Chapter 13
830 Words
I have no idea how long I've been laying here, but I physically can't get up.
My body refuses to move, not that I need to anyway. Dying Down here won't be so bad. No one
will know I'm dead. No one cares anyway. At least I'll pass away from the evil of the world and
away from the man I thought I had been growing to love, but turned out to be as bad as the rest
of them.
Chaol. I don't dare speak his name aloud, though I couldn't if I tried. I gulped my water when I
first came down and Lord knows how long that's been.
At least I haven't encountered any rats.
Listening to the sound of the waste rushing in the cavern a few feet away, I try to pull myself
back to sleep, but my plans are ruined when I hear loud clanks.
I don't think much of it since people sometimes roll trolleys or wheelchairs over the grate, but the
stops that accompany after sound like someone descending the ladder. It's ridiculous. No one in
their right mind would come down here, exactly why I chose to.
"She's here," someone yells.
Seems I was wrong.
Many shuffling feet sound through the space, but I still can't move. I blink slowly, the most I can
do without becoming dizzy or throwing up.
"Ellie!"
Chaol. His voice echos off the tile walls and his face is suddenly above mine.
His dark hair is soaking wet and he looks at me with frantic eyes.
"Why are you down here of all places baby?! Hobbes, Blanket! God what were you thinking?!"
Warmth entraps my body and I'm lifted into the familiar hold of my ex boyfriend.
How did he find me down here?
The sudden movement of being lifted makes my head spin and my vision dot black.
"Ellie!? Ellie? Ell-"
Chaol's voice drowns out as the black dots become bigger. Soon enough, I can't see at all, but it
doesn't matter because my mind goes blank too.
........................
I groan tiredly and try to move only to find that I'm trapped.
Panic rises in me as I struggle.
"Baby! It's okay! It's just me," Chaol's voice says with alarm in his tone.
"Baby," he cooes as he pets my hair.
I open my eyes to see that I lay right on top of him. My head rests on the middle of his chest and
both his buldging arms lock me in place, unwilling to release me.
I stare him harshly, waiting for an explaination.
He understands as he releases a tired sigh.
"There was a tracker in the duffle bag."
I scowl.
"So I only got away for a couple of hours I guess."
Chaol looks at me shocked. His gaze portrays pain that's reflected back into my eyes.
Sitting up so I straddle him, he shakes his head. I'm even surprised to see a few tears well up in
his eyes.
"Baby girl, you were down there for almost three days. We got you back severely dehydrated
and you lost quite a bit of weight too. We just got the tubes out of you yesterday, but you've been
asleep for 40 hours since then. It felt like a lifetime."
Three days? Tube fed? Two more days? It's been almost a week.
Chaol went into the sewers looking for me?
"Don't ever do that again Ellie," he demands firmly.
Shaking my head, I remember the reason I left in the first place.
"You know I can't sta-"
"YOU AREN'T GOING ANYWHERE WITHOUT ME!"
For the first time since I met him, I watch Chaol cry.
He pushes my head into his neck forcefully and leaves promises in my ear.
"You are my girl and I don't care if you aren't eighteen. We're coming out to the world as soon as
you're better and you will never leave my side again. I understand now. I'm going to fix the firm,
I promise. We'll only defend innocent people and you're going to be an amazing lawyer.
We can work side by side and do everything together! Just promise you won't ever leave me
again!"
Tears stream out of my eyes now and I shake my head again. I can't just take his word for it.
"That's not something I can pro-"
"Promise me Ellie!"
Frustrated, I raise my voice.
"I can't promise you-"
"MARRY ME!"
He's not asking. It's a demand. He knew I couldn't promise him something if I wasn't sure I could
keep it, so he's asking me to make the biggest promise possible.
Marraige. I'm not even eighteen and he wants marraige. The age isn't a problem, but I've known
him less than two months.
I already know I want to marry him, but what if he doesn't keep his promises?
What if he does?
With a heavy sigh, I put my hands on his stubbled cheeks and look into his pleading eyes.
"No."
- Writer
