The Shadows in Her Wake Ch. 01

Call it Subterfuge...or a rouse...or perhaps just an old fashioned escape...No matter what it was...it did not change the fact that He was likely close behind her.

Tyler's eyes searched frantically for something, anything, or anywhere to help her disappear but it was quickly becoming apparent that it would not happen this way. Mikhail would win again...just like he always did...and most likely always would.

Tyler hated him for this. She hated him all the time, but she hated him most now as she ran barefoot through the unforgiving snow and stumbled between the trees.

Tyler had lived on this land her whole life, and thought she knew it like the back of her hand, but something about the male voices calling out in the distance, and the sound of horses hooves trampling the snow behind her...so close, and yet still unseen...made her forget it all.

He was going to find her, and when he did, he would find Aaron as well...She would not go back..she could not...These thoughts drove her forward. The gates where so very close...almost close enough to see. Her chest burned from the effort to keep running, but she ignored it.

Freedom was close at hand, and she would not have it stolen from her again...even if she was destined only to have a small taste of it.

Tyler shot up in bed, sweat dripping down her forehead and her chest heaving. It had been three years...three whole years and still that nightmare that visited her every so often felt so real.

Running her hand through her short black pixie cut hair, she blinked several times before looking at the alarm clock on her bedside table. 3:00am. As good a time as any to get up and go run of the remnants of anger and fear that nightmare always left clinging to her.

"Happy Birthday to me." She began humming as she shoved herself out of bed. The moon was filtering in through the window and made her pale white skin look almost luminous as she made her way to the mirror above her dresser and stared into her own eyes for a moment.

Cold, icy blue eyes...just like His. She let Mikhail's face float through her thoughts for seconds before shaking her head and shoving him away. It was all over now...he would never get to her again. She thought this meekly, but even as she pulled on a pair of short black running shorts and a tight red tank top, she new it wasn't true.

That feeling had returned. The one that made her look about her, watching the shadows suspiciously as though he may at any time materialize from them.

The last time she had seen him, she had just turned fifteen...and today she was eighteen, as was her twin brother Aaron. She had no idea where either of them was.

"Whatever." Tyler huffed, slamming her dresser drawer closed.

The early morning was chilly, the sky above her threatening of snow now and slowly starting to cover up the moon that had lit her way out of her small apartment. It was alright though, she was not there to be warm...she was not there to be comfortable. She was there to run...and run hard, farther and farther away from the image of the 6'2 nightmare that loomed constantly over her.

Tyler took off down the pavement away from the apartment building, sprinting with everything she had.

It was the only way to feel as though she was still safe...still escaping...and the only thing that kept her from noticing the sleek black limo that followed at a distance behind her.

Her breathing began to labor, but she continued, attempting to keep her mind blank and failing miserably...

"Hello Tyler..." His voice, that thick russian accent...It could make her heart stop the moment she heard it, every time. That familiar feeling of icy water sliding down her spine returned, but she continued facing the fire, hoping for some semblance of security that only the crackling the flames could provide. Shadows played across the floor, making it seem as though he was anywhere and everywhere at once. She knew though, he was behind her, just waiting for her to move without his permission.

"I hear tell...that you woke up late this morning...is that true Tyler?" Mikhail's kept his voice gentle, but Tyler was not fooled.

He prowled behind her like a wolf stalking a small fawn. Tyler's felt as though she would faint from fear when she felt the tip of his finger's trace the line of each of her shoulders.

"Y...yes...I did...sir..."

The tension in the air thickened...almost as though Mikhail had been holding his anger at bay, just waiting for the moment she would confirm it. It was quiet for a moment...until the silence was broken by the sound of leather being pulled through the belt loops of his pants.

She heard the belt buckle, the sound of polished black shoes making their way around to face her...

She did not dare look up at him. She did not want to see the icy, sadistic glint held in the blue eyes of her step-brother...and Mikhail must have known this as he set a finger under her chin and gently forced her chin upwards.

Tyler came to a halt, bending at the waist and emptying what little contents her small stomach held onto the asphalt.

"Stop thinking." She snapped at herself as she straightened, and made her way up the stairs of the large catholic church she had come to a stop in front of.

As she entered, it was empty, as she knew it would be. It was always empty at this time in the morning, and it was her only refuge.

Finding her favorite pew, right up front and kneeling down, she clasped her hands together.

"PATER noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum.... " Tyler began, her voice shaky..

"Adveniat regnum tuum. Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie, et dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris." She tried to ignore the desperate tears beginning to trail down her cheeks as she prayed. Why could she not shake him from her mind!?

"Et ne nos inducas in tentationem..." She attempted to finish...but something was wrong.

And then all of the sudden, there it was...that perfect russian accent, speaking the rest of her prayer as though he had spoken Latin all his life..."sed libera nos a malo. Amen. In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti..."

All was quiet for what seemed like hours...but it was simply a few torturous seconds before Tyler mustered the nerve up through the deep black waters of the terror she was already beginning to drown in to whisper, "You found me..."

She could almost hear his sneer through the darkness beside her where he stood at the edge of the pew.

"As you knew I would...hence why you do not sound at all surprised..." Mikhail whispered, his own voice masking the quiet rage with a calm gentleness...as always.

Slowly...and very slowly, Tyler lifted her eyes to gaze at the shadow she felt had been following her for the past three years. He was so handsome, and she had always thought so.

Paler then the moon itself, 6'2, a stern, strong jaw, and dark, short brown hair that seemed both messy and neat at the same time. His eyes held the same cruel glint she had always seen there though...he seemed much too young for it, being a man of 29.

He wore an expensive black Armani suit, as he always did, with those polished black shoes.

Mikhail looked like a King instead of her step-brother as he held a powerful hand out towards her and asked, "You will come with me now, Tyler. Time to go home." He whispered, even as she burst into tears and stood, holding her arm out to him to grab.

"Good girl. Come now, before anyone else can see you dressed the way you are. You look like a little slut." He snapped, as his fingers wrapped painfully around her flesh and dragged her the rest of the way out of the pew.

"Ya tebya nenavizhu ." Tyler growled. ((I hate you))

Mikhail only laughed, and snaked his hand into her short hair to take a hand full of it and rip her head back to look up at him as they walked.

" And I you, mlatshaya seestra." He chuckled, and shoved her through the church doors.

((Yes, this is very short, but I more less put it up here to get a feel for what everyone thinks about it. Please tell me if you would like to hear more and I promise to make the next chapters much longer. Thanks!))