The Runaway

Chapter 5

Violet was on the floor staring at them with fear.

"Are we gonna start or what?" a blonde haired girl asked as they filed in. She was standing next to four others including the boy who Violet aimed a gun at. They were all stationed beneath a single flickering light bulb.

"Ace, be patient," a brunette girl replied. She held a gentle expression and had beautiful dark skin. There was also a tan boy who awkwardly stood there, looking bored as ever.

"For heaven's sake, Colette, the girl's awake. We might as well kill her now before she tries to escape," the blonde girl argued. Ace, was it? Violet disliked her attitude.

The boy who she was attacked by interrupted. "Shut up, all of you. Just patiently wait for him to arrive."

Violet was bewildered by all of it. What was going on and why didn't they take much notice to her? They were all viewing her like she was a mere object, and it was nauseating how they could use the term "kill" so easily. What kind of group was this?

"He's late and I can't stand it anymore!" Ace shouted at the boy.

"Will you two just stop?" Colette, the brunette stepped in. Violet was listening to all of it, feeling like an uninvited guest. The dispute grew with tension and caused the tan boy to shift away.

"Don't underestimate me, Ace. I could snap your neck right now if I wanted to."

Violet tried her hardest not to focus on his vicious remarks as she analyzed her surroundings. The room contained nothing, not even windows, but only herself and the strangers. Violet's duffel bag was also nowhere to be seen.

"Listen here, Aiden," Ace flicked the boy's forehead, "I don't give a damn if you've been here longer, but I-"

There was a loud slamming of a door coming from below. Violet assumed they were in a building of some sort.

"He's here," the tan boy whispered, "You better quiet down now."

It was obvious that the other boy had the urge to get revenge on Ace for flicking his forehead but he ignored it. To her surprise, they all stopped talking and shifted their anger and frustration to solemness.

She heard footsteps gradually move closer from outside. "I told you all to stay put. We'll all get a fair share so please," a voice behind the door said sternly.

Ace stirred. "But Aiden was able to get a little extra on hunting night."

"You can't even fight for your life. Stop complaining," Aiden said.

The voice behind the door was audible and clear. "Enough. I'm coming in later after I look for the materials. Riley, follow me." Violet heard another pair of footsteps repeat after the first as the sound drifted away.

"Hey Delsin, will you let me go first?" Ace asked.

The tan boy shook his head and scowled at her. "Don't even think about it. Could you just calm the hell down? You're driving me insane." Violet thought it was scary how his mood changed so quickly.

Aiden smirked at Delsin. "I'm beginning to like you a bit more." Delsin shot a grin back.

The door abruptly burst open and she caught a glimpse of red hair. It was dead silent and Violet didn't want to look at whoever just entered. She was just horrified that there was more of them. After observing the room throughout the chatter, she finally acknowledged the fact that it was completely impossible to escape. Although she was able to move freely, the number of people who held her captive could easily stop her from doing anything.

"Riley, do you think this new plan will help?" Colette asked.

The girl's voice was calm and quiet. "There's only one way to find out." Violet could see the girl now as she stepped over to the others. When Riley stared at her, she wanted to creep into a hole and hide. Riley's green eyes appeared almost menacing. At this point, Violet couldn't help but to tremble. They were all so scary.

"Is she the one you got?" Riley asked, still gazing at her.

"Yeah, it's not the best, but it's something. There was nobody else that was roaming out that night anyway," Aiden answered.

Riley laughed at her now. "Poor girl. She's probably so frightened." They all turned to her, disturbingly watching her unlike before.

"I wouldn't say that," Aiden said, "She was able to aim and shoot me a couple of times yesterday." Everyone in the room was amazed by his comment with their jaws dropped.

"Aiden was attacked by a girl? That's impressive. We should test to see if she's as tough as she appears to be," Riley spoke with a grin.

"Don't think I was defeated. I just let her try," Aiden announced. Everyone rolled their eyes while Riley ignored him, came closer to Violet and set her long fingernails under Violet's chin. Violet couldn't move. It was too alarming to be that close to someone with foul intentions. Riley's pale face was only a couple inches from her own and without a single warning, she opened her mouth. In less than a second, white, sharp fangs shot out causing Violet to jump. Riley rolled her head back and laughed while the others chuckled nervously. What in the world was that?

"What's going on in there?" The door busted open. Everyone stopped their laughing and stared at the boy who entered. He was holding a shiny, sharp dagger. "No one should be messing around. If you want to be normal again, act like it or leave. Now." He was dead serious and nobody made a sound.

Violet on the other hand was quivering uncontrollably. Her mind was elsewhere, and it wasn't the pointy dagger that caught her attention. No, no, she repeatedly thought in terror. The boy turned to look at her and their eyes finally met. He widened his eyes and dropped the dagger. The atmosphere was stirring with revelation. "Violet?" he called out softly.

Everyone eyed the boy and then at her. "Colt, you know her?" Riley asked.

She was trying to fight the tears, but they eventually came pouring out. She couldn't believe it.

"Colton, answer me!" Riley demanded.

He payed no attention to Riley as he walked towards Violet slowly. "Are you alright?" he asked, hand on her shoulder.

She quickly shrugged him off. "Don't touch me!" she cried. What the hell was he doing here? The thought of him abandoning her to join a wicked gang made her sick. It was gruesome. "Don't you dare," her voice struck at him. He flinched.

"Hold on a second. If you know her, does that mean we have to stop the plan?" Ace asked.

Colton's face went pale. "She's a dear friend of mine."

He had changed a whole lot in a year. He grew a little taller, his voice was deeper, and his face was more defined. It was like a complete stranger was standing next to her.

"What the hell are we gonna do now then?" She sighed. "You know, I'm sick of trying out these stupid new methods, so let's just cut the crap. I'm taking her no matter who she is." Ace looked really desperate. Her eyes were sunken in and she was starting to sweat. She was also staring straight at Violet. Before Colton or anyone could try anything, Ace zipped in front of Violet, unleashed her sharp teeth, and pressed her mouth against the scab on Violet's leg. Colton instantly tackled and pushed her off. The impact caused Ace to slide across the room and hit against the wall with a thud. Violet's heart was beating like a drum.

"Leave. Now." His eyes were cold.

Ace, who was on the floor struggled to stand. "Fine," she said bluntly. She finally got up, limping to leave the room, but before she exited the door, she turned to say, "I guess I'll be joining them instead. At least they'll treat me better," she paused, "But I'll come back one day. I swear I'll return and kill all of you. Good luck surviving without me." With a small smirk, she left.