Snared.

Massie, where are you!

That’s Hunter’s frantic voice.

Wake up!

I quickly sat up. Bad idea, head rush. I groaned and rubbed my eyes. Then I noticed that I wasn’t wearing my sweater anymore, but an over sized black shirt.

I made a confused face at the shirt, before I looked around the room. I jumped out of the bed, Where the hell am I?!

Then I groaned in pain because I was very, very sore.

The room looks very old; cobwebs and dust everywhere. It somewhat resembles a famous persons dressing room. There was a big mirror lined with bright lights that were off. There was a beat up couch in the corner, and the beds sheets looked like they haven’t been washed in years. They’re yellow and I’m pretty sure that they’re supposed to be white.

I made a disgusted face. Why the hell would I ever sleep here?

I saw my clothes on a chair next to the bed and I remembered what happened last night. Lenora took me to her house, well not really a house more like her home because her home is the Old Music house.

It was Old Willows place, he used to be this man who bought the music house, fixed it up, and after hitting some trouble he just up and left. It used to be one of the coolest hang out spots in town. But that was a while back.

It was dark when we got in. She quickly opened the door and was greeted by a guy that she called “jockstrap”, they talked for a bit. I can’t remember what they said because I was too busy trying to stay awake. Lenora noticed and offered both of us beds here. I was too tired to try and find a way home so I just crashed here.

This shirt must belong to one of her friends. It smelled like guy.

I slipped on my jeans from last night and tried to make myself look decent, but there was a hole in my knee, showing my bandage. Stupid wolf. And then when I turned on the vanity’s
lights I was blinded. Instead of seeing my face I saw blue spots that kept swirling.

It made me feel incredibly drunk.

I walked out of the room and found myself in a hallway that had about six other doors, each with a dusty gold star on them. I walked forward, trying not to make any noise but it was hard when the each step was met with a squeak, or another noise.

The entire building was really quiet, until I heard the fast beat of what sounded like a guitar flow through the floor below me. I decided to follow the music seeing as staying here won’t help anyone if I stayed in the middle of the hallway like an idiot.

“Youuu're soooo quiet”

I froze in my steps, I am?

“But it doesn't phaase me. You're on tiiime.”

It doesn’t? I am? Why does the voice sound so close to me but really far away?

“ You move so fast, makes me feel laazy”

I looked around until I finally got it through my thick skull that someone was singing. It would explain why the guitar tempo matched the singing.

“And let's joooin foorces! We've got our guns and horses. I know you've been buurned by every fire is a lesson leaaarned”

The voice was very distinct, and it sounded so familiar. I quietly ran down the hallway in my socks. I reached a flight of old wooden stairs and went down.

“ I left my house. I left my clothes. Door wiide ooopen. Never knooows. You're so worthy, you you you aaare” her voice ended in a high pitch. It was amazing.
I could only describe her voice as one of a kind. I quickly walked down the last of the steps, they didn’t make as much noise as the hallway.

“But I wish I could feeeeeel it aall it for you”

Before. I reached the last step I peeped my head over the corner and saw Lenora sitting on a stool on the stage. She had a mike stand in front of her and a guitar decked out in stickers in her hand. There was a guy I didn’t recognize close to her, but his mike was positioned towards his guitar.

“I wish I could beeee it aaaaall for aall yoooouu. If I could eraaaaase the pain, and maybe you'd feeeeel the same. Well I'd do it aaaaall for you. Well I would, I would. I would. I-I wooould.” Lenora sang.

When she sang she’s close her eyes and you could tell that she was really concentrating on her song, only occasionally glancing down at her guitar to make sure that her fingers were in the correct position.

“whoaaaaah” she kind of hummed it right into the mike.

I wanted to get closer and watch this closer. I’ve never seen a live performance before! But would she mind?

“Let's tie wooooooords, 'Cause they amount to noothing. Plaaay it down”

The way she was so concentrated I didn’t think she would. So I took the last step to the stairs.

“Pretend you can't take what you've found. But you-youuu found-”

-CRACK-

The music abruptly stopped, and she turned to look at me. I felt my face turn red. I covered my face with my hands.

“Massie? You’re up?” I heard Lenora ask.

“Yeah.” I replied through my hands.

“What’s wrong kiddo?” She asked, I heard her put down her guitar.

It was silent before I decided to answer, “My foot is stuck inside the stair. S-Sorry I broke it.”

Lenora and her friend burst out laughing.

**
Lenora and her friend, whose name is Davey helped me out of the stairs. Now there was a hole in the last step that my foot had created. Damn. Was I really that fat?

As compensation I said I’d help make breakfast, but when I walked into the kitchen the only thing they had were dusty utensils and no food. Minus the few bottle of alcohol that I had found, but they looked really old too.

Luckily, her friends arrived moments later with food from the local grocery. They had bags full. So I learned their names and went to stock the fridge while Lenora talked to them about the musical instruments Davey had found upstairs.

The guitar that he used during Lenoras singing was one that he found up in the attic. They were testing it to see if it still worked, and it worked perfectly. I found out they were playing the acoustic version of Ellie Goulding’s Guns and Horses. Which explains why Lenora altered her voice to sound Ellie’s.

She’s a very talented singer.

“When ya going home?” Lenora asked me as she washed a few plates. I was making scrambled eggs for her band.

Yeah she has a band! Her and her friends are in a band together. There’s Davey who plays the piano and any other instrument that they need, then there’s Johnny who is always on the drums, and Louie who is bass and back-up vocals. Lenora is the lead singer and guitarist.

I looked at her confused.

She smirked, “I’m not kicking you out kiddo, but don’t you have to return to your brother’s old best friend? What’s his face uh-”

“Hunter.” I helped her.

“Yeah, that guy!” she snapped, “Don’t you think that he’s worried about you?”

I shrugged, “Guess not. He didn’t come save me in the forest.”

Lenora stopped rinsing the soap off the dishes, “Just because he couldn’t make it to you in time doesn’t mean he doesn’t care.”

Yeah, she has a point there.

“I’ll leave after breakfast” I said nodding.

She may have a point, but it doesn't mean that she's right.

“You’ll be a pleasant surprise..and he’ll be happy” She chuckled.

“Scrambled eggs are ready!” I said just as the toaster pinged and produced four slices of perfect toast.

Lenora quickly dried off the plates and handed them to me, “Shit. I move like an old lady ‘cause I’m so damn sore.”

I only laughed as I served the scrambled eggs. I felt like that too, but I would never say it with so many cuss words in once sentence.

We ate in the main room where the stage was. The guys had put together many of the little tables that were there to make one giant dining table. Johnny went behind the bar where he had produced six glasses of orange juice.

Even jockstrap had woken up in time to join us.

We all ate with empty stomachs and laughter. After I helped clean up, I went upstairs and put on my red sweater. Then I was ready to leave.

After many goodbyes and promises to visit “damn soon” I hopped onto the bus. Jockstrap had lent me the money, and Lenora and her boys taught me how to use the bus. It’s amazing that they knew how since they’ve only been here for a couple of days.

The bus stop was a few blocks away from my house, so I decided to walk the rest. On the bus I realized that I never learned where Hunters house is at. I mean ‘in the forest’ doesn’t really cut it when it comes to map questing the place.

I was a block away from my house when I felt warm. And it was really cold out.

“MASSIE!” a frantic voice shouted, I heard thundering footsteps behind me. I turned around and there he was.

“Hunter!” I cried and ran into his arms. He picked me up and twirled me around right before grabbing me in a killer bear hug.

“Massie.” He whispered my name over and over again as he hugged me and rubbed my back. I just held onto him burying my crying face into his shirt.

“Don’t ever leave me!” I slapped his hard chest.

He chuckled, “No, babe, you left me.”

I shook my head violently, “No I didn’t!”

“Yeah, you did. And I almost died without my girl” he said before hugging me again. This time he picked me up and began walking somewhere. His words made my heart flutter.

“Where are we going Hunter?”

“I just want to take you home and lock you up in my bedroom” I shivered at the thought,

“But we have to be somewhere.”

“Where?”

“But while we are there, you won’t be leaving my arms or my sight for one damn second. I can’t risk it anymore.”

I giggled, “You ignored the question Hunter! Where are we going?”

“The hospital.” He said seriously now.

I looked at his face, it was as serious as stone, “Why? What’s there? Who’s hurt?”

I saw him gulp before he answered, “Your mother.”

My smile fell off.