Status: Extremely active
The Watchers
V
Everything seemed to rush into focus and adrenaline flooded her system. Riley’s brain stuttered and stalled for a moment before she forced her leaden muscles into movement. Turning swiftly, she hurried into the living room, her eyes searching desperately in the half light. Shadows concealed nameless enemies, and with shaking hands, Riley realized how stupid she’d been to not grab some sort of weapon. That sudden comprehension came to a head as Riley heard a slight noise behind her.
She whirled around and came face to face with the man from the café. She started to take a step backward in possible escape, but his noise of disapproval made her freeze.
“Now, now, let’s not start that. I’d like to avoid the particular scenario that will come about if you try to run,” he murmured.
His voice was calming, it slid over her again as it had when he’d first spoken to her, lulling her despite her natural inclinations. Riley frowned, biting the inside of her lip to break through the fog.
The fuzziness in her head lifted, and the man in front of her furrowed his brows in frustration before smoothing the annoyance away in mere seconds.
“What are you doing here?” Riley countered. She was proud of herself for the strength in her voice. Her mind counted off possible actions and decisions, most of which ended in her being dead. She settled her weight forward on her feet, preparing to both take and counter a possible attack.
“I don’t normally take house calls from patrons.”
He smirked, though his eyes remained unamused. His absolute stillness unnerved her. The unnaturalness of him unnerved her, and she still could not fathom what he was.
“I’m afraid that I am, regretfully, not a normal patron,” He said calmly, attempting to drag her again with his voice, “and I have a favor to ask you”.
“Cut the theatrical bullshit then,” Riley snapped. Indignation and righteous anger filled her system suddenly, taking away her fear, though it trickled back in as his eyes iced over. He shot her a smile filled with infinitely too many teeth and took a languid step forward. As though choreographed, Riley took a step backward.
“You’re afraid of me,” the man said without inflection, not expecting an answer, as he took another step forward. Riley slipped around a chair and took her chance, hoping the layout of the room would slow him. She turned and, using the grip of her work shoes on the carpet, took off running towards the front door. Riley knew she wouldn’t make it far. She counted three bounds and then leapt as far as she could; anticipating his spring for her torso. She heard him curse before his vice-like grip closed on her ankle.
Riley cried out and tumbled to the floor, taking the brunt of the hit to her elbows and knees. She immediately kicked backwards, catching something impossibly hard with her heel, eliciting a satisfying grunt from her pursuer. They both scrambled on the hardwood floor of the landing, tangling in each others’ limbs and fighting to gain ground. Inevitably, he pinned her. She couldn’t fight his strength regardless of her desperation, though she continued struggling even after she knew it would be futile.
“Stop, stop, stop,” the man hissed, his careful façade starting to slip. His eyes were blazing with unrestrained fury and power. His hand closed like a vice around her wrist and squeezed until Riley cried out again and immediately stopped moving lest he break them. Once he had her properly restrained, he sighed and took a moment to run his free hand through his mussed hair.
“Now that we’ve gotten that little drama over and done with,” he growled, his warm breath uncomfortably close to Riley’s face, “I’m here because I need your help.”
She whirled around and came face to face with the man from the café. She started to take a step backward in possible escape, but his noise of disapproval made her freeze.
“Now, now, let’s not start that. I’d like to avoid the particular scenario that will come about if you try to run,” he murmured.
His voice was calming, it slid over her again as it had when he’d first spoken to her, lulling her despite her natural inclinations. Riley frowned, biting the inside of her lip to break through the fog.
The fuzziness in her head lifted, and the man in front of her furrowed his brows in frustration before smoothing the annoyance away in mere seconds.
“What are you doing here?” Riley countered. She was proud of herself for the strength in her voice. Her mind counted off possible actions and decisions, most of which ended in her being dead. She settled her weight forward on her feet, preparing to both take and counter a possible attack.
“I don’t normally take house calls from patrons.”
He smirked, though his eyes remained unamused. His absolute stillness unnerved her. The unnaturalness of him unnerved her, and she still could not fathom what he was.
“I’m afraid that I am, regretfully, not a normal patron,” He said calmly, attempting to drag her again with his voice, “and I have a favor to ask you”.
“Cut the theatrical bullshit then,” Riley snapped. Indignation and righteous anger filled her system suddenly, taking away her fear, though it trickled back in as his eyes iced over. He shot her a smile filled with infinitely too many teeth and took a languid step forward. As though choreographed, Riley took a step backward.
“You’re afraid of me,” the man said without inflection, not expecting an answer, as he took another step forward. Riley slipped around a chair and took her chance, hoping the layout of the room would slow him. She turned and, using the grip of her work shoes on the carpet, took off running towards the front door. Riley knew she wouldn’t make it far. She counted three bounds and then leapt as far as she could; anticipating his spring for her torso. She heard him curse before his vice-like grip closed on her ankle.
Riley cried out and tumbled to the floor, taking the brunt of the hit to her elbows and knees. She immediately kicked backwards, catching something impossibly hard with her heel, eliciting a satisfying grunt from her pursuer. They both scrambled on the hardwood floor of the landing, tangling in each others’ limbs and fighting to gain ground. Inevitably, he pinned her. She couldn’t fight his strength regardless of her desperation, though she continued struggling even after she knew it would be futile.
“Stop, stop, stop,” the man hissed, his careful façade starting to slip. His eyes were blazing with unrestrained fury and power. His hand closed like a vice around her wrist and squeezed until Riley cried out again and immediately stopped moving lest he break them. Once he had her properly restrained, he sighed and took a moment to run his free hand through his mussed hair.
“Now that we’ve gotten that little drama over and done with,” he growled, his warm breath uncomfortably close to Riley’s face, “I’m here because I need your help.”
♠ ♠ ♠
I'm slow I know, forgive me.