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Post by ALYSON MONTGOMERY on May 21, 2012 19:22:42 GMT -5
It wasn't long after Sebastian left that the mall was opened. Shoppers weren't the ones pouring in through the entrances, though. It was men and women fresh and clean for a day of work, aggravated, perhaps, that they were there so early. some had coffees in hand and Aly yawned as she watched them. She had been up for the better part of the night, and she was exhausted but had nowhere to go. When she was sure no one was looking, and the entrances were all open, she slipped out of her hiding spot and rushed towards the doors, keeping the hood of the stolen sweatshirt up over her head. Her face might not be memorable, but her head of blond curls probably would be.
Once free from the large building she spent the night in, Alyson walked along the outer part of the mall. She knew where she was and she had a few options. She could go to the police station, but that was a hike from there. She could try and go home but even that was a long walk and she had no idea where her keys even were. Her last and final option was the Lily Pad, which was probably best.
The Lily Pad had been the last place she had been seen. Sebastian had taken her from there two weeks ago, and it was where she had left all of her stuff. Maybe it was still there? Would Cassidy have kept it? She wasn't sure, but she decided if she could trust anyone, it was Cassidy.
Naturally it was too early for the store to be open yet, and of course the doors were locked, so Aly pressed her back against the window next to the door, pulling her legs up to her chest. She was glad the door was tucked inside of a little out cove, protecting her from the bustle on the streets. With a yawn she rested her head on her knees, her curls spilling out of the hood as she wrapped her arms loosely around her legs.
Should she go back to Sebastian? He was trusting her, but her freedom was on the line. Could she honestly, realistically return? Wasn't that completely fucked up? She told herself she had to because if she didn't Cassidy would get hurt, or others. Alyson wasn't entirely sure if he would really do all that, especially now, but it was a good excuse to return, if she could even find his home.
A large yawn passed over her mouth and she rested her body against the wall of the out cove. It was semi-comfortable there.. She allowed her eyes to slip shut, thinking about her predicament. What should she do? What would she do? The questions swirled around in her head until her weariness took over and she slipped into a light sleep there at the front of The Lily Pad.
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Post by CASSIDY MERRYWEATHER on May 22, 2012 13:07:14 GMT -5
Finding good help in Scriptor Bay seemed impossible. She was reluctant to hire too many people because she wasn't sure she could trust them. Not to mention trying to get them on payroll and taking all their information was a big pain in the behind. But she'd managed to hire a nice girl to help out around the store part time but she could only work in the afternoons since she was still in high school. Which meant that Cassidy would be the one to open up the store.
She didn't mind opening the store, and most of the time she arrived early so she could work on a few sketches. She had hit a rough patch of artist's block and wasn't able to come up with anything for the fall line. Her deadline was coming up and she was stressing out to the point that she called a sitter to come watch Lilly at the house while she headed to the store early that morning.
After parking her car around the side of the store Cass got out and pulled out a canvas bag filled with magazines, sketchpads, and loose writing utensils in the bottom and slung it over her shoulder. Setting the alarm on her car she headed towards the store.
When she turned the corner and was about to get to the door she was startled by someone sitting on the ground. At first she thought it was a homeless person who was just trying to find somewhere to take a break and even appeared to be sleeping. Although a homeless person would likely scare away her customers she figured she could get him a few bucks from the register so he could go get himself a bite to eat at the cafe down the street.
But when she got closer and even leaned forward a bit it was obvious the lanky body belonged to a girl. And the little bit of blonde curls she could see spilling out of the hood made her eyes pop. "HEY!" She said in her hoarse voice and clapped her hands loudly to try and get the girl to wake up. She couldn't be sure with the way she was sitting there but it looked an awful lot like Alyson.
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Post by ALYSON MONTGOMERY on May 22, 2012 16:23:56 GMT -5
"HEY!"
Alyson didn't realize she had fallen asleep until she heard someone yell. Sleepily she lifted her head and looked up, the hood slipping back a little. She was dazed for a moment, blinking into the bright sunlight which was now beating on her despite being in the out cove. But when she saw Cassidy her heart swelled a little.
Despite how well she was getting on with Sebastian, she was so glad to be out in the daylight, around other people, free to do anything she really wished to do! The bedroom had become boring and cramped, but now...
She felt tears well in her eyes, which surprised her. Why was she so glad to see her boss? To see sunshine? She had been out already that morning. Maybe it was the shock finally setting in, or maybe it was the startled look on Cassidy's face.
Alyson pushed herself to her feet, anxious and mildly excited to be there and to see Cassidy. It made it that much harder to swallow the reality that if she didn't go back, this woman might know the same fate she had the last two weeks. Sure, it wasn't terrible, not all the time, but in many ways it had all been so traumatic.
"I didn't know where to go." She breathed, her voice soft and far away sounding. "I don't have anything, my purse..." She gulped and a tear streaked down her face. "I can't go to the police. I'm sorry.." Why was she suddenly so terrified? She wanted to run, escape the girl in front of her. Cass was her boss, not her friend. But hadn't they become friends? No, friends hung out outside of work. They had never done that, but their conversations had always been nice and at times deep.
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Post by CASSIDY MERRYWEATHER on May 22, 2012 18:18:10 GMT -5
When the hood slid back on the girl Cassidy knew that it was definitely Alyson. At first she didn't want to call out to the girl and have it be someone else who gave her a look like she was a little nutty, but now that she was sure she felt both relief and worry for this girl. Something had definitely happened to her, but she didn't look like she was hurt. She looked a little worn out but her clothes seemed to be new and absent of dirt.
"I didn't know where to go."
Alyson looked as if she were either going to break down into tears or flee for her life, and Cassidy just didn't know why and it scared her a little bit. "Come on let's go," Cass fiddled with her keys for a second before unlocking the door to her store and opening it up. She wrapped an arm around Alyson lightly in case she got spooked and tried to guide her into the store.
"Let's get inside where we can talk." She wasn't going to open the store just yet. Not until she figured out what had happened to Aly and how she disappeared so suddenly. "I still have your purse. It's safe." She said to try and calm her down a bit. If it was money she needed then maybe Cassidy would be able to help. She was just so confused! Had she just run away? Had someone taken her? Or maybe she just decided to go partying and finally found her way back? It was all such a mystery! Although she did say she couldn't go to the police.
"What happened? Are you hurt? Oh, god Aly I've been so worried about you! It just didn't seem like you to run off, especially without your purse?" Cass didn't want to ramble on too much but she had a feeling that she was right. She'd told Carter repeatedly that someone had taken her and he just wanted to let the police do their job. Well now it was time for Cass to step in!
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Post by ALYSON MONTGOMERY on May 22, 2012 19:10:06 GMT -5
It all seemed to be happening so quickly, and Alyson was in a daze, not believing She was there at the Lily Pad. Her bosses kind hand slid over her shoulder and she flinched a little when she touched her wound, but went in anyway. She probably had needed stitches, but she had, for the most part, been keeping it clean and bandaged. Last night she didn't, but during the day she had redressed it. She doubted it was infected since it wasn't throbbing, but now that she was out she knew she should probably have a doctor look at it.
"I still have your purse. It's safe." Alyson was relieved to hear that. Now she could go to her apartment at least. Maybe sleep a little. Her schedule was way off since she'd been living with the nocturnal Sebastian, who kept her up all night.
"What happened?Are you hurt? Oh, god Aly I've been so worried about you! It just didn't seem like you to run off, especially without your purse?"
She hadn't expected that, not from Cassidy. Aly bit her lip and felt her face flush, looking down at her feet bashfully. The sea foam green Converses were still on her feet; the ones she'd stolen with Sebastian not terribly long after they had kissed. Her cheeks turned an even darker red.
"I'm okay.." She all but whispered, her wide, embarrassed eyes on the ground. She could have tried harder to escape. She should have known people would be worried. "Se...someone took me." She offered bashfully, swallowing hard. "A guy came in to fill out an application. He was being an ass but you wanted men to work here... and... he took me." Aly bit her bottom lip and chanced a look at Cass, her hands ringing in front of her, clammy.
"He let me go but I have to go back." What she wasn't saying was that a part of her wanted to go back. "He's made it clear I'll regret not going back. Please.. you can't let anyone know I was here. He's going to let me go. I know he is, he promised.. I just.... I..." She could hear how idiotic she sounded and she felt her eyes well. What the hell was she doing? How could she just go back? "I didn't mean to make you worry.." She cried softly, a hand finding her face as she sniffed back the tears. Why was she such an emotional wreck? She told herself it was lack of sleep, but deep down she knew it was more. She was relieved to have her freedom.
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Post by CASSIDY MERRYWEATHER on May 24, 2012 1:30:05 GMT -5
"A guy came in to fill out an application. He was being an ass but you wanted men to work here... and... he took me."
Of course Cassidy had automatically assumed that Alyson had been kidnapped and of course she was right! She just knew it! But what she didn't know was that Alyson had been taken by a male who came in to fill out an application. She might not have been taken if it wasn't for Cassidy wanting to hire a man.. to make her husband jealous. She couldn't help but think that this was all her fault. Of course she wasn't about to say this, not wanting to make this about her. She just shook her head. "Oh Aly.." She trailed off, her eyes wide with both sadness and shock over the whole thing.
"He let me go but I have to go back."
And just like that Cassidy felt like beating the hell out of the girl for her idiocy. She was going to go back?! "You're going back? What the hell are you thinking? You can't go back!" Cassidy didn't even listen to what Alyson was saying about being let go again.
She settled down, not wanting to let her temper fester. She didn't want to blow up on Alyson this wasn't her fault! Cass watched Alyson and she could see just how upset she was. The poor girl. "We should go to the police. You know where he lives? We can get the police involved and they can arrest him! You don't have to go back."
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Post by ALYSON MONTGOMERY on May 24, 2012 21:35:19 GMT -5
"You're going back? What the hell are you thinking? You can't go back!" Alyson knew Cassidy wouldn't understand. Who could? She had the hots for her captor and she was afraid of what he would do to her and everyone else if she didn't return. And she wanted to. She actually wanted to go back. Yes, she loved her freedom and yes, she was really enjoying this sunshine and fresh air, but there was something exciting about knowing when the sun set he would come to collect her. At least the last two nights had been that way. The days before that, not so much. In fact, had it only been a couple of days ago she despised him completely? She still despised him! Mostly.. partially.. sort of..
"We should go to the police. You know where he lives? We can get the police involved and they can arrest him! You don't have to go back."
She was shaking her head before Cass even had a chance to finish talking. "We can't." She insisted, her eyes pleading. If only she could make Cassidy understand! Could she? Should she make anyone understand?
"Cass, you don't understand, the police..." She bit her lip and and her eyes dropped, looking at her arm where the wound was hidden. She took a deep breath, trying to sound less frantic. "You're going to think I sound crazy.." She warned softly, keeping her eyes off the brunettes. "He's not human. He's... I don't know what the hell he is. His backs all screwed up and the police found us the other night. He'd taken me out and.. well they shot at us." Her hand instinctively went to her sleeve, covering the spot where she'd been hurt. "He was shot in the back a bunch of times and last night he was fine. Cass he should have been dead, but 24 hours after being shot it was like it never happened." Her eyes met her bosses.
"They wouldn't catch him." She said slowly, her tone dark. "And if I don't go back, he'll bring someone else.." Aly gulped and again sucked her bottom lip in. "He said he'd wanted you.." She added softly, feeling a pang of jealousy. Why the hell would she be jealous!? Because you're crazy about him, you psychopath! Her mind yelled and she blushed. "I don't mind going back. It's best for everyone."
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Post by CASSIDY MERRYWEATHER on Jun 1, 2012 13:32:00 GMT -5
"You're going to think I sound crazy.."
Cass already did! This girl, this... girl who Cass had thought of as a rational, smart person who she considered a friend, was a total nut! She was going to go back to her captor?! What kind of sense did that make?
Alyson went on to describe how she believed the man who held her wasn't human. Of course Cass thought that was ridiculous, but then again, there had been some strange things that had happened in her life as well and one man who she thought hadn't been human. Although he had been. "Alyson I think you're just in shock. Maybe you need to let me just take you to the hospital and get you checked out. You're looking a little pale." She was concerned for the girl and although she thought she was talking a little crazy, she wasn't going to judge her on that right now. She had gone missing and then one day just showed up right at her store!
"He said he'd wanted you.."
After the blonde was done explaining that she had to go back or this creep would take someone else, the girl said something that made chills run up Cassidy's spine. What did she mean that he wanted her? Who the hell was this guy?! "What are you talking about?" Something about those words just creeped Cassidy out in a way that she didn't quite like. Then she realized that Aly said this guy had come in wanting to fill out an application for the position. It had to be the one who came in with that girl the last night she'd seen Aly. Only, Cass didn't get that great of a look at him.
"I'm not letting you go back." Cass shook her head, her words and her expression both showing how firm her decision was. "You're going to get hurt and I won't let you do that. If he tries to come we'll call the police. I don't care if he's Superman, the authorities will take care of him one way or another."
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Post by ALYSON MONTGOMERY on Jun 1, 2012 21:39:58 GMT -5
Aly blushed fiercely when Cassidy asked what she was talking about in an accusing voice. There was something angry in her tone and she blanched slightly. The girl didn't understand because she hadn't witnessed it first hand. She didn't see what Sebastian could do!
"I'm not letting you go back. You're going to get hurt and I won't let you do that. If he tries to come we'll call the police. I don't care if he's Superman, the authorities will take care of him one way or another."
Aly bit her lip and shifted uneasily where she stood. It was a losing battle. There was no way she could get Cassidy to understand. It wasn't even just a matter of needing to go back. She still wanted to. In a weird way she felt like she had made a bargain with Sebastian. She would stay with him until he released her.
"Just... let me get my mind in order before we do anything." She pleaded softly with her eyes downcast, feeling so small there in the shop. She was losing what little self respect Cass had for, and she was starting to lose it for herself as well. Was she out of her mind? He'd held her CAPTIVE!
But there was so much more to Sebastian, and she'd only just scratched the surface.
Aly looked up nervously, her head still bowed. "Do you still have my things?" Her voice was weak and her body language showed how anxious she'd grown in the last couple minutes. "Would you mind if I maybe stayed here for a bit or something? I just.. I don't think I can go home. I'm not ready for all the questions and someone's bound to see me. I just need some time.." Some time to figure out how the hell to get back to him! She thought and gulped. It felt so completely stupid yet so right at the same time.
She seriously needed a shrink.
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Post by CASSIDY MERRYWEATHER on Jun 2, 2012 14:33:27 GMT -5
Cassidy genuinely felt bad for this girl. She wasn't sure why Alyson didn't want to go straight to the police and get this guy taken care of, but she could understand that she didn't want all the attention just yet. She would want to be left alone to try and get some rest before all the questions came as well. So Cassidy's expression softened a bit and she nodded her head at the girl.
"You think I would kick my best employee out?" She said and gave a small smile to try and get the other girl to relax a little bit. She had no idea what Aly went through but she had a feeling it might have changed her. If she'd been held captive the way that Aly had then she'd be the same way.
"I have your stuff in the back room." Cassidy motioned for Alyson to follow and walked to the back of the store, dropping her bag on the counter next to the register and then turning the corner to the back room. Although the large work table was covered in fabric, sketches and sewing materials, Cassidy had kept Alyson's purse untouched in the center of the table. She'd also been very stern with her employees and told them if anyone tried to take anything or touch that purse she'd have them fired for stealing. Of course nobody touched it because she didn't hire idiots.
She turned back to Alyson after she grabbed the purse and held it out for the girl to take. It belonged to her after all. "Do you want to stay at my place for a little while? Until you get back on your feet? Nobody will bother you there," Cassidy offered and there was concern in her eyes once more. She didn't want to see anything happen to Aly. She considered her to be more than just an employee, but a friend as well.
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Post by ALYSON MONTGOMERY on Jun 3, 2012 19:04:51 GMT -5
"You think I would kick my best employee out?" She gave a weak, embarrassed smile, her cheeks flushing a dark pink. Her best employee? Still? Aly wondered if Cass would still feel that way if she got taken again. She wondered if she should go back to Bastian or not. Maybe she could work something out with him; be free during the day and come back at night. If she promised to come back, or if he came to her place, it would be no different than their current arrangement. Plus he would trust her, which was semi important, right?
She inwardly chastised herself for wanting to seek his approval and obtain his trust. He'd kept her away for weeks! It was a constant inner battle and she had no idea which side was winning and which was losing. It was back and forth, back and forth. Freedom and captivity.
Aly followed the woman to the back room, rubbing her arm as she went. It throbbed slightly and she knew she needed to redress the wound, but how would she do that without calling attention to it? There was a Walgreens down the road, she could always go there. Then again Cass might have a first aid kit. She could ask to borrow it and say she had a cut and just wanted to put a little ointment on it and a band-aid. She'd buy that, wouldn't she?
She took the purse, muttering a soft "Thank you." and peaked inside. her keys were in there along with her wallet. Her phone had been destroyed by Sebastian's sister the night he'd taken her, so she'd eventually need to get a new one. Would the university let her make up her coursework? She had probably missed all her finals. She'd need to take summer classes. All of those thoughts swam in her head, making captivity suddenly sound so appealing again. It all didn't matter, though. Aly wasn't sure which complex Sebastian lived in or even what unit. It had been one of the top ones, she knew that. If she were in the hallway she could pick it out no problem, but getting to that hallway would be the tricky part.
"Do you want to stay at my place for a little while? Until you get back on your feet? Nobody will bother you there," Aly looked up at her boss, blinking. It took a moment to register what was just said to her since she'd been so lost in her own thoughts. She blushed again at the look in Cassidy's eyes. She was concerned and genuinely wanted to be helpful, and as much as Aly wanted to refuse, she really wanted to accept as well. It was a great hiding place until she could figure out what to do.
"I don't want to put you out.." She said softly, not sure about it all. "And you haven't even made sure it was okay with Carter. You have your hands full with Lilly... I.." She bit her lip and shook her head. "It's okay. Thank you... I appreciate the offer, though.."
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Post by CASSIDY MERRYWEATHER on Jun 3, 2012 21:21:31 GMT -5
"I don't want to put you out.."
Cassidy wanted to be sure that Aly was going to be safe, and more than that she wanted to keep a close eye on her. Of course Alyson wasn't Cassidy's responsibility and she hadn't known her that long, but she just couldn't let this girl make a big mistake and go back to her captor! Cass had a big heart. She didn't show it often, keeping it hidden with a mask of crazy and shouting, but her heart was huge and she cared about people. Alyson was no exception to this rule.
"And you haven't even made sure it was okay with Carter. You have your hands full with Lilly... I.."
The girl was thinking of anything to use as an excuse it seemed and Cassidy wasn't going to have any of it. She shook her head firmly side to side and went to scoop up her bag off the register and slung it onto her shoulder. This was an emergency if there ever was one and Cassidy could afford to keep the store closed for a day. She didn't trust her other employees to take care of everything without her there, and she had to take care of her friend.
"I'm not taking no for an answer. Now march your butt out that door right now, Alyson Montgomery! I'm taking you back to my place where you can get some rest. I'll call Carter at his office when we get home and let him know that you'll be staying." She had a good feeling that Carter wouldn't argue with her about this one. He wouldn't throw the poor girl out on the street, but he might press that she needed to go to the police. And for once, Cassidy would be able to tell him that she agreed, but Aly needed time.
One way or another, Cass wasn't going to let this girl out of her sight until she was sure that she'd be fine.
THREAD COMPLETE
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