CH - 1 [ Celesta's POV]

My feet hit the pavement with a thud sound when I recalled a shortcut that I got to know while talking to the cashier on my last visit to the supermarket.

I increased my pace and took a quick right turn through the sketchy ally and then I took a left turn and reached the main street from there I started jogging straight ahead towards the supermarket without taking even a quick look behind me scared that it may slow me down.

I finally reached my destination as I bent down while keeping my hands on my knees for some support. I panted like a dog. I felt like my heart would stop at any moment now.

'I am really out of shape maybe I should join a gym. Now, me thinking about going to gym was funny.' After some minutes I finally stood upright and moved towards the entrance as my heart rate gradually calmed down.

I entered through the opened glass doors with an exhausted look on my face. I looked around the supermarket and noticed that the place was crowded compared to the usual four or five shoppers.

'I guess the Christmas spirit is real. Christmas, when people get together with their family to celebrate their bond of love.

Having family must be so amazing. To have Someone who would always stand by you no matter what? Having a shoulder to cry on and someone you can share a meal with. I couldn't even imagine having that kind of bond with someone.'

I finally grabbed the trolley from the stand and then made my way towards the aisle containing dairy products and grabbed two packets of brown bread, a packet of butter and a carton of milk.

Then I moved towards aisles containing vegetables and grabbed some seasonal ones. After making a quick stop here and there grabbing everything I wanted and essential stuff like Doritos and Cold drinks.

I made my way towards the familiar cashier when I realized that I got his name.

I stood in the line waiting behind a stiffly slim blonde woman who looked in her late forties and her adorable chubby son. He could be no older than seven.

He was currently trying to get his small chubby hand inside the basket that his mother was hanging on her shoulder like a purse.

It was a little out of reach for him but the little guy was not ready to give up. He then tried to balance himself on tippy toes while stretching his hands upwards.

The little boy's struggles made me curious about the content of the blue basket. So I tried to take a quick peek at it by myself but as soon as I did, the woman moved forward while she continued to talk on her phone.

Her sudden movement left me in a weird position and almost tripped the little boy. I tried to play it cool and looked around the supermarket. Wondering if there were any witnesses to my petty crime, but everyone seemed lost in their little world.

So I just took out my phone and tried to find something interesting while waiting for my turn as the line moved forward slowly. After some time the lady standing in front of me finally reached the cashier.

'Just a few minutes more and I will be out of here.' As I wistfully sighed and started thinking about what would, I do once I arrived at my flat? 'Maybe watch N*****x while eating Doritos or should I just order pizza? Been a while since I ate that cheesy piece of heaven. Oh my, I was ordering pizza as soon as I reached my flat.'

"NO, I am telling you that another supermarket is selling this same product for $10 then why are you selling this for $12? How dare you charge me extra?!", Woman furiously argued from the cashier.

As he calmly replied, "Mam it shows on our computer $17 I can't do anything."

The woman speedily replied, "But at that Supermarket..."

The cashier interjected the woman ever so calmly, " Mam, So You are ever so welcome to go and buy from that supermarket."

The woman glared at him with her ocean blue eyes, pushed her cart aside, and asked arrogantly, "Where is your manager?"

He responded with an irritated look," At his son's birthday party, Now If you will move aside Karen, there are other customers behind you waiting for their turn, so please move aside."

The woman stomped on the floor like a spoiled brat and angrily shrieked, "That's not my name" while smashing the glass bottle on the floor.

Then she gave a final glare to the cashier and walked out of the store while she dragged her son behind her like a potato rucksack.

I stepped forward while being careful to not step on the mess that the woman left behind, As he gave me a weak smile.

He looked no more than thirty. He was lanky and had dark circles beneath his beady brown eyes, and his long jet-black hair was dishevelled.

As He quietly checked out my items, unlike his usual friendly self. Being a cashier must be hard, he had to handle people like her daily while keeping a smile on his face.

I continued to watch him while trying to imagine myself in his shoes. When his name tag caught my attention, Peter Jackson, so that's his name.

After a while, he replied in a monotonous tone "Your total bill is 40$, Mam."

I took out my wallet and hand him my ATM card. He scanned it and hands it back to me with a receipt. I gave him a quick thank you and he gave me a curt nod in response.

I left the supermarket while balancing heavy bags of groceries in my hands, I entered the parking lot and slowly started making my towards exit.

When suddenly I felt the same uncanny feeling that I felt in the empty alleyway. I felt like I was being watched.

When I took a quick look around, I noticed an albino guy dressed in an all-black suit and black goggles staring right at me. He seemed very tall and muscular. He looked like a man who uses people like me as his toothpick.

I got paralyzed with fear and gawked at him with my eyes open wide. When he signalled to come l towards him. 'Huh, How idiot do I look? What would he ask next to duct tape myself and parcel me to the human trafficking department?'

My fight or flight response finally kicked in and you could easily interpret what a courageous woman like me did.

I threw my bags to the ground and bolted in another direction away from the creepy guy. He looked like he just stepped out of the coffin.

He started to chase after me and was catching up with me. So I increased my pace when I came to a sudden realization, I could have just run back inside the supermarket.

It was a much easier and safer option. I just made it harder for myself. I mentally face palmed myself.

My feet abruptly halted. As the guy snatched me by the collar and growled beside my ear in a gravelly voice, "Celesta I just want to talk."

He knew my real name!! But how? My heart skipped a beat as I registered a very important fact.

'That there is the probability that he is not just a dime-store kidnapper but the guy that I have been hiding from for all those years?'

I frailed my hands around like a dying fish while shouting at the top of my lungs," Help!! Help!! Please someone!!" but then suddenly the not-so gentlemanly guy whacked my head with a blunt object. Slowly everything started going blurry as my body went limp.

I lost any hope left to escape from the clutches of my unknown abductor.

My eyelids slowly fluttered shut as I drowned myself in the void of darkness. No one could save me now. I was a lost cause...