I Want To Be Free

32. Captured

CHAPTER | THIRTY-TWO

"What about this one? Will this do?" Lucas asked, his eyes focused on the other types of journals while he held up a white journal.

I grabbed it from his grip and looked over it. The white leather cover was smooth under my finger tips and the side had a stitched up effect. Japanese words were carved on the top center of the book with the word journal in parentheses under it. It was about the size of my other journal I kept hidden in my duffle bag. I flipped through the black pages and clutched it close to my chest.

This one was perfect.

"Or what about this one?" Lucas held up another journal, looking back at me.

I shook my head. "I like this one more." I asserted, waving my new journal book.

Lucas nodded and put the other one back. "About time. You dragged me to three different Staples all for a journal."

I snorted. "This isn't just a book to vent out my feelings and thoughts. This one is important. I'm taking Elijah's advice."

"Which is what exactly?"

We walked down the lane, moving out of the way from shoppers with their shopping carts. "I need to start writing down my dreams."

Lucas frowned at that, hooking his thumbs through his belt loops. "And why would you do that?"

"When I wake up, I can't remember anything about my dreams. I thought maybe this would help." I explained, standing in one of the short lines to pay.

"Ooh. Now I see. Do you really think this is going to work, though?" Lucas asked skeptically, looking through the varies of gums and chips as we stood waiting.

"It doesn't hurt to try." I said with shrug, adjusting my ball cap.

"True," Lucas agreed before he came to stand behind me, "Are we going back to the hotel after this?"

I nodded, taking a step forward as the line was getting shorter. "Do you need anything before we go back?"

Lucas shook his head and opened his mouth to speak when an old woman tapped Lucas's shoulder. He turned around and looked down, offering a small smile. "Yes?"

"Do you like the smell of your blood?" She asked, returning his smile with one of her own.

Lucas frowned confused. "E-Excuse me?"

I grabbed Lucas's hand as the old woman continued to smile from ear-to-ear. "Your blood. Do you like the smell of it?"

"I-I, um, not really?" He answered, but it sounded more like a question than an answer.

The old woman nodded, leaning on her walking stick for support. "Interesting."

Lucas gave her nervous chuckle and turned around, squeezing my hand. I gave him a reassuring smile and snuck a glance at the old woman, who was frowning at our intertwined hands. I slightly narrowed my eyes at her. What an odd question to ask to a stranger, I thought to myself.

I kept my defenses up. She had a reason to ask that sort of question and quite frankly, I didn't want to know her reason.

"Never let your guard down. No matter where you are, never let it go down for a second. Once it's down, people will attack. Don't let that happen." Elijah warned, his cold eyes fixed on mine.

"I know all of that already." I answered, leaning back in my seat.

Elijah narrowed his eyes and kicked the chair I sat back, making me squeal in surprise and land on my back painfully. I groaned and shot a glare at Elijah. "What the hell was that for?!"