Still sitting on the floor with Grayson, I began hyperventilating. My body went cold and numb and I couldn’t think straight. My breaths were shaking and out of control. I stood up and started pacing around the room shaking my hands at my side. This was completely new to me and I thought I was dying.

“Hey hey, it’s okay. We’ll figure it out it’s okay we’ll be okay,” he’s trying to calm me down, not sure if he actually cares or just wants me quiet so they don’t come back.

I nod my head but my breaths get worse. Breathing too fast for my body to catch up. My arms and legs go tingly and I collapse but don’t feel it. Before I black out I hear him call my name then rush over to me.

As I regained consciousness, out of breath and leaning against a tree in the forest, I have a sudden urge that I need to run. Still too dazed to process quite what was going on I see Grayson beckoning to me from behind a tree about 10 yards away.

I looked behind me when I heard something snap. I could see someone’s back. They were tall and lanky and I couldn’t quite figure out what gender they were, doesn’t really matter. My eyes flicker between different things I notice about the person til I saw what they were carrying. A shotgun.

I panicked and didn’t know what to do. Grayson silently gestures for me to come to where he is but the amount of debris around would give me away immediately. My heart pounded in my chest as my stomach lurched. I hid begin the nearest tree and Grayson chucked a stone about 20-40 feet to the right of us.

The figure tan toward the sound giving us time to try to reach each other and figure out what to do.

We ran in the opposite direction towards the setting sun. I stumbled so he grabbed my hand to help me be a little faster. Once we were far enough away and my mind was able to catch up and process everything that just happened, my first question was, “How did I even get out here?”

“What do you mean?” He looks confused and I feel almost stupid for asking.

“Like one minute I’m out cold in the lighthouse next thing I know I’m on the ground against a tree with you a billion yards from me.” He frowned.

“Did you hit your head? You walked out here with me, remember? The plan was to get out here and get as far away as possible.” The frown was still glued onto his face with little speckles of concern.

“I don’t.. I did?” I was a little concerned myself.

“What’s your name?”

“What? You already know that.” He’s making no sense whatsoever. I’m beginning to question if HE hit HIS head.

“What’s your name?” His frown molded into a firm but concerned look.

“Makayla. I don’t understand how this is..” before I could finish my sentence he interrupted with,

“How old are you?”

“Um… 22,”

“Did you have to think about that? Could you remember right away?”

“Yeah?”

“Okay. You should be fine then.” He says and continues walking.

He looks down at my arms and makes a face I can’t read. “Are you okay?” He asks staring at the bruises and old self harm scars. I pull my sleeves down and look at the ground.

“Yeah. Yeah I’m okay.” I feel hot tears fill my eyes but I quickly push them back.

“Who did this to you?” He looks sad for me.

Before I could form the answer in my mind, a single gunshot fired off in the distance. A scream followed and a loud silence then fell over the forest.

I looked at Grayson and he looked at me with the same worried expression. We both knew what just happened. I hear rustling in the leaves behind us and gasp. “What was that?!” I cling to his arm as I whip my head around searching for movement through the trees.

He squints his eyes and looks around as well. His eyes relax and his face goes white. “Run! RUN!” He screams and grabs my hand to help me keep up with him, but his long legs are too fast for my short ones and I stumble. Before I could really process what was happening, I was being dragged off by the mystery person.

I kicked and flailed and screamed, “GRAYSON!” I fought mostly with the air. I couldn’t see who had me or where they were but I saw Grayson chase us until he was no longer in sight. I didn’t know where I was or what to do.

The room I was put in was pitch black. I whimpered in the dark. I couldn’t see anyone or anything. I heard a male voice say “We found her in the lighthouse. There’s some guy with her. Decent build he’d probably fight back.”

Silent tears stream down my face as I fear for my life and his. If they’re gonna kill me please just get it over with. Don’t torture me with the waiting. I hear the screech of the hinge on a door and a small bit of light enters the room. Someone walks in then shuts the door again.

“Who are you?” I ask. I bite my tongue to keep from my teeth chattering so I seem less scared.

“That is the question, yes. But who, might I ask, are you?” This voice was familiar, rich and deep. It sounded like it belonged to an older man or a smoker due to the raspyness.

“Is that really why you took me? To ask me my name?” I snap at him.

“You better watch your tone little girl.” That’s when I could put a face and name to the voice.

“Grandpa?” My heart is stuck in my throat and I can barely choke out those words.

“What? Who are you?!” He lashes out at me which makes me doubt myself.

“Makayla.” I mutter quietly.

“Makayla?” He pauses. “Makayla who,”

I can hear a skepticism in his voice.

“Crawford. Makayla Crawford.”

“Micky?!” He lights a lantern then walks over to me.

I nod.

I hear an unrecognuzeable voice from the corner. “You’re related to Kaitlyn Crawford. Aren’t you.”

TO BE CONTINUED😏😏😏😏😏