[center] [b][color=39b54a]Finn Loughty & Nicole Brenn  - Finn's Shelter - Grant Coleman [@QT] & Nathalie Soltero [@wolverbells] [/color] [/b] [/center]

    Darkness covered the sky like a velvet carpet. The moon and the stars hid behind the clouds, as if they had some secret knowledge of what was about to happen. The grass bristled nervously against the towering man's boots as the his uneasy gaze searched the area. The forest wasn't lively this night. The crickets's chirping was no longer detected. The familiar chitter of the raccoons was missing. The rustling of the leaves became still and the whole forest seemed to shut down as a woman emerged from darkness towards him, crawling on all fours and eyes wild. Finn staggered back a few steps, his intense gaze fixated on the strange creature. His knuckles wrapped around his bloody machete even tighter. 
 [b]"You look yummy boy!"[/b] The venomous chuckles echoed one after the other as five others finally exposed themselves. Finn puffed out his chest and planted both feet on the ground. His Lincoln green eyes bore into the African woman's in return, showing no fear, only rage. His jaw clenched in place as he stared at everyone of them. The foreign jewelry and trinkets dangled from her ears. The eccentric woman stuck out like a sore thumb. She definitely wasn't from around these parts.
  "My boss is coming big-boy. Step up, prep up! I say you get on your knees before he come, yah?"
   His head cocked to the side as he stared at her incredulously. A sardonic smile formed across his lips as he growled back, "And, who... pray tell, made your boss god?" 

     The so-called boss marched in, marking his grand entrance with a frightened Nathalie at his side. Ignoring the man's request for his name, Finn's focus shifted to the nape of her neck, where the muzzle of the gun was cozied up against by a firm hand. Her silky hair, now flattened and stringy, dripped down and created a pool of water below her. The girl stared up at Finn, her ocean eyes wide with fear. Hanging sorrowfully from her body was a drenched sports bra and jeans. It took everything in him to restrain himself from launching at these men like a rabid dog.  She had been naked when they found her. The realization had hit him like a ton of bricks. His mind couldn't help but imagine what could have went down at the creek. Vengeance surged up inside of him. 
  His head shook in compassion she tried to apologize. [i]There's nothing to apologize for. I should be apologizing to you.[/i] His expression transformed into rage as the tyrant strode towards him with ease. Like honey from a jar, confidence oozed out from his words. 
   [b]"Oh man, I really do apologize for ruining your night. For both of you of course..."[/b] the man paused. [b]"I'm sure you two planned to have some [i]fun[/i] by the lake before we got here. It truly was not my intention to mess up your special night-"[/b]
   "Get to the fucking point," he barked. With every word that came out of that despot's mouth, his self-control slipped away.
    
    Meanwhile, Nicole's ear pressed up against the old wood from up in the cabin. Dominating footsteps coming up the ladder made her ears prick in alarm. Her face whipped towards the sounds. They were coming. Her heart was pounding so hard, she thought it would burst out of her chest. She dashed to grab her pack. Her mind recalled what Finn had instructed and warned her to do if something like this happened. She stuffed her half-eaten bowl of food in the bag which already contained some cans inside. The girl paused in mid-movement, her eyes catching a glimpse of the shimmering bottle in the corner. It wasn't necessary. But... if they all somehow made it through this horrid ordeal, they were all going to be asking for a drink afterwards. Ah, what the heck? She tip-toed over and grabbed it. 

   Silent as a mouse, she climbed up the ladder to the loft. Hidden in a little corner of the roof, almost undetected to the naked eye was an opening that could only be discovered if one pushed it up into the air. This opening had a small sort of door which could only be unlatched from the other side. They had left it unlocked for a moment like this. The top of the cabin stood nestled comfortably behind large oak branches and open, flourishing leaves, creating perfect shield against prying eyes. Especially at night, no one could see past a third of the cabin due to the thickness of the greenery.

   For the first time in a long time, darkness was her friend. Not much of a fighter, she recompensed for it by her nimble movements and quick thinking. The shotgun - which had run out of bullets just days earlier, swung across her back as she crawled her way up to the roof from the loft. It was Finn's father's old gun and she knew Finn wouldn't be too happy if those shitheads took it. She made sure to lock the opening from the top. Her nervous hands wrapped around a thick branch and hoisted herself until she was sitting on it. Nicole then slithered her way up the tree with her bare feet. She found a spot so high up and secluded, the ground couldn't even be seen from her position anymore. The gun strap adjusted itself across chest. She remained there, too petrified to even breathe. 


 Back on the ground, Finn imagined himself knocking the man's teeth out. He would knock it down so far down his throat, the man would have to spit 'em back out single file. [b]"You did that?"[/b] Finn caught the sarcasm embedded in his tone and paid it no heed. His eyes traveled up to the cabin for a small second, praying Nicole did what he instructed her to do.

[b]"...Now you have two options,"[/b] the business man said after he explained why they made their presence known to them in the middle of the night. [b]"You owe us, so can help repay the debt by joining our little [i]organization[/i], play well with the others and we'll your stomachs too until your debts are fully paid."[/b] Join his little organization? If they were to be yoked under his dictatorship, they were to be his slaves until the end of time. 

   [b]"You can go your own way then, no repercussions. Or don't... well..."[/b] he paused, walking over to Nathalie and pressing his gun onto the side of her temple, [b]"...pay with your lives."[/b]
   The man stood there, his finger on the trigger, signaling her death sentence if Finn didn't act. Under no circumstances, he would ever succumb to slavery to a monster like this man. If Nicole had followed his warnings and instructions, she was fine. But Nat.. No, he wasn't going to allow her to pay for him not being vigilant enough and leading these thieves here - not after all she's done for him. 
   All that was heard next was the dull thud of his machete dropping to the ground. He lifted his hands in surrender. With bitterness and reluctance thick in his voice, the young man relented. "Have it your way. We'll play into your little game and join your little organization. Now let her go."