"Madeline?" asked Nathan as he turned around to see who said my name. I turned around with him to see an all too familiar face.
"Oh, Madeline knows."
"Um, sir. You must be mistaking her for someone else. She isn't named Madeline, it's Ellie."
"Ah, Ellie. That's what you are going by now."
I kept my month shut. There was no way I was going to blow my cover.
"ANSWER ME MADELINE!!" Dirk roared.
"Um, Hello sir I don't know. I'll answer you anyway even though my name isn't Madeline," I blabbed. "I mean, Madeline is a very cute name. If your name is Madeline you can go by Madi or Line or . . ."
"JUST SHUT UP GIRL!"
I shut my mouth.
Nathan looked at me with a frightened look on his face. I looked at him. I tried to speak to him with my eyes. "Run," I tried to tell him.
I was amazed at Nathan's abilities to read my eyes, or just because of my frightened face he ran a few seconds after I looked at him. I ran after realizing Nathan left.
"COME BACK HERE!" Dirk yelled.
I just kept on running even though my legs were killing me. I was now crying hysterically. Tears were falling down my face like a waterfall, falling into my mouth making a little lake where they landed. I swallowed those salty tears to keep my throat from drying. I tripped over a root or something sticking out of the ground and landed with a big thud. I felt a sharp pain zapping through my right leg. I screamed in pain.
Nathan turned around to see who let out the scream. When he saw me his eye went wide, and then turned quickly behind me. I turned my head to see that Dirk had got into a black suburban.
"No," Nathan gasped. He ran after me and put his arms around me when he got to me.
"Nathan, I'm sorry," I said as he picked me up but it was too late. Dirk by that time had already stopped the car and was starting to come after us. Nathan ran, but couldn't run well, I could tell because of all the extra weight he was carrying.
"Not your fault," I said breathing before and after words.
"Yes it is!" I wanted to call to him, but I couldn't. My leg was killing me.
Nathan halted to a stop. Somehow Dirk had driven his car in fount of us. He got out of the car and started coming towards us. Nathan didn't move he just stood here.
"Run Nathan! Run!" I screamed at him.
"I can't!" he screamed back.
He turned around to show me that there was another car behind us.
"I got you know kids," said Dirk and then there was darkness.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
"Ellie . . . Ellie . . . . Ellie . . ." said a soft voice. I flashed my eyes open to find myself sitting on grey cement leaning against Nathan's shoulder.
"Ow," I muttered. My leg hurt.
"Ellie, what happened?" asked Nathan. "Oh, by the way, I fixed your broken leg."
"Oh." No wonder it hurt. "How long have we been here?" I asked.
"Ellie, just tell me why that crazy drug addict was trying to kidnap us," he said, his tone was a very serious one.
I sighed, might as well tell him the whole story. "That crazy drug addict, Dirk, killed my best friend, Abbie. He tried to kill me after he shot Abbie. The police came in at that time and Dirk ran off."
"How did you get here then?"
"Witness Protection Program."
Nathan put his head in between his hands. "So your name isn't really Ellie is it?"
"No."
"What is it then?"
"Madeline," I said feeling guilty. Nathan was the best thing that ever happened to me. He was filling in the hole in my heart that was left after all the deaths I had experienced. Now I was exploding with guilt. Nathan didn't know who I really was. He knew me, but didn't know my name. Did that really matter to him? Was I lying to him the whole time I had known him? No, I couldn't have. But, I was lying, I had to.
"Are you still the same girl I feel in love with?"
I was startled. Nathan in love with me? Still? Even if I lied to him?
"My personality didn't change. My physical traits did, and age."
"Let me get this straight. Dirk killed your friend, then tried to kill you, but the police got there in time. You are in the Witness Protection Program, so they changed everything about you."
"Yep."
"How old are you? And I mean really."
"Thirteen, I'm turning fourteen in less than a month."
He gave a sigh of relief.
"Why did you need to know that?"
"Because I'm turning fifteen tomorrow. I wanted to make sure you weren't like ten."
I gasped. "That's right! Your birthday is tomorrow. I'm so sorry that you got into this with me. Ugh, I'm so stupid I should've just . . ."
Nathan stopped me, "You couldn't do anything Ell -- Madeline. It isn't your fault."
"But I still feel bad."
"Don't. I'm glad that I got kidnapped with you rather than someone else."
The squeaky door opened and let in a bright light.
"Get out of here love birds. I heard you talking," said Dirk showing an evil smile.
Both Nathan and I got up and followed Dirk. I was scared. What was he going to do to me this time? Dirk lead us to a hallway with two doors.
"Madeline, in that one," he said pointing to the first door. I started walking toward the door and Nathan started to follow me.
"Whoa, hold there bud," he said pushing Nathan back. "You're not coming with her."
"But . . ." Nathan tried to protest. He looked at me with a loving, worried look on his face. I looked at him through my blurry eyes. I was starting to cry. Would I ever see him again?
Dirk pushed me farther into the room and shut the door leaving me forever separated from Nathan.
