Catherine and Wylie

by Aimee in ...I don't know. HOLY CROW, I'M LOST!!!!!!!!!

“And so that is how we became America,” Mr. Preston droned on.

Lord, spare me now! thought Catherine. 

Just then, as if on cue, a voice came over the intercom saying, “Teacher and students please go into lock down mode, teachers and students please go into lockdown mode immediately.”

Well then I guess that solves that problem. It’s probably just a drill anyway.

Her class crawled into the corner as her mind wandered, causing her to get the bad spot by door that was supposed to hide you, but doesn’t so a very good job at it.  The group of students was -mostly- quiet as they waited for the inevitable sign to go back class.  Catherine let a long sigh when she realized it was taking longer then usual.

Just then the barrel of a gun crashed through window, causing sharp pieces of glass to shower over her head and break her skin. A hand reached through the door to unlock it and allow the person to step through. He looked around the group of innocent children. Their eyes were wide with fear and shock as they realized it wasn’t just another drill.  The intruder’s eyes came to a rest on Catherine. She looked back with, what she hopes was, confident and unafraid eyes. Hey, if he was going to hurt her then she wasn’t going down without a fight. And she didn’t even know if he was after her anyways. But the cocky look on her face must have told him what he needed, for he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her into the hall without a complaint from the teacher.

Thanks Mr. Preston, very loving of you, she thought in vain, for there really was nothing he could do.  

Gritting her teeth, Catherine followed him unwillingly into the hall. Another man closed the door behind them and added an extra desk in front of it to ensure nobody would get out.  When the intruder’s (as he will now be referred to) hand finally released her hair, she gasped in a silent breath. But just when she thought they were done, the other man grabbed her, placing one arm across her neck and another around her waist.

“Let her go! This has nothing to do with her!” came a deep voice from across the hall. She opened her eyes to see Wylie being held the exact same way she was.

Wylie and she were…complicated. Well, they had gone out for a while, but for a reason even Catherine couldn’t remember, they had broken up. They never talked at all, and they didn’t have any classes together so they never really could work things out. But there was still that unmistakable spark in the atmosphere when they would accidentally catch each other’s eye at lunch or in the hallways. And Catherine just hated that they had been so far from each other for so long. They were sixteen for crying out loud, and they still couldn’t work things out! Well that was there story anyway.

“Well, since you seem reluctant to come with us, we felt the need for a little persuasion.” The voice came from beside Wylie, snapping Catherine out of her reverie of their past. The voice was rough, deep, and deeply sarcastic. Yet, it somehow had a ring of authority to it. This must the leader behind the little group.

“I’ll go with you, just let her go!” Wylie protested again, not meeting Catherine’s eyes.

“Well, you see, maybe we would have done that before. But I just love seeing you struggle for some…insignifigant girl.” Wylie said nothing, only glared at the man that Catherine was just now getting a look at. He was chubby, with a tuxedo on. Quite unusual attire for a kidnapping-if that’s what this was. His head was round, with a large bald spot forming at the top. He looked like one of those Italian men who smoked too many cigars and dumped dead bodies in the ocean.

“You see, she really is an insignificant creature, compared to you I mean. Why should you struggle with somebody who means nothing to you- to us, to our world? Why should you care?” Again, Wylie’s only answer was to glare. “But there is something between you and her, isn’t there?” the man said, suddenly turning to Catherine. “And you are quite the pretty girl, do not get me wrong. But compared to what you are, Wylie,” he said, turning back to Wylie again. “She is nothing- nobody. So why do you care?”

Wylie still wouldn’t meeting Catherine’s eyes for fear that he would see all the emotions and questions played out across her face and he would only too well want to answer them. That was something they could do with each other. Know each other’s thoughts with one glance. But Wylie just couldn’t deal with that right now. 

“But I do not care, Nero, for I don’t even know the girl’s name.” Catherine tried to process why he would just say that. She figured he was trying to protect her. She didn’t need protecting. She could handle herself.

“Oh you don’t, now? Is that true,” the man supposedly named Nero turned to Catherine, “young lady. Are you of any significance to him? And I suggest you answer truthfully for the consequences may be great.”

Catherine looked at him steadily. “No. We are nothing to each other.” She hoped to sound truthful and uncaring, but there was just and edge to her voice that suggested something more. Nero’s eyes glinted in response but he did nothing. Catherine glanced over to Wylie, who’s eyes where filled with regret, sadness and…longing? Her face stayed hard but she let out just the tiniest bit of confusion in her eyes. Just enough for him to tell, and she knew he would read it.

“Well then, I guess that’s that.” Wylie said after a split second. “You can let her go now, Nero.”

“No, I don’t think I will.”

“Nero she has nothing to do with any of this! She doesn’t have to get hurt! Just let her go!” Wylie’s sudden explosion left everyone speechless.

“That is all the more reason to keep her.”

“To hurt her?”

“No. You see, I think there’s something more going on between you and her. And that could come in handy later. So she comes with us.” His voice rang with such authority that nobody questioned it. “And I do think the human law enforcement officers will arrive soon, so we best be on our way. Boys?” And with that their captives dragged them out to the parking lot. There awaited a stereotypical white long van. Wylie and Catherine were dumped into the back where the doors shut and they sat alone in darkness while the vehicle traveled down unknown roads and away from their home- at least Catherine’s home. All the words Nero had said made Catherine think this wasn’t Wylie’s home. And he wasn’t human like she was. Catherine wasn’t sure what he was, but she intended to find out.