One day, after a long day at school, I was walking home, taking the usual route through the quiet streets. The late afternoon sun was setting, and a gentle breeze made the leaves rustle above me. I was lost in my thoughts, thinking about the usual things—homework, weekend plans, and what to have for dinner. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind made me stop. I felt a chill run down my spine, and something didn’t feel right.
I turned around and saw someone standing a few steps behind me, dressed all in black. My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly started walking faster, trying to shake off the unease that crept over me. But then, I heard footsteps speeding up behind me. I turned again, and this time, the figure in black was running toward me. Panic hit me, and I tried to run, but I wasn’t fast enough. Before I could scream, he was right in front of me, spraying something in my face. The world spun, my vision blurred, and I collapsed to the ground.
When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was the cold, hard floor beneath me. My head throbbed, and I tried to move, but I couldn’t—I was tied to a chair and blindfolded. Panic washed over me, and I started struggling against the ropes, but they were too tight.
“Where am I? What’s going to happen to me?” I thought frantically.
I heard footsteps coming closer, and I froze. A man’s voice, calm and almost gentle, broke the silence. “Are you okay? Are you hungry?”
The question surprised me. I expected threats or demands, but not concern. My throat was dry, but I managed to whisper, “Yes, I’m fine, but I am hungry. Why are you doing this to me?”
He was quiet for a moment before he replied, “I can’t answer that right now. Not yet.”
Before I could say anything else, I felt him carefully remove the blindfold. I blinked, trying to adjust to the light. When I could finally see, I was shocked. The man standing before me wasn’t what I expected. He was young, probably in his early twenties, with a strong build and a handsome face. He didn’t look like a bad guy at all. His eyes, though, were hard to read.
“I can’t untie your ropes,” he said softly, “but I can feed you if that’s okay.”
I was too stunned to argue, so I just nodded. “It’s okay.”
He moved closer and started feeding me, being surprisingly gentle. As I ate, I couldn’t stop my mind from racing. Who was this guy? Why had he taken me? And why was he being so nice?
When I finished, he wiped my mouth with a soft cloth. “Are you alright now?” he asked, his voice full of concern.
I nodded, still too confused to say much. “Yes, but my uniform got dirty when I fell.”
He seemed to think about it for a moment before saying, “Wait here.” He left the room and came back a few minutes later with some clothes. “They’re a little big, but they should be okay.”
I took the clothes from him, unsure what to think. “How am I supposed to change?”
He sighed, looking a bit unsure. “Okay, I’ll untie you, but promise you won’t try to run away.”
“I won’t run,” I said, not sure if I even could. My legs still felt weak from whatever he had sprayed on me.
He untied me and led me to a small bathroom. I changed into the clothes he gave me, which were a bit too big but clean and comfortable. As I looked at myself in the mirror, I tried to make sense of what was happening. Who was this guy, and what did he want?
When I came out, he was waiting for me. “Do you want to watch some TV?” he asked casually, like this was a normal day.
“Yeah,” I replied, mostly out of confusion.
“You can’t escape from this estate anyway,” he said with a shrug. “So, do whatever you want.”
I nodded and sat down to watch TV, but my mind was too busy to focus. After a while, I fell asleep on the couch, exhausted from everything that had happened.
When I woke up, the first light of morning was streaming through the windows, and the air was filled with the smell of pancakes and bacon. For a moment, I forgot where I was, lost in the comfort of the morning. But then it all came back—the kidnapping, the strange man, and the confusion of it all.
Still, the smell of food was too good to ignore. I followed it to the kitchen, where I found him cooking. It was such a normal scene that I couldn’t help but tease him. “Oh, mister mysterious is a hardworking man.”
He smiled over his shoulder. “Are you hungry? Let’s eat.” As he set the table, he added, “By the way, my name isn’t mister mysterious. It’s Laurenz. You can call me Renz. What’s your name?”
“I’m Yara. I’m 17,” I replied.
He looked a bit surprised. “Seventeen, huh? I’m 22.” There was a pause, and then, out of nowhere, he said, “We’re going on a date.”
My face turned bright red, and I quickly looked away.
He laughed, shaking his head. “I’m just joking. But we are going out to get something, okay? So, when you’re done eating, take a bath, and let me know when you’re ready.”
“Okay,” I said, trying to focus on my breakfast.
After I was done, he handed me a disguise—sunglasses, a hat, and a big hoodie. “Someone might recognize you,” he explained seriously.
But the truth was, I didn’t want to be found. Being with him felt better than my life before. My family had always been cold and distant. With Laurenz, even though everything was weird, there was warmth. So, I followed his instructions without arguing.
When we were ready to go out, he took my hand. “So you don’t run away,” he teased.
I blushed again, feeling like my face was on fire. “Okay,” I mumbled, letting him lead the way.
As we got to the local market, I was amazed by how lively it was. The sights, sounds, and smells were overwhelming, but in a good way. I had never been to a place like this before—my life had always been restricted to fancy schools and my family’s big, empty house. This was a whole new world, and I was completely fascinated.
Laurenz noticed my awe. “You’ve never been here before, have you?”
I shook my head, still taking it all in. “No, never.”
He smiled. “Stick close to me, okay?”
I nodded, and we wandered through the market together. As months went on, I felt more and more comfortable. Laurenz wasn’t what I expected. He was kind, funny, and surprisingly sweet. We talked as we explored, and I found myself laughing at his jokes, forgetting for a while how this all started.
At one point, we stopped at a small café. He got us drinks, and we sat quietly, just watching the world go by. I felt strangely at peace, like I belonged there with him, far from the life I used to know.
When we returned to the estate, I realized that I didn’t want to leave. Days turned into weeks, and we grew closer, our bond deepening with each passing day. Laurenz eventually opened up about why he had taken me, explaining that he had been ordered to do so by someone else but had regretted it the moment he realized who I was.
"I never wanted to hurt you, Yara," he confessed one evening as we sat by the fireplace. "I know this started in the worst way possible, but now... now I can't imagine my life without you."
I was quiet for a long time, processing everything. Despite how it all began, I had come to care for him deeply. I reached out, taking his hand in mine. "I feel the same way, Renz."
His eyes softened, and he pulled me into a gentle hug. "Then let's leave all this behind, start fresh somewhere new. Just the two of us."
And so, we did. We left the estate, disappearing from the lives we once knew, and started a new journey together. With Renz by my side, I felt free for the first time, ready to face whatever the future held.
