A plea for help

"You can't do this!" Louise protested. "You won't be able to help Noor if you hurt yourself!"

"I have to do this!" I insisted.

"Why?" Louise demanded. "I don't understand why you are putting your life on the line!"

"It's just that..." I murmured while **** on the most painful memory of my life.

"Please tell me," Louise insisted. "It is not good for you to keep emotions locked up inside you. You don't want those emotions putting more stress on your back."

"I let Kat go out by herself to that meeting and look what happened," I grumbled.

I noticed Louise putting her right hand on her forehead and sighing. I can tell that she is using restraint to keep from saying something mean to me. She is using **** patience as she decides what the most beneficial thing to say to me is. This is just one of many instances that proves Louise is a true friend. The way that she furrows her brow while she thinks is making me become even more attracted to her. If Noor wasn't in deathly peril at the moment, I might ask Louise out on a date right this second. Since Noor is in danger because of that lunatic Alia, I know it is better to hold my tongue at the moment.

"Don't you know that Kat's **** is not your fault?" Louise protests.

"Yes, but I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I had shadowed Kat," I mused. "I might have been able to save her. I might have discovered what went wrong with her and fixed her. Now do you see why I have to help Noor? She is my friend. She helped me deal with the pain of losing Kat when it threatened to devour me. I would never forgive myself if I lost Noor and I didn't at least try to stop it. As I said before, I have lost too much to lose Noor too. I need her."

"Okay, I am not going to waste time arguing with you," Louise gave in. "At least let me give you a quick rub down before you go rushing off to fight evil. It might make the difference."

"I don't think that I have time," I debated.

"But we don't know where Alia might have taken Noor yet anyway," Louise explained. "Just give me five minutes and then we can figure something out. As for now, take off your jacket so I can make better contact."

"Okay," I conceded while taking my jacket off and putting it on the hood of Louise's luxury car. I just know that it is pointless to argue with Louise since she doesn't take anything from anybody. Once I have my jacket off, I hold onto the top of the car and prepare for my quick massage. I enjoy it, but I do not enjoy it as much as I usually do because I know that my back is fighting the spitfire all of the way. Five minutes goes by a lot quicker than I would have liked and Louise stopped and I looked around to realize how quiet my surroundings have gotten. I must have been too distracted by Louise's massage to notice the police leaving.

"Do you notice how quiet everything has gotten around here?" I asked with a worried voice.

"The police must have found out what was going on and went off to stop it," Louise guessed.

I was about to comment about this turn of events when my phone rang. Louise picked it up from the ground and handed it to me so I wouldn't have to pick it up myself. A sense of immense revulsion overtook me that made me shiver when I discovered the identity of the caller.

"Hello, Connie?" Alia spoke into the other line.

"What have you done with Noor?" I demanded.

"I haven't done anything with her," Alia replied. "Although, she doesn't seem to be happy at her family reunion with her father. Frankly, I am getting tired of her so I will tell you what I am going to do. I will let her go on to live her mundane live if you become my hostage instead."

"I will do anything to help my friend!" I blared.

"How noble of you!" Alia cackled.

"May I please talk to her?" I begged.

"Connie, I'm scared!" Noor sniffled after a few seconds.

After that, all I heard was a dial tone.