ZANDER

The scream echoed throughout the silent woods, providing me a clear path to her. I knew it was her.

Josh was close behind when I found her, strapped around a tree, as cold as ice.

"Allison, Allison can you hear me. It's me Zan, I'm right here."

Her face was so cold when I held it.

"Come on Al."

I untied her and cradled her in my arms. She was so cold.

"Hey." Her raspy voice was magic to my ears.

I exhaled in relief and looked down at her limp form in my hands. She nestled into my chest and started shivering intensely.

"Al!"

Josh knelt down beside us.

"We need to get her in the warm, quickly."

"Okay. I'll get the van."

Josh returned about 15 minutes later with the van. It was pitch black and driving through the woods was extremely difficult. Josh managed it though. I didn't want to leave her by herself, so I continued to hold her in the back while Josh drove. All the while shivering, she never once said anything about what had happened. She just looked into my eyes, fatigue and fright glazing them.

I just held her as tight as I could. No one was ever going to take her away from me again.

*******

ALLISON

When I woke up, my body was warm and my eyes were dry. A blanket was wrapped multiple times round me and i could smell Zander's cologne on it. My heart skipped a beat and I knew I was safe.

Far away from that awful wood.

Far away from that awful man.

"Come here." Zander walked into the room.

I'd only just realised where we were and it was strange being in my room. I felt like I hadn't been there in ages. It was just how I left it.

My bed seemed more comfy than before though.

Zander got another blanket and wrapped it around us. He then hugged me so tightly I thought I would suffocate.

"I'm so so sorry."

Tilting my head to the side, I looked up at him and smiled. Shaking my head, I told him that it wasn't his fault.

"I shouldn't have fallen asleep. I should have made sure you were alright. I'm so stupid and-"

"Stop it. It wasn't your fault, it was mine. I shouldn't have gone out alone."

We stared into each other's eyes for a long time and it dawned on me that I have a thing for him. I hadn't really noticed it till now but there was something between us. Something different.

"We thought you were dead."

When he said that, I was taken back to what the stranger in the woods said. Why hadn't he killed me yet? Was he going to before I screamed?

"How's your side?"

"What?"

"Your side."

I was confused until I felt a jolt of pain in in my side. Lifting up the oversized hoodie I was wearing, I saw a bandage over my left side.

"What happened?"

"That's what I was wondering. Do you remember how you got it?"

"No."

It must have happened after he knocked me out.

I couldn't tell Zander that though. He'd freak out.

I couldn't tell anybody what happened.

I was going to find the man that did this and he was going to pay.