Out of the Darkness (v2.0)

Chapter Two

Serious Trigger Warning

A competition -- that's what Ellanor saw being hired as. She left Elijah's office with a subtle smile, keeping the good news to herself as she walked down the hallways with her head down, focused not on the floor, but the happiness that swarmed about in her head. Because if being hired -- one out of several people -- was a competition, that means she had just won. She was a winner. A winner! And that was something which deserved to be celebrated.

So instead of going to the bus stop, she instead went to a nearby cafe for a quick coffee and a brief snack. After all, her stomach was growling quite loudly, begging for some attention, so when she took note of a passing-by scenery, Ellanor made up her mind. Just a little bite couldn't hurt, right?

Ellanor walked her way for a few blocks to a small place she had seen on her bus ride. It was quaint, simple and vintage-style -- the common yet cute trend. The scent of freshly baked bread and roasted coffee beans hit her just as she opened the door and stepped inside. She inhaled, taking in the sight, the sound and smell all in one second. How satisfying. How memorable... Recycled wood and old light bulbs illuminated the cozy interior, and the aesthetics instantly brought a feeling of peace and tranquility. That was exactly what she needed.

Folding her jacket across her chest, she took out a credit card and quickly paid for an iced coffee and a cream cheese danish, both of which she quickly took to a lone seat in the corner of the outside patio. It was a little inconvenient, really, that she had a flip phone and nobody to talk to or spend time with. All Ellanor really could do was sit and enjoy the little meal, despite how plain it was, and fill up that starving, growling stomach of hers. Her insides finally relaxed, and she didn't have to worry about the noises catching the attention of anyone.

... But the enjoyment wouldn't last for long. Not when she realized she had accidentally used her and her boyfriend's shared account to pay for the food -- not her private savings account.

A cheap car soon rolled up next to the sidewalk, sputtering gurgles and growls like a forsaken mechanical hound. It came to a bumpy stop right in front of Ellanor and lurched forward for a brief moment, only to freeze and die down. The tinted windows rolled down, and as expected, there sat Dallas at the driver's seat, an obvious scowl upon his face; still, this was only a fraction of his anger, and it was a surprise he hadn't screamed at her then and there without hesitation. Maybe it was too crowded -- too public. One might think of that as a good thing, but it just meant his anger would build up even more and explode at its worst later on.

"Get. In the damn. Car."

Ellanor looked around for some type of salvation, but found none in the faces of strangers who went about with their daily life. With a mental sigh and hurried movements, she took her food and hopped over the low fence carefully. It pained her ankles because of the heels, but she only let out a small grimace when the car's passenger seat was opened.

"Now."

"Of course, honey."

Once again, Ellanor glanced around with that sliver of grey hope still there, but all was quickly lost when Dallas grabbed her wrist and yanked her inside. "Stop delaying," he hissed. "Didn't you get the text I was going to pick you up?"