Taken

by Sarah Jayne Harry

  "I think I'm going to go." I say loudly into her ear so she can hear me.

  She looks at me like I've gone mad, "What? You can't leave yet, it’s not even late." she pouts and I kind of feel bad but my mind is made up.

  "I'm sorry, K, I don't feel like partying anymore. I just want my bed." I tell her, hoping she will take pity on me, she knows I don't like parties much.

  "Fine, OK, do you want me to come with you? You shouldn't walk home alone at this time of night." It's still early for her and I can tell she doesn't want to leave, so I tell her to stay put and I'll text her when I get home.

  I weave through the crowd and grab my jacket from the closet by the front door and then make my way back down the long steps leading away from the house.

  The cool, night air helps with my headache and makes me more alert. The quiet of the night is almost soothing compared to the noise inside the mansion. I pull my jacket tight around my shoulders and walk in the direction of home.

  There's nobody around as I walk, yet after a while, I feel like I'm being followed. I look around and see nobody there but I quicken my pace. I pull my phone out and text Josh, letting him know I'm heading home.

  It's then that I hear footsteps behind me, my heart races and I tell myself I'm being silly. Nobody is following me. They are just walking home from wherever they've been.

  I turn a few more corners, getting close to my street, the footsteps are still there. I look behind me and I see a large, dark figure. A man. I can’t see his features, he's wearing a large coat that comes to his knees and a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes. I frown and walk fast, almost running. The man keeps pace.

  I finally make it onto my street and hurry towards my house. I can see the light is still on the living room, Mum and Dad are still awake. I peer over my shoulder, is the man closer? I decide to run the last few steps, I can hear my heart racing, the blood pumping through my body. I'm almost there.

  I push the gate open and take one last look behind me. The man has stopped. He's standing on the other side of the street now, by a blown-out streetlight, covered in darkness. I turn away and run down the short walkway and burst through the front door of the house. I slam the door behind me and catch my breath.

  "Tayla, is that you?" Mum shouts from the living room. I let out a quick breath and put a smile on my face, trying to get my heart to calm down. I turn the corner and stand in the doorway then smile at my parents.

  "Yeah. I didn't feel too well so I left early." I tell them, "I'm tired, I'm going to go to bed." with a quick goodnight, I race up the stairs. Once I get to my room, I head to the window and look across the street. There's nobody there.

  As I get ready for bed, I send a quick text to Karen and Josh letting them both know I got home OK. I decide not to mention the mysterious man. There has to be a logical explanation why he was following me. Right?

  I'm lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts won't shut off. Who was he? Why was he following me? Slowly my eyes close and sleep soon comes, full of nightmares of the mysterious figure.

  CHAPTER 3

  The next day, I am out shopping with Karen, something we do almost every Saturday.

  “Oh my god! You have to get them.” she squeals at me. We have just walked into Fabulous, a large clothing store that sells designer brands for affordable prices.

  She zeros in on a pair of light denim jeans that have an intricate flower pattern going up one side of the left leg. They are gorgeous and exactly what I need after the day I had yesterday. I grab my size and let Karen find me a top to go with it. She is a fashion guru and always finds the perfect stuff for anyone.

  “I FOUND IT!” she shouts from across the store, the sales lady gives her a disapproving glance but says nothing. I make my way over to Karen to see her holding up a white, figure-hugging top with three-quarter length sleeves that flows longer in the back. It’s plain, simple and it would look amazing with my new jeans, I also pick out some knee-high boots.

  With a new outfit picked out for myself, Karen starts to search for something for herself. I follow her around, telling her what she wants to hear when she asks my opinion on everything.

  We spend an hour in this store and every time Karen finds something she absolutely loves, she screams in delight. I’m sure the sales lady is about to throw us out when Karen dumps her very large pile of clothes and shoes on the counter and takes out her platinum card, a card only the rich could afford. One look at the card and the lady is all smiles. It still amazes me how sales people act like a whole new person when they think they’re getting a large commission.

  We go into three more stores after that one. I pick out some more clothes and a pair of shoes for myself and Karen gets another large pile, that seems to have gotten bigger with each store, she gets a bit of everything, from clothes and shoes, to jewellery, make-up and perfume.

  “Let’s get something to eat.” I say after another two hours have passed, “I am so hungry and I really want to try that new noodle place.” we make our way over to the food court to a new place simply called Noodle Bar and find a seat. I order a box of Udon noodles with chicken, and Karen orders a rice box with vegetables.

  “My dad is going to kill me when he finds out how much I have spent today.” Karen tells me as she sits down in the chair opposite me.

  “How much did you spend?” I ask. I open my box and scoop out a pile of thick noodles. I raise a brow at her when she doesn’t answer.

  “Around £800.” she says with a guilty look on her face and I almost choke on my food.

  “WHAT!? How did you spend £800? We only went into four shops.” I ask. I look at the bags that sit at her feet, she has six large bags compared to my three small ones.

  “I know.” she says, “I saw so much stuff that I had to have though. I promise I won’t spend over £100 whenever we go out for the next four weeks.” I have to laugh at that, her family is loaded and they have no problem spending a lot of money on useless stuff. £800 is nothing to them. Plus, no way can she limit herself to £100.

  As I eat my food, my eyes are wandering across the bustling crowd of people when I spot a figure standing on the other side of the food court. I only notice him because he looks out of place among the crowd. I sit up straighter for a better look. A man wearing a long, dark coat and a baseball cap that hides his face seems to be looking right at me. My mind conjures up an image of the mysterious man from last night. It’s him again, I know it.

  My heart races as I try to get a better look. Is it the same man? It was dark when I saw him last night, maybe this is someone else, someone who dresses exactly like him. If it is him, it’s obvious that he is following me, but why?

  “Oh my god.” Karen's voice interrupts my thoughts, “I need that bag.” she jumps up from her seat and rushes over to a small accessories store just across the walkway that sells handbags, purses and hats. I stand and look back at the spot where I saw him. He’s gone. With a deep breath, I grab my bags and quickly catch up to Karen, trying to forget about the mysterious man.

  Sometime later and we are back to shopping. We go into three more shops before we finally call it a day. I have two more bags and Karen has another four. I laugh as she struggles to carry her bags back home.

  ✽✽✽

  When I get back home, I finally relax. After I saw him during lunch at the noodle bar, I thought I had seen him again a few other times, either hiding behind corners or walking away through the busy crowd of shoppers.

  My mind is running wild trying to figure out what he wants. I decide not to tell my parents just yet. I have only seen him a handful of times, what if it’s just a huge coincidence and he's not really following me? I tell myself that I’m overreacting.

  I decide not to worry about it, if I see him again then I will tell my mum and dad. I don’t want them worrying if it turns out to be nothing.

  “Hey hun, did you have a good day?” Mum says to me later that evening during dinner.

  “I did.
Karen went overboard again.” I tell her, she laughs because we both know how Karen is when she shops.

  For the next couple of hours, I put on a mini fashion show for Mum, showing her everything I had bought. I bought her a gift too, a beautiful sapphire earring set that she had been eyeing the last few weeks. She thinks I didn't notice, but I did.

  When I finally head upstairs, I have a quick shower to wash away my worries and change into some pyjamas, then I climb into bed. Josh finally texts me back, his brothers had hid his phone and he only just found it again. We spend the next few hours texting back and forth until I fall asleep.

  CHAPTER 4

  When I get to school on Monday, I am a nervous wreck. I am sure I saw him again, but I couldn’t be sure, he disappeared too quickly.

  I still haven't told anyone about it, they might think I'm crazy, or worse, lock me away from the outside world for my own protection. No, I couldn't tell anyone yet. Not until I knew more.

  A locker slams next to me making me jump and I turn to see Karen and Josh staring at me with bemused looks on their faces. "Are you alright, Tay?" Josh asks me.

  I shake my head and give them a smile, "Yeah, I'm fine. Didn't sleep much last night, that's all." I tell them, "Let's get to class." I pull them down the hallway dodging in between the other students.

  Lunch time comes quickly and my mood has improved, we had a sub in English so we just watched a movie based on one of the books we are reading, which really means we did nothing but chat to each other.

  We get in the line to get our food, today I get a slice of pizza and some chips. I make my way to our usual table, the one in the corner next to the window and wait for the others to join me.

  "Did you hear?" Karen says as she drops her tray of food on the table and sits down a few minutes later. Josh, who's trailing behind her, gently kisses my cheek before sitting down next to me.

  "What?" I reply to Karen.

  "Alex dumped Lacy during second period." she tells us, “She went crazy on him.”

  I put a few chips in my mouth and look over at Lacy, who sits a few tables down from us, she's obviously been crying and is trying to hide the fact, and if looks could kill, Alex would be six feet under by now. "Why?" I ask Karen.

  Karen is the gossip queen, she knows literally everything about everyone, like how Zack, one of the footballers, was using steroids to enhance his abilities or how Lisa, the school’s do-gooder, cheated on her last maths test because she was under so much pressure from her parents.

  "Apparently, she's mega controlling, wouldn't let him do anything without her approval, wouldn't let him talk to any girls and some other stuff too. If you ask me, she deserved it." I look over at Lacy again, we weren't friends by a long shot, we just about tolerated each other, I never knew she was so demanding, she has always seemed so laid back and open to anything.

  Karen rambles on about some other girls in her P.E class who got tattoos over the weekend. I tune her out then and I rest my head on Josh's shoulder while I eat my lunch.

  ✽✽✽

  I'm absentmindedly looking out the windows that overlook the gardens that are next to the car park. There are students lounging on the grass, eating their lunch and working on homework.

  Movement to the left catches my eye, there's someone hiding among the trees near the corner of the garden. I wouldn't have given it another thought, had it not been for the long dark coat and baseball cap.

  I bolt upright in my seat. It's him. He's here. But why? What does he want from me? Anger slowly forms inside me and I decide I've had enough of being scared. I quickly stand and rush out the doors and down the corridor leading outside.

  Once I get to the garden, I look at the trees where I saw him. He's gone. I look around, ignoring the stares from the other students. He's nowhere in sight. With a frustrated groan, I make my way back inside.

  The bell rings to signal the end of lunch and I make my way to my next class, one I share with Karen, there’s no avoiding the questions I know she’ll ask.

  "What the hell was that?!" she whispers when our teacher isn't looking. Should I tell her the truth? I feel like I need to tell someone.

  "Someone is following me." I look at her, waiting for a reaction. She's silent for a moment.

  "What? What do you mean someone is following you?" just as I'm about to tell her everything, the teacher turns around and looks over at us. We are forced to stay quiet for the rest of the lesson.

  "I don't know who it is or why they're following me but I've had enough, I want answers." I tell her as we walk to our next class.

  "Have you told your parents? Or anyone about this?" she asks.

  "No, but I will soon."

  We don’t share the next class so we go our separate ways. Later, at the end of the day, we find a seat on the bus and just as she's about to say something, Josh makes his way over to us. "Hello ladies." he says cheerfully as he sits down pulling me close for a quick kiss, for a moment I forget all my problems.

  "Hey." I look at him and smile.

  "Hi, Josh." Karen waves absently at him. She catches my eye and with just a look, she tells me our earlier conversation is far from over.

  Josh and I talk about our plans for the weekend, we plan to head to the beach and soak up some sun and afterwards, we will be going to see a show at the local theatre before grabbing some dinner. It couldn't be more perfect. I don't have any classes with him at school so the only time I get to see him is during the weekend and some evenings after school.

  Later that evening, I'm in the kitchen, cleaning up after dinner, I debated whether to tell Mum and Dad about the man but I couldn't bring myself to do it. My phone vibrating pulls me away from my thoughts. I dry my hands and pick up the phone to read the incoming text message.

  Karen: Come over right now!

  Tayla: What? Why?

  Karen: You know why!

  I sigh, I was hoping she would let it go, just for a day or two, I really don't feel like talking.

  Tayla: Do I have to?

  Karen: Yes, get over here, now!

  I groan and tell her I'm on my way, I didn’t want to do this now, couldn’t she have waited until morning? A look at the clock tells me it's only 9 pm. I am not allowed out after 11 so I have two hours to talk to karen.

  I tell my parents where I'm going, grab a jacket and my keys, and head out the door.

  It's cold again as I step outside, I pull the gate closed behind me and fasten up my jacket. Karen lives on the next street, on the opposite end to mine. It’s a good ten minute walk, so I rub my hands over my arms and head to the right. I get about half way down the street when the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Something doesn’t feel right. I look around but see nothing.

  I quicken my pace and make it to Karen's door in no more than five minutes. I knock gently and wait.

  "Hello, Evelyn." I smile at the woman who opens the door. Karen's mum stands before me with a bright pink robe on, at 5’9 and a skinny waist, she looks like a model. Her dark hair is tied back into a ponytail, leaving her beautiful features open.

  "She's in her room. You know where to go." is all she says, she then lights a cigarette and leaves me standing at the door.

  I close the door as I step inside and make my way up to Karen's room, eager to get this conversation over with.

  CHAPTER 5

  "Hey." I call out as I open the door. Inside is empty but I hear the water running in the en-suite bathroom, she must have thought she could squeeze in a shower before I got here.

  I sit on the king size bed that sits against one wall of the room and let my eyes wander. Posters of boybands and actors cover almost every inch of the white walls. The floor is covered by a pale blue, shag carpet, the curtains on the floor-to-ceiling window matches. Lightwood furniture lines the walls. Perfume bottles, makeup and magazines lay strewn across every surface.

  "When did you get here?" Karen's voice comes from the door in the far corner that leads to her bathroom.

&
nbsp; I look over to see she has a towel in her hands, rubbing it against her head. "A few minutes ago." I tell her. She sits on the bed next to me and crosses her legs under her and then stares at me.

  "So?" she asks.

  "So, what?" I ask in return. She narrows her eyes at me and swats my leg.

  "You know what. Now spill."

  I sigh as I get comfy, ready to tell her my story. "I first noticed someone was following me on Friday. I was walking home and there was a man behind me, he stayed behind me until I reached my gate. Then he stood there and watched me from across the street." I shiver as I recall the night.

  "Oh my god, Tay.” Karen whispers, "I knew I should have left with you. Have you seen him since that night?"

  I nod my head and continue my story, "I saw him again when we were out shopping on the Saturday too. Standing behind pillars or peering around corners."

  "Why didn't you tell me then? Why keep it a secret?" she asks looking hurt. I feel bad for keeping it from her but I didn’t want her to worry.

  "At first, I thought it was just a coincidence, that he wasn't following me, but then he turned up at school." I sigh and look at her worried face, "I'm going to tell Mum and Dad when I get back home." I tell her.

  "Don't worry, Tay," she smiles at me softly, "everything will be OK. Who knows, maybe it’s just one of the guys from school. Maybe he has a major crush on you but he knows you’re with Josh, so he watches you instead." She grins at me and laughs. I doubt that’s it but I don’t say anything else, I don’t want to worry her anymore. She moves over and pulls me into a hug. Minutes later we laugh and pull apart, eager to change the subject.