Taken Chapter 1

Taken

Chapter 1

I never saw it coming, never once suspected it. I just got lost in his deep blue eyes, I couldn’t help myself. I looked past the fact that I was only 17 and he was what, about 25? He looked young for his age, but not young enough. His skin was a light olive color with not one blemish. It was smooth and beautiful. He had the whitest, most perfect teeth. His bone structure was stern and sharp. I was speechless when I first laid eyes on him. But something was off- he looked oddly to familiar. Maybe he just had one of those recognizable faces, maybe not. But I felt comfortable around him, safe. 

“Oh by the way, the names Greg” He said with a smile. 

Greg. 

I cleared my throat. “Natalie” 

“Natalie...” He pondered the name. “You were born on Christmas day?” 

He saw the shock in my eyes. 

“Erm.. y-yes, why yes I was. How do you know that?” I croaked. 

“Oh, don’t be too scared. Natalie means born on Christmas Day” He chuckled, flashing another perfect smile. 

“Oh right, of course.” I winced. 

“So what brings you to New York? You have quite an accent.”

“Well nothing specifically.” I cleared my throat. “Just seeing the sights and doing a bit of shopping. Yourself?” I took a sip of the Diet Coke he had bought for me. 

“I love here actually, moved when I was 12. I was pretty much independent from then on.” He stared down at his drink, I could see desperation in his eyes. 

“Why is that?” I asked attempting to catch his gaze. 

“My Mom died when on my 11th birthday and soon after that my dad got into drugs, became an alcoholic, and just stormed out of my life.” 

I took a quite sip of my drink. “So what did you do after that?” I started to feel dizzy.

And lightheaded. 

“I was still in school, slept in the ratty old apartment my dad had rented. We were right in the middle of the city so it was hard to get by.” He subtly looked up, a small smirk on my face. 

And that was it. I passed out. 

❊

I was giggling, smiling, laughing. 

“Just put this on, goddamn.”

I touched his face and giggled again “So soft..” I tried to keep my balance. 

“Natalie... Just work with me for a moment, will you?” 

I was too high, I didn’t care. 

Before I knew what was happening, I was in the trunk of a car. It was dark and small. I could barley breath. Then it happened again. 

Darkness.

❊