Gabrielle White- Seattle, Washington

7:00 pm PST

"If this is Gabrielle White, please press two," an automated voice on the other end of the line said.

Gabrielle furrowed her brows and cocked her head to the side while she looked at the male in front of her. "Do I press two?" she mouthed, her voice barely above a whisper, and the male nodded in confirmation. "Why?"

"If this is Gabrielle White, please, press two," the automated voice said again with no emotion in their voice.

Gabrielle hesitated and looked at the male, who handed her the phone. She frowned and pressed her lips into a thin line before she cocked her head further to the side, studying him. "Does that mean I should press two?"

He stayed silent and nodded in confirmation.

"Why?"

"Please, press two," the automated voice said.

He smiled and shrugged while he shook his head, not giving her any indication as to why she should press two but should do it anyway.

Gabrielle hesitated again before she did what she was told to do and pressed two, praying that nothing bad would happen to her.

"Please, hold," the automated voice said before it started to play a piece she used to play on the violin before she had to live alone and fend for herself.

Gabrielle grabbed the phone tighter, and her throat closed while tears pricked the corner of her eyes. Her heart ached and became filled with pain and sadness, and she had to bite her lip to keep herself from crying.

Stop, she silently said and blinked back some tears that pricked the corner of her eyes. There is no need for this.

The male slowly blinked when he saw the tears pricking the corner of her eyes. He frowned and cocked his head while he studied her. Worry flashed through his eyes while he took a step toward her, and a look of concern flashed across his face.

Gabrielle hesitated before she shook her head, silently praying that he wouldn't ask her what was wrong because it was something that she didn't want to talk about. 'It's fine,' she mouthed. 'I'm fine.'

The male hesitated before he slowly nodded. He didn't say a word, but she could tell that he didn't believe her.

Finally, the hold music ended while someone cleared their throat. "Hello, is this Gabrielle White?" the person, a male, asked, and she could hear a twinge of an accent that she didn't understand.

"Uh... yes, yes," Gabrielle said, her voice barely above a whisper. She cleared her throat while she shifted on his feet. "This is her."

The male sighed with relief before he cleared his throat. "Good, how are you?"

Gabrielle frowned and narrowed her eyes. "Good?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Who are you? Why is there a guy standing in front of a van and handing me a phone to talk to you? What's going on?"

The male chuckled. "You will know in time, Miss White," he said softly, with a small hum in his voice. "The men are there to help you and guide you to a place where you can be safe and learn things about yourself."

The hair on the back of Gabrielle's neck stood at attention, and she set her jaw. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "There's nothing wrong with me. I don't need to learn anything about myself."

"You do," he said before he cleared his throat while he shifted in his seat. "There is something that you know is true but don't know how or why it's true."

Gabrielle hesitated before she slowly nodded, and her whole body relaxed just a tad with a small frown on her face. She knew that there was something, but she didn't know what it was. "I mean, I guess that there is something there..." She paused and tucked her head closer to her chest while she bit the inside of her lip. "Are you sure that you know what it is?"

The male chuckled, and Gabrielle had a feeling that he nodded. "I have a feeling that we know what is happening," he said softly, and Gabrielle raised an eyebrow in question.

"We?" she asked, and the hair on the back of her neck stood at attention. She narrowed her eyes and scowled. "What do you mean by "we," Sir?" Her tone was laced with a slight warning in her tone while she grabbed the phone tighter in her hand, and the man that was near her moved slightly away from her and gave her a nervous look as if he was aware of what she could do when she didn't.

The male sighed and silently cursed, his voice barely above a whisper and in a way that the female couldn't understand. "Yes," he said before he cleared his throat and shifted some more. "Unfortunately, I am not able to say much, for I am not allowed to, but I do not work on my own. I am merely a... messenger, a guide, and well, a teacher, to say the least."

Gabrielle narrowed her eyes further. She looked at the man close to her, and he instantly looked down and bowed, not meeting her gaze at all. "Do these people work for the same people that you do?" she asked. "And when are you going to tell me your name?"

"The men do work for me and those that I work for," the male confirmed, and she had a feeling that he slowly nodded. "They are also guides, but they are more like protectors and will lead you to your new home." He paused and cleared his throat while he shifted some more in his seat. "And unfortunately, you are not allowed to know my name, so my apologies."

Gabrielle held back an eye roll and pressed her lips into a thin line but didn't say a word about him not giving his name. "Now, are they safe?" Gabrielle asked while she looked at the first man, and the first man smiled and bowed further, silently telling her that he was.

Again, the man on the other side of the phone chuckled softly. "Yes," he said. "They are safe. They will not hurt you."

"Where are they going to take me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper while she slowly relaxed her grip on the phone. "Or am I allowed to know?"

The male sighed, and she had a feeling that he shook his head. "Unfortunately, they are not allowed to tell you, and I am not allowed to tell you either. They aren't allowed to talk that much anyway, but I can promise you that they will look after you and watch your back." He paused and cleared his throat to hold a chuckle. "What I have to ask you is if you are ready for a new start, a new future, and a way for you to learn more about yourself and what you can do, ok?"

Gabrielle hesitated before she slowly nodded, pressing her lips into a thin line. "Yes," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She cleared her throat and shifted on her feet. "Yes," she said again. "I think I am ready."

The male on the other end of the line sighed with relief and nodded. "Good," he said before he cleared his throat. "Now, go ahead and get a bag back before you get into the van, and they will take you to where you will find that you belong. I promise."

And with that, the male hung up the phone, leaving Gabrielle in a stunned silence that no one decided to break for a few minutes.

However, that stunned silence was broken when the male near her cleared his throat, and she looked at him with wide eyes. He cocked his head and gestured for her to go ahead and give him the phone.

"Am I going to be ok?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, and she gave him the phone.

The man smiled and nodded while he stuffed the phone into his pocket.

She furrowed her brows and pressed her lips into a thin line. "Can I go ahead and pack a back?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

He nodded in confirmation and gestured for her to go ahead and go inside the house.

She hesitated before she did what she was told to do, and the man followed her.

Gabrielle hesitated and licked her lips. "What will happen to the rest of my stuff?" she asked while she looked at the apartment she had lived in for the few years after she left her home and parents. "Is the rest of my stuff going to be protected?"

The male smiled and nodded in confirmation. He didn't say a word to her, much to her annoyance, and she couldn't help but wonder why the people didn't allow them to speak to her.

Finally, Gabrielle sighed and slowly nodded, pursing her lips in annoyance. "Ok, then I guess that means I should quickly pack a bag so that we can go."

And with that, and without another word, they walked the rest of the way to her apartment in silence so that she could pack a bag and leave the world that she knew and didn't love behind.

Oh, Gods, keep her safe...