DEVIANT [H.S.]

5 - Sweetheart

The side of my face is concrete cold.

My eyes slowly open to the sound of constant tapping against glass, adjusting to the dim lighting in the room.. or wherever I am. My head softly pounds at the sudden startle and I try to make sense of what happened earlier. All I really remember is watching Caleb turn a corner and blackness pulling me in.

And Malachi's voice.

I lift my head slightly and look around to see three concrete-slapped walls surrounding me, the fourth wall a mirror to my eyes. It's literally a wall-sized mirror, my reflection scowling back at me. No doors.

Where am I?

"Oh, look.. she's awake," A female voice sneers from the other side of the glass. I stand up to my feet, so confused as to what is going on.

"Who are you?" I shout, knocking at the glass. "Whoever you are, let me out!"

Cackling laughter echoes through the walls, shaking me violently to the core. "Oh, no. We can't do that. Not yet, really."

"Aubrey, that is enough." Malachi's voice interrupts the laughter.

"Malachi! Malachi... what is going on.. please explain to me what is happening here.." I stammer frantically. If anyone has answers, he will.

I hear him sigh through the glass. "Serena, we kidnapped you."

All the oxygen in my lungs releases itself instantaneously.

"But why? What did I ever do?" I ask, breathless.

"Serena, sweetheart, you did nothing." He purrs through the glass.

I feel the urge to punch the glass and take a shard and press it to his neck at the sound of the name sweetheart, but I know I'm not strong enough for the thick wall. And I know Malachi and that girl.. Aubrey, can see me on the other side. Wait, I'm not in a cell...

This is an interrogation room. I'm being interrogated.

"Long story short, we want the Protector formula. Plain and simple." Malachi continues.

"Wait, I'm confused. If you want the formula... why did you kidnap me?" I ask.

"You're the bait," A new voice speaks out to the glass, out to me. The voice sounds familiar but I am not sure who's voice it is.

"Way to go, Harry. I was hoping she would figure it out on her own," Aubrey says, revealing the voice to be Harry's.

Yeah, the voice did sound like his. Only... less drunk.

So, I was kidnapped to be bait to bring Jeriah in... to lure in the Protector formula.

But who exactly are these people?

"I know you're deep in thought right now, Serena. But we must ask you a few questions before we can release you to roam the area," Malachi pushes on.

"Okay, fine. Whatever. But I have questions too," I breathe, just wanting to inhale some new scent than the compacted stuffy air in this room.

"Where does Jeriah keep the Protector formula? Is it on the premises of your home?" Aubrey asks, ignoring my request.

"I don't know. I don't know. Can I be free now?"

"See. Told you she doesn't know." Harry cuts in, his mouth probably set into a snug smirk. "She's too busy dancing with bartenders to pay attention to real-life dilemmas."

My blood boils uncontrollably through my veins. "And you're too busy being dragged out of clubs like a little drunk puppy to see that nothing happened. So, shut the fuck up," I retort.