Chapter 1: Taken

             My t-shirt stuck to the crimson gash that ran diagonally from my hip to my ribs. My head pounded with the rhythm of my heart that desperately tried to push blood to my body. Someone yelled my name. They sounded close. My eyes were too heavy to open, it didn’t matter anyways, everything was dark. I didn’t remember how I got here. It was cold. I thought I was alone, but then he appeared. And suddenly there were more of them.

"Ryan?" A light appeared from around a corner. I tried to sit up. Pain shot up my side. I winced, exhaling trying to block it out closing my eyes tightly. Blood covered my hand and soaked what was left of my shirt.

"Did you find her yet?" A difference voice echoed through the walls.

"Ryan? Are you here?" The first voice repeated.

"She has to be there." The second voice shouted.

I could barely get out a whisper, any cry for help was too quiet. I adjusted myself slightly only making my pain grow.

My surroundings got a bit brighter. I heard footsteps speed up. I tucked my head down. Someone was coming. They were coming to hurt me.

"Ky! I found her!" I opened my eyes for a second. Emma knelt down next to me. Her long black hair was pulled back into a bun. Her pale skin made the dark circles that surrounded her hazel eyes even more prominent. Still in her dark gray scrubs from work she looked like she could be a first responder.

Ky was at my side, "It's okay. You're safe now." He knelt down and scooped me up in his arms.

I screamed at the sudden pressure around my body.

Ky pulled away. My blood had already stained his baby blue t-shirt. Emma turned her flashlight to my side.

“Ky.” She grabbed onto his arm, “We have to get her to the hospital.”

“We have to get her out of here first.” He wrapped his arms around me again, “We’re gonna get you home.” He lifted me.

I tried to hide my discomfort as he picked me up from the ground. I looked up at him as he carried me back the way he came. Stubble had grown around his strong jaw line. How long had I been here?

I did my best to hang on as he walked. The pain worsened with every step he took. My whole body tensed. Ky carried me through a large doorframe out of the darkness. I had no clue where we were; I couldn’t get my barring’s. A single street lamp lit the side of Liam and Alex’s faces. They stood about five feet from Ky and I. They must have come along to find me. Liam probably led the expedition. For a moment I wondered why he was not the one that was bringing me out of that place.

The gravel kicked up under Liam’s feet as his walk turned into a run, "What did they do to her?"

"We will find them and they will pay for it. You know that." Alex’s pace picked up as he ran after Liam. Their long strides carrying them quickly towards us.

I couldn't stand the pain. My body tensed. A faint cry left my lips as I swallowed hard.

“Le-” I took my hand from Ky’s neck and reached up towards Liam like a child does for their parent.

Liam took my hand in his. They were rough, covered in callouses. Ky didn’t slow his pace down. Emma was practically running to keep up.

"I have to take it." Liam said towards Alex.

"What are you going to tell her?"

I was falling in and out of consciousness. I was probably missing half of the conversation. I hope they weren’t trying to talk to me.

"We're gonna get you home." Ky held me tighter as we walked.

"They did this because of me. We will figure out what to tell her later.”   “Liam."

"I can't just leave her like this."

"At least wait till we get her out of here." Emma opened the back door to her father’s old mini van. Liam sat down and Ky placed me on his lap. Ky pulled the door closed; I could hear them talking outside. Voices that were all so familiar speaking in tones I hadn’t heard before.

"Do you think it was them?" Ky asked.

"It had to have been." Alex shrugged.

"We need to get her to a hospital.” Emma began, “She has lost a lot of blood and-"

"We can't take her to a hospital, are you insane?" Alex snapped.

"We have to do something." Emma insisted.

"Take her home." Ky agreed with Alex, "What are we going to tell the people at the hospital?"

It was quiet for a moment then Emma spoke, "I'll go grab my kit. I'll meet you at the house in half an hour. Keep her awake."

Ky pulled out a set of keys from his pocket, “If you wreck my car-“

Emma snatched the keys from him and handed him hers, “Don’t wreck mine.”

Liam pushed my knotted blonde hair away from my face, "You're gonna be okay." He whispered.

The passenger seat opened and Alex climbed in. Ky started the car up and put it into gear.

My stomach turned and on came the sensation of spiders crawling up my throat. I began to cough, I tried to cover my mouth with my hand but it hurt to move. Blood splattered onto my already ruined outfit. Liam pulled me closer and wiped the blood off of my bottom lip.

"Faster." Alex demanded.

"If we get pulled over then we are really screwed." Ky said under his breath.

"Liam keep her awake." Alex turned around.

Liam sat me up a bit in his lap, I opened my eyes again. "It hurts." I whispered. Liam looked at Alex.

Alex shook his head, "Not here."

Liam pushed my hair back again, "Just stay awake. You're gonna be okay."

___________________

 

I don’t remember the drive to the house. Despite Liam’s best efforts, I must have passed out in the car and woke up when they moved me. The flights of stairs took longer to climb up and the room felt even farther away than it should have. Liam set me down on a bed. Towels were spread out under me so I wouldn't stain the pretty silk sheets. Tungsten light from the tall lamp in the corner of the room and a lamp on the night stand on the left side of the bed made the ugly tan paint on the walls look slightly better. Emma’s med kit sat on the refinished wood dresser across from the bed.

The four of them were standing over me. It was easy from here to notice how much taller Liam and Alex were than Ky and Emma. They towered at over six feet while Ky and Emma stood somewhere under five nine. Emma hadn’t changed from her scrubs yet. Ky and Liam’s clothing was stained and spotted with my blood. I looked back at all of them, their faces calm, bodies at ease. If this was the attempt to make me feel more relaxed, it wasn’t working. My pain hadn't dulled in the slightest. I held my side and clenched my teeth.

"Make it stop." I begged.

"We need to see what they did." Emma said taking a step closer, her voice was light and relaxing.

"Just, make it stop." I tried to hold back the tears.

Liam looked at Alex then climbed onto the bed and sat in the center of it. His shirt was stained with crimson patches where he held me earlier.

"Think about this Liam. There is no going back from here." Alex said quietly.

He gently pulled me onto his lap and took my hand in his, "Everything is going to be okay." He whispered. His hand tightened around mine. I slowly felt relief from the pain as Liam's body tense slightly. Darkness ran out of my veins and traveled through my hand into his.

"What's happening?" I pulled my hand away from his. All of the pain rushed back. I screamed out of the shock of it returning.

Liam quickly grabbed my hand again. "It's all right." He assured me as the pain left my body. I looked down at our hands. His veins bulged with black blood running up his hand and disappearing beneath his tattooed skin. I jumped. He didn't allow me to have my hand back though.

"What are you doing to me?"

"I can take away pain. You feel better right?"

"Where does it go?" I relaxed slightly.

"Into him." Alex answered quickly.

"Stop." I tried to pull my hand back, "That's not possible."

"How are you questioning what is happening right in front of you?" Ky asked.

"It's a gift I have." Liam exhaled.

"A gift to take someone's pain and make it your own?"  

"Just to take pain away. Where it goes is not your concern."

"Stop."

"No. Please stop fighting." Liam's voice shook. I did as he asked. The movement probably made it worse.

"I'm going to look at it, okay?" Emma said calmly.

I nodded. Alex pulled his dark brown hair into a small bun keeping it back from his face. He grabbed the bottom of my shirt and slowly began to pull it up. A long deep cut became exposed.

Liam gently turned my face towards him. "It will be easier if we don't look." He assured me. I nodded and laid my head against his chest. I closed my eyes. I could feel Emma touching my side her hands warm against my freezing flesh. She pressed down making it ooze more dark blood. 

"Le, I need to clean this and cover it. Like now." She sounded worried.

"Do it."

"Are you going to be okay?"

I felt Liam nod. Emma and Ky left the room for a moment. Alex stood to the side of the bed. He watched as the darkness traveled from me to Liam. I wondered if he was mad at me for allowing Liam to do this. I could never tell what he was thinking. His dark features made him harder for me to read, or maybe he was just good at remaining stoic.

They returned with a bottle of vodka, a zip lock, and more towels. Ky spun the top on the vodka.

"Is that really what we're cleaning this with?" Alex asked.

"Hell no, Emma has all that stuff in her kit. This is for Liam.” Ky extended the bottle towards him. Liam smiled and shook his head politely. Alex snagged the bottle and took a large gulp. It went down smoother than it should have.

"You ready for this Liam?" Emma asked as she handed a bottle of sterile saline solution to Ky.

Liam nodded. I held his hand tighter.

"You're going to be fine." he assured me.

Emma took a piece of gauze and pressed it against the wound. Liam didn’t even flinch. She pulled it off and placed it into the zip lock. Ky then began to pour the saline solution over my side. Liam's entire body tensed, he exhaled.

All I felt was the cold of the liquid. "Give me some back." I practically demanded.

Liam shook his head, "I'm fine. You're fine."

"You're not fine." I looked up at him.

"Be still." he exhaled, "I have dealt with much worse. This is nothing to me."

"I can handle it."

"Be still." He repeated. His body shook. He swallowed hard and held my hand tighter.

"Almost done Liam. I'm gonna bandage it and it will be over." He nodded Emma pressed a second gauze pad against the wound. Ky handed her strips of medical tape to attach it with. Alex placed his hand on Liam's shoulder. Liam's body relaxed slightly.

"You okay?" Alex asked. Liam nodded. Alex removed his hand from Liam’s shoulder and walked to the foot of the bed.

Emma pulled Ky and Alex aside, "She needs stitches, they could have cut some of her organs with this. It is bad guys. I honestly don’t understand how she is still alive."

I focused with everything to hear what they were saying.

"We can't do anything else till we know if there is anything in her. Obviously, there was some kind of magic with it." Alex said quietly.   

Did he say magic?

"Even if that is the case." Emma crossed her arms, "We can't just leave her like this. She is losing too much blood and if her organs are damaged-"

"Clearly this is more than just a normal wound.” Alex rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands, “Just leave it wrapped. Go make it tighter if you need to. We can't close it yet.”

“It may not even be able to be closed."

"Is Liam going to be okay?" Emma asked changing the topic. She knew it was an argument she wasn’t going to win.

"It's better than her feeling it." Alex shrugged.

"He is strong." Ky assured Emma.

"I know." She walked over to the window and pulled the curtain closed. The sun would be rising soon and no one has had enough sleep tonight.