Hostage

Mmm

Current time.

Kira's POV

The breeze hit my face and made my hair billow behind me. I stretched my hands above my head and sighed deeply, feeling the fresh air wash over my body. The moon gazed patiently as the stars winked at me. The grass of the countryside all waved unanimously at me, like they were stuck in a song. The trees sang their song of ruffling and unrest. The smell of wet dew hit my nostrils with the smell of brown soup. Not funny.

I put my hands in my pocket and looked at the house Kofi had taken me to in Devon's car, the others following behind in SUVs. On the way there he kept muttering a song, (something about being so low), and gazing at me like I was a bar of gold.

'Anything wrong?' I asked quizzically.

'Why?'

'Because you've been staring at me.' I raised an eyebrow.

'Oh, u-um well, sorry.' He looked away.

That had been weird, but what was even weirder than that, was how concerned the silence had made me. I wanted him to talk to me, to laugh and joke around, like friends.

A breathed a sigh, remembering the theory I had told Arena back at Denver.

Your boss wants me for something important. This isn't a normal kidnapping. We wouldn't be travelling around the entire America for something like that. You're trying to get the police off your trail because Yenni can't be that far. You're sending them on a wild goose chase. Because I need to be unharmed.

I wonder what my father is thinking about now. Looking at the night sky and wondering whether I was alive to see it too. Or eating breakfast and wondering if I'd had mine. It made me sad and a little guilty, how far he was from the truth. I was happier than I'd ever been with him, I was having real friends, I was falling in love, with no responsibilities involved with it, and that thought alone burnt guilt through me.

It took me a while before I realized that I had passed the tiny inn and had spread myself through the beautiful night countryside of Kansas.

I start to hum Hello by Adele, as it always seemed to empower me.

'Hello to the other side,' I whispered, 'I must have called a thousand times.'

A stick snapped behind me.

I swiveled around to see Kofi, his hands up in a surrender. He walked slowly, like I was a scared animal about to run off. 'It's okay.' He muttered.

I rolled my eyes. 'Dude.'

He rolled his eyes right back. 'I should be telling you that. Hello? Really?'

'What about it?'

'You think you're Cinderella, don't you... or maybe Snow White.' He wondered.

'I think Rapunzel is better suited for me.' I muttered.

'Not with that shoulder length hair you're not.' He snickered.

We laughed, and the breeze hit my face and I stretched. Kofi watched me, and I blatantly ignored him hoping that he would snap out of it. I tapped my necklace lightly as I continued to hum.

'Why do you keep tapping that necklace? Is it important to you?' I heard him ask, coming to my side.

'Why do the others call you Berry, but you came in to my school as Kofi.' I asked back.

He frowned. 'I asked first.'

'I asked second.' I retorted.

'Ladies first.'

'HA!'

We laughed at my outburst and I stared at him, waiting for him to answer.

'Kofi is my...legal name. Berry was given by Yenni. That's all.'

'Yenni, like the group?' I ask.

'Yenni like the owner. Devon's father.'

I remember the doctor, such a long time ago, had said...

'Hey, be careful with your dad. He's quite happy with you, that's never a good thing, is it?'

My eyebrows crash together. 'Wait, Devon's parents are Yenni?'

'His mom is dead though, his dad killed her.' Kofi mutters.

'What?' my voice breaks.

He looks at me, guilt written on his face. 'I've said too much. You should ask Devon yourself.'

He clasped his hands together against the cold. 'So, the necklace?'

'It was the only thing my real parents gave me before they left me for adoption. I just feel like it's a significant part of my life.'

He nods. 'Mmm'