Stockholm Syndrome
Day Thirteen
Dear Journal,
2 days since Luke and Calum got taken away. They're probably laying on their rock hard beds in their cell. How am I supposed to help them when Michael won't even let me out of the shed? We've spent the night here because he wanted me to stay safe. Ashton hasn't returned. I'm going to find him whether Mikey wants to help me or not.
I look over at Michael. Soft snores escaped his slightly parted lips. He looked so different when he's asleep. Those crazy, scared eyes were shielded and his face wasn't rock hard in concentration.
I wonder where Ashton is right now. Had he hopped on a train out of the state? Had he tried to help Luke and Calum and ended up in jail? Had he ran away so he wouldn't get caught? So many questions run through my head as I stare at my backpack in the corner.
Michael can't keep my in here forever. Why doesn't he want me to leave? It's not like I'm the one who's going to jail. I stand up and start to get undressed as quickly as possible. I don't want a rerun of me and Luke.
I change into my galaxy sweatshirts and black pants. I only brought one pair of shoes. It's not like I'll need heels. I throw my backpack over my shoulder, thinking of where I could look first. I don't know Ashton very well to know where he could be. Maybe he's at a family members house. Or maybe some abandoned warehouse. He could be anywhere.
"Kitten... W-Where are you going?" I hear Michael croak. I sighed slightly. He had to wake up now?
"I'm going to find Ashton."
"He's fine, Ki-"
"How do you know that, Michael? How do you know he isn't lost in the woods? How do you know he hasn't fled the state?" I snapped. I'm so tired of this. Ashton needs help and Michael doesn't even care!
"He's a 20-year-old man, Chelsea! He doesn't need help!" Michael stood up. I stand my ground. He can't do anything to me. He wouldn't hurt me.
"He is your best friend, Mike! You're just going to leave him out there? I'm not. I am leaving this god forbidden shed to search for him whether you help me on not." I stomp my foot. He stared at me, jaw clenched.
"I can't take the risk."
"The risk of you getting caught or the risk of getting hurt in the process of finding him?!" I shouted. Michael sat back down on the floor.
"Neither, Kitten. I can't take the risk of losing you if I ever get caught." I scoffed and pushed open the door, slamming it behind me. He is so ridiculous! He doesn't even care about Ashton!
I walk down the sidewalk. It was cold and dry. My lips were already getting cracked. I lick them several times, begging to God that it won't snow. Not today. I run my hands through my newly brown hair. I liked it. I felt different and different is good.
I reach a 'Stop walking' light. People on the other side stared at me I look behind y back to see if anyone was there they could be looking at. Only me. But there was this one girl. She had dark blue hair and pale skin. She look horrified as she looked at me. Well, geez. At least tell me my hair looks weird.
I run across the street when it said I could walk. Eyes followed my every move. Really freaky is you ask me. I look around me. Where would be one place Ashton would go to hide. A music store? Worth a shot. I walk into a vintage music store to meet hipsters and old people.
"Welcome." A man behind the counter said to me. I walk up to him casually even though I needed to get out of here. I hate the smell of dust and tape mixed together. It's weird.
"Has a man with curly hair and glasses walked in here? He has an Australian accent and could have rushed in and rushed out." I explained. He furrowed his eyebrows for a moment.
"Not that I remember."
"Oh. Okay. Thanks anyway." I run out of there, taking in a cold breath. Ew. I keep walking. Where else could he be? I walk into several shops, asking the same question. Every one of them had the same answer. I was starting to get annoyed.
"Ariel Cotton?" I hear an unfamiliar voice. Kind of Boston and New Jersey mixed. I spin around to look for the voice. Nothing. I slowly turn my head around to continue walking.
"Ariel!" I shot my head around again. Still nothing. Who keeps calling me? It couldn't be Ashton. He would have called me babygirl or sweetheart. Possibly Chelsea if he needed to. This voice knew my name from the television or something.
"Ariel..."
"Who are you! Who keeps calling for me!" I spin my body around. People passed by me, confused or weirded out. I didn't care. I'm too annoyed. Still nothing. I groan in agony and keep walking. I turn into a hair salon, crossing my fingers he'd be in here or something.
"Hello? Have you seen an Australian man with curly hair and glasses come in?" I rushed up to the counter. She looks through her papers fr a moment before answering.
"Name?"
"Ashton. I don't know his last name." I admit. She kept searching before she put her finger on a name.
"Ah, yes. Ashton Irwin. He got his hair cut about 2 inches shorter." She said. My heart leaped.
"Did you guys talk about anything. Like, where he could be?" I asked, begging for answers. He puts her pen in her mouth, thinking hard.
"He said something about being on his own, waiting for them to come. I asked what he was on about but he just shook it off. He said he was protecting some girl from these people. Some freaking shit." That girl was me! He's trying to protect me!
"Thank you so much for your help. Did he say where he was going?"
"I think he said up North. I don't know why he would do that. It's already cold enough here." I nodded, thanked her again, and ran out. Up north. Where exactly could he be heading? To the Canadian borderline? No way. He's Australian. Too cold for that.
"Ariel! Ariel Cotton!" I gave up looking for the voice. But this time a hand tapped my shoulder. My eyes widen. I turn around to see the girl with blue hair from the stop light. My eyes widen in shock and in fright. Stranger danger.
"You're Ariel Cotten. The girl saved from captivity. By Luke, Calum, Michael, and Ashton, right?" She asked. Wait. How did she know about the other two? There was only two according to the media. I turn to leave but she ran in front of me.
"Please, wait. I know who you are. You don't know me but I know exactly what you're going through. I was a hostage too." She pointed to herself. I cock my head at her. I'm so confused.
"They wanted a Stockholm syndrome, didn't they? They sent a box with your favorite flower in it with a note saying to be obedient. They kidnapped you in masks and killed anyone who was with you. All of them were so nice to you. They gave you food, love, and room. Everything, right?" I start to leave again but the blue haired stranger stopped me once again.
"Just listen to me, Ariel. I know everything that they do. I escaped a few years ago. They wanted a Stockholm Syndrome but I got away before I was too far deep. " She tried to say. What? This didn't make any sense.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Alyx."
2 days since Luke and Calum got taken away. They're probably laying on their rock hard beds in their cell. How am I supposed to help them when Michael won't even let me out of the shed? We've spent the night here because he wanted me to stay safe. Ashton hasn't returned. I'm going to find him whether Mikey wants to help me or not.
I look over at Michael. Soft snores escaped his slightly parted lips. He looked so different when he's asleep. Those crazy, scared eyes were shielded and his face wasn't rock hard in concentration.
I wonder where Ashton is right now. Had he hopped on a train out of the state? Had he tried to help Luke and Calum and ended up in jail? Had he ran away so he wouldn't get caught? So many questions run through my head as I stare at my backpack in the corner.
Michael can't keep my in here forever. Why doesn't he want me to leave? It's not like I'm the one who's going to jail. I stand up and start to get undressed as quickly as possible. I don't want a rerun of me and Luke.
I change into my galaxy sweatshirts and black pants. I only brought one pair of shoes. It's not like I'll need heels. I throw my backpack over my shoulder, thinking of where I could look first. I don't know Ashton very well to know where he could be. Maybe he's at a family members house. Or maybe some abandoned warehouse. He could be anywhere.
"Kitten... W-Where are you going?" I hear Michael croak. I sighed slightly. He had to wake up now?
"I'm going to find Ashton."
"He's fine, Ki-"
"How do you know that, Michael? How do you know he isn't lost in the woods? How do you know he hasn't fled the state?" I snapped. I'm so tired of this. Ashton needs help and Michael doesn't even care!
"He's a 20-year-old man, Chelsea! He doesn't need help!" Michael stood up. I stand my ground. He can't do anything to me. He wouldn't hurt me.
"He is your best friend, Mike! You're just going to leave him out there? I'm not. I am leaving this god forbidden shed to search for him whether you help me on not." I stomp my foot. He stared at me, jaw clenched.
"I can't take the risk."
"The risk of you getting caught or the risk of getting hurt in the process of finding him?!" I shouted. Michael sat back down on the floor.
"Neither, Kitten. I can't take the risk of losing you if I ever get caught." I scoffed and pushed open the door, slamming it behind me. He is so ridiculous! He doesn't even care about Ashton!
I walk down the sidewalk. It was cold and dry. My lips were already getting cracked. I lick them several times, begging to God that it won't snow. Not today. I run my hands through my newly brown hair. I liked it. I felt different and different is good.
I reach a 'Stop walking' light. People on the other side stared at me I look behind y back to see if anyone was there they could be looking at. Only me. But there was this one girl. She had dark blue hair and pale skin. She look horrified as she looked at me. Well, geez. At least tell me my hair looks weird.
I run across the street when it said I could walk. Eyes followed my every move. Really freaky is you ask me. I look around me. Where would be one place Ashton would go to hide. A music store? Worth a shot. I walk into a vintage music store to meet hipsters and old people.
"Welcome." A man behind the counter said to me. I walk up to him casually even though I needed to get out of here. I hate the smell of dust and tape mixed together. It's weird.
"Has a man with curly hair and glasses walked in here? He has an Australian accent and could have rushed in and rushed out." I explained. He furrowed his eyebrows for a moment.
"Not that I remember."
"Oh. Okay. Thanks anyway." I run out of there, taking in a cold breath. Ew. I keep walking. Where else could he be? I walk into several shops, asking the same question. Every one of them had the same answer. I was starting to get annoyed.
"Ariel Cotton?" I hear an unfamiliar voice. Kind of Boston and New Jersey mixed. I spin around to look for the voice. Nothing. I slowly turn my head around to continue walking.
"Ariel!" I shot my head around again. Still nothing. Who keeps calling me? It couldn't be Ashton. He would have called me babygirl or sweetheart. Possibly Chelsea if he needed to. This voice knew my name from the television or something.
"Ariel..."
"Who are you! Who keeps calling for me!" I spin my body around. People passed by me, confused or weirded out. I didn't care. I'm too annoyed. Still nothing. I groan in agony and keep walking. I turn into a hair salon, crossing my fingers he'd be in here or something.
"Hello? Have you seen an Australian man with curly hair and glasses come in?" I rushed up to the counter. She looks through her papers fr a moment before answering.
"Name?"
"Ashton. I don't know his last name." I admit. She kept searching before she put her finger on a name.
"Ah, yes. Ashton Irwin. He got his hair cut about 2 inches shorter." She said. My heart leaped.
"Did you guys talk about anything. Like, where he could be?" I asked, begging for answers. He puts her pen in her mouth, thinking hard.
"He said something about being on his own, waiting for them to come. I asked what he was on about but he just shook it off. He said he was protecting some girl from these people. Some freaking shit." That girl was me! He's trying to protect me!
"Thank you so much for your help. Did he say where he was going?"
"I think he said up North. I don't know why he would do that. It's already cold enough here." I nodded, thanked her again, and ran out. Up north. Where exactly could he be heading? To the Canadian borderline? No way. He's Australian. Too cold for that.
"Ariel! Ariel Cotton!" I gave up looking for the voice. But this time a hand tapped my shoulder. My eyes widen. I turn around to see the girl with blue hair from the stop light. My eyes widen in shock and in fright. Stranger danger.
"You're Ariel Cotten. The girl saved from captivity. By Luke, Calum, Michael, and Ashton, right?" She asked. Wait. How did she know about the other two? There was only two according to the media. I turn to leave but she ran in front of me.
"Please, wait. I know who you are. You don't know me but I know exactly what you're going through. I was a hostage too." She pointed to herself. I cock my head at her. I'm so confused.
"They wanted a Stockholm syndrome, didn't they? They sent a box with your favorite flower in it with a note saying to be obedient. They kidnapped you in masks and killed anyone who was with you. All of them were so nice to you. They gave you food, love, and room. Everything, right?" I start to leave again but the blue haired stranger stopped me once again.
"Just listen to me, Ariel. I know everything that they do. I escaped a few years ago. They wanted a Stockholm Syndrome but I got away before I was too far deep. " She tried to say. What? This didn't make any sense.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Alyx."
Notes
Song Recommendations
- Face Down ~ The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
- Disenchanted ~ My Chemical Romance
- American Idiot ~ Green Day
- Remembering Sunday ~ All Time Low
- Where Did You Go? ~ A Rocket to the Moon
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9/20/16