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Come back! Please, just come back. I don’t want to be abandoned. I don’t want the dark to win.

I collapsed onto my side, cheek pressed to the tile, breath rattling out. The darkness swallowed me up, every nerve screaming, every memory burning. My bluebird was gone, and the cage was empty, and the silence was deafening. It consumed every part of me.

Chapter 21

Hopeless

Starla

Whatever happened back there was a miracle. My feet flew across the ground. My breath came out in heavy rasps. But I didn’t look back, I kept running. Though, a small part of me wanted to turn back. To coddle his drowning soul, to light up the darkness within him.

No, I couldn’t. I escaped. I needed to get away, not turn back. He would’ve killed me in the end. He said he loved me, maybe he did, but love wasn’t enough for people like him.

I didn’t know where to go. My car was sitting in the driveway of his house, but I didn’t have my keys. He must have hid the keys somewhere after he put gas in it and drove it to his house.

Shit.

Eventually my legs became too tired. I limped on the side of the road, the cold wind slicing into me. I wrapped my arms around myself.

Where was I to go? There’s nothing left for me out here. Nobody left.

Tears started to fall again. The loneliness was so deep, so strong, it consumed me.

Just when I was starting to give up and lay down in the barren field, I heard the engine of a car. It was coming from behind me. I turned and waved my arms.

“Hey! Stop! Please!” I shouted as loud as I could.

To my relief, the car stopped. A man rolled down his window and eyed me. “Are you okay, miss? You’re bleeding.”

I looked down. There was blood stained on my hand from the cut. My skin was bruised. My face was red from crying. I must have looked like a mess.

“Yes, I cut myself.” I ran closer to the car, and leaned into the window. “You have to help me. Take me somewhere, maybe the police station. Please.”

The man thought about it for a few moments, then sighed and reached over to open the door. “Alright, hop in. I’ll take you up to the station.”

I smiled and hopped in. “Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.”

He nodded then drove off. “My name is Henry, by the way. What’s yours?”

I leaned back in the seat and watched the road fly by. “I’m Starla.”

“What are you doing out here, Starla? Especially wearing a dress and bleeding? Too cold out for a dress.” He stared straight ahead, but he side-eyed me for a moment.

I almost told the truth, but what would that mean for Malakar? Maybe I could hide some parts, and twist what actually happened. This man didn’t need to know the gory details.

“I’m running away from an abusive ex.” Technically, that was the truth. I just left out the part about my newest captor.

He nodded. “Understandable. Well, sorry about whatever happened to make you wander these roads in this shape.”

“I’m just grateful you pulled over.”

Finally, the police station came into view. He pulled into the lot. I opened the door and stepped out. “Thank you again, Henry, I appreciate this.” I shot him a small smile.

Henry gave me a nod.”You’re welcome. You take care of yourself, miss. A lot of bad guys in this world.”

You’re right, I’ve met too many. My father, Brandon, Malakar.

I didn’t say that, though. I just closed the door and made my way to the front door of the station. Dusk was starting to settle. Shadows stretched across the pavement. I stood in those shadows and hesitated. What would I say when I walked inside? What would happen next?