Busted Heart (Hold Onto Me)

Chapter Five

A/N: The picture isn't a good description of the cell door blocking them, theirs is actually glass and looks almost like a sliding door. A very strong sliding door. Enjoy. ;)

=======

I keep chasing the wind
Instead of chasing Your love
I'm screaming out Your name

=======

Joel Smallbone's POV: 

    The huge doors that led into the room we were captured in slammed open. I jumped a little, scooting myself to the back of Luke and I's cage, where Luke was already. The cage was barely enough room for one person, but in several cages around the room, there were usually two people stuffed inside one. The room was circular, with cages going all the way up the to the unusually high ceiling with boardwalks in front of each cage, giving our captor easy access to us. We were on the 3rd floor, with an empty cell as our right neighbor and a few members of Skillet to our left.  The floors below us were filled with different Christian bands such as Colton Dixon, Matthew West, Stars Go Dim, Jordan Feliz, etc. 

    Footsteps echoed toward our cell and two guards entered our vision, both coming up the steps to the 3rd floor, one of them half-carrying half-dragging a young girl behind him. She didn't seem like a singer or at least one that I recognized, so I was confused as to why she was here. The guards entered the empty cell to my right, and I watched them through the window where I could basically see most of the room though. (There was a window like that between every cell.) They dropped the girl closed the cell door and left, all the while muttering to each other. 

    "Who is she?" I asked Luke, wondering if he had seen her before. He shrugged, just as confused as I was.  She had blond hair that seemed to be turning brown and tan skin as if she was outside a lot. I tapped the glass, but she didn't stir. Voicestealer must have really not wanted her to wake up before her time was due. Walking over to one of only two chairs in our room, not including the beds, me and Luke sat. 

Grace Kay's POV: 

    I woke up with a gasp and jumped to my feet. Eyes wild, I glanced around to see I was in a completely different place. A glass cell door blocked my escape and two stone walls with large windows were on my left and right. Taking inventory seemed the smart thing to do, and while I'm doing it I could look for something that might help me escape. 

    1. A bed sitting in one corner, but looking more like a cot than a bed. 

    2. Two chairs with large lumps, one in the other corner and another by the table. 

    3. A table that could sit maybe two people. 

    And that was it, but to me it was glorious. I went up to the cot and ran my fingers along the blanket. I hadn't slept in anything resembling a bed for... well for a very long time. I picked up the pillow and buried my head into it. It smelled fresh like it had gotten out of the laundry a short while ago. 

    Whispers coming from my left made me drop it and stare fearfully through the left window, thinking it would be Voicestealer. What I saw instead made my jaw drop. 

    "Joel and Luke Smallbone!?!" I asked. Both stopped whispering at the same time. Joel got up and walked to the window. I shrank back, taking a step towards the right wall. He touched the glass and the upper half swung outwards onto my side. 

    "You know who we are?" he asked. 

    I nodded. "That's partially why I'm here and not... well..." I stopped. Where would I be if not here? Probably in some trashed alley-way looking for a morsel of food. Thinking about food brought the next question to escape my lips. 

    "Do they feed us?" I said, glancing around my room to see there was no food package or kitchen. The last thing I ate was the hamburger bun and that was...it could have been a week ago for all I know since I had no idea how long I was out. 

    Luke answered this one, holding up an empty bowl. "Yeah, but they just gave us this in the last few hours so probably not for a while." Disappointed, I dropped my gaze. I was really hungry and my unusually thin body could vouch for that. As if in answer, my stomach grumbled. Cheeks flushing, I hugged myself as if to hide the sound. 

    Joel noticed and asked, "When was the last time you ate something, love?" 

    Crap. This question would lead to another and another... and then they would all know who I was: just a homeless girl forgotten by the world. I avoided his eyes and answered hurriedly, "That doesn't concern you." Almost instantly regretting the words, I knew it wasn't Joel's fault I was agitated by questions like that. I was sure my cheeks were the color of a tomato by now. 

    Joel moved on to the next question that he seemed to feel I would probably answer, "What do you mean we were part of the reason your here?" I sighed, he was right about me answering this one. I mean, it did concern him. 

    "I went to Winter Jam where they announced you all missing and that a certain person *ahem* Voicestealer would be replacing you for the night. I overheard Voicestealer talking about kidnapping everyone and... short story straight he caught me." I explained in a bland tone, leaving out the bits about myself, alone, in the empty room and my stupid moment of blabbing that I knew his secret. I cringed at the memory, embarrassed.

     "So that's how they handled us disappearing..." Luke muttered from behind Joel. I nodded then asked, "Is that why he kidnapped you? To replace you at Winter Jam?" It seemed reasonable to me so I was dumbfounded when they both shook their heads. Luke got up and joined Joel by the window. 

    "We've been warned not to talk about it... but I'll say this: his name is Voicestealer for a reason," Luke said quietly, glancing towards the door. 

    Trying to put a little light on the situation, Joel said, "But, people are looking for us so it's only a matter of time before they find us." Sadness threatened to overwhelm me, and I pressed both my hands on the side of my head, squeezing my eyes shut. There wasn't anyone looking for me, and if they did find the bands (and me) I'd just be thrown into the foster care to be at the mercy of social workers. 

    "Hey... it's okay. They'll find us, don't worry love." Joel said, eyes softening. I met his eyes and my voice came out as a whisper, "That's the problem—"

    Another voice interrupted mine, deep that sounded familiar.  

    "Who's the new gal?" Both brothers turned around and glancing around their shoulders I saw John Cooper standing on his side of Joel and Luke's wall. He saw me a couple of heartbeats after I saw him. Before John could say anything, Joel turned back to me. 

    "That's what we were trying to find out before you so rudely interrupted..." Joel answered with a small smile on his face. Put on the spot I stuttered, "I'm... I'm... nobody." My answer quickly wiped the smile from Joel's face. 

    "Everybody's somebody, " John pointed out and his wife joined him at the window, giving Luke and Joel a small wave. I shook my head, thinking to myself: Not homeless, forgotten people. "You've got to have at least a name!" Korey Cooper said. At first, I was going to say I didn't or that I had forgotten it but decided I could try the truth for this one. 

    "Grace. Grace...Kay." My name hadn't left my mouth for a while since I tried to leave no trace of myself usually, and it made feel slightly awkward. Joel's smile returned. "Welcome to our humble cages, Grace Kay," he said humorously. Neither had either my first or last name left anyone's mouth in a while. A sob broke loss from my so-thought iron grip on my emotions. I hurriedly went to the chair in the far corner from everyone and put my back to them. This is what happens when I open up when I break the one rule I set those two years ago. 

    I mess up my opportunity: without fail. 

A/N: Sooo... Grace and the Smallbone brothers have met. What do think readers? ;) Editing is always welcome!!