Taken by One Direction

Chapter 31: Running

I kept running as fast as I could. My bare feet stepped on sharp sticks and jagged rocks, my legs scratched against bramble and bushes, and my arms defended me from low-hanging branches. I wasn't even a quarter way through the small patch of forest and I was already a bloody and dirt-covered mess. There were leaves and twigs stuck in my wild, dark hair.

I didn't dare look back at whoever was running behind me. I could hear them shouting at me, I could hear footsteps, and there was more than one person. I felt tears sting in my eyes, but I didn't dare shed them. I needed to do this.

I felt my limbs shake in fear as I somehow propelled myself forward. I still couldn't see the police station through the thick shrubbery. I still had a long way to go. I really had only been running for like a minute and a half.

I heard heavy footsteps and low panting behind me, but I couldn't turn around. No, I couldn't. I needed to keep running. I needed to-

I let out an piercing shriek as I felt two hands grab my waist and yank me back roughly.

"Katie!" Liam's deep voice snapped from behind me. I could hear shouts a couple hundred feet behind us, from where the other boys were struggling to catch up. Liam had caught up to me much sooner than the rest...

"Please Liam!" I screeched through the traitor tears that had poured down onto my cheeks. He looked down at me sadly before stepping closer to get a better grasp on me. I could tell that he was about to sling me over his shoulder, so I acted without thinking. Or maybe I was thinking, and I let all my anger out.

"Sorry Liam." I squeaked as I jerked my knee up as hard as I could into his, um, sensitive area. I had mustered up a lot of strength for that.

Liam's brow furrowed and suddenly, he released me. I stepped away as he crumpled to the floor in pain, his face scrunched up and his knees buckling. The other boys were approaching quickly and they looked pissed, which was a complete understatement; they looked furious.

Before I could say anything more to Liam, I spun around and bolted straight ahead, like I had been running before. I kept propelling myself through the forest, shouts of pain and anger behind me. I swear they were getting closer, though.

I ran for another long minute, the boys were getting closer, but I was just starting to make out the end of the forest. If I could just keep going for another 30 seconds then maybe, just maybe, I would make it out of this nightmare.

I started to see the building now, I could almost taste absolute freedom. I was still hidden by the dark protection of the forest, but if I just ran a little bit lo-

This time, hands didn't grab me and pull me back, I was tackled. My attacker pressed me on to the ground, smashing my face and arms into the pebbly dirt. I let out a scream, not in pain but in one last desperation that someone will hear me.

A big hand clamped over my mouth, muffling the sound. Not a word was said as I was roughly ripped from the ground and thrown over a hard shoulder. I started pounding my fists on the back of my captor, but it was to no avail.

He quickly walked back through the forest, just a few minutes later leading me into the small circle of boys that had formed around Liam, who was just now pushing himself off the ground.

"Good," he squeaked, "I mean good," he corrected in a deeper tone, "you caught her." My captor said nothing as he continued to walk with me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I struggled and kicked trying to get him to drop me, but I had no luck.

Harry and Niall helped Liam walk back to the bus, my captor behind the other boy who I had not yet seen. I was, to be honest, frightened to death. I had never had an almost successful escape like that. The boys must be livid.

I let out a shaky sigh as I hear the bus door ripped open. I was brought inside. Liam limped back in with the help of Harry and Niall. After they had made their way inside completely, Zayn followed and slammed the door shut.

Wait, what? Liam was injured. Harry and Niall had helped him. Zayn was standing over there... Louis had dragged me back? But I thought that he was on my side.

Louis carried me back to the bedroom, the other boys in tow, and then through me down onto the bed roughly. I looked up into his eyes with fear. I expected his expression to mirror the fury I saw in the faces of the others, but it didn't. His eyes displayed hurt and sadness, and were rimmed with red.

"What the hell, Katie?" He croaked as Harry slammed the bedroom door shut, shaking the frame of the entire bus.