Cupid's Soldier

Chapter 11

The startling sound of tree branches smacking Seline's window woke her up very early Saturday morning. The soft pillow supporting her head comforts her as she wonders about Austen. Her kiss with Austen clouding her mind and leaving her dazed and confused. Seline can't help the new feelings twirling around her mind like miniature tornadoes. With every little thought about him, Seline is consumed with confusing feelings that she's never felt before for anyone. No one's ever made her heart race like he has. No one's ever made her feel so alive.

As Seline snuggles up into her covers, she can't help but wonder what it would be like if she were cuddled up next to Austen. Would being wrapped in his strong arms make her feel safer? Would he comb his fingers through her hair? Would he whisper sweet nothings in her ear to lull her back to sleep? Would Seline finally feel like she isn't alone in the world? For Austen to be safe she knows that can't be with him. She knows that she probably won't ever feel him holding her. It doesn't matter how much she likes him, they just can't be together.

Seline sighs, kicking away her covers; after a while of just lying in her bed, she realizes she isn't going back to sleep. Her small feet carry her into the bathroom, where she cleans herself up. Today, she can already tell, is going to be miserable.

At first, she was just going to sit at home, reply to some comments on Cupid's Soldier, and hang out with her mom; but, now, she decides to go out. She puts on a pair of shoes and grabs her wallet. Her stomach is growling, and she has about three dollars she can spend on breakfast food at Stanley's. It's not an extremely far walk from her house, but she can't say it's close either.

As she walks out the door, she sighs in frustration. The wind blows through Seline's familiar brown locks, Sean remembers watching his wife comb through Seline's hair. He hates how horrible his life has turned out. He's now a criminal, in every definition of the word. It's tiring and it grates down on his conscience.

Seline changed so much from when she was little, as well, she used to say that she wanted to be a warrior when she grew up. Her favorite movie was Mulan, and she would giggle every time the little dragon, Mushu, showed up. Whenever Mulan wore a dress, she would scrunch up her nose in disgust. Or when those guys sang about what they wanted in a girl, she would shiver in disgust. It was her least favorite part of the movie. She used to always claim that relationships were gross. Even when she was a bit older, she said that they aren't something you should obsess over. She hated magazines those stupid relationship magazines, and now look at her, she basically has her own online relationship magazine!

If Sean could change the way his life went so that Seline wouldn't have to be involved in his business, he would. He loves his family. But he can't. No one can.

Seline starts walking down the street and Sean follows, trying his best not to be noticed by his daughter. She feels like she's being watched as she walks down the street. Goosebumps rising on her skin at the eerie feeling growing from the pit of her stomach. She starts walking faster down the street, not daring to look back. If someone is trying to follow her, making them think that they can see her isn't really a good idea.

When she finally gets to Stanley's parking lot, she tries to run so that she can reach the door. Someone grabs her, and she tries to scream, but they cover her mouth with a wet cloth. Seline tries to hold her breath as she kicks and punches her attacker, trying so hard to escape before she has to breathe again.

She feels someone press a kiss onto her cheek, and as she breathes in she begins to feel faint. Her knees buckle as she falls to the ground. Her eyelids start to feel heavy and her vision turns black. She knows that this might be the end of her normal life.

*~~~~~*

She's tied to the passenger seat of a car, when she wakes up, where anybody can see her. Her father's in the driver's seat, like she thought he would be.

This is the first time that she's seen him in years, and she hates that she has to be bound and he has to attack her. His familiar black hair, firm posture, and bushy eyebrows bring back memories that she wishes would stay buried. She doesn't want to remember his gentle laugh and his great advice.

"Why am I here?" She asks her dad tiredly. She's too tired to fight the stinging grip of the ropes tied to her armrests.

"You're my daughter, and the gang wants to know that you're not a liability. I didn't want to bring you here, you don't belong in this world. Hell, you'd destroy this world with all of your innocence."

His scoff makes her feel a bit better. At least she wouldn't be there with him too long. But she still can't help but feel sad. Is there something wrong with being a good person? Does Austen think that there's something wrong with being a good person? Ugh, she needs to stop thinking about Austen.

"Why'd you spray paint that shit on my locker?" She accuses angrily, her nose flaring as she glares icily at her father.

"I wouldn't waste my time on something as silly as spray painting your locker, Seline." He honestly found the idea to be very absurd, why would he go gallivanting around a high school to spray paint immature bullshit on his daughters locker?

"You called me a slut!" She spits the words out her mouth like they're rotten. "You know what you did, stop pretending that you're innocent."

He laughs, the evil spawn that created her had the audacity to laugh. If she actually approved of violence, she would definitely punch him.

"Honey, I told someone to let you know that I'm back. You're not a slut and I wouldn't go around calling you one. Sorry to burst your bubble darling, but that wasn't me."

She arches her eyebrow up, confused. Who in the hell was it then? Why did they call her a slut?

"Who was it then, and why would they do that?" She asks suspiciously.

"I'll let you find that out for yourself." His maniacal laugh fills the car as he pulls over into an abandoned alleyway, he grabs a rag and a bottle, dipping the bottle onto the rag. She starts to struggle against the ropes, but the fight is meaningless. The now wet rag is placed over her nose and mouth. She stares into his eyes, glaring, holding her breath. But to no avail, she begins to feel dizzy when she realizes: it's useless to fight against him.