In the Beginning

Chapter 5

Before Emma had arrived, Kell had given up. He had accepted the fact that - most likely - he would die here, in this God-awful warehouse, at the hands of kids he used to think were normal. They were so weird, the spells they would use, the chants they would perform, not to mention the eyes. The way they would flash milky white, evil smiles etched on their lips.

Anyways, he had seen Kyle carrying a girl in, a blonde one. Kell almost threw up at first, thinking she was dead, but no - just unconscious. He realized it was Emma, a girl he knew from school. Kyle tied her up to him, not even glancing at Kell, before Hazel called to him from outside the room. And that was all that had happened.

But now, help was on the way, and from the looks of things someone in the rescue mission knew what they were doing. That new girl, Ro. Kell just wanted out of this, wanted to - well, he was going to say home, but he hadn't had one since he was 12.

No one was looking for him, he was sure of that. His foster parents wanted him gone anyways, and just kept him around for the paychecks. They were alright, actually - so long as Kell stayed out of their way, they stayed out of his. And that was how he liked it, even if it got a bit lonely at times.

"Think they could hurry this rescue mission along?" asked Kell. Emma scowled, though he couldn't see.

"Think you could shut up?"

"Make me."

Emma rolled her eyes, before faltering. "Do you have anything to cut these ropes with?"

"Not unless you count my sharp wit," said Kell, smirking.

"That was such a bad joke I'm not even going to respond to it."

-

Addie sat on the curb by the street, huddled in on herself and partially hidden by a trashcan. Her hair hung damply over her face, covering the worst of her injuries, but she still got quite a few looks from people. A couple stopped and looked as if they would help, but decided against it. Addie didn't blame them.

An old black car was slowing, dragging through the puddles on the side of the road before stopping a couple yards away. The windshield wipers worked furiously as rain poured down, and Mr. Irvin jumped out of the driver's side of the car. His coat collar was turned up, rain dripping down his ruffled hair as he dashed over to Addie.

"Holy fuck," he said, eyes widening as he bent down, reaching out to touch the bruises on Addie's cheek. She flinched away. His gaze dropped to her bare arms and legs, covered in darkening marks.

"Fuck," he repeated. "What happened?"

"Um..."

"You know what, we need to get you warm first. How long have you been in the rain?"

"Almost an hour," Addie mumbled. "I would have kept running but my ankle - "

"Twisted," Mr. Irvin finished for her. He was so concerned it made Addie's heart hurt. "Yeah. Shit. Can you stand?"

"Maybe," said Addie, pushing herself up from the curb.

A sharp twinge of pain shot through her ankle, and she stumbled, clutching onto Mr. Irvin's sleeve with a gasp. "Maybe not."

"I've got you," he said, a hand on the small of her back as he guided her to the passenger side of the car. Inside it was dry and warm, bordering on hot, even. The radio was playing Christmas carols even though it was only early November. It made Addie smile, the fact that he was listening to them.

"Here, have a towel," Mr. Irvin said, flinging the driver's side open and tossing her a faded blue towel with a Star Trek logo on it. When she opened it up, sand rained out like grains of sugar onto her lap.