After a few hours drive towards the country side, the car pulled over near a worn out small house, in the middle of an isolated neighborhood. The faded color of the walls and spiderweb marking their territory over random parts over the door explained that no one has been there for years. Madeline's eyes enlarged as she kept looking at the house, clueless, while still inside the car. Madeline found herself failing to move her eyes from the place and also failing to fit in an explanation to this act. As, Rex flounced open the door of her side, she jolted back to the present. She looked up at him to see a subtle mark of pain registered over his face.

"Come with me." he proposed in a gentle tone and stretched his hand towards her.

Madeline bought herself the time to decide for the best and looked up at him. Rex sensed her discomfort and nodded at her in an assuring way. She took in a gulp and placed her hand into hers, gathering few strings of her confidence. He guided her out of the car and they made their way towards the house. 

On unlocking, the door creaked open. Rex left her hand and sauntered inside, while Madeline stood at the door.

She looked around to find simple furnishings, covering spaces in the small interior. The whole of the place was covered with dust, maybe shielding some good memories, which yearned to come out, at the presence of Rex.

Rex stayed in his own bubble, scanning through every detail of the house, and walked around as if it was his own. There was a guilt within his eyes.

"What is this place?" Madeline asked

Rex shifted his glittery gaze, towards Madeline, "My home."

Her eyebrows arched up, in a pity. She has never seen him broken. The tears at the corner of his eyes, broke her in some extend.

Rex shook his head to himself and closed his eyes taking in a sharp breath to open it back to normal.

"The place I grew up. My Parents home." he replied in a low voice.

She creased her eyebrows, "I don't understand."

Rex looked at her and smiled, "A place which was a happy home till the parents were killed in cold blood, leaving two young boys, alive to see it all."

His words left Madeline shuddered in her place. While Rex kept studying through her, she let out a shaky breath and looked around the same place, but now with a terrifying story backing it.

"W..when did this happen?"

"I was 10" letting out a sigh, "I told you, I will tell you a story." shrugging, " Now you know it all."

"I'm sorry..!!"

Rex walked up towards her, "It's been years, honey. Time has changed. So, did the situations."

Madeline shifted her gaze towards the worn out wall.

"Follow me."

He turned his heel and walked into another room. Madeline trailed him, studying through the surroundings, till she reached another room. It was a bedroom, with wooden walls.  Rex moved the past the room and twisted the knob of a weakly held door. He looked over at Madeline before pushing it open. As, the door swinged outward, a gush of wind travelled inside the room, along with a subtle smell of damp mud.

Rex turned towards her with a smile, "And, here comes the biggest surprise." and signalled her to follow him.

As she crossed the threshold of the door, the gloomy ambience of the house got altered with a heavenly atmosphere. Trees standing unnoticed over the muddy banks of a gushing backwater. The gargling sound of the water, along the almost inaudible sound of the air, sounded no less than music. The moonlight casting a blue shadow over the leaves and the twinkling water made the place look like a scenery straight out of a mythical story. All her gloom was washed away, by the beauty of the place.

Rex walked closer to her back, as she kept standing facing the lake, "This was what, I wanted to show you."

"It's beautiful." she marveled.

"I know right." Rex leaned closer and held her hand from behind, tangling his fingers into hers, "I knew you would like it."

Madeline replicated his actions by curling her fingers to his. They stayed their in silence, for a brief moment. As, a comparatively stronger gush of wind, brushed through their face. Madeline closed her eyes, slowly inhaling in the smell of mud.

As, the strands of her hair flew back, Rex closed his eyes as her hair brushed through his face.

"I never let anyone, this close to me." Rex admitted in a hoarse voice, "My life is never easy and anyone connected to me would just be a weakness. That kept me away from emotions. But, you are different."

Madeline turned her heel towards him, and looked deep into his eyes.

 "I don't know, if I can ever be away from you. But, at the same time, I can't let anyone learn about you."

"What are you talking about?"

Rex furrowed his eyebrows and looked at the ground. After a brief moment, he smiled, "Let that be a story for another day."

"Rex, " Madeline questioned with a note of uncertainty, "What is that, you are hiding?"

Rex looked up at her and heaved, "I promise to tell you everything, when the time is right. I promise, I would never let you down." he slipped his hands over her cheeks while Madeline kept looking at him clueless, " Whatever it will be, I will always find a way back to you. Just, don't leave my side." slowly rubbing her cheeks gently with his thumb, "Will you be by my side forever? Whatever game our fate plays with us. Will you stick to me?"

There was no words, she could gather. She was witnessing the naked soul of the gleeful person. Till today, her fear was only about herself. But, now he was added to it. She was scared to be the reason this man goes through the pain, never to recover from.

I failed to gather up her guts to let him know the truth. Questions on how he would react, filled her mind.

Nothing ever could effect her the way his gaze did. It looked like a whole new world to her, which she would happily get lost. A warmth, she can close her eyes and snuggle without the fear of anything near her. She never failed this safe ever before.

His gaze slowly traveled to her lips. She responded by parting her lips, giving him an access. In no time, he crushed his lips into hers, sweeping her away from the face of harsh reality.

A tear threatened to escape her eyes. He hit the most delicate part within her - the capacity to fall in love. Yet, she was finding herself far from complaining. He managed to pull off the armor, she held for years. As, his hands traveled through her back, to her hairline, she responded back by curling her hand around his neck.

As, the clouds swiped off the moon, making the illumination brighter, they found themselves getting engrossed in each other with the passing time.

The phone rang, glowing as the only light inside the dark room, over a shelf adjacent to the bed, where Madeline and Rex were snuggled up. Madeline opened her eyes and reached for the phone.

"Hmm!"

"It's 11:45!"

Madeline opened her eyes wide.

"'ll be right there.

"Contact me, as you reach."

"Hmm.."

Madeline pulled the phone near her eyes and looked at the screen - 11: 46 pm. She glanced at Rex to see him sleeping peacefully. His chest slowly rising and falling at a slow rhythm. After ensuring that he was asleep, she got up from the bed; dressed up carefully, not to wake him up and walked out of the house.

(make sure, there are scenes altering between present and past, bold depict past and italics depict present)

Madeline jolted at the sudden sound of foot steps approaching the prison, as she pulled her neck, in an attempt to see, who was approaching. Suddenly, a bald man approached the prison and stepped in. Madeline quickly stepped back.

Madeline moved her head in denial, as tears rolled down her cheeks and spoke in a low coherent tone, "I can't take it anymore. Please....!"

"It's not a charity. I have paid for it." the man replied in a dead voice.

Bald man approached as she stood there, helplessly, "NO! let me go."

None of her plead seemed to effect him. He went closer to her and dig his face, into her neck. Madeline even though disgusted by the touch, had no other option, than to submit. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she stood there still.

But, there was a will power in her more than her physical strength, at that point of time. She refused to accept. She lowered her gaze down and narrowed her eyebrows, to find something peeping from his back pocket.

Madeline walked inside the isolated, seventh floor of the worn out building, as the dry wear outs, falling off the ceiling, creaked when Madeline stepped on them. She went up towards the window and spotted the window in the building on the either side. She peered through the small opening when a man walked up to the window. He was on a call and he leaned his back against the window.

Jackpot!

She carefully held the handle and pulled out the mini gun. She took a deep breath and used the egde of the handle to hit his hip joint, jolting him out to a distance. Without wasting anymore time, she pointed the gun, straight into his head, with shaking hands.

She carefully placed the sniper Rifle over the over the window pane, and aimed the mil dot reticle, straight at the back of the man's head.

"YOU B*TCH!!" The man shouted in a defensive voice, "HOW DARE YOU TAKE MY GUN OUT?"

Madeline still holding the gun, spoke in a shaky, yet determined tone, "Let me out."

"What do you think, you are doing?" he held his hands up in defense.
"I don't know, what I am doing. But, you will regret if you deny. I have a gun. Let me go."

Bald Man let out a fake smile, "You are wrong in your decision, honey."

Madeline did not move.

"Are you ready?"
"I am." she replied in a composed voice

"You need some more time?"

"DROP THAT GUN AND KNEEL!"The man hollered

A determination now spread over her face, "Never!"

"I'm ever ready."

BANG!!!

Madeline dropped the gun, as the man collapsed on the floor, when a bullet hit his head. She started to breath heavy.

"Did I just kill a man?"

She, unable to hold back her tears, started to cry. But, this did not stop her. She scanned through the surroundings, rubbed her tears and ran. She was unaware, where she was going. But, she ran, to get herself away from their reach.

A smirk quirked up her lips, "Target Down."

"Good Job, Lizzie."