A deafening boom rang out, my ears buzzing and ringing from the sound. Stefan had pulled the trigger, aiming it at the ceiling. His eyes set firm on me, face an emotionless piece of rock.
He had pulled the trigger so fast I didn't even have time to react. A white dust had started billow out of the ceiling, small bits of plaster coating the floor around us.
Looking around the room, he turned and look at the doorway. “See? Not a soul heard that.” Replacing the gun on my side, he shoved me forward. “Let's go.”
“Stefan, please don't do this.” I tried to slow my feet, trudge them across the floor to keep us in that room as long as possible. I didn't want to be there with him, but I was hoping and wishing someone, anyone, had heard the test shot he fired.
“Shut up and walk.” Jamming the barrel into my back, he forced me through the door. Turning away from the direction we had come in, he started down another unfamiliar hall.
“Why? Why are you doing this?” Pleading with him for an answer, I attempted to look over my shoulder. Catching a quick glimpse of his expression, there was nothing there.
He had no feeling or fear on his face. His eyes were blackened, a deep charcoal gray ate up his pupils. Stefan wasn't looking at me, his head flicked around wildly, taking in the entire hall and any doors we passed by.
I couldn't figure out why he was doing this, what reason he had for taking me this way. I never did anything to this man, did I?
The question sat like glue, I replayed the times we met and the conversations we had. There weren't many, but in the few words we exchanged, nothing stood out. How could I have wronged this man to make him do this?
My entire body was a blended mess of fear, worry, and anger.
He was starting to piss me off, rage over what he was doing was starting to deepen and overtake the other feelings.
A lone door stood at the end of the last hall we turned down. Good, no place else to turn. Alright, that's good. I need to try and talk him down. Maybe... maybe if I could connect with him on some common ground, I could talk him out of this.
“Please, Stefan. If you just let me go now, and walk away, nothing bad will happen.”
Huffing under his breath, his fingers tightened around my dress. “Didn't I tell you to shut up?” Stefan forced the gun in deeper, driving it in between my ribs. “If I let you go that's when the bad shit will happen.”
What is he talking about? He had to be crazy, lost his mind. What bad things would happen if he let me go? It didn't make any sense.
Closing in on the door, he ducked to the side, reaching forward and throwing it open. The ice cold breeze from outside whipped across my face, turning my body frigid. My skin began to harden, trembling to the ten degree weather.
“Stefan, it's cold out and I don't have my coat.” Wrapping my arms around my torso, I tried to rub the heat back into my body. “Can we go get my jacket at least?”
“I swear, Noella. If you don't shut your fucking mouth right now you're not going to make it another step. I'll blow your fucking brains out.” Shoving me forward, he guided us around to the front of the house.
Staring up at the windows, the light from inside filtered out against the snow. I could see the figures of people walking by, the dull sounds of Christmas music and laughter were still faintly audible.
And with my eyes open wide, I prayed someone would look out into the driveway, or step outside and see him taking me. Desperately I wanted to see Hegan, see his face emerge through that front door.
But there was no one. I was outside in fear of my life, and everyone in there was partying without a clue.
Crossing through the hoard of cars, Stefan approached my beat up sedan. “Key?” He angrily spat out.
“I, I don't have it. The valet does.” My spirit started to lift, a sense of relief began to flow. We couldn't go anywhere without my keys, and inside I laughed at him.
“That's right, you don't. I do.” Dangling them in front of my face, I didn't have to see him to know he was smiling.
Fuck! He grabbed my keys. Motherfucker! Looking around, I thought about running, but he had a gun. If I took off he could shoot me easily, I was in heels. The exact opposite of what you would need to run through the snow and ice.
The clomp of feet hit the pavement, echoing across the frozen driveway. “Stefan? Is that you?” Anthony had appeared through the row of cars.
Thank you, thank you. I thought, glancing up at the starry night sky.
Whispering into my ear, he said, “Don't say a fucking word.” Clearing his throat, he turned towards the young man, hiding the gun between us. “Yeah, it's me. I'm taking Noella to her family. There was an emergency and she needs to get there quickly.”
“Oh, okay. Well I hope everything's alright.”