Stage One: Hope in Darkness

Lost Again(Annabelle)

Shadow held on to me. Why is he comforting me? He is the one who did this to me. He held me back. Why am I just sitting here letting him hold me while I ball my eyes out. Shoving him away, suddenly I am embarrassed by my behavior. Not the fighting him, he earned that, but with the crying. I mean seriously? Here I was sitting here crying like a baby. I hide my face from him. I am an ugly crier, my face is no doubt red and splotchy. My eyes are already puffy. I can feel the heat on my face. Shadow, for once, says nothing. He steps back a few paces and let me have a moment to compose myself. It was almost sweet that he was giving me a little privacy.

Wiping my face on a sleeve and blowing my nose with a cloth from my bag. Several deep breaths later and I tap him on the shoulder. I am ready.

'Let us go get our girl' I sign. He smiles, "That one is always getting into trouble," his tone is tight but I see steel in his liquid blue eyes. His eyes have been heated over five hundred degrees and quenched in oil. They were hardened and sharpened for the fight.

If I didn't hate those men then I would feel sorry for them. They would be getting no mercy from either one of us. They knew what the master was about and still they followed him. They knew the man they called master. I call him monster.

Shadow, Hannibal and I walk back to the gas station. Those men had not only taken Lara but also the truck. We would have to follow on foot, which means we needed some of the supplies I had dropped.

"I know a guy who has a car," Shadow says as we shove what we can into packs. I out some in Hannibal's bags too, trying to to put enough to strain his stitches.

'Do you think he will trade it to us?' I sign in reply. One corner of his mouth pulls up in that smirk,

"I wasn't planning on asking." I smile and shake my head. Under different circumstances I might feel back about stealing someone else's hard earned things. But not today. Today I had more important things to worry about. Lara was alive and she needed me, That came first. Would always come first.

'Lead the way' apparently the guy who had the car was not in the direction they had taken Lara. If feels wrong to be going in a different direction. Everything in me screams that Lara is another way. We need that car, it will take less time to get her if we have a car. Now if only I could convince the pit in my stomach of that we would be great. Hannibal moves quicker than I expect, his wound must be doing well. The stitches can probably come out now. My good boy looks hppy to be wandering the woods again.

It was only a days hike, Shadow keeps telling me. He says it like a mantra, guess he doesn't like going the wrong way either. It helps to ease my own anxiety. The car will well than make up for the day hike. Especially since we don't have to obey speed limit laws anymore.

Oh right! I had forgotten, I still have a bone to pick with him.

'Why did you pretend you did not know ASL back there in the woods?' There goes that smile again. Lopsided and taunting me.

"I wanted you all riled up," His eyes glint, "And it worked if I recall correctly." Why did he want me riled up? I sign my question to him. His grin grows in intensity, "I was hoping you would attack me so I could get my hands on you," He looks me up and down, making his meaning tremendously clear. My face flushes. I can't help it. No one ever looked at me the way he does. Like I was his oxygen.

Before all this I had been so focused on school and just pssing. There was not time for men. Even if I had wanted one I wouldn't even know where to begin. And before college, well...I mean it when I say Lara is all I have. High school was hell.

Whenever I met people now they weren't interested in me after they saw my throat. Not that there had been many of they. Okay there was only one but he was an asshole. No one wanted to be with a mute freak like me.

I swallow and look away. Why did this psycho thing make me shy all of a sudden? I try nnot to look at him as we walk. I don't want to see those hypnotizing blue eyes for a while. Not until I could get my traitorous heart back to a normal rhythm. His eyes burn a whole in the side on my head. I ignore them. that only seems to amuse him, I can hear as he chuckles softly to himself.

I instinctively reach my hand out to Hannibal. Threading my fingers into the fur behind his head. He nuzzles closer to me. Good boy, make the bad man who makes my heart race go away. Shadow and I don't have time to indulge in whatever the heck this was. Our......relationship, for lack of a better word, would have to wait.

It was six twenty four when Shadow gave the signal to stop.

"Wait here, I'll come pick you and the pooch up," I don't like the fact that he calls Hannibal 'pooch' but I stay right where I am. He knows this place so he can get in and out quicker without me. At least I hope so. Who knew anything for certain when it came to that psycho. Minutes pass before I hear shouts and the start of a vehicle. The gate I can see in the distance bursts open, wood splinters spraying the air. Shadow behind the wheel on an suv. Subtle. I rush out to the dirt road, keeping Hannibal close.

As the car stops I lift Hannibal into the backseat before climbing in after him. Shadow stomps on the gas just as bullets start to wiz by us. None hit the car. Course with the way Shadow drove I wasn't surprised. He swerved all over the road and I didn't even want to look at the speedometer. When we could no longer hear gun fire he stops swerving, but his speed stays the same. Hannibal and I are in the backseat, not much space for him to lie down with me taking up space.

Pulling a dare devil move I climb over the center console and into the passenger seat. Please don't swerve, I would like to keep my brain matter inside my skull please. It likes it in there.

"Miss me?" Shadow vocalizes from beside me. I roll my eyes. So full of himself. "One of these days the answer to that question is going to be a hell yes."

'Not in this lifetime' I sign back. He is silent for all of two seconds.

"So I get to see you in another life?" I can hear the joy in his deep murmur of sound, "Do you promise?" The last part is whispered like a prayer.

A quick glance at the speedometer. It was too tempting, like watching a train wreck. You want to look away but you can't. 125. Well could be worse. Would Shadow notice if I put on my seat belt? Slowly so as not to draw attention I reach for the strap above my right shoulder. I pull on it. Watching Shadow out of the corner of my eye. Feeling a bit like a kid sneaking candy right under their parents nose. The clasp clicks loudly into place. Damn it.

A slow smile tugs at his lips. "You scared?" He watches me with one eye, "Not that you have any reason to be, I won't let anything happen to you." He winks. Ass. I avoid answering him.

The adrenaline is leaving my system quickly. I hadn't slept since before Lara came the cabin in the woods. My eyes close before I can even think. The darkness of sleep pulls me under its warm cloak. Something soft touches my forehead. Falling into a deep slumber.