Taken By The Dark

#Chapter1

Trapped

/"Hey! Go get your own./" I scowled at Daniel, who had just snatched my plate of pancakes.

/"I would, but annoying you is way too much fun./" He said, smirking as he took a bite, annoying me even more.

I smacked him on the side of his head, and as expected, he didn't even wince. He cocked his eyebrow at me with that annoying smirk of his and I rolled my eyes.

Daniel and I had been best friends since, ever since my dad had started working as his father's personal bodyguard. Back then Mr. Anderson had only just taken up politics. Now, ten years later, my dad had long since been promoted to the head of security for the Anderson family, and Mr. Anderson was the lead candidate running for President this year.

After ten years together, we had practically become family.

Mr. Anderson's popularity had rapidly increased, and the public considered him a hero. He had managed to diminish the crime rate in the country, bringing it down to a minimal in only a few short years. He was surely going to win the election this year.

Still, not everyone in the country loved him. The criminals saw him as a prevailing threat, and most of them would do anything to take him down. As the security threats on him and his family increased, my dad's job became a 24 hours one and he had to move into the Anderson's mansion. Because he wanted to keep me close, I'd moved in, too.

The Anderson's had accepted us as family and they had become a big part of our lives, as we did theirs. They had managed become the family I had always wanted.

My mother had died when I was seven, I didn't really like to think about it much. Ever since then, it had been just me and my father.

Before moving into the mansion I had been really lonely. I had no friends at school and my dad was constantly busy with his job, so I had to spend my time after school either at our neighbor's house, or with the babysitter my dad had hired.

Basically, I was miserable. The only fun I had was on the weekends, when my dad took me with him to the mansion while he accompanied Mr. Anderson to his various meetings and tours. I'd spent all playing with Daniel in his tree house. I knew my dad worked hard so he could provide for me, and I wasn't ungrateful but I really missed him and I had been unhappy.

We moved into the Anderson’s mansion three years ago, when I was 16. I still remember Mrs. Anderson's kind words, she'd told me that the mansion always seemed too big and empty, and that she'd always wanted a bigger family.

The Anderson family consisted of five people: Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, their oldest daughter Ellen, followed by Scott and then Daniel.

Ellen had married two years ago, she lived happily with her husband in England, and was expecting her second baby. Scott had moved out a while ago and had created his own business. He had branches set up in many countries around the world. Last time I had heard, he had been touring Australia and was thinking of starting a business project there. Daniel was twenty one, the youngest of the lot, and he was just two years older than me.

He went to the most prestigious college in the country. He was a quarterback in the football team there, and I knew he planned on pursuing that passion rather than taking up business or politics like his father wanted.

I glanced at him and noticed how his dark brown hair was sticking up, and how it seemed to turn into a lighter brown to match the exact color of his eyes. With his tall, lean frame and adorable dimples he really was very good looking. It was no wonder that all the girls in his college were crazy after him

I'll admit that when puberty had hit me, I had developed a small crush on him, he had eventually asked me out, but two awkward dates had been enough to convince me that we were better off as just friends.

I loved him but it was more like a sister would love her brother. Till this day we have been inseparable. We shared everything and I knew I could trust him with my life.

/"Earth to Marriah,/" Daniel said snapping his fingers in front of my eyes and pulling me out of my thoughts.

/"What's up?/" He asked wanting to know what was going on in my mind.

/"Oh nothing, just thinking of potential ways to end your life for stealing my pancakes,/" I replied with a sweet smile, batting my eyelashes.

/"Good luck with that midget./" he replied winking.

/"I think strangling you might do the job and get you to shut up,/" I retorted glaring at him.

He snorted /"Should I get you a ladder?/" He asked through a mouthful of pancakes.

/"What?/" I said making a disgusted face at his lack of table manners.

/"You see, in order to strangle me you'd have to reach my neck and for that you'll probably need a ladder./" he replied with his trade mark smirk.

I scowled at him again /"I am not that short./"

/"What are you? Like 5'2?/" He asked chuckling.

/"For your information I'm 5'3./" I replied crossing my arms over my chest. He just laughed and continued eating.

I really did want to strangle him most of the time but he was still the closest friend I had. I shot him another death glare and made my way to the cabinets to get some cereal.

/"Hey, what's all this noise about?/" Daniels bodyguard Jacob entered the kitchen yawning, he stretched his arms above his head and flexed his large biceps in the process.

I just replied with a curt /"Morning,/" and poured some milk into my bowl.

I joined them on the table and Jacob looked at me questioningly.

/"Daniel called me short!/" I said pouting. I didn't care if I was being childish.

Jacob punched him lightly on the shoulder /"She's not that short/" he said chuckling.

/"Thank you./" I replied giving Jacob a grateful smile and sticking my tongue out at Daniel.

/"Yeah I mean we've seen girls shorter than her right?/" He pretended to think.

/"Nope./" He said after a while, answering his own question. /"You're the shortest one I know./" he added playfully.

/"Hey!/" I exclaimed /"You were supposed to be on my side./" I narrowed my eyes at him.

/"Sorry./" he said smiling sheepishly /"How tall are you anyway, 5'1?/"

/"I am 5'3. Okay?/" I said in annoyance, Daniel broke out laughing.

/"You guys are the worst./" I seethed.

/"We know./" Jacob replied snatching my cereal bowl from me in one swift motion.

/"What's wrong with you both?/" I exclaimed exasperated. /"Can't you just walk ten steps and get your own breakfast?!/"

/"Nope./" both of them said at the same time and they burst out laughing.

/"You guys are so mature?/" I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes at them. I couldn't suppress my smile. They annoyed me to death but I wouldn't give them up for anything.

I loved these weirdoes and I never wanted them to change one bit.