The second time I woke up was because of hunger, I looked over at the night stand to my right expecting to see the fruit bowl and orange juice; but they were gone. The pancakes and plate pieces that once scattered the floor were also cleaned up. I shivered from the thought of that man being in the room with me while I slept, standing over me. He could have done anything and I wouldn't have been able to stop him.


I shook my head, ridden myself from these thoughts as I slowly got out of bed expecting him to burst through the door like before; but everything stayed quite. I crept towards the door slowly easing it open and stepping out into the hallway, there were doors all along the left side of the wall; most likely leading to more bedrooms. I chose the right side which had a staircase going down into the unpredictable. My heart pounded as I walked down the stairs getting closer and closer to the front hallway. The wood groaned under my feet as I reached the bottom of the stairs, I froze listening for sounds of him coming; but the only noise I could hear was the sound of my own breathing.


My eyes focused on the door, the portal to the outside world. Before I had time to think my feet were running forward, it was being thrown open; and I was stepping outside. I let out a deep breath and was just about to step off the porch when a voice came out of nowhere making me jump and spin around.

"It is quite a nice day for a walk, " Max said, closing his book and getting up off the chair he was sitting on. "How about I join you."

"I'm fine on my own," I said brushing past him.

"You won't find your way home Belle, so there's no point in trying," He said grabbing hold of my wrist looking at me with surprising care in his eyes. I broke free of his hold and was about to throw a reply back in his face, when there was a crack of thunder and the sky opened up drowning out anything I could have said.

"Come on we better get inside," Max told me, gently guiding me back towards the door. "So, you must be hungry, how about I cook us up some dinner?"

"I'm not hungry," I stated, even though my stomach protested begging for something to fill it; I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"Isabelle you'll have to eat something sooner or later."

"Well then I pick later, I'm going back up to my room." I said turning away from him racing up the stairs.


It was only as I was closing the door behind me that I realized I referred to this as my room. I kicked the door in frustration and walked over to the bed flopping down onto it. I turned over on my side listening to the rain against the window as the clouds cried, leaving paths of teardrops on the glass. I lay there until sleep clouded my vision and I drifted off; the only thing I was able to do lately.




When I woke up it had stopped raining and there was a plate of food sitting on the desk with a note laying beside it. I couldn't help but smile at his kind gesture as I got out of the bed, but I quickly brushed it away reminding myself that he was the enemy. It was only after all the traces of food were gone that I read the note:

Belle,

I know you said you didn't want anything to eat but I'm not listening to you. I know you'll be hungry once you wake up. Also there's a bathroom in the room next to yours. And all the clothes in the closet are yours to wear. I do hope you'll come around soon, I would love your company.

Max


I sat the note back down on the table and looked around lost in thought. He was being nice to me, he hasn't harmed me; all he seems to want is someone to talk to. But he did kidnap me and that rules out everything. With a sigh I got up and went in search of the bathroom to clean myself up. After I had a shower and changed into shorts and a t-shirt I knew I had to go downstairs; I knew what I had to do.


Once I got to the bottom of the stairs I decided to go left and see where that lead me, I couldn't help but look at the door as I walked past it, but I knew it wouldn't be any use going back out there; when I walked into the living room I found what I was looking for.

"Belle what a nice surprise, I take it you found everything alright," Max said looking up from the T.V.

"Yeah I did, I came down to say thank you I guess, for the food and clothes," I said looking anywhere but at him.

"Your welcome, do you want to sit we could watch a movie?"


Part of me wanted to say yes, which scared me, just saying thank you over stepped a boundary of the prisoner and her captors relationship; which was not to have one.

"NO! I mean no, I just came down to say thanks, I think I'll go read or something upstairs," I said backing away a bit.

"Oh okay than maybe some other time. You can't hide from me forever Belle, it's not that big of a house," He said, his voice following me as I turned and walked back up the stairs thinking to myself that if I tried hard enough I could stay away from him. Little did I know that in a few days from now I wouldn't want to hide from him.

Over the next week I had as little contact with Max as possible, only seeing him at meal times; for I had decided to share them with him. At first I spent my days in my room reading the books there and trying to come up with a way out, but that soon got boring so instead I decided to explore my living quarters further. The house was actually quite roomy but it didn't take long for me to find my favorite room, a cozy library with plush chairs by huge windows looking out onto golden fields. It also housed a old movie projector that I spent my nights - after I figured out how it worked - watching my favorite classics. This all occupied my time and I rarely thought of Max who was always around somewhere; but he never bothered me. I started thinking that maybe he'd get bored of keeping me here since I never spoke with him anyway; but that abruptly changed one evening.


I was in the library and had just finished a book and was looking for another, I was climbing up one of the ladders so I could get a better look at the top shelf. I grabbed a book and was just starting to come back down when my foot slipped resulting me crashing to the ground; landing heavily on my right ankle. The ladder, disrupted by my slip, swayed and began to fall, fortunately to the side rather then forward onto me; the impact of it hitting the floor resulted in Max rushing to my aid.

"What happened, are you okay, is anything broken?" He asked kneeling beside me. I couldn't help smiling at his wide eyes expression and his caring tone.

"My ankle hurts, but I don't think it's broken."

"Let me take a look, may I?" He asked gesturing to my foot. I nodded, watching him as he carefully removed my sock and rolled up my pant leg to reveal my swollen ankle. He gently touched it; moving it around testing what hurt.

"It's just sprained, nothing to serious but you should stay off it for a few days. You'll have to stay down here though, stairs are going to be a little hard to use," He said letting go of my leg standing up offering me his hand. "I'll help you over to the couch."


I hesitated for only a moment before taking his hand letting him guide me over. He propped my foot up on a pillow and then left to go get some ice, after I was all taken care of he stood there looking at me for a minute as if he wanted to say something. But he just shook his head and bid me a goodnight. He was almost out the door before I stopped him.

"You don't have to go, we could watch a movie," I offered smiling, using his same line he said me the first night I was here. But instead of declining like I did he accepted my offer, stepping back into the room and began setting up something to watch.


It was tense at first but we soon relaxed, and when the credits began to roll I felt comfortable enough to ask the question that had been gnawing at my mind since the beginning.

"Can you please tell me why you took me, I just want to understand what you want from me."

Max let out a sigh, turning off the T.V moving around to face me. "I don't want anything from you Isabelle, I did this to help you-"

"How could you possible think this would be in my benefit?!" I shrieked wishing I could get up, get away from him.

"Belle just listen, you asked now I'm answering," He said looking at me waiting for a reaction, once I nodded he continued talking.

"I've been watching you for seven years, ever since you were ten. Just a little girl who longed for slides and shorts but got stuck with dresses and tea parties, sure as you got older you rebelled a little, but you were still thrown into things you didn't want to do just because of your parents. I knew you weren't happy, you didn't belong in that world. So I brought you somewhere where you would, where once you got comfortable you could-"

"You aren't wrong," I said cutting him off. " I wasn't happy surrounded by all that, but that doesn't mean you had to take me, I would have been gone in a few months anyway."

"I knew that, I kept telling myself to keep my distance and forget about it, but then I saw you in that cafe looking so hurt and broken that all I could think about was getting you away from them; I am sorry."

"But not sorry enough to let me go." It wasn't a question, I already knew the answer.

"No, at least not yet."


I just sighed, telling him he should go, that I was tired. When the truth was I needed to be alone, I had a lot to think about that night. It was around three in the morning when I came up with my answer; and fell to sleep more at ease.

In the days that passed I spent all my time with Max as my ankle healed, throughout the day all we did was talk because I wanted to know everything I could about him, and the nights were filled with movies. Some of the stories he told me made my heart break for him, like when he told me how his parents were murdered eight years ago when he was eighteen, just by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Others had me laughing well into the night, when he told me about the time he dressed his dog up like a horse and rode him around the house dressed like a cowboy.


It wasn't until my ankle was healed that I realized I was in deep. I had just woken up, back in my room, and was looking out the window when I saw him come out of the barn leading a chocolate brown horse. The way the breeze moved through his jet black hair and the suns rays hit his face just so made my breath catch in my throat and a tingly feeling move throughout my body. It was then that I realized I had feelings for him, feelings that should have terrified me but didn't.


I dressed quickly and headed outside, the horse was still there but Max had gone back inside the barn.

"Aren't you beautiful," I said stepping up to the horse, running my hands through its hair.

"His names Charlie," Max said coming up behind me. I looked at him smiling, Charlie was his father's name.

"Do you want to go riding, I can bring Star out if you do?"

"I'd love to."


That was how an hour later we were both glowing from excitement as we raced through the fields with sunlight in our faces and wind whipping through our hair. I was sad when the day ended and we were leading the horses back into their stalls, but as we walked up to the house Max promised we'd go out again the next day.


After we showered and had eaten the dinner we both made - even now I can't help but laugh remembering how we both sang and danced to the radio making complete fools of ourselves - we ended up in the living room watching a movie. Every now and then I'd look over at him, watching his expression and the way the glow from the T.V lit up his face, making this warm fuzzy feeling settle in the pit of my stomach.

"You know I can feel you watching me," He said laughing turning to face me.


I didn't know what to say, every coherent thought left as his eyes met mine, leaving me with just one; which was how badly I wanted to kiss him then.

"Belle are you okay, talk to me," Max said, concern lacing his voice as he rested a hand on my leg.


I gasped at the contact and before I knew what I was doing I was placing my hands on his knees, leaning forward, desperate to feel his lips on mine. I thought I saw him move forward also but I'll never know because it was at that moment that a knock sounded at the door, making us jump apart eyes wide. It was Max who recovered first saying to wait there, he'd go see who it was.


Once I calmed my racing heart I got up, ignoring what he told me, I was curious as to who was visiting him. I still ask myself what would have happened if I had just stayed put, because the person at the door wasn't a friend; it was a policeman. He was just leaving when I walked in, he was telling Max to keep his eyes open and to call them if he found anything out. He was shaking Max's hand when his eyes caught mine, his hand fell to his side, his mouth dropped open, and his eyes grew to an impossible size. He looked from me to the piece of paper in his hand, and then he said two words; two words that changed everything.

"Holy s***."


Everything after that was a blur, I remember phone calls, sirens, hands holding me; my parents tear streaked faces. But all I could think was where was Max. It was only after I was packed into the car and we were moving down the driveway that I looked back at the house, looked back at the man who took me from my home and showed me a new one. I watched as he was handcuffed by the police and lead to the car. I lost sight of him after we rounded the bend but I kept looking anyway, until I felt a hand on my shoulder and my mothers voice telling me that I didn't have to worry about him any longer, I was safe now and everything was going to be okay. But I couldn't help thinking that she was wrong as we drove deeper into the upcoming darkness. Could everything be alright when the man I loved everyone hated? Could everything be okay when I was leaving a world that still lived in me to go back to one that I didn't feel like I belonged in? These were the thoughts that pounded at the back of my mind as I fell into a restless slumber, a sleep that was filled with wide open spaces, laughter; and a man with green eyes.