. I stand up and feel my legs creak beneath me as though I'm a marionette. I start walking but my legs don't feel quite like I'm in charge of them. I walk through the 'living' area where Callum is fast asleep on the sofa. Continuing through to the kitchen I fill a glass of water and realise that Elijah isn't anywhere to be seen. I set the water on the counter and walk back to the bedroom. My rucksack gets thrown over my shoulder and I slip a pair of deep purple Converse on and a hat.

After hastily making it out the door, I pick the pace up even more.

I decide to go and get something to eat for the three of us tonight. Walking through the forest I was on high alert as usual. I hear a sound behind me, I instantly turn. Nothing. I was just too jumpy. They couldn't find us out here. We'd been careful. Hadn't we? I continue towards the nearby town. There are trees surrounding me. Leaves crunch as I walk. I hear another noise and swing around. Shit. Movement catches my eye. They're coming towards me, the light is fading this point. What do I do?

As the person nears me I see that they're alone. A lone scout I could handle. I crouch and edge my way to their left. I break into a run and when I'm close enough I lunge at him from behind.

"What the hell?" a familiar voice escapes.

"Gwendolyn? I could ask you the same thing. Were you following me?" I try to sound teasing though my heart is still racing. This really freaked me out.

"No I was not following you." I realise that she was trying to leave but I couldn't do that, just let her go. She had seen where we were and who we were. I'd have to take her back. I let go of the hold that I have on her. Wow she was short. I turn her around. She glares at me but I smile sweetly back at her. I throw her over my shoulder and make my way back to the cabin. She protests immensely but it doesn't faze me. I need her as much as I hate to admit it; Callum needs someone there for him.

Someone that is closer to human than I am.