"So, you're not attracted to me anymore. I get it." Michael assumed as we spoke on the phone.

"No! No, that's not it at all!" I argued, shaking my head at him even though he couldn't see me.

"Then what is it? I can't figure you out, Halen!"

"It has absolutely nothing to do with you! You're perfect! It's just that town, Mike. I can't stay there and I can feel that I'm supposed to be here for a reason." I explained best I could.

"Look, I've heard your grandfather's fucking bedtime stories until I'm sick at my stomach and I just...I don't know. Is it really worth it, Halen? Do you think it's important enough to lose me over? Because this stupid shit is really getting old." Okay, now he's starting to piss me off.

"Stupid? You think this is stupid?! That's funny, because I never called your little business trips stupid."

"Hey, that's different." he told me in a warning tone of voice.

"No it isn't, Mike. If you think I'm that damn stupid, then what are you doing with me? Huh? Answer me that, because I'd really like to know!" I argued, running a hand through my hair. I was becoming very frustrated with him. We have been having these same arguments for the whole week.

"I don't know...I guess it's because I love you, you dumb ass." he told me in a voice that lacked anger. I couldn't stop myself from chuckling as all of my anger disappeared. I suddenly realized that he was just as frustrated about this as I was and to be honest, I had brought all of this on myself.

"Well, I love you, too. Asshole."

"You know you love it." he jested, making me roll my eyes with a big smile on my face.

"I'm so sorry. I know it's all my fault...I just...I dunno..."

"Well I'm not gonna quit my job right away...but I can visit you every weekend." he stated, making me smile brightly and squeal in happiness.

"Really?!"

"Yeah, really. I wouldn't do this for just anyone. You should know that you're special."

"Michael, I knew I was special the first time you told me you loved me." I told him truthfully, closing my eyes and smiling at the memory. He sighed heavily and I could almost see him closing his eyes just as I did.

"Damn, I wish I was there." he whispered into the phone.

"Believe me. So do I." I whispered back, suddenly hating myself for doing something this stupid. I really miss Michael and I don't want to lose him. Maybe I should just go back. Just go back and forget that this whole thing ever happened. But then there's the fact that I spent so long planning this out and saving up the money for it. It wasn't as if Michael and I didn't have the money, it was just that I didn't want him to know about it so I found other ways to get the money. Yes, I had planned on telling him right before we got into that argument. It just didn't happen that way. So, no, I can't turn away from this surreal, magnetic force that is pulling me to be here. I have to stay.

"Baby, I have to get off here, I have a client waiting." he told me, catching me off guard.

"Oh...you're at the office? But you usually don't go in on Fridays..." I said, trailing off, confused.

"Well I don't when you're home. I have nothing else to do with my time, so I'm working."

"Okay, honey, I'll let you go. So you're flying in...tomorrow?" I asked in a hopeful voice.

"Anything for you, Halen." his voice seemed almost tired.

"Yay! Okay...I love you, Mikey. Bye."

"Love you too, baby. Bye." I heard him say before I hung up the phone. I sighed, standing up and shoving my cell phone in my pocket. What to do now... I walked over to the window and pulled the curtain back to look outside. Well, there's that bar that I've been meaning to check out, maybe I'll go have a drink.

In the end, I decided that what I was already wearing was fit to wear to the bar if I added a pair of hills with it. I pulled a pair of simple black hills out of my bag and slipped them on. Then, I pulled out my make up bag and applied some dark eyeshadow and eyeliner. Then, I added some clear lip gloss to my lips. I ran my fingers through my hair to make sure that I didn't have any tangles. I posed a little in the mirror before I turned around an walked out the door. I slowly made my way across the street to the bar. As I went inside, I made note that it was called 'Happy Hour'. It was a bit crowded inside the dimly lit room, but I wasn't exactly concerned about that. I wasn't necessarily there to meet people, I just honestly needed a drink. I walked right up to an empty part of the bar and had a seat, putting my purse in front of me.

"What can I get for ya?" a short, redheaded man asked me.

"Um...Just give me Martini." I told him with a shrug.

"Ma'am, I know it's none of my business, but are you sure you want something that strong? I mean, you are here alone." the man asked me, seeming genuinely concerned.

"Yeah... I'll be fine. I'm staying just across the street. Thank you for your concern." I told him with a sweet smile.

"You got it, lady." he said, turning around to go mix my drink. I sat there and looked around at the room while I waited for my drink. It was dimly lit and you could barely see the faces of the men who were sitting all around. Though, you could tell that none were really that good looking. I sighed, feeling rather unimpressed by the place and looked back up to watch the bartender finish making my drink. He brought it over to me with a smile and I thanked him, immediately taking a gulp.

"Hey lady." someone greeted me, sitting in the bar stool next to mine. I looked over to see a man with a fedora wearing a leather jacket.

"Uh...hey... I have a boyfriend." I told him, hoping that would prevent him from hitting on me. He looked over at me with an amused smirk, his brown eyes sparkling a bit.

"Hey now, no one's gettin' fresh here. I was just trying to be nice." he said, holding his hands up. I could tell that he had somewhat of a buzz, due to the glassiness of his eyes.

"Sorry, just making sure. It's just that I'm not from around here..." I said, trailing off. I didn't want to tell him too much and I honestly didn't even owe him an explanation.

"Well I give you props for being faithful, at least... Where are you from?" he started the conversation. By that time I had finished my drink and ordered another.

"Look, buddy, I'm not really trying to make any friends here..." I said, trying not to sound too rude.

"I'm a decent guy, okay? The only reason I'm over here right now is because I saw those old fucks over there scoping you out. I'm just doing you a favor, if you must know." he explained, raising his eyebrows. Way to make me feel bad for being a bitch.

"Oh...I'm sorry..." I trailed off, realizing that I didn't know his name. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then he gave me his name.

"Rob." he said with a small smile. He didn't really look like a 'Rob', but who am I to judge?

"Okay, Rob. Sorry...and my name is Halen." he smiled widely when I told him my name.

"Apology accepted...So it's Halen, like Van Halen?"

"Yes. My father was a big fan."

"Interesting...hey, let me buy you a drink." he offered, looking down at my empty glass.

"No...that's not necessary. I've had one too many already." I told him, waving my hand.

"Well, have one more too many. Please, it's the least I can do for annoying the shit out of you." he told me, giving me the most cheesiest smile.

"Well...one more wouldn't hurt...but then I'm leaving." I said, returning his smile. He ordered the drink and the bartender sat it in front of me. I knew it wasn't a great idea to have a third drink of something so strong, but I was only across the street. Besides, I'm usually good with alcohol.

"So, what do you do for a living?" he asked me, trying to start a conversation.

"To be honest, I usually just stay home and take care of my boyfriend...I'm on vacation at the moment, though." I explained to him, starting to feel a lot more comfortable with him. I guess it's just the alcohol, though.

"Oh, what does your boyfriend do?" he asked me, almost seeming as if he didn't really care.

"He's a lawyer." I told him with a nod.

"I see. So where is he now? I'm not gonna get my ass beat for talking to you am I?" he asked with a light chuckle. I chuckled back, shaking my head.

"No. He isn't here at the moment..." I trailed off, not exactly letting him know that he wasn't even in the country. I don't want any funny business. He just nodded at my words, a comfortable silence setting in.

"So, Rob. What do you do?" I asked, taking another gulp of my drink. He gave me a strange look, but he reluctantly answered.

"Well, actually, I'm a car salesman." he told me with a small smirk. I nodded, understanding.

"So that's how you talked me into having another drink. You must be good at your job."

"I can't afford not to be." he told me with a serious look. I chuckled, even though it wasn't that funny. Again, the alcohol. Finally, I finished the glass and decided that I needed to go.

"Well, Rob. It was nice meeting you. I best be on my way." I told him, standing up. My legs felt just a little wobbly, but I ignored that.

"I'm sure I'll see you again...maybe sooner than you think..." he told me as I walked away from him. I felt a bit weirded out by his words, but in the end I decided to just forget about it and get back to my room.

I stepped outside into the cold, night air. I felt chill bumps raise up on me and I crossed my arms, a frill attempt to keep myself warm. It was sort of creepy outside, but I decided to ignore that and go on. I stepped slow, fearing that I might trip on my hills and possibly fall. I heard a shuffling noise from behind me and it startled me a bit, so when I tried to turn around and see, I stumbled and fell down on my knees.

"Shit!" I called, feeling a stinging sensation on my knees. I turned over and looked down at my knees. They were bleeding. I was about to get back up when I heard an unfamiliar voice.

"Ma'am, are you okay?" someone asked me in a somewhat annoyed voice. I looked up to see a short man with a mohawk peering down at me.

"Uhh..." I started to tell him that I was fine when another voice interrupted.

"Johnny I told you not to harm one hair on her body!" Rob said, coming up next to 'Johnny'.

"You let the bitch drink too much! She fell! That's not my fault!"

"Rob, what the hell is going on?" I asked, still sitting on the ground. I was becoming very nervous and the alcohol was beginning to wear off.

"You told her your name is Rob?!" the short man asked, seeming very amused. I started to get up slowly.

"It's the only thing I could think of!" 'Rob' defended himself. I sort of caught on as I finally stood on my feet. I didn't try to run because I knew that I would only fall again. Instead, I started to slowly back away.

"Stay calm, honey." the short one said, quickly grabbing my arm. I just did as he said, because I knew that I would be injured someway if I didn't listen. I had been kidnapped before and I know how this sort of thing goes.

"Please don't do this." I began to plead. I tried not to sound too desperate. They just ignored me.

"So what did you say her name was?" Johnny asked, pulling me closer to him. He wasn't trying to rough me up, he was just making sure that he had a firm hold on me.

"Halen." 'Rob' replied. I still hadn't heard his real name.

"Wow, Gates. You've outdone yourself this time. Shadows will love this." Johnny complimented him with a sly smirk.

"Who the fuck is Shadows?!" I asked in my most annoyed voice. They were really starting to piss me off. If they're going to kidnap me, I wish they'd just do it already. 'Gates' finally looked me in the eyes.

"He's our boss. He will be your boss soon. That's all you need to know for now." he told me. I gasped when I felt a stinging pain in my neck. I am being injected with something. Before I could say or do anything else, everything went black and I was dead to the world.