Midnight Decisions

PROLOGUE

*flashback*

My breath hitched as I ran through the forest, I could feel myself slowing down, I urged my body to keep going, but I couldn't take the pain that was now overpowering me. As I struggled to keep running I glanced at my wound at the side of my ribs, It was a nasty red gash that he cut. I still couldn't believe that he actually had done this to me. Tears of betrayal and hurt were clinging to my eyes.

Not now, Alicia, I thought to myself, Now's not the time to break down.

My legs were threatening to collapse any second, so I decided to sit down on a chopped down tree trunk. The tears I've been fighting so long finally gave in. I sobbed my heart out in the darkness of the night. There were no stars, no light, nothing to give some guidance in the prevailing darkness that was beginning to swallow me. I got up from the trunk and tried looking for a place to crash in for the night. I obviously couldn't stay here all night. Who knew what type of things wandered alone at night? I had to get myself somewhere safe. Somewhere safe enough so he and his people wouldn't find me.

Honestly, I wouldn't give two shits about whether I was safe or not when my loved ones were in trouble. But it was my dying mother's last wish. For me to be safe. But that was like telling the sky to stop being blue. Exactly, impossible. My mother's last wish was that I stay out of trouble and be safe. But I couldn't stay out of trouble even if I wanted to. I didn't have to look for trouble, trouble finds me.

 My dad was in serious trouble because he tried to defy him by trying to protect me. He made an offer to me. I could give up myself in return for my dad.

The usual motives to get something you can't have. I thought. Taking something valuable from the thing you wanted.

I looked around the forest, certain that I lost track of them. In the distance an eerie light was hardly visible, I crouched down trying to get a better view. I shouldn't have done that, no longer than I crouched down then a stinging pain got me clutching my side. I got up with difficulty, holding some trunk of another slain tree. When I stood up, I made my way to the light. As I neared it, I could see that it was an old shed.

When I approached the door, I felt a pang of uncertainty, after all, I WAS going into a shed somewhere in the forest in the middle of nowhere.

Something about the light in it... Almost like a phone torchlight. I thought

But as the cold wind blew by, I pulled my sweater nearer to my chest. And tried getting rid of all the hesitancy and opened the creaky door.

In the light, I could see a man's back turned against me. I wasn't sure if he heard me, but I decided, either way, wasn't safe. Just when I was about to turn around and leave, he turned himself around. And that second I knew I made a huge mistake.

"Alicia Parker-" he said my name slowly with a raspy whisper "-Long time no see"

Yes, it was my worst nightmare. It was him