Calina
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My initial instinct, back when I had been sitting on the bus, had been to call my father. To tell him about my stalkers.
But I couldn't do that anymore. Now, there was just an empty space, and the urge to reach out to him lingered like a phantom limb.

I couldn't seem to shake myself out of my stupor as I trudged through the dimly lit corridors of my dormitory.
I was miles away from the bakery and from my stalkers. It should have made me feel slightly better, but that would have been a false sense of security.

A gasp, something between disbelief and a startled whimper, stumbled from my lips when I opened my bedroom door.

Trash, papers, and clothes were scattered everywhere. I had been so out of it this last month that I hadn't realized what a mess my usually organized space had become.

There was dirty laundry strewn across the floor, my books were haphazardly scattered across my desk and even under it, and used tissues were crammed under my unmade bed. Seriously, there were so many tissues. I hadn't realized how thoroughly I had checked out of reality.
The shock of my cluttered room still hadn't subsided while I cleaned. I almost felt sorry for my roommate for putting up with my mess.

Almost.

I picked up the empty bag of chips, tossing it in the trash with a smile. I knew for a fact I hadn't eaten any junk food these last few weeks. I had not eaten much of anything. Other than the clothes and the tissues, the empty snacks and soda bottles accumulated on my side of the room wasn't even mine.

Oh, Debbie, you're still a bitch, and it makes me giggle, thank you.

Just as I grabbed my shower caddy and flip-flops from my closet, my roommate walked through the door. She looked over at me with a bright smile. "Wow, you cleaned!"
Her perfectly arched eyebrows rose almost to her hairline as she took in my appearance. "Look at you, there's color in your cheeks. Your skin is back to that beautiful tan I've always been so jealous of. I mean, honestly, that sickly ashen color was not working for you. Are you back from the dead?"

She smacked her forehead with her palm.

"I mean... I don't mean, you are dead or to even bring up the dead. I just mean....you know what I mean? Right, Callie?" She flashed me a rueful smile, her words stumbling over each other.

I held up my shower caddy, giving her an understanding nod. "I'm going to go take a shower." I nudged past Debbie and stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind me.

Allowing two strangers to follow me for weeks,was foolish. I had been trained better than that.
My father had instilled in me the importance of always being aware of my surroundings and never falling into a habitual pattern.

In the shower, I took my time, allowing the warm water to wash away the remnants of my very strange day. As the water cascaded down, I couldn't help but wonder if I should report those guys for following me. The thought lingered, a gnawing uncertainty at the back of my mind.

Probably not, considering what I had done was worse and illegal.

"I brought back cookies from the dining hall," Debbie said once I entered the room. "They are the really delicious ones with colored sugar sprinkles." She smiled, holding one up.

Grinning, I took the offered cookie. She said all the wrong things all the time, but I found it oddly comforting that she was still the same.

Lately, people seemed to give me a wide berth whenever I was near. They were probably afraid I might burst into tears at any given moment. They were probably right.

"Do you need help studying for calculus?" I asked, biting into the soft sugar cookie.

"Definitely!" She walked over to her desk by the door, collecting her study cards.

Helping her study was a welcome distraction from my recent troubles. A few hours passed before we finally called it quits.
She was in the middle of telling me a story about a guy she had met last night when there was a faint, unexpected knock on the door.

Debbie hopped off the bed to answer it. I headed over to my own bed, grabbing a few textbooks and straightening up the mess we had made while studying.

"Callie, some cute guy wants to talk to you."
I glanced over my shoulder and saw copper eyes.

Shit!

"Debbie, close the door!"

Goatee guy stepped through the door and held a cloth over her face. Her eyes widened as she fully registered the seriousness of the situation. He turned her head to the side and pinched a nerve in her neck. She fell limp in his arms.

Oh, fuck! This was not good.
Fear slithered down my spine, viciously uncoiling in my gut and setting off the panic alarms in my brain. They were screaming at me to run, urging me to flee from this nightmarish scene unfolding in front of me.

Breathe, Calina. Just breathe. Do not pass out.

He gathered her in his arms and gently laid her on the bed near the door.
I blinked at him a few times, trying to get my brain to process what had just happened.

What the hell just happened?

"Was that chloroform? Did you...did you really just use chloroform on my roommate? Like some villain in a movie?" I stammered, my voice shooting up several octaves in complete bewilderment.

Goatee guy held up his hands, palms out, as if he were surrendering. "Well, I pinched her nerve, which is what caused her to pass out. I only used the chloroform to keep her asleep. I haven't harmed your friend. We only want to talk. I am Silas," he said with a sharp accent I had never heard before.

This was bad. This was so, so bad.
I would make a run for it. Unfortunately, he was blocking my only exit.

"And, well, I don't really need much of an introduction," Henry said, with a wry smile, stepping around the goatee guy, or Silas.

"I mean, she was a bitch, but you can't just walk in here and expect to do the same thing to me. I absolutely will put up a fight!" I retorted, hating the shakiness in my voice.

My brain finally processed their words.

"Wait. You only want to talk?" My tone was hard and cold.
That was insane. Maybe they were insane?

I backed up towards my small closet, my eyes locked on the two creeps, as I reached down to grab my black combat boots.

"Because I'm pretty sure if you only wanted to talk..."

I slipped on my boots and laced them up quickly.

"You would have simply asked my roommate to leave."

Casually grabbing my black backpack off the desk, I dumped its contents on the floor.

"What did you want to talk about," I inquired conversationally, trying to keep them engaged in conversation while my body was subtly angled to conceal my actions. I rummaged through the closet and grabbed my emergency stash of money, switchblade, and throwing knives. I didn't want to use the knives on them, but I would if I couldn't find a way to fight my way out of this situation.

"We are here to take you home. Back to your rightful place as the future Queen to United Greecia. You're not safe here. Your parents had no right to abduct you. To take you from your kingdom," Henry stated with so much determination he almost sounded sincere.

Slinging my backpack over my shoulders, I clasped my hands in front of me and offered a nod, briefly touching my fingers to my lips. "How can my parents possibly abduct me?" I inquired. "They're the ones who brought me into this world. Unless you're suggesting they weren't actually my parents." I paused for a moment, my head tilted slightly as I openly judged Henry's response. "You keep claiming that I'm not safe, yet you're the only one following me. The only one charging into my room like a rambunctious toddler in a glass shop."

He shifted his weight on his feet and exchanged a cautious glance with Silas. "Umm... no, they were your birth parents. It would make more sense if your grandmother explained," he said, the uncertainty in his voice palpable. "If you come with us to United Greecia, we could show you the proof you need. It's the only way you'll truly understand. I only want to protect you."

I chuckled darkly and shook my head. "So what? You're some kind of... bodyguard?"

Henry hesitated. "Something like that. But right now, we need to get you somewhere safe. Trust me, Calina. Please." He didn't even try to disguise the desperation in his voice.

I crossed my arms and stated firmly, "I'm not going anywhere with you. Both of you need to leave."
The room remained charged with tension, uncertainty hanging in the air as we stood our ground. Both unyielding. I could see it in Henry's firm gaze. He wasn't going to leave without me.

"Fine. Why not. I'll give you my trust," I said lightly.
It took every once of control to keep the sarcasm from my tone and not to roll my eyes.
My mother used to say stubborn was my middle name. They didn't know the half of it; fighting was built into my DNA.

Henry's expression softened, his tense posture relaxing slightly.

With resolute steps, I walked slowly towards Silas, since he was the closest.

I had to plan wisely; the element of surprise would only work once. When I was close enough to Silas, I pivoted on one foot and raised the other, kicking him in the stomach.

He folded over, grabbing his stomach. Without hesitation, I grabbed the back of his shirt and put all of my weight behind it, slamming my knee into his face.

He crumpled to the ground, dazed and incapacitated.

Henry made a desperate attempt to grab me by the shoulders, but I managed to spin out of his hold, connecting my elbow with the side of his head. He stumbled back, disoriented and mumbling a slew of curse words.

"Hold on. Hold on. We don't want any problems," Henry groaned, cupping the side of his head with one hand and raising the other in a gesture of surrender, palm up.

"Well, it's too late for that now. Isn't it?" I slapped his hand away and delivered a powerful front kick to his chest.
Henry lost his balance, but he recovered far more quickly than I would have liked. He charged at me, hands open as if he were going to grab me.

I acted swiftly, catching one of his wrists and twisting it while slamming my fist into his neck. He choked and stumbled back, holding his throat. I turned, ready to make a run for the door, but he gripped me from behind in a tight chokehold.

Freezing, my nails dug crescents into the forearm that was wrapped around my neck.

"Please, Calina, just stop fighting!" He rasped near my ear.

Hearing my name come out of his mouth had really started to grate on my nerves. The plea, however, didn't sway me. This fight wasn't over until one of us was unconscious.

I turned my head to the side and dropped as if I was going to squat. Deftly, I twisted my hips and stepped one foot behind him, simultaneously turning and slamming my fist into his chest. At the same time, I used my foot to sweep his out from under him.

The combination of moves was executed with precision, and his body crashed to the ground with a satisfying thud.
He rolled over to his side, gasping for air, but before he could recover, I stomped him in the ribs and ran for the door.

As I burst into the hallway, my heart pounding and adrenaline coursing through my veins, I was met with the sight of four more enormous men blocking my path. For a moment, I stood there, paralyzed.
My mind raced for a way out as I dug my fingernails into my palms, the sharp pain helping to alleviate some of my fear.

Just breathe, Calina.

I inhaled deeply through my nose, slowly releasing the air from my mouth. I tried to calmly assess the situation, looking each man in the eyes.
I had never seen them before, but they also hadn't attacked, yet.
Why were they all gathered in the hallway? Were they all here for me? They looked way too old to be enrolled at this college.

"Now what, Princess? Do you plan on fighting us all?" Henry asked from behind me.

I swiveled around, and slow smile curved on my lips. His eye had already started to swell shut. He leaned against the door frame, holding his ribs. "Absolutely," I said, taking a swing at his face.

He dodged,stepping back into the room. I grabbed the door handle, slamming it shut.

Not wanting to give the men in the hall a chance to make their move first, I twisted around to connect my elbow with the man's face that was closest to the door. His head whipped back, slamming into the wall before he slid down it. I managed to incapacitate one more guy before being grabbed from behind by a redhead with curly, bright hair.

Rolling my eyes at this untrained moron's weak, feeble grip around my waist, I prepared to break free but halted
when I noticed Silas advancing toward me with long, purposeful strides, a needle in hand.

Still in the redhead's grasp, I gripped his arms, tightening his hold, and lifted both legs, kicking Silas in the chest.
The impact sent him stumbling backward, the needle flying from his hand and clattering to the floor.
The guy holding me loosened his grip, so I seized the opportunity to grab his forearm, twisting it around to his back, then pivoted on my heel, driving my knee into his stomach.

He doubled over in pain, and I tried to spin away from him, but his hand lashed out, wrapping around my wrist to stop me from running. Looking back at him, I twisted my body to thrust my knee into his face. However, I was so focused on the redhead that I didn't see the person coming right at me.

Someone grabbed me, wrapping me in a vice-like grip. My face and body were smashed into their chest. My arms were trapped by my side, and I struggled to get a full breath.

The guy with the red hair still latched on to my wrist, even though someone was trying to squeeze the life out of me. My vision blurred. I looked up and see Henry staring at me, whispering, "It's going to be okay," in a voice that sounded more like he's trying to soothe a scared child.

I struggled against his hold, but it was futile. After that everything happened so damn fast.

Just as I was about to rear my head back and slam it into Henry's face, a sharp, searing pain spiderwebbed up my thigh. My eyes widen with surprise, a gasp catching in my throat as I turned to see the source of my pain.

"Fucking Silas," I growled out, with so much venom, he flinched at my tone.
I was going to rip his head off for injecting me with something.

The room started to spin. My strength waning, and the world darkens as I fought to remain conscious. I glared up at Henry, and little black dots started swimming into my peripherals. As consciousness slipped away, his words, "It's okay, Princess, I will get you home safely," echoing in my fading awareness.

My vision went black.

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