Chris and Alexander were sat at the kitchen table. Both had a coffee in their hands. Their conversation had started much more civilised than Cindy's had. Chris hadn't even mentioned Annie yet, he had to wait for his moment, it had to be naturally brought up or steered towards.
"So you got Jack's sister?" Chris asked, he purpousely avoided Annie's name. That could be a raw scar, he didn't know enough about the circumstances towards the girls friendship, or if Alexander had any kind of relationship with the girl he could only describe as a victm.
"Yeah it was easy to catch her." Alexander's tone was sharp, he tried to push a smile on his face but his anger was noticed by Chris. Alexander was almost angry at Annie for being such an easy target. The lack of protection she carried, it was almost as if she didn't know how dangerous the world around her was. Which she didn't. How could she? She had lived a previously relatively shelted life. No drama, danger, threat.
The three stood outside of Annie's cell fear mixed with guilt in her eyes revealed her thoughts. The mix of shame is what confused them the most. Annie was the victim in this situation but acted as if she were the criminal. She was innocent, the rare innocent they came across in their world."You can kill me," Annie whispered those being the first statement she could think to say. She wouldn't complain. She had already figured out that that was how this would end. "But please pay my half of the rent. My roommate can't afford it alone." Annie's head was bowed in shame as if she had done this to herself. It angered the three on the other side. Annie had done nothing wrong. She was the victim and yet acted as if she were the criminal. "We aren't going to kill you," Alexander stated. There was no humour in his voice. There rarely was anymore. He didn't get that privilege."Oh..." Annie responded, looking down. Again she felt the shame of assuming the worst. She could not
Annie's eyes opened. She's in a strange, unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar room, surrounded by an unfamiliar scent. It wasn't bad. None of it was terrible. Yet she has a tingling fear running through her. She felt weaker. She knew that. Now that she was warmer she recognised the familiar feeling of a developing cold. She sighed, she got sick so easily. Annie looked around the room, slowly rising to her feet, the carpet that met her was soft. It was nicer than what she was expecting. She vaguely remembered being told that she would be moving in with Alexander, she expected her new room to be just as unaccommodating as the cell has been. Instead, she was met with a large room, filled with basic pale greys and whites. Her bedside table had some water on it. She smelt it, although she quickly realized that even if it were drugged she wouldn't know what it smelt like, so instead just took a sip. She stood up and carefully walked to the wardrobe. The sun had started to set, but she had enou
Annie awoke from her light sleep, feeling anything but refreshed. Knowing Alexander was in the same house made her uneasy. This was not what she had imagined him to be. She had imagined many things over the years, but this was not one of them. She had imagined him travelling the world, living an exciting life as a pilot. She had imagined him being a CEO at some fancy company. She had imagined him as a doctor. She had imagined him as so many fantastical, wonderful things. The leader of a mafia was not one of them. In her head, he had always been someone that helped, and protecting people. Instead, he killed and took advantage of people. Annie couldn't hear the sounds Alexander made as he wandered around his house. It was too big, or maybe he was just a master at stealth. That only put Annie further on edge. She tried to close her eyes again, maybe a vague sleep could come back to her. She tossed and turned for another hour. An hour of thinking, fearing. She gave up. Annie explored h
Annie didn't have to wait long for Cindy to come over. She had just about eaten her toast when Cindy barged through to the kitchen, making her presents well known. Cindy's eyes lit up when she saw Annie sitting at the counter. "Annie!" Cindy exclaimed. "I am so glad you're up! You look great in the new clothes I got you, they all fit right?" Annie smiled, she had almost forgotten how energetic Cindy could be. "You got me the clothes? That must've been so expensive!" Annie exclaimed, a wall of guilt building high."I just picked, Alex paid." Cindy collapsed on a chair next to Annie. They were silent for a few seconds. Neither really knew what to say. "Annie, I'm so sorry." "You didn't know I'd be kidnapped, really it's fine." Annie was trying too hard to be calm about this whole kidnap thing. She was holding onto the belief, the hope, that eventually when Alexander was sure she could be trusted, she'd be let free. On the surface, she longed to go back to her ordinary boring life. Al
Cindy left only a few hours after the pizza was finished. Alexander and Annie were left in awkward silence. The two sat on the other side of the room from each other. Alexander studied Annie, she had the same wonderful eyes he remembered from that night. Her lips looked so plump and soft, that he wondered what it would be like to kiss them. He wondered what Annie thought of him. She had only really been shown the cold business version of him, he wanted to show her more. He wanted to show her the tender side of himself he wasn't even sure really existed anymore. Even for Cindy, that tenderness came out as cold. Any good intention he had seemed harsh as if it came with a condition. Many things in his world had conditions. The world he lived in was dark, he wanted to keep her in the light. Only he didn't know how to. The light that shined around her spoke of hope, a hope he hadn't experienced since he found out the truth about his mother's death. It seemed his father was incapable of lov
Annie's day was boring. She had yet to be enrolled in any design program and so instead she spent the day watching TV. Chris came over an hour into some TV show Annie couldn't really pay attention to. He was now making some food and a drink for the two to have for lunch. The air was awkward, even when they were in different rooms. They didn't really have anything to talk about. There was no history between the two, so nothing to discuss. No need to catch up on, nothing to sort out. The almost kiss with Alexander was playing heavily in Annie's mind. She desperately wished she could talk to Rebecca. Rebecca who would know what to do. Rebecca that was most probably worried sick."I made sandwiches, I'm not the best cook," Chris chuckled awkwardly, handing Annie a plate with a sandwich, some crisps, cucumber and tomato on."Thank you." Annie smiled at them and the two sat and ate in awkward silence. It wasn't long before the food was gone and the two were left
It was well over two hours before the meal was finished. Annie had heard the front door opening and closing multiple times and more voices joining in with the original two in the living room. Annie's anxiety was playing with her. Pushing her and playing with her. Annie had never been a social butterfly, now she would be socializing with the group that had kidnapped her. They had ripped her from her ordinary life and had thrusted her into a new one. This new life with unfamiliar people that she knew nothing about. She didn't know what to expect and so she decided she would have to expect the unexpected. That would be the only way she could survive until she was set free. Now the meal was finished Annie had nothing to hide behind. "The food's ready." Annie attempted to sound confident. Yet still, her voice came out soft and afraid. Cindy's eyes lit up when she saw Annie, and Annie remembered that Cindy had been her best friend years ago. Cindy had always been a social butterfly. Annie
Alexander woke up with a new mind for vengeance. After a delicious meal and a decent night's sleep for the first night in many years, Alexander had a new energy and now he needed to find the leak. Alexander could only blame himself. He allowed himself to ignore the signs for too long. He had been unwilling to admit he could not control his people, as well as his father, could. As far as he knew, his father never ever had a leak. He had ruled on fear, just like he did within Alexander's childhood home. Alexander's childhood memories are dark blurs of fear, poked by small brighter pockets of happiness. In each and every pocket of happiness, his mother was there. His mother had been the centre of Alexander's happiness until she died much too soon at the hands of her husband, Alexander's father. What his father did wrecked their relationship, however the actions that followed completely obliterated their relationship. Alexander wouldn't talk to anyone about what happened to their relatio