<em>~ Maddi, being taken by Elijah ~</em><br/><br/><br/><br/>Maddi stood still, but the world moved, rocking slightly.  The ache spread up to her shoulder and across her chest, pausing for a moment and making her catch her breath before the world moved even more violently and Elijah scooped her into his arms.  She was hurting inside, crying inside, for the unfairness of it all.  How did she deserve this?  What past life had she lived that set her on this path where<em>everything </em>had to be hard?<br/><br/>At first his words calmed her, but the look on his face, the emotions flitting behind his eyes seemed to be so much more than he was saying, and the words, 'I could say........' echoed with unpleasant connotations.  She knew that she was right to be afraid.  She knew that the way Elijah had behaved and all the strange things he had said and done added up to a situation she should be terrified of.  But as she looked up at him she could feel so much pain in him that it seemed to dwarf her own and even though her eyes were wide and dark with fear and pain herself, behind that was something else. She was holding her breath inside, waiting to find out whether her instincts were playing her false.<br/><br/>She'd been played for a fool before..... she should not hope so much....... she must protect herself and build the walls around her which would shelter herself from him, not let her mind or her heart be trampled on.  She closed her eyes as he strode through the trees, stupid small thoughts fleetingly keeping her mind anchored and away from the fear still bubbling inside.  The water container left by the stream......  Desmond waiting by the fire........ the firewood that needed collecting... the pan of fish set aside.......<br/><br/>Opening her eyes again, she still wanted to speak, to ask him... to tell him.... even..... to plead with him...... but her tongue felt wooden in her mouth and she whimpered quietly, not only was her body leaving her control, now her speech was leaving her too and her eyes filled with tears as she felt more vulnerable than she ever had in her whole life.