FIFTEEN

  MESSIAH smirks as he caresses the phone slowly from my grip, it's a kind of wicked smile that would shrink the soul of a little, innocent girl. However, he still looks exquisite, such an enchanting look with a gravel heart.

"Time's up!"

For the first time, happiness glints truly through his eyes. The type that shows that he has succeeded. I watch him rising from the stool, he touches my thigh lightly as he walks away. I feel poignant and obtuse. A disarray life-force stuck in the Galaxy and I might have landed on a planet I can't survive. I might have chosen a choice that will destroy and wreck me.

I embed my hands on my face. Grieving inwardly, the impact of disruption torment me, I rack my hands through my hair. I huff allowing the anguish to sink me.

"What's gonna happen now?" I ask without turn around to look at his expression, Ralph's no longer in the room, and he is probably off to Stella. So it is just me and him, Messiah, which turns out to be the devil.

I hear his footsteps close to me.

"Stick with me...and I'll keep you safe, manner a salvo." his breath whispers close to my right earlobe. Wow, how amazing. Those three words must be his favorite phrase or a motto.

I chuckle bitterly. I elevate, deserting from the stool. I confront him, his desirous blue eyes smoke me down, a flick of lechery twinkle in his eyes before he looks away.

"How do you aim to keep me safe? Oh, by diving me into a gimp, huh?"

I didn't know why I said that, but his jaw clenches, his brow hikes in an annoying way.

"What's that surmising to mean?" He fumes.

"Well, isn't that what you people do? Simon fuckin' Legree."

"How dare you?"

He approaches me with umbrage, in horror, I stumble back hastily my leg hit something. A raucous sound left my mouth as I'm about falling back. A pair of strong-arm ensnare my waist lugging me closely, my both hands jam on his solid chest conceding my heart to skip a beat.

I scrutinize my hands on his firm chest, I view my hands up to his face. The rage in his eyes has vanish, his expression coats glacial, must be that he swims in shock also.

"What the fuck is happening here?" Ralph's voice batters the two of us apart and I end on the floor.

Slowly, I slant up. The boyish man staring at me back appears deadpan, he sighs and when I assume he will offer me his hand, he walks away. Out of the room.

I glance over to the other man in the room with me, qualm written all over Ralph's face as his eyes trace Messiah walking pass him. Ralph looks back to me and chuckles softly yet menacing.

"You, umm, two... the fuck." He shrugs and exits back to the hallway.

I sigh in relief as he left. I don't know what he's thinking but I didn't care.

I try to get to my feet, my butt hurts. I hold on the stool before me for support, I grunt as I'm able to stand up.

"That was a close call!" I inhale, rubbing my hands together.

I take a pause and look at my hands. It is not bleeding, but my palm is reddish as a fresh bruise should and my butt still hurt, I strive to the brown stool I sat on earlier and glide down. I feel the hardness and frostiness of the disaster. It's perhaps due to the fact that I just fall and my body become hypersensitive.

I inspect the living room, things are really scanty in here leaving me with wonders why I've not notice this previously. No pictures on the wall, just the sofa beside the fireplace. There is a small timer placed above the fireplace.

My eyes upsurge and I gulp. Jeremy's right, I've been here for more than four hours. I glance around wondering why no one stays with me and I'm so close to the door. Oh, I knocked the guy here down.

Jujutsu never fails me even though I don't know the full details of it. An idea about escaping wind up in my head. I totter my head to nap off the idea, I made a deal with them in order to keep my family safe. I close my eyes so I won't be able to see the door again, the scenario of Jeremy blaming me for everything loom in my head. I snap my eyes open remembering how spiteful he had looked at me in that dream. Never ever had he glitter at me like that, he may have looked at me with anger never with hatred.

One thing is sure, Jeremy may never be able to forgive me if I fail to save his Mom, even if he acts like he didn't care.

I sprint up with my mind made up. I sneak to the door, I evolve the doorknob. Unfortunately, it is locked.

"We leave now!"

I jolt away from the door as an unexpected orotund voice emerges. Brushing off the tingling I feel some moment ago, I race to the stool and settle. Messiah arrives in my view. One thing is for sure, the voice belongs to him.

"I was only gone for some minutes and you're already scampering."

I didn't reply to him since he's right, I am not going to stay.

"We're leaving."

He is cold now, the torridity in his sweet blue eyes has disappear. Ralph must have driven him back to their own way of thinking.

"Where are we going?" I question.

"To a better place." There was hesitation in his voice as he turns away avoiding my gaze. I know we are not going to 'better' place for Stella and me, it is going to be a prison.

"I don't wanna go." I protest, although in a low tone, without doubt, he will still be able to hear.

"Well, you ain't got no choice," he glances back at me.

"Isn't that what you wanted? Besides Ralph doesn't want your boyfriend to come here screaming again. He's not perfect."

I scowl at him. More noise overshadows the room. I spin around, a guy in black walking out of the hallway and holding a rifle. My breath increase, this is the first time I am seeing, Ralph trail behind him with Stella in his arms.

"Don't try anything funny, Haley." Messiah whispers to me, earning a glare from me. He fares to the guy in black, they whistle in Spanish. Stella looks fixedly at me, guilt is written all over her face. She lower her eyes after some time.

"C'mon, Follow me" I look up at the new boy, he still has the rifle and Spanish accent, so dope plus his fine face, his raven hair is so long not curly, he is cute. Plus his tat are super cool— then I peg it. The tattoo on Ralph's neck, he has it on the hand holding the gun tight. I look back to Stella in Ralph's arm and I know that we have to flee before this gang executes their malevolent plan.