My Guarded Heart

  • Stars Eternal

    Stars Eternal (100)

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    Kelden went and got some workout clothes from his go bag, ducking into a room and changing quickly. Back in the gym room he got the punching bag set up while listening closely to where Hazel went within the house. When he heard he finish exploring and head to the bathroom, he began his routine. Hitting the bag over and over, letting his instincts take over. He pretended it was the man who'd taken these girls, tortured them and done them harm and anger blazed inside of him.

    With one final blow, Kell stopped hitting the bag. He was breathing hard and sweat was dripping down his forehead. He unwrapped his hands and heard the shower turn off. Had Hazel been in there that long? He finished putting things away and went to knock when he heard sobbing inside, muffled like she was trying to hide the sound. Fuck he thought. He knocked, not fully thinking straight. She would probably prefer if he'd walked away and acted like he'd never heard but his heart ached for the crying girl inside.

    Moments later she shoved her way past him and he realized his mistake. He'd try to make up for it now, not following her to the room she'd chosen. "I hope I can earn your trust," he whispered, near silent, as he shot one last glance at the closed door of the room she'd gone into. He went into the bathroom and cleaned up, and then headed downstairs.

    Kell was eating some of the pasta June had made when they finally returned, June looking a little pink in the cheeks. "Welcome back," he nodded at her and Drake. He mentioned that she should go pick a room and he wasn't surprised to see that she picked the one right next to Hazel's. With Drake on first shift and seeing them settling in for a movie, Kell said his goodnights and went to bed. He had a busy morning ahead of him.
    June nodded her agreement. "To be honest, a lot of things feel insignificant now," she said quietly. She didn't want those dark thoughts to ruin such a peaceful moment though. "But you're right, something as grand as this? I'm glad I'm here to see it," she said.

    She sat leaning in close to better try and pick out the constellations he pointed out. She got lost in the mythologies of the stars, snuggled warmly in his large jacket. After a while she noticed that some of the constellations were further along in the sky than they had been when he'd first pointed them out, indicating they had been out for a while. "Sorry for keeping you out so long, you're probably cold too. Please, take your jacket, I'll be ok for the walk back," she said, standing and stretching, trying to give him back his jacket.

    They walked back and she thought she would be nervous about the dark woods around them but instead she found herself oddly at peace with Drake's presence. She hoped he would tell her more stories about the constellations.

    When they got back inside, the door was closed and locked securely and she went off to pick a room, found some basic clothes and changed into them before returning to the living room for the movie. Even though it was late she really didn't feel like attempting to sleep, knowing that it would not come easily. So she chose a movie, grabbed a blanket, wrapped it around herself, and snuggled into the side of the couch, leaving room for Drake if he joined. And she stayed like that most of the night, only finally starting to drift off as the credits rolled on the second movie.

    "Can I stay out here with you? " She asked Drake sleepily. She didn't want to sleep alone and she didn't want to bother or startle Hazel by going into her room, plus the blanket was warm and the couch was super comfy. "I don't snore, I promise," she added with small smile.
    March 18th, 2019 at 01:47am
  • Jinx...

    Jinx... (100)

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    Hazel ended up falling asleep for a while and woke up gasping and pulling at the sheets that had wrapped around her in her sleep. She nearly started to scream when she suddenly broke from the blankets and ell onto the floor. She sat there looking up at the bed and then leaned her head back closing her eyes as she focused on breathing again. Once she was calm she moved from her room and down to the kitchen for some water for her throat that felt like she had woken in the desert. Once she came out of the kitchen she looked at Drake as he lay there with a sleeping June. She had stretched out over the couch and Drake as well and he was just sitting there like he was her guardian and she nodded once then left the room. Hazel went and checked int he attic seeing that if she really wanted she could push out of the house from up there but it was to high a drop to be of much use but it did mean they needed to get a lock to secure the attic from someone intent on breaking in, a latch or two would do. Hazel stood there her eyes sweeping over the attic cataloging everything inside of it. Nothing really useful to her or someone trying to get out of the attic. She sighed and then left the attic.

    Once she had closed it up she looked around and made her rounds checking windows and doors ignoring Drake's silent glaze as she checked the windows int he living room and the front door. Even when he wasn't looking at her she could feel him noticing that she was being paranoid. Once she was satisfied it was all securely locked up she went back to her room and laid back down listening to the crickets outside. She was to awake to go back to sleep but she closed her eyes anyways in case anyone happened to see her though she locked her door. She was sure that the boys both had keys to all the rooms in case of emergencies with was why she really wanted that extra lock for her door that would require breaking the door to let anyone in more than a crack.
    Drake smiled as they sat talking about the stars and she seemed to enjoy it. He didn't mind sitting with her and just talking, he usually didn't talk so much but June made it easy. When she apologized he shook his head. "Please I enjoyed it." he said and shook his head as she offered his jacket back. "I'm good you keep it, we'll be back in no time anyways." he said and let her lead them back to the house with the flashlight.

    Once they got inside he took his jacket and went to the last room changing into some more comfortable cloths though strapping his gun to a different holster. He went and ate some food. June was a really good cook. He drank his water and popped out of the kitchen looking at June on the couch. "You you like me to bring you some water?" he asked doubting it but knowing she needed to drink after their walk. She needed to keep hydrated after everything.

    They curled up on the couch as the movie started and he relaxed into the couch with June. She seemed like she was going to try and stay up all night. He dozed between the movies in a light sleep until the second movie came to an end and he sat up more looking at June.

    She asked him to stay, it was the first thing that stuck out to him. She was as afraid to be alone as anything else. He chuckled as she said she didn't snore. "I wouldn't mind if you did and yeah you can stay out here with me." he said thinking they might have to find a way to help June get some better sleep but he had no idea where to start. If she didn't sleep though they were going to be headed into a very bad place very quickly.

    It wasn't much later once June was dozing he heard Hazel coming out of her room. She went to the kitchen getting some water from the tap like she didn't trust the bottled water. She came out her eyes connecting with him. She looked down at June then left the room. He could hear her pulling down the ladder for the attic and moving up into it. She moved around a bit before just standing there. She did a lot of that. It was like she couldn't stand to be still and then she couldn't move because her thoughts were paralyzing. He had heard though that Hazel agreed to the training with Kelden and he really hoped that was going to help her. Drake closed his eyes resting them. It was nearly Kelden's shift for early morning. He listened as Hazel came down and checked the windows again then the doors pushing on the locks that bolted the doors before returning to her room finally and the house was silent.
    March 18th, 2019 at 02:46am
  • Stars Eternal

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    Kelden awoke and got ready to take a shift, he heard someone walking around. By the sound of the light footsteps and how it went around to every window, he had a feeling it was Hazel. He finished getting ready for his shift, holstering his gun and hearing Hazel head back to bed as he went out to tell Drake to go get some sleep. He was surprised to see June sleeping on the couch next to Drake. He nodded at Drake, indicating that he was free to get some real sleep.

    He continued through the house silently, grabbing a bagel in the kitchen and heading out into the yard as the first beginnings of light began to tint the sky purple instead of black. He did a patrol around the outside of the house, allowing the people inside to sleep without disturbance. He ate his bagel and found a good spot near the house for his training session with Hazel.

    He knew he'd be going on a run later when Drake was awake, but for now he jogged a few laps around the house, waking up his body and mind and continuing his patrol until everyone else woke up.
    June blinked awake, sunlight pouring over her. She saw Drake sleeping in front of her and her heart gave a strange little flutter at how sweet he looked sleeping. She realized she had stretched her legs over his lap in her sleep and so she slowly and quietly moved her legs and got up. With only a moment of contemplation, she took the blanket that had been wrapped around her and she placed it gently on Drake, hoping not to wake him.

    Then she tiptoed quietly to the kitchen and brewed herself a cup of coffee and then seeing Kelden jogging past a window, she took the cup out to the porch, sitting on the swing near the front door. "Did you know I was out here?" He asked. "Yeah, sorry, I saw you go by the window so I thought it'd be ok if I came out too," she said, hoping she wouldn't be in trouble. "Ok, yeah, it's ok, I should probably save some energy for training with Hazel anyway," he said, using his shirt to wipe his forehead and coming to join her on the porch.

    "How are you holding up?" He asked her and she took a deep breath, thinking about her response. "I'm... I'm dealing," she answered truthfully. "It's terrifying feeling like he's always right behind me. But I feel like I'm in good hands, being here with you two and Hazel."

    "She's stronger than I am," June said after a moment. "I wouldn't be here if it weren't for Hazel. I don't remember much of how we got out, I was really, really drugged up, but I do know that Hazel fought tooth and nail to get us out."
    March 18th, 2019 at 03:45am
  • Jinx...

    Jinx... (100)

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    Hazel woke as the sun started to filter into the blinds. She had dozed off again. She probably got five hours. It was a steal to her. Five hours felt like nine use to on a nice and wonderfully pleasant Sunday. Hazel opened the blinds and looked out seeing June and Kelden talking. She guessed June was taking this all better than she was. Maybe it was the extra weeks in there, it had felt like weeks but she couldn't be sure how long between when Penny left and when June arrived. Hazel looked at the phone they had given her looking at the calendar and sat on the edge of the bed. She had been missing a month and a half before she escaped. Hazel felt the reality of that hit her like a ton of bricks. She had out lived others and survived long enough to escape. Hazel rubber her eyes hard and got up using a washcloth to freshen up. She dressed in workout cloths glad to see some. The first thing, well the first thing after locks and window sticks, she wanted to ask for was more cloths that actually fit her and not just any person.

    Hazel came down stairs seeing Drake curled up on the couch. He would probably get one more good hour if she didn't wake him. Hazel made some coffee for her and Kelden taking he cup out and joining the group so she didn't wake Drake. Hazel silently placed the cup in Kelden's hands and leaned against the balcony looking out at the sunrise. This was beautiful land. She might move to a small town with lots of land. It was something to consider and she wanted to get a new job too, something she could do without being required to be somewhere all the time. Hazel breathed in the morning. She could probably spend hours just enjoying the outside. She was free out here. Maybe she could be a park ranger. She was sure there was something easy about being outside and just keeping track of campers. Hazel looked up feeling eyes on her and she looked back at Kelden and June smiling bashfully. "Who's hungry?" she asked and finished her coffee heading inside.
    Drake woke and looked around frowning at the couch. He must have been out pretty cold all cuddled up to the blanket June had left and half off the tiny couch. He was a tall guy and the couch was not meant to hold him. Drake stretched out and hummed. He could feel the stiffness in his body. He twisted and sat down on the ground doing his morning sit ups. Once he felt more warmed up he shifted over and did his push ups then headed into the kitchen seeing that most the coffee was taken. He made some tea and a splash of milk before he looked around seeing the others outside. Hazel was turning to come back inside. She couldn't stand still too long he noticed. Drake leaned against the counter. "Morning Hazel." he said and she smiled setting her coffee down to start making breakfast. "Hungry?" she asked and he nodded. "I could eat." Drake liked the way it made her grin to take care of others. There was a kind of honesty in that he could respect.

    Drake watched her cook for a while before he went and got ready or the day in some laid back jeans and strapped his gun on under his blazer. He headed out to the porch. "Morning." he said and took a seat in a nearby chair. "How did everyone sleep?" he asked chuckling. "I think they need to invest in longer couches. Not everyone can be midgets." he teased. Drake looked at June and sipped his tea. "So was there anything you had in mind to do this morning June? Sounds like Hazel is going to be giving Kell a run for his money." he said and chuckled. He was happy to sit around as she read or do some experiments with the art supplies or whatever she decided upon.
    March 18th, 2019 at 04:16am
  • Stars Eternal

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    Kell looked up to see Hazel with two cups of coffee and was surprised when she put one of the cups in his hands. He bit back the big smile that tried to come to his face, and instead held up the coffee and nodded to her in a quiet thanks and 'cheers'. He had a feeling she wouldn't appreciate him making a big deal of her doing something so kind for him, even though it did make his heart swell.

    After a bit of quiet chatting, the sound of food other than a bagel was too tempting and he nodded eagerly to her offer. Shortly after Drake arrived outside and Kell headed inside to be closer to the food that smelled so delicious. "Anything I can do to help?" He asked. He wasn't completely useless in the kitchen, at least if he had instruction.

    With breakfast made, Kell took some bites and couldn't help but let out a groan of delight. "Hazel, this may be the best breakfast I've ever had in my life," he told her honestly. He called the other two in, and they all chatted a while before he and Hazel left to go start sparring.
    June touched Hazel's hand as she went to go inside and cook. June would be ok with Hazel's cooking, she knew Hazel would never drug her. "Sorry for kind of forcing you to sleep on the couch," she apologized to Drake sincerely. He was a big guy and it couldn't have been very comfortable for him. "I'll be ok sleeping in my bed tonight," she said, though she wasn't really so sure that was true. At least if she didn't sleep well, she would be the one suffering instead.

    "If its ok, I'd like to talk a walk again since its daytime. I want to see where we are now that I can actually see it," She said. Just then Kelden called them from inside, saying that the food was ready. They went inside and June ate a little bit, savoring the grand flavors. It was still hard for her to eat so even though she absolutely loved it, she put the rest of her food away and thanked Hazel for the food, going to her room to get changed.

    A little bit later she was ready to go, some jeans and a plain t-shirt on. She was beginning to think maybe she should have gotten some clothes from her apartment, she felt so dull and bland in these basic clothes. Maybe something with more color would help her start to feel normal again. Or maybe she was just being dumb. "Ready?" She asked Drake, finding him alone in the kitchen.
    March 18th, 2019 at 04:59am
  • Jinx...

    Jinx... (100)

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    Hazel smiled at his offered hand and she hook her head. "Naw this is an easy meal." she said putting the chopped papers into the pan with the onion and stirred the potatoes in the oven. She cracked the eggs wishing them with milk and tossed butter in the pan. Once the potatoes were almost done she added in the eggs and stared until they were light and fluffy. She added cheese then served up the food setting it all on the table. She smiled as Kelden moaned with delight at the taste of food. She grinned eating her own. She was glad everyone liked her cooking. It was easy to do and she was glad to see June eat something even if it was just a little. She would need to make sure that June ate snacks through the day as well as meals so she would be getting enough food.

    Once they finished eating Hazel walked with Kelden. "You mind if we start with a jog?" she asked feeling pretty tight and not wanting to get to close to him yet this morning. Hazel pulled her hair up into a ponytail flinching at the action. She had only done that when the games were about to begin and it cause her to feel anxious as she looked around waiting for the music but after a few moments of some deep breathing she relaxed again, mostly that is. Hazel grabbed a water bottle from the cuber and filled the water from the sink. She frowned at it but knew she would need it. Hazel hated that everywhere she turned there he was taunting her, that psycho would not win she would make sure of it.
    Drake chuckled. "Hey no big I am happy to help I was just teasing. I will be wherever you need me when you need me." he said and leaned over touching her hand gently. "If you need me to camp out though don't feel bad if next time I take the floor." he smiled. "A walk sounds nice." Drake said fully expecting Hazel to be taking the same path here in a moment. He was pretty convinced she would want to run the same path over and over. He knew what it was, she was practicing for if she needed to run, he understood her desire to be sure of her footing even in the dark.

    When they ate he focused on his food but watched how much June was eating. He looked up at Hazel seeing her doing he same and she had that calculating look in her eyes again. He sat back finishing his tea. The difference between these two women were startling and amazing. Drake cleaned up the kitchen as June got ready for the day. When she came down he grinned and nodded. "Yeah let's go... hey do you want to bring some water and a jacket this time just in case?" he suggested and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge. "Not that I mind sharing my jackets." he smiled at her and put his hands in his pockets.

    Drake was pleased when they got outside after locking up the house and the sun was shinning on the dewy morning. "Have you ever noticed how each drop of water holds a rainbow like a little miracle is held inside each drop just waiting to be discovered?" Drake chuckled and put his arms behind his head as he walked down the path with her.
    March 18th, 2019 at 05:23am
  • Stars Eternal

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    Kelden agreed. "Sure, a jog or even a run is a great way to get warmed up," he said, even though he knew that wasn't really why she was doing it. That was ok, he was more than happy to accompany her as many times as it took for her to feel sure of her path. And so he grabbed a water bottle and some towels, setting them out on the porch before they left. And then he followed her brisk pace down the path, picking up speed as they went.

    They did a couple laps like that, passing Drake and June a few times as the two went on their walk, though by the third lap, he saw Drake and June going further then the dock and walking around the lake instead.

    When Hazel felt ready to spar, he handed her one of the towels and put his own around the back of his neck as they walked around to the back of the house to the nice grassy patch he'd found to spar in. "So I'm sure you probably already know the basics and then some, but I'd like to go over them anyway to correct any bad habits you may have beforehand. There's a lot of ways to hurt yourself while trying to defend yourself," he said.

    He went over some of those now and for the most part she was near perfect form naturally. He corrected a few things to prevent her from breaking anything of her own and was very careful about trying to show her ways to correct her form without having to get too close or touch her. But the few times he did, he made sure to ask before moving to touch her.
    "Yeah, probably should," she agreed. She blushed when he said he didn't mind sharing a jacket and she quickly went to grab a water bottle and a jacket from her room. She wasn't cold right now so she tied it around her waist. She hoped the pink had left her cheeks by the time she arrived back at the door.

    She smiled at his description of a dew drop. The way he looked at the world was so beautiful and she noticed that things felt brighter with him around. After things being so dark and dreary, it was refreshing to have a little light back in her life.

    "It's such a nice morning," she noted, loving the feeling of the warm sun on her skin. She watched Kelden and Hazel jog past them a few times on their way down to the dock. "Hey, can we go around the lake?" she asked. She wanted to keep moving, trying to work up the nerve to ask Drake something.

    Seeing how strong Hazel was, and seeing her still fighting, reminded June of how weak she was. "Drake, I'd like to learn fighting techniques too," she said as they walked. She didn't think that would be too much of a request since Kelden was teaching Hazel, but there was one more thing. "Also..." she began nervously, "I want to learn to shoot." She said.
    March 18th, 2019 at 06:19am
  • Jinx...

    Jinx... (100)

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    Hazel started down the path with Kelden going nice and slow the first time not wanting to twist an ankle. She was careful not to let him get to close behind her, she didn't want to freak out over a simple jog. they ran back and forth down and up the path again. She knew that by the time the psycho came a long she was going to know every pothole and divot of that path. She was planning to explore more around the little hideaways she saw as well but later, once she was feeling ready to run the path blindfolded.

    When they moved on to the training she stood with Kelden on the grass. He went over the basic stance and some of the basic move correcting little things. Each of these things hit her like she couldn't describe. If she had known even this little change what would have changed in her fight against him. Kelden was gentle with her. He asked before touching and was careful not to make any sudden moves. She bit her lip ready to fight. She let her lip go and looked up at Kelden her eyes full of fight and anger. She wasn't angry at him, just in general she was angry.

    "You're not going to hold back on me are you?" she asked as she stood there letting him inspect her form and the couple moves he had shown her. She made sure to twist into the jab then came back to center. "Cause how am I suppose to get good at this if you hold your punches." she said and bit her lip before forcing herself to let it go. She came up and did the kick slowly coming back down. she had excellent balance and control. It was all those years of yoga. "When I was fighting for my freedom and my life he didn't hold his punches." she said. "He didn't hold anything back." she looked into Kelden's eyes the fear hiding under her anger. "I don't want to fight as long as I had to this time around." she said. She was still adamant that he was going to come around.
    Drake grinned as he watched June take off a blush hot on her cheeks. He thought it was cute that she blushed over something as simple as sharing his jack with he would do for his sisters as well but June wasn't like a sister that was for sure. She came back and they headed out.

    Drake nodded as she suggested walking the lake. "Yeah that would be nice." he said walking with her. She seemed jittery this morning and he looked at the way she watched Hazel. When she finally got up the courage and asked him he looked over at her and smiled carefully. When she asked about learning to shoot though he stopped. Of course she would want to learn to shoot after everything.

    Drake looked at her and carefully touched her arm looking at her. "You know you don't have to be strong in the way Hazel is right? She has her own battle she is working through and it is no less or more than yours. But if you want to learn to fight I would be honored to teach you. And if you want to learn to shoot, well that will be a little more complicated to do but I am sure we can find a way. I am thinking maybe we can go to the shooting range. There has to be one nearby." he said and smiled at her. He had dropped his hand and stuck them in his pockets.

    Drake didn't know if that was the answer she was hoping for but it was the honest answer. Drake started to walk with her again. They were probably halfway around the lake by now and he could see the neighbors house from here.
    March 18th, 2019 at 01:53pm
  • Stars Eternal

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    Kelden looked at the fire in her eyes as she talked about fighting him. “I can teach you how to gain an upper hand without really hurting you,” he promised. “But I won’t hold back anything. I want you to have every advantage should you need it.” He could hear the implication of more done to her that Kelden may ever know in her voice. He sincerely hoped she would never need to put these fighting techniques to use ever again, but he would absolutely make sure she had everything in her arsenal to use in case she ever did need to use it.

    “You’ve got fantastic balance,” he noted, watching her kick slowly into the air, performing the maneuver flawlessly. “Are you a gymnast by chance?” Not a lot of people could maintain that kind of balance and control on top of the flexibility. He was feeling satisfied that she had the basics down well and would make sure to have her go through them every day to ensure that she was keeping to the correct forms and not reverting back to any of the old ones. But with those out of the way, he knew where he wanted to start next because he had a feeling that this part would be the hardest for her.

    “I want to work with you on how to escape any hold someone might get on you,” he said. “If they grab you, try to pin your hands down, things like that. Knowing how to correctly hit someone won’t do you much good if you’re not able to use your hands in the first place.” He couldn’t teach her any of this though, without actually having to grab her and letting her learn how to break free from holds. “We’ll go slowly with this and work it in between other things, but if it’s ok with you, I’d like to get a start on it now. I will not grab you or hold you without giving you warning first and if you need me to let go before you’ve broken out on your own, just say the word ‘red’ and I will immediately let go of you,” he explained, wanting her to know that she would be completely in control the entire time.
    June felt a little more relaxed to hear him agree. Her arm tingled where he had touched her moments before. “I don’t think I could ever be as strong as Hazel,” she said. “But I feel powerless right now. The only thing I was good for was eating extra drugged food so that Hazel could do the fighting. And now I can’t eat more than a few bites without feeling sick so I can’t even do that right,” she said, choking back a sob as her emotions began to get the best of her. She tried to steel herself, to hold back the tears that were threatening to break through. She took in a shaky breath.

    “Maybe it would’ve been better if Hazel had just left me down there and saved herself instead.” Admitting that thought out loud hit her like a blow. She hadn’t even fully realized she felt thay way until now. What a dark thought. She hated feeling this way and she hated showing that she felt this way to someone else, especially Drake. She forced herself to push down that darkness threatening to overtake her. Don’t ruin this beautiful morning she thought. She refocused herself, trying to move on from the comment that she shouldn’t have said aloud in the first place.

    “I need to share the workload in this, I don’t want to just be a burden anymore.” She said quietly, hating how pathetic she felt right now. Breaking down in front of the agent two days in a row now, real nice June. she thought to herself viciously.
    March 18th, 2019 at 03:28pm
  • Jinx...

    Jinx... (100)

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    Hazel was pleased that he would give her his all. She bit her lip and nodded. When he asked if she was a gymnast she laughed. "Oh no. I have just been practicing yoga my entire life basically and there are a lot of strength training posses in yoga." She turned to him as he began to talk. Hazel let him talk her face neutral the entire time . She looked him over and pursed her lips a moment. she would never use the safe word though it pleased her that he came up with one for her. She almost wanted to chuckle at how bdsm it was of him but she refrained.

    "Well if you were wanting to start hard you should have just said something." she said. "Okay explain how to get out of it first and the first one I want to learn is grabbed from behind." she said her eyes clouding with a darkness that had nothing to do with her emotions and everything that had to do with what happened to her. Her eyes looked more grey when she was truly upset like storm clouds in a perfect sky. Hazel stood in front of him realizing that she must trust him more than she was letting on. Maybe it was the fact that he made it easy for her to just be herself, even if it was cruel and terrible or kind and caring.

    Hazel had a feeling after this she was going to be done for the day but she wasn't going to let her fear stop her from learning this. Hazel looked into Kelden's caring brown eyes. He already looked concerned or was that how he normally looked, she wasn't sure. Hazel listened intently on his instructions. It was important for her to remember this so when the panic set in she would have a chance to actually follow directions.
    Drake listened to her and frowned shaking his head. "June." he let her keep going until the truth in the pain came out. "June that is not true. I am sure you can ask Hazel too. You are very much worth saving. What you did might have felt like giving up but it took all of your courage to trust Hazel enough to fight for the both of you because you both couldn't do it. I don't know the entire story but I am sure Hazel can tell you that it was what needed to be done. If there was another option do you think Hazel wouldn't have taken that step first before leaving you so vulnerable?" he asked. "And now look at you, you are taking each day at a time in your recovery and you will get there. You have to give yourself the credit you deserve. You fought in the only way you could and that is inspirational." he said and put his hand out gently touching her arm wanting to give her somewhere to ground herself. His instinct was to drag her into his arms and let her cry it out but all his training told him otherwise. If he wasn't careful he could send her into a rough panic attack that would lead her into an emotional breakdown.

    Drake sighed his heart aching for want to take the clouds from her. "June I know this was not easy for you to share but I am very thankful that you did. You should not have to carry all this alone and I am here for you... we all are." he said. She said she wanted to share the work. He frowned. "You are not a burden June. In fact..." he looked towards the trail seeing no one and looked back at June. "I am pretty sure if it weren't for you June that Hazel would not have been able to fight so hard. Have you noticed that when she knows you are around she softens but otherwise is prickly as a cactus pear? Watch her June. She is dealing with more than she lets on and you are a help to her in so many ways." Drake wanted her to know that she was important. He would start by showing her how important she was to those close to her.
    March 18th, 2019 at 11:49pm
  • Stars Eternal

    Stars Eternal (100)

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    Kelden began to explain what to do in the case that you were grabbed from behind. "Your first instinct may be to struggle, to try and pull away, but if your opponent is bigger and stronger than you, that will only burn energy you might need later," he started. "Instead, you're going to want to drop. Just let your full weight fall and you'll slide out from under their hold." He let his body drop quickly, staying balanced on his feet, though Kell being bigger it looked a little funny and probably wouldn't be as effective for him. "We'll work on you staying on your feet through this, though with your excellent balance I'm certain you'll have that part down quick," he said. "Even if you aren't able to stay balanced, we'll go through some extra things later to do that could buy you some time to get away. They'll be handy even if you can stay on your feet, anything to give you some time to not get grabbed again."

    "Ok," he began, not moving towards her yet. "Go ahead and practice dropping and staying on your feet without me grabbing you first. It'll be harder with someone behind you but it'll give you a better feel of the maneuver."

    After she practiced a few times and was able to keep herself up, he took in a breath. "If you're ready, we can practice with you being in an active hold. Again, say 'red' and I will let you go instantly. This is a safe place, you are in control of this situation," he reminded her, wanting to really drive it in. He knew that this couldn't be easy for her, and looking into her stormy eyes now, he could tell it was already taking its toll. A few practices of her getting out and that would be all for the day, he wasn't going to push her if she was allowing him to do this much for her. And when she gave him permission, he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her tight and restrained her.
    Hazel bit her lip, listening to Drake try to tell her that she was strong and worthy too. She wanted to argue but his earnest and sincerity stopped the protesting words in her throat. Tears began to form and she wiped them away quickly. "Thank you, Drake. That means... it really means a lot." And it did. His gentle words, so genuine, gave her hope that maybe she wasn't as useless as she felt. She put her hand on his, his touch felt so warm and reassuring. Nothing close to the deathly cold hands that haunted her.

    "Hazel was there for longer, I have no doubts she's dealing with far worse than I," she said. "But she held me afloat when I felt like I was drowning. I hope I can do the same for her." She said.

    Like sunshine chasing away dark clouds, Drake had chased away her dark thoughts. Not completely, of course, they would still be lingering in the back of her mind, but his kind words echoed after them now. She felt more grounded now, the world no longer seeming to be spinning faster than she could keep up with.

    They kept walking and up ahead she heard some barking, a large fluffy dog bounding down from the neighboring house that they were getting closer to. The big dog's tail was wagging furiously and he was barking excitedly and that was all June needed to see to crouch down and open her arms wide, welcoming the fluffy beast. Although instead of slowing down, the dog barreled into her, knocking her onto her butt and she laughed as he kissed her face happily.
    March 19th, 2019 at 02:50am
  • Jinx...

    Jinx... (100)

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    Hazel listened as Kelden went over the steps. He went over the best places for her to lash out. The foot, knee, groin, sides and face. Kelden went over were she was going to best disarm him in this hold. He let her practice a few times on her own and she could feel the panic starting to rise in her chest. Knee, to stop foot then head butt and push her arms up dropping. Hazel repeated in her head over and over again. That was just the defensive to free herself. Grab arm and goin kick. Kelden had only suggested groin because her her superior balance. He said if she was unsteady to just go for the knee. It was just as well because when it really happened she wanted to be able to act through the panic.

    Hazel looked at Kelden. He seemed more nervous than she felt. She bit her lip and listened to him talk about her safe word again. Hazel nodded she was ready. This wasn't going to get easier anytime soon so she was ready to just get it over with. Kelden asked for her permission and she nodded. "Let's do this." she said her voice as unsure as it had ever been. She stood there her body tensing up when he wrapped his arms around her tight and the shaking started. She whimper her fists clenching before she stopped breathing all together. Hazel was fighting through some pretty intense flashbacks before she stomped her foot down getting his by chance. She tossed her head back and dropped down pushing his hands away. She turned her eyes wild and shaking so hard she couldn't kick.

    Hazel dropped to the ground and the tears streamed down her face. She knew she had screwed that up but she couldn't stop shaking as she sat there in front of Kelden the tears silently streaming down her face. Hazel balled her fists up on her thighs as she sat there and hung her head. She was shaking so bad it was like she had hypothermia.
    Drake smiled as she said his words meant a lot. He was glad he had the right ones for her. He nodded at the hopes she had for the woman that might as well be her sister. "I am sure Hazel could use all the strength you will support her with." he said and smiled. They started to walk again and he was very glad that he could help her. He was sure some training would be good for her as well and the gun range could be fun if he could clear it with his commander but the important thing was that she knew she was not alone.

    Drake looked up as heard the dog running through the trees toppling down towards them. He stopped as June opened herself up to the big furry mutt. He chuckled as it toppled her over showering her in loving affection. He had never been more jealous in his life. That stupid cute mutt was getting more action than he could ever dream of with June and he chuckled rubbing the back of his neck. It was a stupid thought, of course he could never be with June she was his ward. It was some kind of Nightingale Syndrome he was starting to let himself fall into but he couldn't let it continue. June was a strong and amazing and kind woman it would be crazy for him not to admire that but he didn't need to go and make it more than that.

    Drake ran a hand through his hair. He was wondering where the owner was. He was half tempted to go and have a look at the house but that would put June at risk. He would suggest a call to the home office later to make sure the neighbor was okay and not a risk to the girls. The last thing they needed was some stupid ditz thinking serial killers were cool and giving away their location. Drake smiled. "You doing okay under that mop?" he teased seeing she was loving it.
    March 19th, 2019 at 04:06am
  • Stars Eternal

    Stars Eternal (100)

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    Kelden felt her begin to shake under his hold and almost let go of her then but didn't want to go back on his promise not to hold back. Saying he'd give it his all and then going easy on her would completely destroy any of the tiny amount of trust she had in him and would likely piss her off more.

    She followed through with everything very well for her first attempt with him, though he winced a little at his now sore foot. But now she had whirled around, her eyes wild with panic and he felt awful for putting her through this. Maybe he should have waited on breaking out of holds. He watched her with a sinking feeling as she broke down in front of him. Oh I fucked up, he thought, eyes wide with concern.

    Kell dropped to the ground in front of her, making sure to give her room to breathe but also staying near enough to offer comfort. "It's ok, it's ok," he repeated quietly, holding a single hand out to her gently. He doubted she'd take it, but he wanted to be able to do something to try and calm her. "That was good. You did really good. You got out of my grip, you got away," he said. Even with the missed kick, she'd done everything else right. With one hand resting near her for her to take it if she wanted, he reached with his other hand to grab some water and set that near her. "Deep breaths, you got this. Let's call it for today, yeah?"
    June squealed with delight, snuggling up to the dog. "Oh my god, yes. He's such a sweetheart," she exclaimed, rubbing him all over. She adjusted to be on her knees and held his face in her hands. "Who's a good boy?" she said, scratching the dog behind the ears and he licked her face again happily, clearly knowing that he was the good boy.

    "Oh I haven't snuggled with a dog in so long," she said, hugging the dog and burying her face into his long brown and black fur. The dog responded by resting his head over her shoulder, almost like he was returning the hug. "He must live at that house. He looks so well taken care of, he couldn't possibly be a stray," she said, feeling how clean and well maintained his fur was. On her knees, the dog was about as tall as she was, easily making it to number one biggest dog she'd ever seen in her life. Maybe once this was all over, she'd go and adopt a big dog like him. Her apartment didn't allow animals, so she hadn't had a pet since her childhood, but she was already thinking about completely revamping her life and finding a place further away from the city anyway.

    "Should we go see if the owner is home and say hello? I'd love to meet them, maybe they'd let us take him out for walks around the lake?" She asked, looking up at Drake pleadingly. "Awww look at him, he'd like that too, wouldn't you buddy?" She said, rubbing the dog again and getting some more tail wags in return.
    March 19th, 2019 at 05:24am
  • Jinx...

    Jinx... (100)

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    Hazel looked up at him her eyes swimming in big tears that where starting to slow as he spoke. When he said she escaped she nodded and closed her eyes sniffing. She leaned in and pressed her face to his shoulder her hands in between them in the tight fists. She stayed like that for a while until her breathing was steady and the trembling had stopped. She sat back rubbing her eyes.

    Hazel looked down and bit her lip. "Is your foot okay?" she asked and took her water bottle that he handed her. She looked at it a while trying to determine if it was drugged before she took a long drink. She nodded and stood tossing her hair out of her face. She had taken it down because it was unlikely that psycho would attack when she was ready for him. Hazel inhaled and looked around wondering where June was. She was safe with Drake she knew but still they had been gone a while.

    Hazel looked at Kelden and bit her lip. "You should ice that foot. Tomorrow I think you should do yoga with me." she said. She wanted to show him something in return. She knew Kelden felt like he failed her but she felt better right now than she had in a long time. She couldn't say what it was but she was sure it was because of him in someway, not that she was going to admit that to him. Hazel considered a shower and shook her head. Maybe she would take a bath later, maybe that would be easier. "You can have the shower I'm going to go raid the fridge." she said and headed inside. Hazel might even take a break from checking the house and pick a book.
    Drake chuckled seeing her so excited over the dog made his heart swell. How was a woman like her able to make him feel like a fool so easily. He watched her and the dog relaxing and looking around the lake and then up to the house as she pointed it out. "I don't know June." he said as she asked to go meet the owner. He ran his hand through his hair.

    June was giving him those puppy eyes and so was the dog, what the hell was he suppose to do or say to that. "Alright!" he laughed. "We'll go meet them but June." he stepped in until she as looking at him and focused. "If there is any danger I want you to run back to the house and leave me to take care of it, you got it? Also let's not tell these people more than we need to. No specifics." he said and sighed. "Deal?" he asked knowing she would agree to nearly anything to go ask for more time with that dog.

    They started up the trail similar to their own towards the house. Drake walked with June and the dog until they made it to the top. Drake went first and knocked on the door. They waited and he wondered if no one was home when the door creaked open and an old lady smiled up at him. "Hello Ma'am." he said about to explain when the dog came through pushing him to the side. "Oh Mac did you bring home strangers again?" she laughed the ladies eyes sparkling with life. Drake smiled and stepped back letting June take it from here.
    March 19th, 2019 at 01:56pm
  • Stars Eternal

    Stars Eternal (100)

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    @ Jinx...

    Kell didn’t move a muscle, resisting the urge to bring her closer to him and wrap his arms around her protectively. That was too close to what had brought her to this in the first place. He just sat there with her for a time, letting her trembling subside. When she pulled away though, the space she’d occupied felt empty. He tried to push that feeling away, he couldn’t be developing any romantic inclinations with Hazel. And yet, the fact that she’d trusted him enough to train her, trusted him enough to calm herself against him, and even drink the bottle of water he had given her, it fueled that want. He wiped his face with a towel, as if he could scrub the completely unprofessional thoughts away.

    “My foot will be ok, but you’re right, I’ll ice it when we get inside,” he agreed, once again amazed at how caring she was after the things she had endured. His foot was still throbbing a bit but he didn’t think it would be much more than a bruise later. “And be happy to,” he said. He’d never tried yoga before, but he was willing to give it a go. Especially since Hazel was kind enough to offer.

    He followed her inside, noting that Drake and June were still gone. He was sure they were fine but he still pulled out his work phone and sent a text to Drake, just simply the letter “x”. If they were ok, Drake would know to text back a “y”. If he didn’t respond in 5 minutes, then Kell would worry. Almost immediately the response came and he put the phone away.

    He took a quick shower like Hazel had suggested, washing the sweat and stink away and was out in less than a few minutes. He dressed in some casual clothing and headed towards the kitchen. He took out a bag of frozen vegetables and grabbed an apple off the counter, settling into the living room to ice his foot.
    June had forgotten for those few blissful seconds that she was being hunted by a serial killer so when Drake made she she focused on him to tell her that if anything happened, she had to run, she bit her lip as some of the darkness returned. Maybe going to the house wasn’t such a good idea, but could someone bad or dangerous really have raised such a sweet and lovable dog? She just nodded her agreement, and he seemed satisfied so they started towards the house.

    She stayed partially behind him as he knocked on the door, anxiously awaiting some sort of danger to appear. Instead, a little old lady opened the door and the dog, Mac, pushed past. June relaxed and came up on the top of the porch to stand next to Drake. “Hello,” she said, smiling. “We were walking around the lake and this big guy came to greet us. We wanted to make sure he got home ok,” she explained. The old lady shook her head in exasperation at the dog but was smiling. “Sorry if he bothered you kids, he’s a real people person. He’s always off finding new people to pet him,” she said, patting Mac’s head affectionately. “No bother at all!” June assured her. “We’re.. staying at the house across the lake,” she said. That much was true anyway, they were staying there. “Oh how nice! It’s a wonderful spot, I’m surprised I haven’t seen more couples vacationing around here!” She said. June blushed and opened her mouth to tell the woman that they weren’t a couple, but she realized the old lady had actually given them a perfect cover story so she just smiled instead. “We love it,” she said, playing along, and intertwined her fingers with Drake’s and leaned her head lovingly against his shoulder, hoping that he wouldn’t mind. If she was being honest, she really enjoyed it.

    They introduced themselves to the woman, who they now knew was named Betty. June didn’t want to take up too much of Betty’s time but she did ask if it would be alright for them to stop by occasionally to say hi to her and Mac, which Betty was happy to allow. Saying their goodbyes, they began to walk back. It wasn’t until they were nearing the halfway point that June realized she was still holding Drake’s hand. She let go immediately, apologizing profusely.
    March 19th, 2019 at 07:59pm
  • Jinx...

    Jinx... (100)

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    Hazel got some food eating something small just to help her recover from more activity than she was use to. She then walked around checking to make sure nothing was out of place or odd because the house had been left alone for a while. She got dressed out of her workout cloths using a towel to clean up a little and freshened up. Before long Hazel wandered into the office and found the stacks of books. She looked over them trying to decipher what might be a good read. She bit her lip and sighed just deciding on one. She took it and went to the couch and sat on the other side of the couch from Kelden. She didn't say anything as she started to read.

    Hazel could feel him over there and was pleased he really was icing his foot. The last thing she wanted was to give him a weak point if he needed to be in a fight. Hazel looked over at him seeing him relaxing. She had thought she felt him watching her, maybe she was just imagining things. She looked him over. He was handsome in his casual cloths sitting there all stretched out. Even she could still enjoy the look of a man. Hazel ran her hand through her hair and pulled it over one shoulder looking back down at her book and flipping the page. Maybe it was the way his face looked like it was consistently pouting or the soft look in his eyes that made her believe no matter how much bad there was in the world there was still good.

    Hazel bit the side of her lip as she read the book at least trying to concentrate on the words. It was hard when she was so aware of Kelden just a soft scoot over to be right next to him. She was thankful that he had just let her cry it out and had been there for her. It had been more than she could ask for.
    Drake smiled at Betty as June took his hand and leaned into him. He looked down at her surprised and his chest swelled with pride and affection. He smiled watching Mac lean lovingly into his lady and looking up at her with the kind of adoration that only a dog could have. Drake was proud that June had been clever enough not to give to much information. June even gave them a cover. It was a cute one too. He was actually surprised she hadn't corrected the woman but it pleased him so much too. Drake was quiet as June filled the conversation with Betty. He wasn't use to having conversations on the fly with a lot of people. He knew how to handle people who were hurting and grew to knew them and talk with them but when it came to others he was normally quiet.

    Drake got a text from Kelden and texted him back quickly. They had been gone a while he should have let his partner know but he had been enjoying June and even the sweet little lady with the sloppy lovable dog. Drake pocketed his phone looking at June thinking they wouldn't be much longer anyways.

    Drake knew he should have said something as soon as the door closed but he just couldn't make himself, he liked holding her hand. Her little fingers wrapped around his was a comfort he couldn't bring to a stop himself. As June took her hand away and started to apologize he shook his head. "Please you don't need to apologize. I like holding your hand." he sad honestly if not a little sheepish. Drake grinned as they walked back to the safe house. It was nice for a moment to just imagine that they were a couple on vacation maybe even with their friends. He wanted to live in that fantasy but knew better. He had a job to do and he would make sure above all else he remembered to do that. They were just getting around the other side of the lake. "Would you like some help with making lunch?" he asked doubting she would let him cook it for her but he could help.
    March 20th, 2019 at 01:30am
  • Stars Eternal

    Stars Eternal (100)

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    @ Jinx...

    Kelden was leaning back, his eyes closed but other senses alert. He heard Hazel return from the study and she sat near him on the couch silently. He smiled but quickly forced it away, not wanting her to see how pleased he was that she was sitting near him and relaxing a bit herself. The ice actually was helping his foot more than he thought he'd need it to.

    So in the quiet, corner of the couch, the warm sun washing over him and Hazel, he rested. He didn't sleep, he wouldn't dare when he was here alone with Hazel, but it was nice being able to share this moment with her as she read. He tried to keep his eyes closed, but every so often he just had to take a peek at Hazel. She looked gorgeous sitting there in front of him and it made his breath catch in his throat a little each time. All the sunsets in the world couldn't compare to how she looked right now.

    He could feel her fidgeting slightly, a glance up at him too, a hand run through her hair, a shift in how she sat. With her concentrating so hard on the book in front of her, he had to ask. "What's the book about?" He listened to her detailing what she'd read so far when he could hear some quiet chatter from outside, signalling the return of June and Drake.
    June's cheeks went pink when Drake told her liked holding her hand, a small smile forming on her lips. She looked out over the lake in an attempt to hide her pleasure. She wasn't supposed to be feeling like this but god did Drake make her feel so much better. Her world had gone dull and grey, everything feeling so unimportant anymore. Drake, though, was like a ray of light bringing color back into the world around her. It was hard not to feel good around him, the way he smiled and spoke to her so kindly, the way he pointed out the beauty that still existed in the world even after she thought it didn't anymore.

    But the reality of things began to hit her again as they approached the house. Drake offered to help her prepare lunch but she shook her head apologetically. "Actually, I'm not really hungry," she lied, not wanting to think about eating right now. "You should go eat though! I'm going to get cleaned up, I'm a little dirty from meeting Mac," she laughed, the sound a little forced. She had been dreading a shower and the awful memories it would dredge up, but she needed to be clean.

    She disappeared off to her bedroom to grab a change of clothes and headed into the bathroom. She took in a shaky breath and turned the water on, the sound bringing back so many memories. With shaking hands, she stripped off her clothes and stepped into the shower, feeling the warm water pour over her. What had once been a comforting feeling now had her gasping and shaking. She tried to focus on other things, anything else to keep herself calm enough to finish her shower. She squeezed her eyes shut and covered her ears, the water now a roar in her ears and she felt herself back in the cell under a stream of icy water. Choking sobs racked her body as she crouched into the corner of the shower, unable to hold back the cries as she began reliving every game they'd endured.
    March 20th, 2019 at 02:44am
  • Jinx...

    Jinx... (100)

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    Hazel looked up as Kelden broke the silence. She chuckled and blushed a little putting the book down. "Actually I have no idea, I keep trying to read but my eyes are glancing over the sentences and after reading the same page three times I gave up and turned the page." she admitted and chuckled. Hazel looked up at him. "I guess I am distracted." she said but cut off as she heard the chatter outside. She turned looking out the window and seeing June and Drake. June looked a little more refreshed but there was that cloud still. Drake looked concerned and she bit her lip. Hazel stood as they came in and Drake said he was making lunch and asked if they wanted anything. Hazel's eyes narrowed and followed June out of the room. She had an inkling that something was up with her. She smiled at Drake and nodded. "Yeah sounds good. I could eat." he said mirroring their other interactions with made Drake chuckle and he moved out of the room into the kitchen to start his mission.

    Hazel let the book close and pulled on the ends of her hair a couple times looking at where June had left the room. She looked worried but turned into the kitchen to investigate. Hazel leaned against the counter drinking some water from a glass and watched Drake. "How was the walk?" she asked casually but Drake noticed prying when it happened. Drake smiled. "It was good, a lot of highs and lows." he said knowing she would understand. Hazel nodded and looked into her water complacently. She stayed like that far too long and Drake put his hand on her shoulder and grinned. Hazel gave him a smirk before setting the glass down and then left the room. She went to the back door and locked it looking at Kelden and frowning before shuffling off to go check the other door.

    Hazel was the first to notice the cries and she dropped what she was doing and ran up to the bathroom. She opened the door and saw June taking a shower. She understood and closed the door locking it so the boys wouldn't come barreling in. She opened the shower door. "June..." she stepped under the spray in all her cloths flinching at the water as it hit her skin soaking her. She came down to her knees with June and grabbed her arms. "Look at me. Don't let him win." she said. "You are in control. You can reach up right now and turn that water off or we can stand together and get you cleaned up. What do you say?" Hazel asked tears in her eyes. She was shaking but she was here for June and that was the only thing keeping her going.
    Drake could tell that the reality was settling back in for June when they came back and as much as he wanted to take it all away he couldn't. He couldn't force her to eat, to remember the beauty in her life, in her and around her. All Drake could do was be there for the moments she needed him. He just hoped that she would let him know what he could do for her more than what he did normally.

    Drake noticed how Hazel went from relax to worrying about June the moment they came in. She had been reading a book and he could tell on his partners face. Hazel quizzed him and he knew that it wasn't just his fears or imagination realizing that June was acting funny when they got back. He watched Hazel leave the room her mind going to places he was sure that were upsetting her and he frowned. How were these woman ever going to heal from this? He guessed he had to remind himself that it was still so soon and all in all they had made exceptional progress. Drake couldn't help the desire to fix it for them though, even if he couldn't he really wanted to.

    Drake looked up as he heard the cries coming from the bathroom and he shot out of the kitchen hearing June's cries. He nearly skidded into the door. When he tried the door it was locked. He huffed in frustration and listened. He could hear Hazel talking and frowned leaning his head against the door. He knew he should walk away and let them work it out. It wasn't his job to put her back together when she fell apart but his heart felt like it was tearing to pieces the longer he heard her cry. He promised himself he would leave once the crying stopped or Hazel came out but before June saw him.
    March 20th, 2019 at 03:35am
  • Stars Eternal

    Stars Eternal (100)

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    @ Jinx...

    Kelden thought he heard a faint cry from the bathroom when Hazel suddenly rushed past him and he went on high alert, up on his feet in seconds. His partner beat him to the bathroom though and seeing him try the locked door and hearing the voices inside, suddenly he understood what was happening. Again, he felt anger burn in him for what that bastard had done to these girls to cause this level of pain. He wished he could take it all away, wished he could have protected them from the man in the first place. But the only thing he could do now was offer his support and wait for the day that he could take the bastard down himself. He wouldn't rest until he did.

    He heard the shower shut off and he decided he should probably leave before they came out. June would most likely not want to be seen by them and Hazel would be protective of her. He put his hand on Drake's shoulder and turned to go, seeing the resolve to check on June in his partner's eyes. He hoped Hazel wouldn't be too snappy with him when they came out. Kell went back to the kitchen, trying to finish up cooking before anything burned. When Drake and then later Hazel eventually returned, he served them some of the food, a portion left for June if she wanted it. She didn't come to the kitchen though.

    "Hazel. Do you want to come with me to go get supplies?" He asked. It was time to do some DIY around here. He was going to find out how to turn that shower into a bathtub instead to reduce the triggers these girls had to deal with in their daily lives.
    June clung to Hazel, terrified. They were in the cell again, getting out had all been a drug induced dream, she was sure of it. But Hazel's voice broke through the vision, telling her that she was in control, that she could turn the water off. She looked up again and was no longer in the cell, but in the shower and she found the strength to reach up and turn the water off. She held Hazel for a while, sobbing into her chest and trying to calm down. She was still crying when she allowed Hazel to get her up and dry the both of them off. She got dressed in some fresh clothes that she'd brought to the bathroom with her and through the sobs, apologized to Hazel over and over again for putting her through that too.

    June let Hazel lead her from the bathroom, the door opening to reveal a highly concerned Drake waiting in the hallway. June hated to let him see her like this, yet again. She felt that shame deep inside her all over again, but heard his words from earlier in her head. All she could murmur out was another "I'm sorry." to Hazel, to Drake, and to herself.

    In her room June was more calm now, but she felt hollow. Tears still streamed down her cheeks, but they were silent unlike the sobs that had overtaken her in the shower. "Thank you," June told Hazel. "I'm sorry," she repeated again. "Go and eat, I'm ok now, I just need some rest, I think," she said, though she had no intentions of sleeping. She finally convinced Hazel that she'd be ok and then closed up all the blinds in the room and sat on the bed, her knees tucked up to her chest. She sat there like that for a long time before hearing a couple car doors close and the sound of the car leaving.
    March 20th, 2019 at 04:29am
  • Jinx...

    Jinx... (100)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    31
    Location:
    United States
    @ Lost Oceans
    Hazel Rung out her shirt and pants drying off best she could before she left the bathroom with Jun the towel over her shoulders as her held June. She took her to her room. She watched Drake step back and bit his lip nervously. she was glad Drake wanted to comfort her and yet let her go without much more than the fact that June didn't need to be sorry. Hazel took June to her room and stood there as she sat on the bed. Hazel didn't want to leave her hollow like this. Sometimes the lack of emotions were worse than being in pain because it made it easy to forget the good things and that this was not a dream. Hazel sighed as June insisted. "Okay but if you need me..." She left it open knowing that if June needed her like herself they wouldn't know and that made Hazel so mad, not at June but the way that Psycho had broken down all their resources to reach out for help.

    Hazel stepped out of June's room and pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes. She went and changed into dry cloths brushing her hair out. That was one way to get clean today. She came out and went to the kitchen seeing the boys. She sat down at the table looking upset but also kind of vacant. Hazel eventually pushed away without eating. She sat down by the window in the chair in the living room not looking anywhere in particular her mind racing.

    When Kelden came out to ask her to go with him for supplies she looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah let me grab a jacket." she said. Doing something would help, sitting here feeling useless was making things worse. Hazel rose and moved in a daze to grab her jacket. She ran a hand through her hair and pulled it on before heading out and meeting up with Kelden. She slipped into the car looking out at the woods as they wizzed past. Hazel pressed her hand to her cheek and mouth looking out the window silently. She just couldn't stop thinking over everything asking just one question, what more could she have done to save June?
    Drake stayed there feeling bad that he was still here when June came out. He could see how guilty she felt. He shook his head. "You have nothing to be sorry for." He refused to let her apologize for this. He stepped back letting Hazel take care of June. He could see the tole it took on her, he could tell the water and steam scared her as much as it did June but she used her anger to push back against it. Hazel looked at him with appreciative eyes and he watched them go into June's room.

    Drake ran a hand through his hair feeling like he needed to hit something. He fisted his hands into his pockets and move into the kitchen were Kelden had taken over. "I want to break that bastard into bits." he got out the bowls deliberately being gentle with them though he really wanted to smash them like he would if he ever got his hands on that psycho that hurt June and Hazel.

    Drake noticed when Hazel came back. She tried to sit there and work up the courage to eat but even she was to impacted and pushed it away. Drake frowned and looked at his empty bowl. He could feel Hazel's anger and pain like a wet wool blanket. He looked at his partner as he sat back. "I'll hold down the fort." he said seeing him eyeing Hazel. He was sure his partner had a plan. Drake watched as Hazel talked to Kelden and then they left. He locked the door and sighed looking up the stairs. It was to early for June to go to sleep and he knew even if she needed to he doubted she would. He wanted to go up and just keep her company. He didn't even need to say anything but he couldn't. It wasn't his place to take care of June like this. She needed the space to heal in her own way not the way that would make him feel better.
    March 20th, 2019 at 04:58am