Lost In The Street Lights

Prologue

[ November 5th, 2016- 7:23 P.M. ]

As Ember ran, she couldn't feel a limb in her body. Just moments before, she was walking home. She was safe. The girl carried the books that lay hundreds of feet behind her on the cold sidewalk.

"Stop in the name of the law!" Echoed in the distance behind Ember, followed with the hushed sound of sirens. Only moments ago she was walking at a steady pace. That was, until two men dressed in dark jackets yelled in command for her to run, forcing her to take the blame as the police chased them. Those two were out of sight by now and who else was to blame besides her?

Her long legs could only take her so far. She knew she was a goner. Finally, she collapsed on the concrete and felt the metal handcuffs clench around her wrists.

[ November 5th, 2016- 9:00 P.M ]

Her eyes snapped open in a sudden burst of energy. As her eyes began to focus, she quickly learned that she was in an orange jumpsuit, lying on an uncomfortable mattress. She sat up and scanned her surroundings, seeing she was trapped inside a small, dark jail cell. No way out. She had read about these situations but never imagined finding herself in it as well. A tall, muscular man walked out of the dark hall and towards her cell. His features were dulled out from the shadows and only his figure could be seen.

"Well, well. What's your name?" His deep voice lingered through the bars separating the two.

"Ember," The girl quickly replied. She shook with fear.

"Ember.." He slowly nodded, taking in the name and letting it settle. "I see. And how did you end up in here?"

"It's.. a long story," She lowered her chin and frowned. "A misunderstanding, though."

He let out a small chuckle and shook his head. "It always is, isn't it?"

"No! -S-Sir. This is different, I swear. I didn't do anything." Ember responded with her head still facing the hard floor.

"Right," He stepped back a bit and faded back into the darkness, becoming invisible to the girl. She grasped the cold bars, aching for someone to keep her company.

[ November 6th, 2016- 6:07 A.M.]

Ember wasn't sleeping when the door to her cell clicked open and a mysterious man entered, invading her personal space. It wasn't the same man from before, she could sense it. The rough night before of absolutely no sleep convinced her that her life would be full of adventures like this, though.

"Ember, is it?" The man asked and stood a few feet away from her, holding a clipboard and pen, clicking away rapidly. She sat up and nodded, her knees close to her chest. "Great. Come with me," Another guard opened the cell again and let him out. Ember clung to him like a tick.

After roaming through the vast, scary hallways, they reached a large metal door. It snapped open and the man stepped aside, gesturing for her to enter. She obeyed and walked in, slowly.

"Ah, take a seat, Ms. Quinn," A different man spoke softly. He sat behind a desk and pointed to a chair across from him, in which she sat in.

"How do you know my last name? I didn't tell anyone," She lifted an eyebrow in confusion.

"It's in our system. We know almost everything about you. Family, achievements, address.. This is the government, miss," He replied strictly. "Anyways, I wanted to speak with you regarding your situation here," He folded his hands on his desk and cleared his throat. "Robbery is a very serious felony. That is understood, correct?"

"Y-Yes, sir," Ember answered. She didn't feel like arguing. She knew she wouldn't win.

"All right. I've spoken with the judge and settled on a punishment for you. We're starting a new program. You have the choice to have a 2-year sentence in prison or participate in the program."

"What is this new program..?" Ember asked.

"If you choose to participate, you'll be staying with Officer Hutten until he releases you, doing anything he asks of you. Obeying his own rules he puts in place, doing things such as chores or just things to make you learn your lesson. He's been told to make you endure regret, but without involving physical or mental injury. He's been with us for a while and has gained our trust," The man answered. "What will it be, Ms. Quinn?"

She hesitated. "I don't want to go to prison. If that's my only other option, I want to do that."

"Okay. You'll leave with Mr. Hutten this evening. You're dismissed." He went back to his own paperwork and a guard opened the door again. I peered back at the man and then obediently returned to my lonely cell. 

Minutes became longer and longer as time passed in isolation. Not a single clock or source of time. It felt like hours had passed before my cell door made its familiar ticking sound, symbolizing my momentary freedom. A man walked in by himself. He was absolutely captivating. His bright blue eyes grabbed my attention immediately. His dark brown hair rest pushed back perfectly while his matching facial hair was scruffy, but not too much. His uniform fit him perfectly, showing off his muscles from underneath without being too tight. The tension of his eyebrows portrayed him as serious and stern. 

"Ms. Ember Quinn?" He asked. His voice was gentle and soothing, but also demanding. I must have been lost in the unending sea of his looks because he had to repeat himself before I heard him correctly.

"O-Oh yes, sir. That's me," I quickly responded as soon as his words processed. The posture straightened as I pushed my shoulders back and sat with my legs crossed on my bed. I fiddled with my fingers in my lap while he spoke.

"I'm Officer Hutten. Jared Hutton, that is. Mind if I sit?" He gestured to beside me on the bed. 

I moved over a bit, nodded, and patted the space beside me. 

"Thank you," his lips curled into a slight smile and he gently took a seat beside me, not getting too comfortable. He turned towards me and gestured for the other guards around the door to leave. They quickly obeyed and soon it was just us in my cell

"I'm sure you're aware of the situation, aren't you?" He asked and placed a hand on my messy sheets. Boy, he was gorgeous. 

I snapped out of my daze. "Yeah, I think so."

"Well, I have to explain them again," he chuckled and sighed. "Comes with the job."

"I'm all ears."

"I don't intend for you to be hurt, just for you to understand what happens when you break the law. You'll be staying at my house as my companion. You have to do anything I tell you to or else you'll face the prison sentence. I'll do my best to not reach that point, but rules are rules." He continued, " I live by myself. I do have a maid come twice every week, but other than that it gets pretty lonely. I'll provide everything for you, you just have to focus on doing chores and obeying me. You cannot have contact with your family and if you're caught trying to escape, even worse punishments will be given. Now, do you have any questions?" 

She searched her mind for any questions. "Um, yes," she started, "How long will this last?" 

He placed both his hands on his legs and pushed them down. "Well, most officers in this program go until they feel their inmate has learned their lesson. However, I set a 5-month plan. If you're ready before then, I'll let you go. If you're not ready by the time 5 months are up, I'll keep you a month longer at max. That's a suggestion date."

I nodded when he finished his sentence. "All right."

He rose to his feet and adjusted his belt correctly. He then looked into my hazel eyes and then at the door. "Shall we, then?" And then we were off.