Baggage Claim

Chapter 1 : The taxi ride

Chapter 1:

" attention please , all fliers heading to JFK, New York flight 20568 american airlines please proceed to gate 3B, this is the final call before takeoff , thank you. "

i groaned as the announcer repeated the message again in french, and again in some other language i couldn't quite identify. As if the nagging voice in my head wasn't enough to remind me what i left behind back in New York,my friends, my job, my family; nevertheless i knew it was time for me to leave. I shuddered as i wrapped my shawl tighter around my torso, and checked my phone again for the hundredth time , as if staring at the -5 degrees on my screen will magically make the weather warmer . a sigh escaped my lips as the seemingly never ending line slowly moved forward.

the minutes turned to hours, or so it seemed. the large clock mounted onto the wall said only 5 minutes had passed. but after 8 excruciating hours between two strangers in a crowded airplane you tend to feel every millisecond of time that passes. sooner or later the line had shortened, and it was finally my turn. i handed my passport to the official looking man, and headed towards the baggage claim . thankfully, my luggage was one of the first few to arrive . i hastily grabbed my bag and rushed out into the chilling air of London city.first thing i noticed was the long lane of traffic on the highway from the airport.

"No please no more waiting" i muttered .

So much for escaping the city life, Heck , London seemed even busier then New York !!

i yanked my bag behind me , cursing the missing wheel. Did no one see the fragile sticker on the bag .

ugh.

how do you even call for a cab- taxi in London ?

"hello miss, would you like a taxi ride?"

i turned to see a tall man staring at me, his hair grey and balding yet his face showed little sign of aging. he spoke with a thick accent, but he didn't sound English, Irish perhaps

i smiled at him and nodded, still trying to steady my already limping bag.

after placing the bag in the trunk , the taxi driver went back into the car and began driving.

"nearest motel please"

he grunted in response.

okay? whats up with him.

the car ride was agonizing, the silence was deafening and the tension made it seem like the earth was running out of oxygen, i plugged in my head phones and sedated by Hozier started playing, i slowly hummed along.

after about half an hour, the sun had completely left the sky and the full moon loomed over us . I nearly jumped out of my seat when i saw the bright red lights reading motel on the building straight ahead, it didn't look like the comfiest place to be in , but anything beats this car ride.

we suddenly turned left.

" excuse me sir but there was a motel right up front"

"its alright miss. Maxwell, ive got different plans for you. "

my breathing hitched in my throat , this can't be happening. this was like a scene from a cheesy chick-flick, god jet lag must really have a bad effect on me.

"W-what ?" I breathed

all i saw next was the driver's lips turning into a smirk through the back view mirror of the vehicle, before the car jerked right. next thing i knew was the deafening sound of gunfire, the strangling smell of smoke and the car tumbled downwards.

there was glass. lots of glass. pain ripped throughout my entire body as i felt warm liquid ooze down my side . i tried to scream but the air was knocked out of me. the car hurtled to a stop but my head kept on spinning. i could feel unconsciousness yanking me towards the darkness,i was slowly slipping away. my heart thumped against my chest as i struggled to get up . but something was holding me back.

no not something , someone.

i looked up and through my blurry vision saw a pair of captivating brown eyes looking down upon me.

i gasped and tried to mumble something, but i coudn't even understand what i was saying.

more hands grabbed me , leaving me completely paralyzed

a single tear slipped down on my cheek, but it may have been blood.

then everything went black.

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i know this is short but if i didnt end it here the chapter would go on forever xx- Hannah

IMPORTANT: i added a bit extra to the end of the chapter.