An agonizing sense of frustration settled deep in my chest as I tried to continuously push away from the grip of my captor to check on Seth as he lay with an oozing wound on the back of his head, but my attempts were futile; the fight was only tiring me down as my culprit's grip on my neck tightened, restricting the amount of oxygen that traveled through my windpipe. The salty tears that had run down my cheeks were leaving an itchy trail behind, but I couldn't wipe them away as my hands were clawing and scratching at the grip around my throat.

For a moment, I was about to drop my arms to my sides and give up the fight I had put on, as it had seemed pointless and I was growing very, very tired. But a momentary glance at Bella suddenly washed away that sense as fast as it had come. Her tear-filled gaze stared back at me helplessly as her burly captor fixed his hand on her mouth so tightly, deeming it impossible for her to speak, with his robust arms wrapped around her feeble arms and waist securing her completely in his grip. He looked like he was suffocating her, and it enraged me. Not only had they knocked my friend unconscious with a possibly life-threatening head trauma, but they were close to hurting another innocent. And I wasn't going to have that. Not when I knew it was me they were after.

With newfound strength, I suddenly jerked my right arm forward and with a strong force shoved it backwards to elbow my captor in his liver, earning a loud groan. I reached for his arm and within his weakened state, grabbed it and twisted it so his grip was entirely off my neck, and I turned with his arm in my hold and raised my knee, hitting him in the groin. As he hunched forward, I quickly turned around and delivered a blow with my elbow to his nose, hearing a slight crack as he fell backwards to the floor.

As I set my foot forward towards the man holding Bella, she let out a muffled scream in warning, and within the same moment a burly arm encircled my waist and pulled me back. I scratched at the arms of my second captor, drawing blood to the surface, when I suddenly heard the slight creak of the old kitchen door. The instant I shifted to look over my shoulder I heard a loud crashing sound and the man behind me groaned in pain, his hold on me loosening and allowing me the opportunity to scurry away. I turned and gasped at the scenery where Ariel stood trembling, a crashed vase on the floor beside my unconscious captor's bleeding head.

"Ariel-!" I exclaimed, about to yell for her to run, but the words got stuck in my throat as the first man who had caught me recovered from the blows I sent his way, and reached out for Ariel, pulling her violently by the hair and retracting a silver knife from his back-pocket. I gasped, my hands immediately coming up to surrender. "No! No, please. Let her go!"

But Ariel, in her freaked state, screamed and thrashed in his hold unaware of the weapon in his grip. She scratched at his face and in return, he slashed deeply into her arm.

My scream echoed that of Ariel's as a deep gash in her arm was slit open and within seconds crimson blood began to trickle and flow down the length of her arm and drip onto the wooden floors. An uncontrolled sob escaped my throat, my body beginning to tremble as I started to hyperventilate.

"That's enough!" One man yelled, entering my line of vision. He lifted up his gun with one hand, shifting it in the air to shine light on it. "I won't hesitate to empty my bullets in the bodies of your friends to end this once and for all." I began to shake my head uncontrollably. "Now, do you want us to go on with this the easy way, or the hard way?" He sneered.

I let out a choked sob. "S-stop." I whispered. "I'll go with you. I'll leave willingly just let them go!"

Ariel was trying desperately to fight back with her single unharmed arm, her other limp at her side as it dripped blood onto the floor.

"Good choice," I heard the man mumble, slowly nodding towards his followers. Simultaneously, the man holding Ariel and the one holding Bella both released their grips, and I watched as the girls both scurried away from them. Bella fell to the floor beside Seth as she gasped for air, releasing a loud, choked sob. Her trembling hands hovered over his body, desperate to check his injuries but afraid of causing further damage.

"Is he o-okay?" I whispered.

Bella's head snapped to mine, her teary eyes wide in alert. Her bottom lip was quivering as she held back her sobs.

A harsh grip enclosed around my arm and jerked me away from where I stood, I gasped from the sudden movement nearly losing my balance. I stumbled over to the back door located in the kitchen, which I had just begun to notice was wide open. My eyes remained on Bella as I was violently yanked towards the escape.

"Bella! Is he okay? Is he alive?!" I yelled. I had to know if he was at least alive.

Bella's only response was a loud sob, shaking her head wildly as her eyes traveled over Seth's motionless form, inspecting it in a manic state.

"I-I don't.." she stammered in between sobs as I reached the door.

My heart was beating loudly in my chest, and my eyes traveled to Ariel as I saw her slumping to the floor, her eyes half-closed as she clutched onto her wounded arm with her shirt and jeans soaked in the blood's crimson shade.

I was shoved so violently out the door that I lost my balance and fell on my knees, my hands falling flat to the grass. "Get up, bitch!" Someone suddenly yanked me by the hair, I let out a yelp as I jumped to my feet, but the grip still didn't let loose. He jerked my head to the side as his lips neared my ear. "Thought you really did something back there getting me at a moment of weakness, huh? You'll pay for what you did, I can promise you that."

I wasn't given the chance to return the promise as someone whistled from far away. "Hurry the fuck up!" He yelled to the one holding me.

I was pushed forwards violently, and I stumbled over my own feet but regained my balance, not wanting to fall down once more. The man holding the gun - the one I suspected was behind Seth's injury - was leading the way, while beside me stood the man who grabbed me the first time and whose nose I broke - I resisted the urge to smirk proudly at the thought. And behind us followed the one that had held Bella. It was then that I realized they left the fourth man that Ariel sneaked up on unconscious in the kitchen back at the cabin. I instantly felt a flutter of hope in my heart as I prayed for Xavier to interrogate the man - if he was still alive - and find out where I'm being taken to.

We were being led through the vast forest behind Xavier's cabin, stepping over broken twigs that had fallen from the mighty trees. Their movements were rushed and it thrilled me to know it was due to their fear of being caught; which meant there was hope for my rescue.

My insides were churning with fear as I wondered what might happen to me within the next minute, because anything could, at any moment. They could be taking me to the middle of the woods to shoot me dead, or they could be planning on holding me captive as they bargain deals with Xavier, forcing him to agree to their tradings, or maybe they planned on slowly torturing me to get back at Xavier for killing one of their own. There were endless possibilities and as my mind kept drifting further away I found my insides burning in distress.

Something to my right momentarily caught my attention for standing out among the natural scenery. Among the greenness and light brownness of the forest floor stood out a figure in all-black. My eyes trailed over the body of the unconscious man whom lay face-flat against the dirt, and my gaze lingered on his soaked shirt. Against the darkness of his torn black attire, it was difficult to distinguish the stain, but it didn't take a genius to figure out it was his own blood. There were stab-wounds all around his abdomen and back that tore through his shirt. I felt a bile rising in my throat and within seconds, I found myself hunched over grabbing my knees as I emptied the contents of my stomach onto the forest ground.

That was way too much blood for one day.

I wasn't given the time to compose myself afterwards as I was roughly yanked upwards and pushed forward, the man behind me hissing at me to keep going. I forced my feet to keep moving, trying to push the image of the dead man whom I'd assumed was one of Xavier's guards to the back of my head. However, the attempt was proven futile as we stumbled upon yet another body that was curled on the ground, unmoving, in a black attire stained with his own blood; another dead guard.

My heart was clenched painfully tight in my chest and I was on the verge of a breakdown, but I fought hard to control and contain my emotions knowing damn well they won't hesitate to slash my throat if I delayed them a second longer. I lowered my gaze to the ground as I continued moving, unable to look forward as I knew for sure my eyes would lie upon several other soulless corpses whom these men had murdered in broad daylight.

After a rushed five-minute walk we had reached a clearing where two large SUV's were parked, with two men standing outside keeping guard. My heart's rate sped up in my chest, nearly bursting through my rib-cage as I began to panic. Five heavily-armed and skilled murderers were taking me away, and no one was leaping out to rescue me. I turned around to glance at the way we came, hoping and praying that there'd be a single guard who'd survived, jumping from behind a tree and shooting the perpetrators down and saving me, but the only sight that greeted me back was the silence of the still trees.

As I turned around to face the men, I saw their superior who'd had his gun inspecting me with a tilted head, a smirk rising to his face. "Sorry to disappoint, princess. But seems like no one's coming to your rescue." I forced the fear to the back of my mind, clenching my fists tightly at my sides as I narrowed my eyes at him.

I opened my mouth to respond to his remark, but saw him lift his chin in motioning to someone behind me. The next thing I knew, there was a sharp pain traveling down the back of my head as something was rammed into it hard, blurring my vision. I stumbled forward, losing my balance and falling to the dirt. Through hazy vision I saw pairs of dark boots nearing me, accompanied by a feeling of chilling darkness that engulfed my senses, and I gradually lost the last bit of my consciousness.