Goodbye Normality

By now, it’s already well past sun down. The cool breeze outside forces the trees to shake, causing dark shadows to dance across the lawn. I am the daughter of a single father. Tonight is just like any other night. Staying up late to catch up on homework, all house duties are on my shoulders; that includes taking care of my younger brother, Jason and doing the laundry. I love him, but sometimes, he’s a pain. It’s Friday night—laundry night, and I’ve been back from the laundry facility for a couple hours. It’s Jason’s bedtime, but instead of going on the bed, he walks into my room, the same frown he gets when something has gone wrong.

“Mr. Snuggles is at the Laundry place” The words will change everything tonight. When I look to the clock, it’s already eight-thirty; I’m not allowed to drive after eight. My father goes to work early, so I am forced to either entertain Jason all night or take the risk and drive back to the Laundromat. His begging and inability to sleep without his bear forces me to leave the house and take the short trip back.

When I get there, the 24 hour Laundromat is empty. Not even the bitter owner/attendant is at his desk, selling detergent and reading fervently from his Bible. So, the search begins for Mr. Snuggles. After about a three minute search, I find him, on the floor behind one of the machines. As I crawl beneath a nearby table in an attempt to reach the bear, the back door if forced open. I hear grumbling from men and as I grasp the teddy bear, the sickening sound of something heavy hitting the floor rings out from their talking. The sound makes me stop and listen from underneath the table. All I catch out of their conversation is something about vampires. As I move to get the bear, I see you on the other side of the line of machines blocking the men’s view from me. You’re a crumpled heap on the floor, bloody, and for a moment, I don’t think you’re breathing. Then, your eyes open, and look right at me…

We will begin when I first get to the Laundromat and go from there.

Character Chart
Character’s full name: Mira La’Mar
Character’s nickname: Her best friend calls her Lemur
Reason for nickname: She really likes to go rock climbing, tree climbing, and anything else that she can climb. Her last name apparently sounds like Lemur as well
Birth date: November 21

Physical appearance
Age: 17
How old does he/she appear: 19
Weight: 124Lbs
Height: 5’6”
Body build: Mira isn’t really muscular. She is very curvaceous and has an average body proportion.
Eye color: Blue
Glasses or contacts: Glasses
Skin tone: Pale cream color
Distinguishing marks: Mira has a birthmark on her thigh and a ring shaped scar on her stomach. She got it when she fell off her bike when she was little.
Hair color: Brown
Type of hair: Long, straight
Hairstyle: (This is also her appearance)

Spoiler:

What she’s wearing at the beginning of the roleplay: http://www.polyvore.com/nighty-night/set?id=19354160

Personality
Good personality traits: She’s usually pretty laid back, her father says that she has a fighting spiriting (she hasn’t decided whether that’s good or not), she doesn’t disrespect anyone unless she knows that they clearly deserve it. She tries to be very good morally. She gets very good grades in school (she’s smart)
Bad personality traits: She has a very low self-confidence level
Mood character is most often in: She’s usually pretty happy
Character’s greatest fear: Snakes. ‘nuff said
Why?: Because snakes….
What single event would most throw this character’s life into complete turmoil?: It’s already happened * See family section
Character is most at ease when: Listening to music
Most ill at ease when: People stare at her
Enraged when: She thinks about her mother, or when people pick on her little brother.
Depressed or sad when: people comment on her appearance.
Priorities:
Life philosophy: Graduate. Get out of this place
Character’s soft spot: Her family
Is this soft spot obvious to others?: Yes.

Goals
Drives and motivations: She is mainly motivated to keep going for her brother
Long term goals: Get away from this town

Past
Type of childhood: Happy until she was about fifteen
First memory: Being able to learn saxophone in third grade.
Dream job: Music Producer
Finances: Upper Middle Class

Present
Currently living with: Her father, Gregory, and her brother, Jason.
Pets: One dog: Part Catahoula/Rat terrier mix. His name is Capone, but has a lot of nicknames.
Occupation: Most afternoons and weekends, she works at the local grocery store.
Finances: Since her mom left, her father has had a hard time keeping them above water.

Family
Mother: Samantha Phoenix
Relationship with her: They don’t talk. Her mother cheated on her father when Mira was fifteen. After caught, she left with her new man and never really looked back.
Father: Gregory La’Mar
Relationship with him: He works all the time to keep them afloat. They only see each other a few hours a day.
Siblings: Jason La’Mar
Relationship with them: Mira is like his mother. They are very close and he is very important to her even if he is annoying sometimes

Favorites
Color: Green
Least favorite color: Pink
Music: Anything really
Food: She loves mashed potatoes
Literature: She prefers YA novels to Nonfiction.
Mode of transportation: She has a small, silver Hyundai
Most prized possession: A small locket her grandmother gave her.

Habits
Plays a musical instrument?: Saxophone
Plays a sport?: Tennis
How he/she would spend a rainy day:: Reading and listening to music
Spending habits: She once bought a family dinner for three with Five dollars.
Smokes: Nope
Drinks: Nope
Other drugs: She takes an anti-depressant to keep her going.

Traits
Optimist or pessimist?: She forces herself to be optimistic.
Daredevil or cautious?: Cautious
Logical or emotional?: A little of both?
Disorderly and messy or methodical and neat?: Definitely neat. If she messes it up she’ll have to fix it later anyway.
Prefers working or relaxing?: Relaxing
Confident or unsure of himself/herself?: Unsure
Animal lover?: Yes.

First name: Daniel
Surname: Lewis
Age: Turned at the age of 19 in 1932
Date of birth: March 16, 1913
Race: Vampire
Gender: Male
Sexuality: Straight
Physical Appearance

Spoiler:

Height: 6’ 3”
Weight: 172 lbs.
Eye color: Light blue
Skin color: Slightly tanned
Shape of face: Angular
Distinguishing features: Small birthmark on my left cheek  
Build of body: While I look frail, I’m not on account of my Vampirism
Hair color: Dark brown with a slight red tent
Hair style: Messy yet tame
Tattoos: None
Piercings: None
Typical clothing: Usually a dark hoodie and a pair of jeans will work.

Personality

Likes: Quiet places, sunsets, and being left alone
Dislikes: Shopping malls, kids, loud people, pets and neighbors
Education: Shortly after becoming a vampire I decided to make the most of it and explore the world, and have nothing more than a high school degree, but have picked up plenty of knowledge over my lifetime.
Fears: Stakes, crosses, priests, vampire hunters, and sunlight
General attitude: Mostly keep to myself and try not to draw too much attention


Combat

Peaceful or violent: Like most vampires I try to remain peaceful unless provoked or threatened.
Weapon (if applicable): Mainly I use my FISTS, but if I want reach any long object will do.

He couldn’t have picked a worse time to lose his bear. I lock the car as I look at the brightly lit facility. By this time, all of the people were usually gone, only leaving the attendant inside, sitting in his chair, watching over the quiet machines in silence. The wind blew hard, and threatened every moment to blow hair in my face. It was cool outside and I could feel the chillbumps creeping up my bare legs; I liked that part about fall. I took a step onto the sidewalk, quickly making my way to the front door.

Being in a college town, the Laundromat was always open. I reached forward, yanking the door open. As I stepped inside, meeting a room more silent than I had ever heard it before. I was surprised I didn’t get a rude greeting from the manager. I looked around, finding no one. A yawn escaped my lips, I was already getting tired. I should have already had Jason in bed and getting myself ready for sleep.

Without thinking, I slowly walk my way towards the desk. If the manager had found it, he would have brought it to his desk and left it there. I took in a deep breath, walking silently around the back of the cheap, plastic desk. If I was caught back here, I was sure I would have been thrown out without the bear. I looked around to no avail. The only thing behind the desk was a Bible, two rolls of quarters, and a few bits and bobs of laundry supplies that he sold if you ran out and were too lazy to walk down the street to the Dollar General. It was cheaper to walk, but he somehow got people to buy at his outrageous prices.

Now, there was only other option for Mr. Snuggles. He had to be somewhere around the machines. The place was large, with washers and dryers lining two walls, and a row of washers, dryers, and tables split the room. So, without much thought, I walked down the row of washers and dryers until I came to the one on the end. I always used this washer. It had the least likelihood of Jason getting in the way. He could play underneath the table, but because there was a dryer facing opposite the table, there left only a four inch gap for Jason to look through, but not escape by. That way, I knew his one way in and out. This is where I would look first for the bear. I smiled, knowing that I was almost out of here, leaning down until I could kneel on the floor to search for the bear.

I grunted as one of the men behind me hits me in the head with the butt of his bat. “Move it you bastard!” I stagger slightly but manage to keep my balance while walking. I swear under my breath as we come to a metal door in the alley. Why did I have to go to that party? I was so stupid! I feel a hand grab the cord holding my hands together behind my back, stopping me in my tracks.

The smallest of the three men that had captured me moves forward toward the door while shuffling through a ring of keys. He mumbles under his breath while searching for what I assume is the key that is needed for the door. “Jesus Jim! Hurry up! We look like we’re kidnapping him!” says the one directly behind me. I glance around me looking for a way to get away, maybe a ladder or back alley? My stomach drops as I realize that there aren't any means of escape.

I feel a shove from behind me, and nearly trip on the two steps leading to the door. I hear a chuckle from behind me as step inside the room. I glance around and notice the washing machines and dryers scattered around the room. I hear the hum of the florescent lights above me as they began to illuminate the room. “Please, you don’t understand! I’m just a kid!” I beg to my captures. “Oh hell no you son of a bitch!  Not after what you did to Dave!” I feel hand lift me off the floor and throw me against the wall. I feel the air rush out of my lungs before I reach the floor. I taste blood in my mouth and look towards the buffer of the trio as he walks towards me with a knife. “Your kind are nuthin’ but pests!” I try to move away but quickly realize how futile it was. I feel the knife enter my shoulder, and usher a scream. I've got to find a way out of here.

I didn’t want to touch anything underneath the table. While I allowed my younger sibling to play underneath the table, I was afraid of what sort of spider webs or dirt could be on the ground where my bare knees touched. There was very little space underneath the table to look, and it didn’t take me long to catch sight of the bear, slightly stuffed in the corner. I glanced down, pushing myself towards the farthest corner, closest to the bear. There was the gleam of a blade beneath the washing machine and I withdrew my hand for a moment. It was almost perfectly hidden in the shadow. I shook my head; maybe this place wasn’t as safe for Jason. I would need to remember that next time.

I ignored the blade for now, reaching out once more to grab the bear. The longer I was in the room, the louder the room seemed to become. I smiled triumphantly to myself as I gripped the soft fur in my hand. I pull quietly, dislodging the bear from its dusty prison. Almost immediately, the back door swings open. I jump, hitting my head on the hard wood above me. I am quiet, but for a few seconds my head spins with the contact.

Now, I am aware that more people have entered the room. At first, I think it’s just the manager, and I begin to pull myself out from under the table. It’s only when I glance up, looking across the room through the gap between the two machines ahead of me. The sound of the voice makes my skin crawl. I am aware very quickly that I shouldn’t come out from under the table. I crawl back underneath, still on my knees, peering through the gaps in the machines like a child. I can hear the voices now, one is fearful, the others however are calm, but knowing. The chill that runs up my spine refuses to subside as I watch the scene in front of me. I can see blood now, and the site makes me slightly nauseous. I cover my mouth with my hand, afraid that even the sound of my breathing with alert the men now attacking what looks like a college boy.

I cringe as I smell the blood seeping into my jacket, though I barely feel the pain from the adrenaline coursing through my veins. What if I die here? What would become of me? I think as I desperately scan  the room for at least the third time. As my eyes wonder the room I notice something different. Under one of the tables I spot a girl hiding. I quickly move my eyes away from her knowing that they'll wonder what I'm looking at. What is she doing here? "How'd you like that you damn pest?!" I hear to the left of me.

The shorter of the three; The one I assume owns the building sits down behind the desk and calmly lights a cigarette. "C'mon Stevie. Stop torturing him. His time will come soon enough." He takes off his scratched glasses and cleans them on his shirt before putting them back on. "The sun'll be enough of a lesson for 'em. Ain't that right, Mr. Vampire?" He says with a slight chuckle.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" I yell at the man. I'm beginning to panic as I look at the two. How can I possibly survive this?

The two that carried me in move away at the man's command while grumbling what I assume only to be more death threats and curses. I gulp as I look back at the short man. "What is it you want from me?!"

Before I look away, our eyes meet. I am caught in them for the moment. They are begging for help and you can see the deep pain that he is in. He’s bleeding, and as my eyes trace across his battered body, his eyes shift away. I don’t know how we are going to get out of this; how I am going to get so I can call the police, but I have to look around. I lean forward, gripping the open box cutter in my hand. I quietly close the blade, reaching forward to stick it in the band of my shorts. I grip the phone that was still on the ground before slowly looking around the room for an exit.

There is movement off to the side, and a moment later, I hear the sickening sound of the front door clicking locked. I watched silently from my place, not breathing. The large gruff man seemed much too preoccupied, but that didn’t mean anything couldn’t happen. The word vampire stings in my ears and I can’t believe it. I take in a slow, quiet, deep breath. I needed to keep smart. These people were obviously crazy. Crazy people could do harmful and crazy people. I glanced back through the crack in the two machines. I had proof of that right then. I just needed to get to the door…but what would happen to the boy that was begging for mercy and receiving none? They could kill him. I couldn’t just run.
“I stand here waiting for you to bang the gong” The noise is so loud and out of nowhere. I know the moment it happens, what it is, and it makes my stomach curl. I look down at my phone, which was now receiving a massing of text messages from one of my friends. I scramble to turn off the music, and by the time it’s silenced, the room is just as quiet. It was sickening. No one spoke. I could hear the footsteps all around. They were looking for the source of the noise. I didn’t move. I couldn’t. I was frozen in place, praying that nothing would happen.
“Keep that damn monster from moving” One of them shouts and order across the room. I glance through the gap once more, but before I can see much of anything I hear one quiet word behind me.
“Bingo” Before I know it, I feel a hand in my hair, gripping with a mighty force. One more second and I’m being dragged out from under the table by my hair. I scream, and kick, trying to get free, but soon my am on my feet. I drop my phone in the struggle, trying to get the man’s hand out of my hair.
“She must have followed us here to save him” Soon, I’m not kicking at the tile beneath me anymore; I am in the air, kicking at nothing. I am silent now except for the few quiet grunts that come from my as I try to get free. I feel two arms wrapping around mine, pinning them behind my back so I can’t move.

“Let me go!” I am screaming at the top of my lungs, but soon, I feel a hand across my face, silencing me the sting of a powerful blow. I look around, there is a pause between men before the one at the desk lifts his eyes from the book and looks over to me. He pulled his glasses up the bridge of his nose before shaking his head.

“She comes here to wash her clothing. She can’t be…” He trails off, standing and walking forward. “She comes in here with her brother… every week” He frowns as if he’s hit a road block.

“Well she’s seen too much now” the grip on my arms tightens and I am lowered to the ground. I try to pull away, but any attempt is useless. Another moment, and there is a hand beneath my chin, forcing my chin up to look at the tall, muscular man. He surveys my face; tears have begun to stain my cheeks. He grits his teeth, looking behind him a moment. He doesn’t know what to do, so he falls back on what seems to be the only thing he knows.
“Well, she’s a pretty little thing isn’t she?”

I cringe when I hear her phone. Stupid girl. I close my eyes as I hear her being snatched from under the table. I hear her fight against the man. "You people are insane!" I yell when I feel her sat beside. The man releases her roughly and looks squarely at me.

"You shut your mouth!" He yells back at me with a snarl. "I can't wait to watch you burn." I bring out a rope and binds the girl wrists behind her back.

The other muscular man looks to the man behind the desk with an unsure look upon her face. "Jim... what do we with her?" He says motion with his thumb in our direction. "We're suppose to be protecting people, not killing them."

Jim looks at her with a pondering expression on his face while rubbing his chin. "I'm not sure, but you're right. It's wrong to kill her, but we can't have her running to the cops telling them about him." He says gesturing towards me.

I grit my teeth out o frustration. There has to be something I can do. I gasp quietly as an idea hits me. "Hey, do you have any ideas of getting out of this?" I whisper to the girl. I glance towards the three man as they bicker on what to do. "These guys are crazy..." I say hoping to gain her trust, even if it is momentary.

As much as I fight, I know that it is useless. The more I try to get away the tighter the grip becomes and the more aggravated the man becomes. There’s a pause and soon, he’s having to drag me across the room. I refuse to help. If I am dropped, I will run. He is strong, and I can feel the ripple of muscle beneath the shirt. There is a low growl underneath the man’s breath and soon he’s had enough of me being uncooperative. He throws me out of my arms and into a heap on the floor beside the boy. Before I can get up, however, I feel his hands gripping my wrists.

They talk amongst themselves, discussing the two people now pacified on the ground. I fight against the ropes that now burn my wrists when I move. Moments go by and I look up through my hair. They are preoccupied, but I know there is no way that I can get the blade from my waistband unnoticed right now. I take in a deep breath, glancing over as the boy speaks. I was surprised that he was still conscious. There was blood everywhere; while some cuts had dried of blood, there were still a few that seemed to bleed. I could feel my stomach turning at the thought and the metallic smell that drifted through the air. I look over to him, trying to give him a half smile. I was still thinking, rather hard, about the ways we could escape. I fought against my bindings as the talking slowly began to quiet. I looked up again, and they were staring at me. Of the three men, all had different expressions on their faces. The only one that seemed concerned was the owner’s, but that was only because he was the eldest and the most religious of the three, I was sure. Murder was not on his docket, but other things could be seen in the eyes of the other men.

I looked down as one of the men takes heavy steps toward the two of us. He stops in front of me a moment, but turns to the boy. I am sure that they did not hear the quiet plea for ideas from the boy. I was sure he thought that I was just ignoring him out of fear, but I still thought. When he started feeling a little weaker, I knew what I could do, but that would require assistance from the boy, and I wasn’t sure if he was up for the challenge. There was a deep chuckle before he turns back to me, kneeling.
“Let’s see what kind of real heart this monster has, hm?” I look up to the man to meet his eyes, glaring. I was ignorant. There was no way that I would be able to do anything without the adrenaline coursing through my veins. He pulls a blade from his back pocket, slowly unfolding the blade until it locks into place. My glare doesn’t cease, and I can see only the slightest of shifts within his eyes. He is starting to believe I am whatever they think he is. “You not afraid, girly?” The voice is dark as he leans in, gripping my jaw in his hand, squeezing my cheeks inward. I can’t stop; there was no way I was backing down to this man now. He glances to the boy beside me a moment before looking back at me. I feel the cold of the blade tracing up my bare legs until it reaches the cloth of my shorts. He stops, watching for a moment. He must see something change in my eyes because he chuckles again, drawing the knife away. He waits a moment, watching me as the two men shuffle behind him.

“Leave her alone, she ain’t done nothin’” There’s a pause and the man looks over his shoulder a moment before turning back. I don’t know what’s come over me, but when our eyes meet again, I can’t help but spit in his face as hard as I can. He flinches slightly, and I can feel his grip on my jaw tighten.

“You’re crazy” I mutter quietly with some difficulty. Before I can say anything else, he strikes me again, hard against the face, I go sideways and all I see is a flash of light. I hear loud cursing, but I can’t tell what they’re saying, and when I open my eyes again, the man is across the room, glaring at me, saying nothing.

I watch the men as I listen to them bicker over what to do with the girl beside me. I smirk slightly as they argue. Soon they are quiet and the bigger one that stabbed me in the shoulder begins walking towards us. "Great." I think to myself as I see him stop in front of me. I brace myself for the abuse I was sure that would follow but am surprised as he turns back to the girl kneeling. I growl softely as he pulls out the knife and begins to move it up her legs towards her waist. What were these guys problems.

I watch the procceding and gasp as she is struck by him. "Leave her alone, you fucking animal! Who hits a teenage girl?!" I yell at the man as he wipes off his face. My words catch him off guard, causing him to have a confused look before he recovers.

"You shut up, ya fucking leech!" He yells snatching his body up from the chair. Before the man could come to probably add another hole in me somewhere the older man put his hand on his shoulder.

"Stop it. He'll get what's coming. Besides he is right. You shouldn't have done that. I've already told that she isn't one of his kind." Jim says to the living boulder. The man was obviously having trouble holding his tongue from saying something. He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth for a moment before retaking his seat with a bang.

The old man calmly returned his gaze to the girl. "I'm sorry child. I wish you hadn't been here to see this, and this definetely makes this harder on us." He says with a sigh.

No one comes to pick me up. I just lie there on my side for a moment, trying to stop the spinning in my head. They talk amongst themselves and one of them apologizes to me. I can feel my body shaking as he watches me with pity. I haven’t noticed the tears rolling down my cheeks until now. I was sure they had stopped before, but it seemed that they were back again.
“Just let us go” My voice is soft as I anchor myself and pull myself up straight once more. I lean to once side, almost losing my balance; I’m still pretty dizzy from getting hit. I clamp my eyes closed, stopping from swaying back and forth. There’s a pause and then a quiet laugh from the larger man.

“The girl is stupid” He talks to the other two as if I’m not here again, walking over to the boy and kneeling. The other two move forward to stop him, thinking that he has come back for me. Instead, his target is the boy who is still bleeding on the ground.

“Leave him alone” My words are strong, but I am sure that it won’t be enough to keep him from getting hurt. I just need to try and get free. The ropes burn my wrists and I can feel them growing raw with the continuous tussle to move. I take in a deep breath, trying to untie the knot that kept my hands bound. I wasn’t sure what I would do if I got free, but I knew that I had to do something or it would soon be too late for the boy and me.

The man knelled beside me and grunt. "You may be able to hide what you are from her, but not from us." He said before taking his knife out again. "Maybe I should put another hole in for all the trouble you've caused us." He chuckles with a smirk on his. Of course he is enjoying this, even if it is too much.

I gave the man a stare just long enough for him to see it and then spoke in a way that I sound scared and on the verge of tears. "You... you've got the wrong guy. I'm just a student you grabbed walking home! You have to let me go, please!" I shook my body slightly to give that act a special effect. I could that the man was fuming by the end of my plea and was slightly happy that I was able to do it so easily, though this man seemed to already have a short temper to begin with.

"Why you-" He began raising the knife before being cut off by the older gentleman. "Stop! Can't you see that he's just trying to get the girl to believe him. In her eyes we're just crazy, or more likely murderers." The man stops for a moment than looks squarely at me. "Why must you insist on the this lie of yours. I highly doubt in the current situation that the girl would be able to help you in the slightest. To be honest i'm surprised you haven't broken the ropes yet. With your human strength what's a little rope. "The man reaches below the desk and pulls out a pistol and a wooden stake. "Perhaps you had the foresight that we had ways of dealing with that?" The man narrows his eyes at me and sits quietly for another moment where nobody talked. Very softly he spoke to me. "You should have been killed long before now for what you've done. You were the one that killed my family. I came home to them slaughtered in the bed with the bedroom window open. The autopsy showed their bodies without blood. Not even an ounce." The man finished and looked down at his hands.

I sat listening to the man's story without much remorse. Why should when humans have killed so many of my kind through the years. I frowned at the man and shook my head. "So you seek revenge on mythical creatures that don't exist. Maybe it was a crazy person, but vampires?! You're insane." Luckily the three man hadn't thought to try and prove my vampirism to the girl. It's almost as if they are still afraid to get too close. I looke towards the window and grimace as I see a slightly brighter hue of blue in the sky. Not much longer now

The men were hell bent on believing that this by was a vampire: A mythical creature that occurred in fantasy, not real life. I didn’t believe that this would happen. I didn’t think that me coming here to get a stuffed bear could ever turn into a night of pain and crazy people. I stifle a shiver. It felt quiet in the cold room although they spoke loud to one another. I was still trying to figure out a plan of getting both of us out of here. If I wasn’t so afraid of losing the one chance I had, I probably could have found out some way of getting out of here.

The men seemed preoccupied with their power trip. It was obvious they were paying attention to the two of us, but for now we were safe from their abuse. I turned slightly to face the boy, giving him whatever I could manage as a ‘go with the flow’ look before turning back towards the men a moment. After looking over them, I realize they’re half lost in thought too. They watch, but only with slight curiosity for they know that very soon the sun will rise above the horizon and the boy will be shown for what they really think he is.

“It’s alright. Calm down. No need to freak out” I turn so that my back is to the men; I am still fighting with the knot. I smile to him softly. “You need to calm down. I can tell you’re getting weak from the bloodloss. The more you freak out, the faster you’ll die. You’re going to be okay.” I look back behind me, watching over the men a moment as they watch me in utter disbelief.

“Can I help him, please?” My voice is soft and cracks with almost every word. “Let me stop the bleeding. He’ll die if I don’t” My please are soft as I halfway try to pull the ropes off. There’s a pause before the youngest of the men takes a step forward, kneeling behind me. I can feel his hands on my wrists, starting to pull the rope apart.
“What are you doing?” The men rush forward to stop him, but he shakes them free. “Let her have her peace of mind. If it keeps her calm until sunrise then she will be able to see what he really is.” His voice is filled with knowing; he seems to be the smartest out of the group. “He will stay bound though.” I feel the ropes drop from my wrists. He grabs my arms before I can move, however, keeping them pressed behind me “ I am trusting you girl; I will not be as nice as my friend over there if you betray us” His words are calm and soft in my ear. I clamp my eyes closed a moment until I feel the hands let go of me.

I smile, crawling forward to the boy. This was the first up close look I had gotten of him. He looked different somehow, but I couldn’t put my finger on it how. I lean forward, looking over his wounds as if I were assessing them for cleanup. I pull myself up to my feet. For a moment I wobble, almost losing balance. The blood had done its job making me queasy which didn’t help. I walked slowly across the room, away from the men. You can hear them shuffling around behind me, getting ready to go after me if I ran. Instead, I pulled the paper towel out of the dispenser, wetting a few sheets and leaving a few sheets dry. I turn again to see all the men watching silently. I simply ignore them, walking to the boy.
“Just relax and close your eyes. It’ll be alright” I do what I can to lift him up so he halfway leans on me, halfway doesn’t. His hands are still bound uncomfortably behind his back, but I move his hand so it rests on the side of my waist with the blade. If he’s smart, he’ll know what to do, if not, then I can’t help him. I begin to wipe the blood off his face. Most of it had dried, but there were some parts that still were moist on his arms and head- especially his head.

I watch the man argue before hearing the girls voice in my ear, and act slightly panicked as to keep the girl thinking i'm just a normal teenage boy. I gulp hard and nod slightly to give the indication that I had heard her. This girl is actually kinda incredible for being in this situation and still caring about others. My respect for the girl climbs as I see her slightly different. Maybe there is a chance after all.

At her request the probably smarter and definitely nicer of the true brutes releases her from her binds and she begins to assess me. I try to act as if her touches hurt, and cringe. She walks away from me, while the man's gazes including mine follow her on her trek to the paper towel dispenser and back to me. As she moves back to me their curiosity fades. She pulls me up by arms making me grunt. As my hands rest on her waist I feel the cold handle and my I gasp slightly grabbing it. The man look at me and I make it seem to be the pain. The buffer of the two chuckles. "He's still trying..." He said looking back to the man to continue their conversation. She finishes washing my face and sits me back down on the ground.

I flick open the knife and begin to saw at the rope at my hands. Of course I could just rip the rope, but that wouldn't be smart at the moment since I'm trying to keep up appearances. Feeling the rope loosen I shove the knife into my back pocket and sit back. Now what do I do? I could just get them away from the weapons and attack them... Then what? There was still the girl. As I ponder what to do I look at the window outside I see the pink in the sky. I gotta do something fast.