Average

Author's Note:

She is a girl who never stops thinking. She's prettier than she thinks, braver than she feels, and keeps a running commentary moving through her head. She's the kind of girl who tears apart her appearance in a mirror, yet flaunts her curves with confidence she doesn't feel. She's the kind of girl who sees all her own flaws, even when no one else has ever noticed them before. She's cute, she's funny, she's sincere. And she never stops thinking. Her body is curvy, her hips are wide, her shoulders are broad. Her chest is larger than she'd like it to be, and she always wants to lose weight, even when she doesn't need to. She's based off of me, though sometimes loosely, and she is better than me because she's as brave as I would like to be. She stands up for herself in a way I don't think I ever could. And she has a bright inner light that refuses to die, even when mine has already.

I've never written a story like this before, and I'm super nervous about submitting this one. Please be kind to the fearful author. I'll gobble up your praise, bask in your adoration, and hide in the basement if you're cruel. And yes, I know that last sentence wasn't properly parallel. I know these things. What I don't know is how to make my writing better, so please leave a nice comment. I'll try to improve wherever I can.

Love, the girl who never stops thinking, CrystalineScar

*****

She looked in the mirror to see what she looked like. At first glance, she saw striking blue eyes and a clear complexion. Silky blonde hair hung in slight waves past her shoulders. As she looked longer, though, she noticed the flaws. The way her right cheek bone was higher than the left, which made both her eyes and her lips slightly lopsided. The right side was taller, and the left side was longer. Her hair, blonde and wavy, earned her many compliments, but she hated it today. It was too flat here, too mousey coloured there. Her large breasts were lopsided too, with the left one being slightly bigger. She knew this because her bras fit funny, every single one. That's how she knew they truly were lopsided.

She turned sideways to look at her stomach. Her best friend, Adrian, told her that she was skinny and sexy. She knew she was slim, but she never felt skinny. Her tummy wasn't flat enough. She frowned and glanced over to the scale, tempted to see if she'd lost any weight since yesterday.

"I look fat." She said her reflection. "Not really fat though. Just chubby enough to not be really slim."

She ran her hands over her stomach and hips. There was a small bowing out around her belly button and there wasn't quite a hollowness between her hips. She longed to have a flat stomach and a hollow between her hips. She longed to be rid of her slight muffin top. And she longed to look in the mirror and see a girl who was more than average.

She took one last resigned look into the mirror before stripping and stepping into the shower.

After a long, hot shower, she reached her hand behind the shower curtain to grab her towel. As her fingers closed against the rough cloth, she felt a hand grab her wrist. She shrieked and jerked her hand back.

"Who are you and why are you in my bathroom?" she shouted. She cowered in the shower, afraid to reach for her towel again, but not wanting to be naked in a room with a stranger, and a creepy stranger at that.

"Get out. I'll call the police." She said, trying to keep her voice from giving away her fear.

She jumped as the shower curtain was pulled roughly to the side. Her hands shot to cover her chest and she clenched her legs together. As she backed into the shower wall, she looked at the man in front of her. If he hadn't been intruding in her bathroom, she would have described him as tall, dark, and handsome. His green eyes seemed to grow darker as he moved towards her.

She had nowhere to run, and nothing good could ever come of a strange, silent man invading her bathroom. She began to frantically think of ways to defend herself. SING, she told herself, remembering the last time she had watched Miss Congeniality. Solarplexes. Instep. Nose. Groin. The most vulnerable points on a man's body are the solarplexes, or the area between the ribs and the top of the stomach, the instep, or top of the foot, the nose, and the groin.

An amused expression crossed his face.

"What's that?" he asked in a mild and deep voice. Confused, she shook her head.

"What was what?"

"What you were just mumbling to me?"

Her eyes widened and her already mild blush deepened. She hadn't realized she was thinking out loud. He took advantage of her momentary shock and confusion to step into the tub and close the space between them. Panic took over and she lashed out, clawing at his face with her right hand. She got in one good blow before he had a hold on both of her wrists. He pressed his body into hers, pinning her to the cold shower wall. He pinned both of her wrists to the wall with his left hand, and his right moved to her waist. She gasped in surprise as his hand came to rest on her hip, thumb on top of her hip bone, fingers spread out along her back.

She struggled to control the fear that was coursing through her. In that moment, she just wanted to close her eyes and pretend nothing frightening was happening, but she couldn't. The stranger was a lot stronger than she was, and, although she tried, she couldn't move her wrists at all. She shuddered inwardly at her nakedness and how vulnerable she was. She decided to not let her fear rule her, and she gathered up all the courage she possessed.

"Let go of me, you fiend." She spat in his face as she struggled against his grip. He didn't react except to chuckle again, and she wondered what it would take to shatter his calm demeanor.

"Now, let's not have any of that kitten," he whispered into her ear. "No more scratching. No more spitting. And no more struggling. Now what was that you were mumbling before I got my hands on you?" She felt an involuntary tingle, of fear or something else, she didn't know what, run down her spine.

"SING. Solarplexes, instep, nose, groin. I wanted to fight you." She mumbled, still struggling against him. She could hear his amusement in his voice when he next spoke.

"No matter what you do, you won't win this fight. Why not safe your strength for later? That's the most logical path, isn't it now? Because I'm sure you've realized that I've got the clear advantage." To prove his point, that she was truly helpless against his well-built body, he ground his erection into her and moved his hand from her hip to her chest. She shuddered as he lightly ran his knuckles down the skin just outside her breast.

"Get off me creep." She growled through clenched teeth. Tears of frustration and fear threatened to spill from her eyes as he laughed softly.

"Only if you ask nicely, little one. And if you promise to not do any more scratching or fighting. I'd prefer to not hurt you. You're so tiny, I'm a little afraid of breaking you." Anger coursed through her at his utter self-confidence and at the condescension in his tone.

"Fine. We'll do it your way." She said, with as firm a tone as she could muster. His smile widened and he backed off from her, though he didn't let go of her wrists. She jumped as his right hand slipped over her nipple before he reached behind him to grab her towel for her.

"If I let go of your wrists," he said, "do you promise you'll behave and do as I say?"

Left with a choice between being manhandled through whatever was to come and having some control over her own body, she nodded her head.

"I want to hear you say it. Tell me you'll behave and obey me. Tell me that you'll accept the consequences if you misbehave. Do that and I'll let go of you." His green eyes darkened with what she thought to be amusement and arousal. Still, he was offering her a glimpse of freedom, and she would be remiss if she didn't take what she could get.

"Fine then. I agree to behave." A sneer coloured her tone as she said the last word. The corner of his mouth twitched into a half-smile. His grip on her hands tightened as he bent down and sucked one of her nipples into his mouth. Her whole body jerked with surprise as he gently sucked on it and flicked it with his tongue. Then, he let go of her wrists and took a step back.

She barely kept herself from striking him again, reminding herself that, for now, he was in control, and antagonizing him would do nothing. She snatched her towel from his hand and quickly wrapped herself up in it. She grabbed her clothes from the floor and turned away from him before getting dressed. She moved as fast as she could with the dry fabric sticking to her still-damp skin. She glanced over her shoulder to see what he was doing, but he was just leaning against the door, picking at his nails. At the moment, he looked non-threatening enough, but she still had to fight being paralyzed by fear. Once she had all of her clothes on, she plopped down on the toilet seat and crossed her arms, trying to look more relaxed than she felt.

"What now then?" she said, acid dripping from her voice. He looked up at her, and smirked at her hostile posture.

"Well, this is the part where I ask your name" he said, humor in his voice.

"No." She said defiantly.

"Then tell me your name because you agreed to be compliant."

"Maybe I've changed my mind."

"I don't think you want to know the consequences of misbehaving, kitten." A mutinous expression crossed her face as she reconsidered her position.

"Fine. You first." He seemed both amused and exasperated at her stubbornness.

"Kyal. Now it's your turn."

"Ehlena."

"Ehlena, I like that. It's just as beautiful as you are."

"Don't be patronizing, it doesn't suit you. And seeing as you're either a rapist, a kidnapper, or both, you don't need to bother with pretending to be nice because it's obvious that you aren't."

Kyal didn't reply beyond a heavy sigh. The next few minutes passed in silence, with Kyal looking at her, and Ehlena looking anywhere but him. She kept him in her peripheral vision just in case he tried anything. Suddenly, his expression changed.

"Why didn't you scream for help?" honest curiosity coloured his voice.

"People scream all sorts of things around here all the time. In this building, it would've gone unnoticed anyway." Ehlena said bitterly, though she was hoping to make a scene if he tried to take her from her small apartment. "It's not a bad neighborhood, but it's the cheapest housing in the area. That brings in all sorts of people. It's all I can afford." She paused and frowned. "How did you get in, anyway? I have two deadbolts."

"I had a wild youth where I picked up many different skills."

"Like breaking and entering?" She asked, with a bit of sarcasm. A wild grin broke out on his face.

"More like kidnapping." And he strode across the small bathroom and grabbed her wrists again before she registered what was happening. Startled by his sudden proximity, Ehlena jerked back, lost her balance, and would have fallen off the toilet if Kyal hadn't been holding her wrists.

"Careful there kitten. I'm not going to hurt you."

"I have no proof of that. So far, you've accosted me while I was naked in my own shower and I think you're about to try to kidnap me. None of that breeds any confidence in my safety while in your presence." Still holding her wrists, Kyal looked her in the eyes with his first truly serious expression.

"I mean you no harm. I know that you have no evidence to support that and that all the signs point to me being a horrible ruffian, but I try to be a good guy. I really do. And I can promise to you that I will do my best to keep you safe."

"What do you want with me? Why are you doing this? Why can't you just leave me alone?" Ehlena tried to jerk her wrists out of his grip, but his steel-like fingers didn't budge. Kyal's expressing softened.

"I'm going to take you back to my homeland. There, I'm not certain what fate will befall you, though, judging on your courage, intelligence, and beauty, you will be bought by someone who will treat you well. As to why I'm taking you, I'm doing it because I have to. I'm from Aluria and, by the end of this year, your country will be under siege. Our scouts have been studying this land for months, and they have chosen the best and brightest of your civilians to be brought back to Aluria as, for lack of a better term, souvenirs before your whole country is wrought unrecognizable. You are one of a handful of civilians who are to be sold just after we declare war. When the war is over, your leaders will be sold as trophies of sorts, as a warning to our enemies. I don't know where you will end up, but I would like to buy you. With me, you will be treated well."

"Buy me? Is that really what you said? I am not an object to be traded. I am a human being. I have rights. And this is so totally absurd. I don't know what drugs you're on, but you need to go away and leave me alone."

Ehlena started thrashing to try to get free. Panic was setting in as her situation became more real. Kyal pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her so she couldn't move. Ehlena stopped struggling and started sobbing into his shoulder. She was confused as to why she was leaning on him for support- emotionally and physically it seemed.

"I have no choice but to take you in. And yes, you will be sold at auction. Your country is currently being farmed for your best, brightest, and most attractive. Even if I refused to take you in, someone else would do it. And trust me, you'd rather be brought in by me than by anyone else. I still view you as human, see? The others, tend to see their captives as less than human. You know what I said about souvenirs? That's all you are to them. I know you're scared, but trust me, the less you struggle, the better it will be for you. It's okay to be afraid Ehlena, and I promise I will do what I can to make this as easy on you as I can, but I'm going to need your help for that. Will you please cooperate with me?"

"Why? What's the point of all this? What's going to happen to me? And why do you even care? If this is your job, why do you care at all about what happens to me? One average face in with a million others. Why would you care about me at all?" Ehlena leaned back to look at his face. His brow was furrowed and his eyes were serious.

"Because you're special. And this isn't my job, not my normal one, at least. It's mandatory that all men serve five years in the military." He gave Ehlena a slight smile. "This is the first bit of war they've let me near, and it's relatively low risk. I was supposed to have a partner for this, but he got held up under a pile of paperwork from our last retrieval mission. I'll actually be leaving the military in less than a month. My five years are almost up and I can't wait to get home. I think I hate this task more than I hated the office work they had me in before. And as to why I would care about you? Because you didn't scream. Because you've held your head high despite the fear I can see in your eyes. There's something about you, Ehlena. Something special. I just hope that my father will let me buy you."

"I'm not special, and I'm not property to be bought or sold." Ehlena tried to add firmness to her voice, but it came out sounding, to her ears, weak and weary.

"You are now, love. And I have a deadline to fulfill. Are you going to make a fuss when we leave, or will you be good? It'll be much easier on us both if you don't lie to me."

Ehlena weighed her options. It was likely that no one would come to her aid if she fought. And Kyal seemed to be on her side at the moment. It would be stupid to throw that away. If she had no choice to regain her freedom, which she doubted she'd be able to, it would be best to have someone sympathetic to her plight. She didn't want to think about what he could've done to her while she was naked in the shower, and she knew that most other men in his position would've taken advantage of her situation. It would not be a good idea to abuse his tentative trust or push away his kindness. Having made her decision, she looked him in the eye with all the force she could muster.

"I'll not fight you, though I will be looking for an opportunity to escape at every turn. I do not wish to go with you, but I've decided to try to stay on your good side." Kyal smiled and released her.

"That's a good choice kitten. You won't regret it." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thick collar which he fastened around her neck. Then, he grabbed her right hand and fastened a handcuff on it. He placed the other cuff on his own left wrist.

"That's a tracking collar. You'll be fitted with an implant later, but that'll happen later. With that and the handcuffs, you needn't bother looking for a way to escape. And besides, you'll be next to me every step of the way, what could be better? And no one will even notice. Now, hold my hand and let's get going." His long fingers intertwined with hers as he led her out of the bathroom. Ehlena looked for the last time at the familiar sights of her apartment, feeling homesick already.

"Can I grab something to take with me? Please? Just something from home so I don't feel so lost." Ehlena's voice quavered with fear and sadness at her admission of this slight weakness. Kyal sighed.

"You won't be allowed to keep anything you bring. It'll be sold or burned as soon as we reach the auction house. Though, if you trust me, I may be able to sneak it to you later. That is, if I can buy you once we reach Aluria."

Ehlena thought about his offer for a moment before making her decision. It was the best bet she had at having a taste of home while being trapped in a foreign country.

"Ok. What can I bring?"

"Something small. Do you have a piece of jewelry or something like that?"

Ehlena nodded and made her way to her bedroom. With her free hand, she rummaged through her jewelry chest until she found her favorite necklace. She handed it to Kyal who fastened it around his own neck. Ehlena made a face at him so he explained.

"It's less likely to get lost this way. Is there anything else you'd like for me to smuggle for you? As long as it's small, it should be all right."

"Umm... would you be able to take a picture?" she asked timidly. "It's of my parents, see, before they died." Kyal smiled and nodded.

"Sure. I can take a picture."

Ehlena grabbed a worn photograph from her night stand and handed it to him. He folded it carefully and put it into his wallet.

"Is there anything else? I think I can smuggle a little more for you, if you want."

A sudden dark thought occurred to Ehlena- that he might be trying to get her to owe him a favor later. She didn't want to owe him anything, but, if he could manage to give her a slice of home, she was willing to take that chance.

"You wouldn't be willing to smuggle Smoky for me, would you?"

"What's smoky?" he asked curiously.

"He's my teddy bear," her eyes were aimed at the floor like she was waiting for him to laugh. "I know I'm twenty and everything, but I still sleep with him. I've had him since I was little. I don't need him to protect me from monsters anymore, but he does help me sleep, since I'm so used to sleeping with him. I figure he'd be the best taste of home I could bring."

A smile spread across Kyal's face.

"I can do that for you kitten."

A ghost of a smile touched Ehlena's face as she pulled a raggedy teddy bear from her bed. Kyal managed to fit Smoky into his pocket, and he started to walk towards the door.

"Come one, let's get going. We have a long way to go."

Ehlena took one last look around the room before allowing Kyal to lead her into the hallway and out into the unknown.