Damsel

In the Breese

Anna Marie

Anna Marie watched in horror as her sister screamed out a warning to the infamous Shadow Shifter, then she clicked off the small screen tucked into the head rest of the passenger seat and slumped into the leather with an audible groan.

This was not good.

"How much longer, until we arrive?" She asked Manny, who pushed down on the accelerator at the sound of her direct voice.

Manny was with the Bee family as long as Anna could recall. He drove the girls wherever they demanded; which tended to be the mall, or a friend's house, and was rarely out of state. Per her request, Manny arrived on an earlier flight to Danaby and was waiting with a top of the line rental at the arrival gate when Anna landed. He gave her a small gesture when she climbed into the car, his inconspicuous appearance; a shaven head, a round face and average features, grinning once they took off towards the university.

"Twenty minutes, maybe fifteen if I speed."

Anna Marie leaned forward in her seat and put a hand to her cheek. "Speed." She instructed, letting all the breath out of her chest in a single groan.

Why would her sister warn the Shadow of the Rocker? Everyone knew one to be bad and one to be good, both admitted it on all occasions they clashed, and Ella had picked the wrong person to help. Maybe she was experiencing Stockholm syndrome, when a hostage empathized with their captors, sometimes defending them. It was possible, yet the more Anna though it over, the easier it became to dismiss. Ella was too willful to defend someone as cruel and evil as the Shadow Shifter. No, it must have been another force, an alien one -that compelled her to call out to protect the source of all her pain. After all, Heroes weren't human, right?

Right, Anna decided, tapping her watch and sliding on her thin, black cell phone. It took an instant to load, but when it did, it buzzed repeatedly against her palm.

The texts began;

OMG! Your sister, again! How ya holdin up?

Sucks to be you, again

Anna, call me! I'm so sorry

Wow, best wishes, Anna

Hope Ella's alright. Damn that Shadow.

Then came the dreaded messages from her mother and judging by the first one, Sara Bee was somehow informed that her daughter took the first flight to Danaby.

How dare you, young lady! We will be having a discussion when I get home.

Can't you just listen to me, Anna!

I swear, if I see your face on one camera, I'm flying home immediately.

Then the final text; 12:04 p.m., one hour ago.

You're in big trouble, missy! I'll see you soon, Anna Bee.

Anna tucked the phone safely in the pocket of her jeans and tapped it twice. She would deal with her mother later, Sara Bee had a temper, but it tended to wear down given enough time. Besides, Ella clearly needed her help, especially after what had just unraveled on national television.

"Miss?" Manny asked, his blue eyes peering at her through the rear view mirror. "Wouldn't you like to see what happened to your sister?"