By the cold blue light of the Winter moon, two small figures ran hand in hand into the undergrowth as the snow continued to fall all around them.
The girl turned to her best friend and pressed a finger to her lips. Her younger companion nodded and huddled closer as they both stared wide-eyed watching and waiting to see if they had made good their escape.
Reaching up, the older girl pushed the stray strands of her long black hair back under her red woolen hat as she tried to control the pounding of her heart with the blood coursing through her veins. It had been a good twenty minutes since they had left the compound and she knew it was only a matter of time until they came this way.
They being the hunt.
The snow was falling heavier now as the raven-haired girl squinted into the early January gloom trying to see any sign of their pursuers. Behind her, her blonde haired friend fiddled nervously with her pigtails as she shivered with the cold. "Can you see anyone?" she whispered as she eased closer to the taller girl.
Her friend was about to shake her head when she stopped. Straining forward, she listened intently, trying to make out what she thought she heard above the swirling snow. Then she saw the flickering beams of light in the distance.
It was them. They were here.
She felt a tug on her coat.
"Let's go!" the smaller girl urged as she saw them getting closer. They had to go. They had to go now or it would be too late. Her friend kept silent and stared intently at the approaching group. How many were there? Three? Four? Where were the rest? There was only one answer to that question. They must have found the other girls and taken them back.
As they came into the clearing, she saw there were four of them. All searching for her and her friend. They needed to stay hidden. Quiet. They had to wait until they passed. As she watched, her attention was drawn to the one walking to the rear of the group. Blinking away the snow, she stared at him as her heart rattled like thunder in her chest. To her, he was the only one that mattered and he was here. Searching. Searching for her.
The breath caught in her throat as she saw him suddenly stop and turn in their direction. Instinctively, both girls shrank back further into the thicket trying to make themselves as small as possible to avoid the searching light. Had he seen them? Everything slowed to a single heartbeat as they watched him take several steps towards them and shine the light over the snow-covered bushes they were hiding in. The moment became frozen in time as he took another step closer. Then another.
"Jyn.." hissed her friend, tugging at her coat before she scrambled to her feet and broke cover with a shriek of fear as she made her break for freedom.
"No! Wait!" But it was too late as the blonde-haired girl disappeared into the swirling snow as she still knelt there in the bushes. "Carrie," she whispered, hearing the surprised shouts of those looking for them as three of the boys chased after her friend.
It was then she realized someone was standing over her and she turned slowly to find herself in a circle of light. Raising a hand to shield her eyes, she looked up wide-eyed to see the remaining boy staring silently at her. He was a shadow silhouetted against the night sky but she could feel the intensity of his gaze as he stood there.
"Hey," he said suddenly, breaking the spell that had unknowingly been woven between them.
Startled, she gasped a silent, "Oh!" as he reached for her and, rolling to her right, she quickly sprang to her feet and exploded from the undergrowth in a cloud of freshly fallen snow as she tried to escape. Stumbling, she ran as fast and hard as she could for she knew he would come after her and would never give up until he caught her.
Up ahead, she could just make out a line of trees that were the beginnings of a small copse and if she could just make it to them she might be able to lose them in there. Behind, and to her right, she could hear the others shouting at her to stop but she ignored them as she gasped for breath with her lungs aching due to the cold.
Run. Just keep running.
It was then she sensed someone behind her. The sound of crunching snow was getting closer and closer as she ran. Don't look back. Keep going. Every muscle and sinew was screaming in agony as her eyes filled with tears at the sheer effort. If she could only reach those trees...
Then her world turned and she found herself stumbling forward until she was face down in the deep snow. Gasping, she twisted around onto her back as she saw his shadow falling over her. There was nowhere for her to go as she shrank back from her captor. Panting, she lay there stunned for a second as she waited for him to come closer. She had one last chance. One last chance to escape.
Seeing the sudden fire in her eyes, the boy began to reach for her. "Now don't go and do anything stup.."
The slap echoed loudly around them as she brought her right hand hard across the left side of his face and he fell back into the snow in surprised shock. Rubbing his cheek, he suddenly grinned at the girl which seemed to irritate her more than anything as she twisted around trying to get to her feet.
But he was too quick. Instantly, he crouched behind her and grabbed her around the waist as she wriggled in his grasp trying to break free. The girl certainly had spirit as he held her tight, and after a moment he could feel her beginning to tire from the effort. Slowly, he brought his right hand up to her bare throat so that he could hold her head back against him.
"Hey, hey, easy," he whispered to her. "Easy now. You did good but it's over now."
Her head was back against his right shoulder and she turned slightly so she could see his face which was so close to hers. He was right. It was over. She was exhausted and with a shudder she let herself collapse in his arms as he laid her back down in the snow. She knew only one thing: despite everything, if she was going to be caught, she wanted to be caught by him.
Suddenly, he crouched down in front of her which made her huddle deeper into her thick black coat. "What's your name?" he asked as she continued to avoid his gaze.
Staring at her boots, she shook her head slightly and didn't say anything. Not that she could, for her heart was in her throat and saying anything at all was impossible. Her thoughts were tumbling and the emotions she was feeling made her feel like she was floating on air. Then she heard footsteps approaching and the boy turned from her and stood up.
"You caught one?" said another voice.
Now that he wasn't looking at her, she glanced up at him and her gaze fell on the coil of rope hooked onto his belt. He towered over her as she lay there at his feet and she noticed he was standing between her and the other boy as if he was marking her as his.
"She was hiding in the bushes with her friend," he replied. "Did you get the other one?"
The boy nodded. "Tully got her when she ran." He stepped forward to get a better look at the girl. "Oh, you got her. Everyone was after her. Don't think Mitch will be happy you got there before him. Did she put up a fight?"
Her captor shook his head. "No," he lied.
"Really?" said the other boy sounding surprised. "She usually scratches does that one." He shook his head. "Guess she was tired. This was a long run," he reasoned as he turned to where the other girl had been caught. "It's getting late. Better bind her up and take her back to the compound."
Taking the rope from his waist, the boy stood over her and she watched as he looped one end into a slipknot which he held in front of her. He didn't say anything but she knew what he wanted. To her, it felt like they were the only two people in the whole wide world as she got to her knees in front of him. She was looking down at her hands and the only sounds she could hear were the teasing whispers of the Winter breeze as she slowly clasped her hands together and held them up for him.
As she saw him slip the noose over her clenched fists and draw it tight, she let out a soft gasp as the moment and its meaning resonated through her whole being knowing nothing would ever be the same again. Feeling a slight tug of the rope, she stumbled to her feet and waited as he stepped closer and wrapped the other end of it around his hand.
Lifting her head slightly, she saw something on the inside of the dark brown coat he was wearing. There, just inside the collar and partially hidden by the black scarf wrapped around his neck. Was that a tag? A name tag? Was that his name? Her heart skipped a beat as she stared at it and she realized she had to remember it, no matter what.
Suddenly, he brought his face close to hers. For a brief moment, they stared at each other before she blushed and her shyness made her look back down at her snow-covered boots as he reached up and rearranged her red woolen hat that had slipped to one side. She could feel the warmth and intimacy of his breath against her left cheek as he whispered something to her that made her step back in surprise at what he said.
The boy nodded at her before turning to lead her back to where she had escaped from as the snow fell silently all around them.
Remembering the words he had whispered to her, she stared intently at him as he walked in front of her. "Zhidao (I know)," she whispered in her native tongue as the Winter moon sat watching.
***
The sudden rumble as the Metro train crossed over a junction woke the woman from her daydream as the imaginary world turned real. Blinking, she sat up slightly as her mind returned from her special place with a brief flush of frustration. The place where she knew she was happiest. The place where she was at ease with herself. The place where he was.
The carriage was packed as usual during morning rush hour and the claustrophobic weight of the people around her filled her senses. Most, like her, were heading into the city for work with the rest probably traveling for a day of sightseeing or shopping. As always, she found herself the center of attention with lingering glances or fixed stares from the majority of men both sitting and standing in the carriage. Some curious. Most deliberate. All hoping for a reaction. The slightest hint she may be interested. She was very careful not to give them one.
Huddled in the warmth of her ruby-red knee-length winter coat, she glanced to her left as the train pulled into the main station and the doors automatically opened to let passengers on and off. Waiting until the immediate rush had passed, she quickly got to her feet and left the carriage to make her way out of the terminal into the heart of the city where she worked.
***
"So what happened?"
Staring at herself in her locker mirror, Jyn Halliday glanced at the reflection of her friend who was standing behind her fixing her root ginger hair into a tied bunch with a clip. She gave a slight shrug as she smoothed down the front of her sea-blue nurses uniform and clipped on her name tag.
"Happened?" she said innocently. "Nothing happened."
The younger woman made a face. "That's not what I heard."
"And, what exactly did you hear?"
Nurse Connie Lewis frowned at her. "That you'd finally agreed to go on a date with him. There are no secrets in this place, Jyn. You should know that. God knows, most of them involve you anyway."
That was true enough, despite her best efforts to ignore them. It had always been this way for as long as she could remember. The center of attention. Every time she walked into a room she could feel the mood change as people reacted to her being there. The way she looked made her feel like she was living her life in the spotlight and she knew it would always be like that.
As for this latest adventure...
She turned to her colleague. "Well," she smiled, trying to hide her frustration at the constant interest in her love life. "What he thought happened didn't. What he thinks is going to happen won't. No matter how many times he asks. As for what other people say, there is nothing I can do about that."
The other woman began to say something but stopped. Her friend seemed oblivious to the effect she had on those around her - both male and female. The woman was practically ethereal in her presence and could render the unwary mute with surprise and admiration. She remembered their first meeting during the initial induction at St. Barnards Central and smiled at the memory. There had been twelve new nurses in the group and Jyn Halliday had arrived late due to the traffic. A brief knock before rushing into the classroom to stand there slightly flustered and breathless with that huge twisted storm of long black hair whipping around her pale blushing face. Everything and everyone stopped and stared with the student behind her muttering, "Holy shit!" under his breath. It was definitely the kind of entrance that you never forget.
All that had been two years ago now. Two years of gossip had followed with everyone wondering why her close friend was apparently happy to be on her own.
"But I don't get it," she said, confused. "It's him. The main man. Don't you like him?" she asked, before adding, "Alright, so he's a little older than you." She stopped. "Okay, make that a lot older but he's not exactly Mister Ugly and he's probably loaded. He also has a serious case of the hots for you and everyone knows it."
Jyn rolled her eyes. "Oh, please," she sighed. "I may be his type, but he certainly isn't mine. The fact that he does not take no for an answer says everything about him. Humility and manners are there for a reason. Besides," she said as she opened the door and turned to look at her friend. "It doesn't matter."
Nurse Lewis shook her head. "Why?"
Jyn raised her chin. "Because I already belong to someone else."
***
"Ah, if it isn't my angel of the morning."
The nurse smiled as she entered the room, opened the blinds to let in the rising sun, and went through her routine of checking her patient as he continued his recovery from open-heart surgery a couple of days ago.
"Chinese."
Jyn looked up from the clipboard she was reading. "Excuse me?" she asked with a bemused smile as the old man sat up in bed watching her.
"You remind me of someone I used to know a long time ago," he repeated as she came to his bedside and checked the monitor above him. "She was from China."
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
He laughed. For someone who was recovering from such a major operation, he seemed in good spirits as he let her check the various drips and drains that kept his system flushed as well as the strapping across his bare chest. "Ah, definitely good." He winked as she leaned over to tuck him in. "You're certainly an attractive young lady."
Jyn smiled at his compliment. "You're saying all the right things at just the wrong moment."
The man eased forward so that she could plump up his pillows to make him more comfortable. "Am I right?" he asked, enjoying the way her nose turned pink as she blushed. But he was only saying what was true. The girl had a demeanor about her that all women from the Orient seemed to possess. From the way she carried herself to how she interacted with others. She was quiet. Composed. Considerate. Polite. Graceful. She was also very easy on the eye as she stood there with her hands on her hips trying hard not to smile at the besotted old man in the bed.
Jyn saw him glance at her name tag. "On my Mothers side," she told him. "She is from Nanjing in Jiangsu province. My father is English. He is an engineer and met my mother when he was in China because of his job about twenty-five years ago. They married and came to live here when I was six. I very much take after my mother."
The old man understood. "Then your mother must be one special and very lucky lady to have a daughter as charming as you."
The nurse from China bowed her head formally before granting him a wide smile that made him wish he was fifty years younger. "Xie Xie," she blushed. "Thank you."
Behind her, the door suddenly opened and in walked the consultant with his junior and half a dozen medical students behind him. Instinctively, Jyn took a step back as she tried not to draw attention to herself from the all-male group as they approached the bed. Clasping her hands in front of her, she stood there quiet and composed.
The consultant stared at her for a moment before turning to his patient. "How are we feeling today, Mr. Hall?" he enquired as he swiped through the notes on his tablet and looked at the monitor. "Nothing out of the ordinary hopefully. That was quite the exercise you put me through the other day."
The man frowned slightly as he glanced between the young woman and the group of men on the other side of the bed. He had already noticed the way she had reacted when they came into the room. The mentality of the pack as he called it. He gave her a reassuring smile when he saw her glance at him. He could only imagine what it was like for someone who looked like her. He turned to the man standing next to him.
"No, Mr. Strickland," he replied pleasantly. "The world can't get rid of me that easily. Thank you for everything."
The consultant ignored the compliment and turned to his group to explain the procedures that his patient had undergone and the various options required for his recovery. After answering some questions from the students, he turned back and looked directly at the nurse standing quietly opposite him. "I'm sure nurse Halliday is looking after you and taking care of everything you need," he said smoothly as he continued to stare at her. "From past experience, I can tell you she is an expert in matters of the heart."
Jyn looked up at the consultant. Strickland was tall, thin, angular, grey, and single-minded in everything he did. In his late forties, his reputation and influence went before him and lent him an air of superiority that he wore to effect. He was also pompous and rude which made her dislike him even more.
"Only for those who have a heart to care about," she said as she turned her attention back to the man in the bed. "Or need a good one fixed."
Even her unwanted admirer smiled at that one as those around him tried to hide their amusement at the barb. "Indeed," said Strickland as he folded his arms. "As I said, Mr. Hall, you're obviously in very good hands." He turned to his entourage and nodded. "Gentlemen, let us continue on with our morning round."
Watching them leave the room, Jyn breathed out and tried to relax as she saw her patient looking at her with a knowing look on his face.
"He's an asshole," he said cheerily.
Jyn tried not to smile as she handed him a glass of water.
****
People were already at the compound when Jyn was brought in and she saw a group of girls sat huddled together in a corner of a brick shed as their captors registered their catches to a boy called Mitch who was the leader of the hunt.
Seeing a familiar face, she gave her friend a brief smile before she felt a tug on the rope binding her hands together. Glancing up, she saw her captor staring at her as a group of older boys approached them. He pressed a finger to his lips and shook his head. The yard was lit by two lamps and as she looked up at him she noticed he had a small scar just under his left eye and those eyes were an intense dark green.
"Is this your claim?" asked the boy in charge.
There was a shuffling amongst the group and a sudden tension in the air as the two boys stared at each other warily.
"I caught her," he replied. "Fair and square. Ask Dank. He was there when it happened."
Mitch, taller, wider, with a brown buzz cut, stuck out his chin. "Nah, nah, nope," he said as he waved a pencil in the other boys face. "See, here's the deal. I'm in charge. I'm the leader. And being the leader makes me the most important kid here. What I say goes. What I want I get. And that one," he pointed to the girl in the red woolen hat, "is the one I want."
Jyn stood quietly behind the boy who had chased her down as she listened to them argue who she should belong to.
Subconsciously, she moved closer to him and her gaze fell on his left hand which was holding the rope which bound her to him. The twine was wrapped around his fist and she watched as his grip tightened as the argument continued.
Her captor shook his head. He was wearing a baseball cap and his dark brown hair escaped from it in waves and curls that reached the base of his neck. "No," he said firmly. "The rules are the rules. I caught her. That makes her mine this time. She belongs to me and no one else. Anyone that tries to take her from me will regret it."
