RUSH

1. Darkness Meets Light

I always knew that walking out alone at night really wasn't the smartest thing to do, but this time, the thought had conveniently slipped my mind as I quietly climbed out of bed, unable to fall asleep, and slipped out of the house without waking my flatmate. This isn't the first time I had done this. If I ever wasn't able to fall asleep, I'd sneak out of the house, away from my crazy life.

Not that my life was bad, no, if my flatmate, and best friend since grade seven, April Jacks hadn't been such an amazing friend, then I'd probably be at college now, studying to be a lawyer, a career that my parents wanted for me, a career that made me want to curl up in a ball and die.

But you see, clearly my parents didn't give a single damn about what I wanted to do. They never cared about my feelings, or my opinions. All they wanted was for me to be their perfect third child, perfect like my two other sisters, and that was just something I could never be.

~

FLASHBACK

"Where do you think you're going?"

I whipped around, two of my suitcases in hand, to meet the blue gaze of my Father, harsh eyes flicking over the suitcases I held, with April standing behind me.

"Dad...You have to understand...I don't want to be a Lawyer. I just want to see the world and travel...I-I can't be perfect like how you and Mum want me to be, I can't become an Accountant, or a Statician like Alexis or Serenity, I'm not happy with this life and I only get to live it once, and I want to live it my way. I won't ever be happy with being Lawyer, and that's want I want to be; carefree."

I let out a hard sigh as my Father remained silent, his expression emotionless as my grip on the handles of the suitcases tightened.

"If you leave now, you are never going to come back. You hear me? If you want to throw away your life, that's your decision. Just don't come and ask us for money when you're broke."

My lips parted in shock, tears pooling in my eyes, and spilling down my cheeks, leaving wet trails of the salty substance.

"Y-you can't be serious?" I choked in disbelief, shaking my head at him.

"I most certainly am. I don't ever, want to see you back in this house. As long as you continue to defy your mother and I, you will not be our daughter, do you understand?" he spoke with no emotion, no care in the world as he held my gaze, his expression cold and unwavering.

I merely shook my head again, my vision blurring even more so as I felt April put her hand on the small of my back, regaining some of the little sense of comfort I had lost.

"Let's go." She whispered, casting a venomous glare in my Father's direction before leading me out of the house I was to never return to.

~

I sighed, my dark blue Vans scuffing the pavement lightly as I walked at a light pace down the street I currently lived on. It was dark, the only light being the dim streetlamp at the end of the road, opposite to where I was heading.

I didn't care though; the darkness was my getaway. Most people fear the darkness not because of what might be in it, but because of what it's lacking. That's the exact reason as to why I enjoy my nightly walks. It's nice to get away from everyone once in a while, to be alone with just your thoughts, feelings, dreams and imaginations. That's what I loved about the dark.

I continued walking down my street, shivering slightly as a cold, damp breeze blew past my bare legs. I was only wearing a pair of athletic shorts, and a hoodie, and my hair was tied back into a messy bun on the top of my head. My appearance wasn't the greatest at the moment, but I really couldn't care less.

My eyes widened as I heard the sound of footsteps behind me, and being the overly cautious person I am, I whipped around, gasping as I came face to face, or rather... chest to face, with a stranger.

"Scared you didn't I?" his voice was low and husky, and held a strong British accent. My curiosity instantly took over, and of course, I made the mistake of glancing up.

My eyes wandered over his face, taking in his beautiful features. He had striking emerald eyes that instantly took my breath away, and chocolate curls adorned his head. His pink, plump lips were curved up into an attractive smirk, with a dimple that I wanted poke, making him appear more childlike.

Upon realizing that I had just been gawking at this stranger for half a minute, I took a step back, shaking my head as my mouth closed, and opened, unable to form words.

His smirk grew, and he took another step closer to me. "What's a beautiful girl like you doing out here alone, Winter?"

I froze, fear taking up my whole body. How did this stranger know my name? Who was he? What did he want?

"H-how do you know my name?" I croaked, taking yet another step away from him.

He slowly advanced towards me, and I went straight into panic mode. My limbs were heavy, uncooperative, as my brain screamed at me to run, but I stood there, frozen with fear until he stopped right in front of me.

I felt his hands grip my waist, and he tugged me against him, my chest pressing against his. He ducked his head down towards my neck, and I shivered as I felt his lips graze my ear, his curls brushing against the side of my head.

"I know a lot of things, Winter." He drawled. He sounded amused, and his hands slipped around my back, my body flush against his.

I huffed, my hands pushing against his chest as I attempted to distance myself from him.

"What the hell do you want?" I cried as his grip never ceased, my brows furrowing in frustration.

His smirk disappeared from his face, and I stopped struggling as his eyes bored into mine.

"You."

And that was the last thing I heard upon him pressing a cloth over my mouth, and nose, and me surrendering to the darkness of my closed lids.

A/N: Vote! Follow! Comment! Next chapter will be up tonight, because it's already written :)