The sun had just risen and the chill of the early morning was slowly retreating when Sawn's phone started ringing. We had been on the road for about an hour, the werewolf that worked on the council had prepared me a bag with things I would possibly need. Toiletries, simple clothes and even a few packs of money in case of emergency. After he handed the duffle bag to me we rushed to his car and basically ran away.
I was looking outside now that the scenery was clearer and I began counting the trees that passed us by. We were surrounded by a deep forest, tall trees with dark leaves spread on our sides with no end to them. We would be on the road for a while longer, Sawn had informed me so I tried to get comfortable and find something to do when his phone started ringing.
He looked at it with raised eyebrows, Sylia's name appearing bright on the screen and he sighed. Opening the bluetooth speaker he gave a chance to hear her too, probably wanting to show me the trouble I had gotten us.
"Are you out of your mind?" She screamed at the other side of the phone and my eyes turned round in shock. "Taking a literal child with you…"
"She will be eighteen soon, she also knows how to fight, I wouldn't call her a child." Sawn intervened and Sylia sounded even more angry.
"Don't tell me what she is and what she isn't. She will slow you down, probably put you in danger and you want to take her with you? Do you like this girl or something?" she asked him and my head snapped towards his direction. A cough escaped Sawn's lips.
"Don't be ridiculous, I just think she should be here, she wants to find the one who killed her family and she has every right to want to be a part of this." he defended me. I looked at him, no more shocked by his words but grateful. I had no contact with another person in so long that I had forgotten how it felt to have someone defend you, look out for you, even call your name. My heart was racing, thinking how good it felt and I averted my gaze, before I turned this into a very awkward situation.
"We could do that for her!" she insisted before she sighed loudly. "No matter what I say you won't bring her back, right?" Sylia asked and Sawn chuckled.
"Nah, I don't think so, she is staying with me." he stated and for once more I felt my heart flutter. I was so easily affected by something so simple I felt a bit silly.
"Fine, fine. Just don't die." she stated and she hung up on him, only the beeping sound of the finished phone call being heard on the other side.
Sawn looked at me for just a second, taking his eyes away from the road and he smiled.
"See? I will get ten times that when I get back so you better appreciate me."
"I do, I really appreciate you and I am thankful for all that you've done for me. I was lucky to find someone like you. I don't know what I would have done…" I mumbled, knowing very well that I probably would be in that apartment, alone with my money almost gone, scared to step outside. I was aware that I wouldn't be able to enter the compound, to feel like myself again even just a little bit if Sawn hadn't been there. I stared at him while he drove, his dark hair, and the kind brown eyes. He looked peaceful as his hands rested on the wheel. There was something calming about his presence.
"Thank you, really." I said again and a small smile appeared on his face.
"Don't thank me. I get it. I get your pain and your fear. Your anger. I understand you and that's why I want to help you." he told me.
"That's all?" I asked, not knowing where I got the courage from to ask him like that. I watched him blink, surprised as he opened his mouth wanting to tell me something. He closed his lips again though and grinned.
"That's all." he answered me but deep down I couldn't believe him.
In my newfound courage I wanted to ask him more, find out about what he felt, how he saw me but no words left my mouth.
Instead I was pushed forward violently as the car stopped.
Sawn had stepped on the breaks, looking ahead with wide eyes, his expression swifting from shocked to alarmed as he undid his belt and turned to me.
"Grab the bag and go." he instructed me but my eyes were glued to the sight before me.
The road had been cut off, a huge black veil dropping like a curtain was stopping us from passing. I swear I could see it move, as if it was alive.
I stared at it, unable to take my eyes off of it when it hit me.
He was here, the man with the shadows he had come to hill me.
"Sawn…" I said, the fear in my voice obvious but he didn't listen to me. He handed me the bag, the object landing lifeless on my back and grabbed me by the shoulders.
"Take the bag, run away into the forest and hide. I will come to find you when I am done with this thing. Alice, do you hear me?!" he yelled at me, his voice rough.
"I…I…" I stuttered. He was here, he had come for me, he wanted to finish what he started.
Those sentences replayed in my head again and again, freezing me where I sat, making me helpless.
"Go!" He screamed at me one more time, bringing me back to my senses.
I couldn't die here, I couldn't let him kill me.
I grabbed the bag, jumping out of the care I started running. I would run for days if it meant that I would survive this, I would run without stopping just to make sure he wouldn't get to me.
I had to live, I wanted to live.