One Way [Rayder]

[teagan hayley sandoval]

Nothing else mattered now but the swift exit from this crazy hell hole of a town. Her feet were silent as she had passed her fathers bedroom, thankfully he had been asleep but his nurse was wide awake. Ethan her master was not expecting her until Friday, she had two days to get away, as far away as she possibly could. Surely he wouldn't come looking for her? Shaking her head as she quietly opened the back door and let herself out, Teagan slipped on her boots and hiked her bag over her shoulder. The evening was cool enough but still she had taken no chances, not sure just how long she would be on the road for.

Her dark skinny jeans molded to her slender frame, her warm padded navy winter coat with layers underneath of thermal vest, ti-shirt and plaid shirt. There had been no necessity to dress for anything other than comfort, quickly she moved from the house and began to jog slowly down the road. Not wanting to bring any attention to herself whatsoever, she purposefully did not sprint at break neck speed to get out of Creighton.

She would miss her father, the little she had gotten to know of him but what had he expected from her truly? How could she stay here and be slave and concubine to any one? Crossing the road she made her way slowly through the suburban homes that mainly belonged to the slaves before a deep peace seemed to overcome her. The street lamps ended at a garage just ahead and from there on was freedom. The garage seemed utterly deserted, not a light on anywhere so she did not need to pull her hood up or disguise herself in anyway.

It seemed like forever had passed, her feet were getting tired now but she refused to stop. Once she had left the lit up area Teagan began to breathe with ease. Her dark attire blended well with the darkness that engulfed her, the further along the road she walked. Tempted as she was to stick her thumb out to hitch a lift, she didn't for fear anyone stopping would be a master. The silver bracelet that tagged her as Ethan Hurst's slave was still firmly locked around her wrist. She had judged that surely if she kept walking at this pace, the next town though forty miles away would really not seem so distant.

[rayder levias king]

[/b] Kicking down on the break pedal he pushed it to the max. A loud screech continued to sound from the tires as he forced the car to a stop. Luckily, he was able to stop the car before hitting whatever it was that was coming at him. Looking out through the windshield, he realized that the figure was a female, probably around his own age. She was dressed in darkness, a perfect setup if she wanted to get run over by a car in the middle of the night. Frustrated, he opened the car door and got out of the car. "Are you all right? What the hell is wrong with you?!" A spark shot at the corner of his eyes as the headlights reflected off something on the girl's wrist.[/ul][/size]

[teagan hayley sandoval]

This entire town was crazy, the people, the system everything about it. She knew this included her father on his death bed but she didn't care. Had it not been his fault that she was here? Had he not begged her to come and visit him for a short time, knowing full well the implications of her arrival. As she continued to walk she cursed him, feeling terrible a moment later for doing so. Wasn't it her own fault really, her mother had warned her after all. Had begged much harder than her father ever could for her to stay with her, not to go to Creighton at all.

Teagan knew she should have listened but it was too late for all of that now. Each e-mail and each phone call to her mother had been false, letting her know that all was well. That college was great and she was making friends, that the only spot on her otherwise idealic life in Creighton was her fathers illness. How could she break it to her that she was tagged and bound to a master, who wanted her to come to his bed occasionally. Her mouth was dry from the thought but she pushed it to the far reaches of her mind. She did not want to think about Ethan Hurst right now, though she noticed that when she did her feet moved faster.

"I hate him" she muttered aloud, repeating it then like a chant she began to run. After at least ten minutes at a vigorous pace she stopped gasping slightly as she pinched her sides from the slight cramp. She exercised regularly but she was tired and had not eaten properly in days, bird like morsels all that she could manage as she allowed the gravity of her situation engulf her. Slowly she began to walk once more when the glare of oncoming headlights dazzled her, raising her arm up to shield her eyes Teagan knew it would do no good if the car careened into her. The screech of brakes in the dead of the night was piercing.

She kept her eyes tightly shut waiting for the impact that never came. A door opened and closed as a figure approached her. The voice startled her as she lowered her hand to look at the young man before her. Teagan was shaking so hard from shock she could barely form a sentence, correction she could not form anything. So sure had she been that she was going to get hit, so sure she had been that she would have been killed that she was now even more shocked by the fact that she would have welcomed it. It would have been an easier escape, much easier. Her eyes darted to the young man's, roughly about her own age she couldn't really tell in the glare of his headlights.

What was wrong with her? What a loaded question that one was. She was a slave, she was a fool for coming here, she was making a stupid attempt to get out of this infernal town only to nearly be run over in the process. No there wasn't much wrong with her, there was everything.

"I ... I think I'm ok" her husky voice was low embedded still with shock. She glanced up and down the road, no other car was coming but he was travelling back into Creighton he was no use to her really. Taking a step to move her legs wobbled, more disorientated by the experience than she had believed Teagan reached out and leaned against the bonnet of his car for support.

[rayder levias king]

Rayder was rather shaken up from what had just happened, adrenaline pumping through his entire body like he has never felt before. Hard to believe it but this was the first time he had come close to even causing a car accident, and lucky him got to almost hit the jackpot the first time he ever drew the walking-pedestrian straw. His heart was beating, perhaps as loudly as the girl’s. Almost getting killed was definitely worth the heart skipping a beat, but so was almost be the cause of a death. The good thing was that they were both still standing.

Holding his head with his hands behind it, Rayder took a deep breath and looked at the girl as she wandered to his car as if she was about to fall over. ”You sure you are all right?” Couldn’t help but feel a need to prepare to catch her at anytime, he walked up to the car, standing next to her. ”What the hell are you doing walking on the road at this hour? Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Sure, it sounded as if he was coming from a harsh angle with his lecture-like words, but the man needed to vent. ”And way to wear all dark clothing. I mean, come on, really?”

Lowering his head to take another breath, he noticed the bracelet she was wearing. There was a name carved into the silver jewelry, and he recognized it immediately. Not that he cared about the guy, but Rayder knew who the person was, and he gathered then that this girl who was still recovering from her life-threatening experience was a slave. Unfortunately for her, the man whose name was inscribed on the bracelet did not have good practice when it comes to slaves, or at least that was what Rayder thought of him anyway.

”Creighton’s that way, you know.” Rayder said as he pointed at the city. ”But then again, I have a feeling you already know that,” he said to the girl, hinting that he had guessed that she was trying to get away rather than go back to Creighton. Taking a few steps away from her he opened the car door and stood behind it. ”Get in, you need to sit down.” Hopping into the driver’s seat, he sat in a relaxed manner, part of him still not believing that this just happened.

Under normal circumstances, Rayder would simply think, Oh man, a slave, and walk away. That was his style. However, given the time and place, he was not going to just leave her to venture into the unknown darkness. Sure, he might take her back to the detestable Ethan Hurst, but he might just humor her enough to do otherwise, if that was indeed the intention of the girl. He wasn’t going to take “no that’s fine” for an answer to his invitation. Though he would not actually do it, the man would threaten to assert his right as a master to prevent her from leaving.

[teagan hayley sandoval]

Still somewhat dazed she glanced at the person the voice beloned too, what were the chances that he was a master and knew hers? She was more or less physically fine but inside she felt used and betrayed. Allowing the harsh tone to wash over her Teagan wished the ground would simply open up and swallow her but she knew if he had been nice to her, she would have broken down. Would have blubbered tears like a little girl even though in that very moment that was exactly what she felt like. Growing up she had dreamed of a knight on a white horse who would come to rescue her from her boring life, well her life was not boring anymore that was for sure but no knight had come to rescue her. As if this thought amused her she could not refrain the slight chuckle that escaped as she observed the boy before her.

Sure it was dark and sure he had nearly knocked her down, there was no rescue attempt there and he wanted she knew to return her to Creighton. She didn't want to get into his car, he would only head directly where she didn't want to go. Why her heart seemed to skip a beat as she looked at him she could not fathom and put it down to simply shock, her entire body was obviously still in shock. Then without replying to him she merely shook her head.
Teagan Sandoval was not climbing into the car of a stranger, she was not returning to Ethan and she was not returning to her pathetic excuse of a father. Wrapping her slender arms around her, she looked so fragile and delicate as she turned to walk away once again.
"I don't need to sit, I need to keep moving" she eventually said, her voice shaking yet so soft that any other sound on the wind would have drowned her out. A step and then a second one before her legs became as shakey as her voice and Teagan knew that at any second she would crumble. The adrenaline was no longer pushing her forward as it had earlier, she was too scared now but too shaken by the experience of being near road kill. She stopped moving and stood a second as if contemplating something and yet all she was really trying to do was to prevent herself from falling. From fainting near this stranger who would surely bring her back to the jerk who was her master and yet her feet would not carry her any further, could not.

Turning her head she looked at him, her heart skipped once again as if delighting in his visage, in his presence and then as a smile graced her beautiful face the world went black and she became to fall.

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