The Night

Ryker watched as a soft breeze caressed her skin, making the loose strands of hair linger in the air. It was a normal night, not too cold to still walk around with his girlfriend. Walking hand in hand- a thing his friends made fun of him for- he felt completely at ease. He always felt at ease when he was with her and he still wondered why he had never seen her before these months. How was it possible that someone like her never caught his eye?

He sighed. He couldn't really remember the days when she wasn't around. His life had been okay back then. He had decent grades, many friends, and a nice family; yet he had the feeling that he was missing something. While no one had ever noticed, he walked around aimlessly. Day after day he would encounter the same routine. He could not really talk to anyone about this. People all had high expectations from him and it was difficult to break free.

There was no 'action' in his life; nothing to look out for. That all changed the day he met her. He smiled at the thought of their first encounter. It wasn't that special but he would always remember the first time he looked her in the eyes.

Ryker had just dropped his sister off by her friends. He wouldn't walk the carnival with his sister and her giggly friends. So instead he decided to walk the carnival on his own, trying to get a bit of diversion those days. He looked around and soon wandered off with his mind elsewhere. He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice the girl in front of him on her knees, searching for something. By the time he finally looked ahead, he had already collided with her and he was sent to the ground.

He lied there with, face down in the grass. He lifted his head to splutter the grass out of his mouth and then he looked up, searching for the thing that made him trip. It was then that he looked right at her face. The first thing he saw were her big innocent grey eyes. They were filled with worry. He got up quickly and she stood up too, apologizing immediately and rambling on and on, obviously embarrassed.

Ryker couldn't get a word out of his mouth. With the girl standing so close to him, he got a better view of her. She was just an ordinary girl, with strawberry blonde her. She had an air of innocence around her and he couldn't possibly be mad at her. He touched her shoulder, making her stop talking. He laughed the matter off and asked why she was on the ground. She was looking for her bracelet. He promised to help her search for the thing it wasn't as if he had any plans for the day.

They ended up talking about random stuff. He learned that she went to his school too and that she loved to spend her day walking around aimlessly, letting nature go its way. They found it strange that they had never met before. In the end, the bracelet was never found. Instead they each attained a new friend.

It didn't take long for them to become close. They started off as friends, feeling completely comfortable with each other. But as time passed Ryker found that for him the friendship was more than platonic. He began to like her more and more. He developed deeper feelings for this girl. Eventually he asked her out. They had been together ever since.

"Why are you smiling?"

Ryker looked to the side to see her questioning face. "Do you remember the first time we met?"

She wrinkled her nose in confusion. "That's what you're smiling about? I have to admit it was hilarious. Not the best way to meet someone."

"Annabelle, I don't care about the way we met. The fact that we met is why I'm smiling."

A small smile graced her lips, and Ryker thought that it made her look more beautiful. Now was the time. He slowed his pace until he finally stood still. Annabelle let go of his hand and gave him a look.

"Ry, why did you stop? Is there something wrong? You've been very quiet this evening."

"Nothing's wrong, Ann."

Ryker turned slightly and reached out to tuck her hair behind her ears. Subsequently, he pulled her closer and kissed her temple tenderly. He heard her sigh after this and she let her eyes close to enjoy the peaceful moment, like she always did.

"Annabelle?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

Just like that he felt het stiffen in his arms. That wasn't a very good sign.

"W-what?"

"I said that I love you."

"I heard you.. but uh-" Annabelle shrugged herself slowly out of his grasp.

Ryker watched her with confusion. This wasn't the reaction he expected. Didn't girls love to hear their boyfriend say they loved them? At least, that was how it was in the movies his sister forced him to watch. His sister always smouldered at that moment. He felt the atmosphere take a turn. The peacefulness was gone and replaced by tension.

"Ryker, why are you telling me this?"

"Because I do." He took a step towards her. He watched with hurt as she took a step back.

"But.. but how do you know? It's been just three months!"

"Five if you count the months I got to know you."

"You can't love me."

"Why not?"

He watched her struggle for the words. He read from her features that her mind was a mess at the moment. He tried taking a step towards her again but she back stepped again. He tried to lock his eyes with her but she refused to meet his.

"Because.."

The noise of an approaching car could be heard in the distance but none of them paid attention to it.

"Annie, tell me what's wrong."

"I..I.." She stepped back again as if planning to make a run for it.

"Ann?"

She stepped back again of the pavement just as the car was going to pass. Ryker watched with horror as the car hit the brakes and came to a stop just as it was about to hit Annabelle. He, like Annabelle herself, was frozen on the spot. He didn't dare to move, afraid that the car would resume its course.

At that exact moment the car doors opened and three boys stumbled out of the car.

"Phew, that was a close one. Dude, you almost got the new car damaged."

Was that all the boys could think of? Damaging the car was worse than driving up a person? Rage blasted through Ryker's mind. He wasn't going to let the guys go away just like that, he was going to give them a piece of his mind. But before he could do that the driver spoke up.

"Well, well, if it isn't our sweet Belle."

Ryker noticed only then how the boy slurred, this never being a good sign. He squinted his eyes to get a better look at the boys. He recognized them from school. These were the boys who always made trouble happen. This was bad. This was really bad. These boys were always talking about how they would want to taint a girl such as Annabelle. It was stupid honestly, to think she had no backbone at all. The past few minutes definitely showed that.

It wasn't like Ryker was the biggest saint in the world to be perfect for Annabelle but he wasn't as bad as these guys were. He would have to get Annabelle out of here before one of these drunken guys really got out of control. Just as he was about to run to Annabelle's side he felt an arm holding him back.

Ryker looked aside to see one of the other guys smirking at him. His eyes quickly darted back to Annabelle and he saw her frightened posture turning around to him. She collided with the other boy who was now in front of her.

"Now now, don't get to impatient. We've got plenty of time later, babe."

Annabelle turned around again and saw that she was cornered between the two other guys. Running away was out of option and she would definitely loose if she were to fight one of them.

Ryker pushed the boy who was holding him back aside and made a beeline for Annabelle. He had to get her away. However, this wasn't as easy done as said. The boy who he had pushed aside was quickly recovering. It looked like he was enraged as well now and was making long uneven strides towards Ryker.

Before Ryker knew it, he was pushed to the ground with a pocket knife pressed against his throat. The boy was holding him down with his knee on Ryker's back.

"Ryker!" Annabelle's voice pierced through the night.

Ryker tried to look up further to Annabelle but didn't get very far as the knife pressed further against his throat. With a grunt he let his head fall back until his chin touched the ground. Ryker felt the boy, who was hovering above him, come closer. He stopped when his mouth was close enough to Ryker's ear. The stench of beer filled his nose and Ryker tried to turn his head away. The boy only pressed the knife deeper against his throat and pried his knee deeper into Ryker's back.

"So, Ryker. Soon she won't be screaming your name anymore. Once me and my friends are doing our business with her, if you know what I mean."

Out of reflex Ryker tried to get up to kick the hell out of this boy. But with him at the disadvantage he didn't get really far.

"Ah ah-ah. You better stay down, Ryker. Or your girl won't be only screaming but she'll be doing way more. She's going to make noises that you could only dream of hearing from her."

Even though Ryker couldn't see the boy's face, he could practically hear the smirk in his voice.

"Yo, Derrick. You done with fucking that boy yet? We gotta get going. I have a feeling our girl can't wait."

"Get her in the car, Tim. Oh, and make sure you let her sit in the front. I want her to remember the places that we'll take her to. Besides, she'll explore the backseat soon enough."

"Alright. Just hurry up dude. Even Tyler is getting impatient."

"Wh-what are you doing? Get off of me..! No, wait. Ryker, help me!"

Annabelle's desperate cries faded away as the car doors slammed shut. There was nothing Ryker could do. He couldn't fight for her, he couldn't see her. He could only hear her.

"Well then mate, it's time to go."

The weight lifted of Ryker's back and he was about to jump up and run to the car when Derrick kicked him in the sides and head hard before returning to his car.

Ryker got up slowly. His head was pulsing and the whole world was spinning around. He stumbled towards the blurry vehicle in front of him. When he heard the car start, he got out of his state and jogged to the side of the car.

If everything was so blurry before, so clear was the image in front of him now. Annabelle was thumping her fists on the window with tears flowing down her face. She was looking at him with her mouth moving. He couldn't hear her.

The car revved and drove away. He could only stand and watch her get taken away. Ryker knew that he would never get that image of Annabelle out of his head. He watched the car go into the dark night. He felt useless, powerless, weak and everything else that was bad.

From the backlights he saw that the car was dangerously swaying to the left and right. Then it was like a nightmare came true. The car was getting off the road and crashed into a tree. The worst part was that the side that crashed, was the side Annabelle sat at.

Now he wasn't so sure anymore if he could ever get his Annabelle back. Ryker slumped down on his knees. He felt numb. The only thing that flashed in his head and kept repeating was the image of the crying Annabelle..