Lost Hope by Shyanne Henderson (speed reading book .TXT) 📕

Why does this always happen to me? Is all I thought to myself as I walked home. I was alone and it was dark, and of course raining. I never understood on why my parents couldn’t just come and get me after basketball ball practice. It ended around 8:30pm and every night I came out it was dark as and it was usually raining. My parents are just so mean to me. I guess you can say, they just leave me to walk six blocks to my house in the darkness of the night. I could think that they wouldn’t care if I was kidnapped or mugged, no they wouldn’t.

    By now I was soaked in rain and most of the stores were closed down by now. Also there was nobody on the streets, because no one was stupid enough to walk out in the pouring, cold rain. I looked around for some kind of light, nothing besides the dull street lights that barely lit up the street. I groaned and grunted as I was hit by a hard rain drop over and over again, but I just kept on walking, letting the lighting light my path.

    I started to get to the part of the town that had carried the alleyways. Of course this was the most scariest part for me, not knowing what was hiding in the shadows. All I ever did was not even take a glance in the dark, creepy alleyways, but keep my head down and my hood up hoping that nothing would happen.

          Creeks and howls had kept me on my toes as I walked, I was always unsure of where the howls had come from, but sometimes didn't care one little bit.

“Hey” a voice said behind me. I stopped in my place and shivered, not wanting to turn around. It

was deep and manly, there was no sweet sound in it at all. I asked myself one question, how would a 16 year old girl stand up to a older, stronger guy? It was hard for me to question myself with anymore knowing that a stranger was standing behind me, holding and planning who knows what.

    Deciding to keep walking, I did and I could hear the loud steps of his boots behind me. Oh my god. I thought, was was he going to do to me? I wasn’t going to lie, I was scared out of my mind and almost got to the point to where a tear would have joined the falling raindrops.

    The storm kept growing louder and louder by the minute, and I seemed to walk faster and faster.

           He was still following me. This is what my parents had done to me. I could feel something bad was going to happen and that my parents were to blame for this. They should be the ones arrested for letting their child walk alone in the dark and when it was raining.

I gave a long sigh as my phone started to ring. I looked at the caller I.D. Mom is what it said. I answered and I said, “Hello?” I could hear the echos of the pounding rain in the phone, over throwing my voice. Hey, My phone replied back calmly. I wasn't sure why my mom sounded so calm. “Mom there is someone following me.” I whispered, knowing that she probably wasn’t going to be able to hear me. I love you Lauren. She said and hung up the phone. What the heck? I asked myself. I was thinking about why she would say that.

I was interrupted by someone jumping on my back and I fell hard to the ground. My phone broke and I struggled as he stayed on top of me.

“Let me go!” I pleaded as his body weight was starting to crush my body. I couldn’t move at all. He weighed a ton and it was hurting me badly. I squealed as he picked me up, he held my hands behind my back and carried me over to a white van. I was almost blinded by the blood pouring down my pale face from the fall. The blood had covered my brown hair, making it a red color and dizziness flooded me.

Why me? I asked myself as he tied me up in the van.

“Please don't hurt me.” I pleaded to him, “Please” I could already feel the tears running down my cheeks. Why did this have to happen to me, I didn’t understand it at all.

“Don’t worry Lauren. I’m not going to harm you… right now anyway.” He said to me as he got up to the driver seat and started to drive away.

“How do you know my name?” I whimpered, And what does he mean when he said the he won’t hurt me now? I thought to myself. He never answered me back, but then something ran through my head.

“You're working for my parents, they set you up to this! I knew they hated me, I knew it.” I yelled out to him in disgust. I couldn’t believe this, my own parents. I had always known they had hated my guts, but never knew that they would do this to me in my life. “You're right, they did.” He had said to me quietly. He was so calm, and I never recognised his face, never seen him in my life. “How do you know my parents?” I became calmer and calmer, I didn’t really have any reason to be scared anymore.

“I don't know you’re parents. They hired me to do this.” He was becoming more honest with me. I didn’t know why, but I liked that he was.

“So you're like an assassin.”

“Guess you can call it that.”

I gave a small grin and decided to make a smart move. “So you would kill a child.”

I could see the nasty look on his face and knew that he didn’t like what I said. “No I don’t want to at all.” He said and gave a long sigh as he stopped the van. He had got up from his seat and walked over to me with a knife.

“Please don’t hurt me, I didn’t mean it, I’m sorry!” I screamed and held my eyes closed as I waited for the blade to tear through my skin.

I could move my arms and my legs now. He had cut me loose. I opened up my eyes and saw him smiling at me. “Your one hundred percent right, I don’t want to kill you Lauren.” He opened the door and nodded my way out. I gave a couple thoughts before I headed to the door, but then stopped in my place.

“Wait, I want your help.” I said and turned around. I didn’t know if he saw this coming or what, but he gave me a serious look.

    “You mean like kill your parents.”

    “Yes that is what I mean”

    I wasn’t joking about this either. I was angry that they would even want to do this to their own daughter, so they were going to get what they deserved.

    “Why do you want to do this Lauren?” He asked me quietly. You know what, I didn’t really know why I wanted too. Maybe I was just so angry at them for wanting me dead. What was I really supposed to do with all this happening, it all went way too fast for me to even catch up with everything that is going on.

    “Um… I’m not sure.” I said and gave a small pause, “What’s your name?” I looked at him softly, he looked young, like around mid-twenties young. “My name is Michael, I don’t give out my last name it is against the word of an assassin.” He spoke strongly and fierce. I thought for a moment. Michael? That could not even be his real name. I didn’t really want to ask though, he was a professional killer and I didn’t want to get him angry. “Well Lauren in my world I usually come up with everything.” Michael paused, “But if you want to talk about it at lunch or something then just contact me.” He handed me a business card and said, “I can take you home if you like, I will have to drop you a block away though.” I looked at him curiously. I could trust him, well at least I think I can.

    He had dropped me off a block away from my house and waved to me as he drove off. I waved back and walked toward my house. It was dark and had to around eleven o’clock because everyone had their lights out.

    Honestly I couldn’t wait to see the look on my parents face when they see my alive. It will be priceless. To see their cheeks run cold and fear in their eyes. I was going to enjoy this very much.

That morning I woke up earlier than usual, just so I can make my hateful parents a nice breakfast. I ended up cooking something simple though. Some pancakes and coffee. I didn't really want to go all fancy, so I thought that this would be good enough. I waited there at the kitchen table for my parents and about twenty minutes into my morning they had finally woken up. I could hear them talking about how they couldn't believe they did what they did as they walked towards the kitchen.

            I sat in one of the chairs and crossed my arms as the came into the dining area. They must of smelt the food because they would never come into that area in the morning. When they saw me their eyes grew and fear filled them. "Good morning." I said with no hesitation. It took them a bit to speak, but they finally found the words. "Good morning Lauren."

    I’ve never seen so much surprise come upon a person’s face before. “Gosh guys it’s like you’ve just seen a ghost or something.” I laughed out at them. They laughed a little with me and sat down at the table and made their plates. No more words were spoken the rest of the morning. I felt good about all this, scaring them like I did. It made me feel superior.

    I sat there on my bed staring at the card I was given last night. I didn’t know if I should call him up now or later. Maybe we could set up something for lunch. I typed up the number into my cellphone and waited for him to answer. It rung a few times before I finally heard a voice through the speaker. “Lauren I knew you would call.” He said to me. I knew he would be expecting me. “Meet me at the Taco Bell near your school at 11:30, don’t be late.” He hung up right away after that.

    11:30 finally came and I walked into the fast food restaurant. Looking around I didn’t seem to see him at all. I jumped and gave a small scream as I felt someone touch my shoulder.

"Hey don't be so scared Lauren its just me." Michael said as he sat down with me.

"Im sorry im just still a little..." I was about to finish when he interrupted me.

"Hey no need to talk about it. So what's the game plan?" The game plan... I didn't know that I had to come up with everything. “Let me guess you got nothing.” He asked me and crossed his arms.

I shook my head slightly and replied back to him, ‘I didn’t really think things out.” He sighed out and leaned back into the chair. He