First Love

Anna stood in front of the old house, her heart pounding in her chest. She hadn't been back here in years, but the memories flooded back as soon as she saw the place. It was where she had spent her childhood summers, playing in the garden, exploring the woods behind the house, and most importantly, where she had fallen in love for the first time.

She had been only thirteen, and he had been fifteen. His name was Luke, and he had been the boy next door. They had spent countless hours together that summer, talking, laughing, and sharing their hopes and dreams. Anna had felt like she had found her soulmate, and she had thought that Luke felt the same way.

But then the summer had ended, and Anna had gone back to the city, leaving Luke behind. They had exchanged letters for a while, but eventually, the letters had stopped coming. Anna had tried to forget about Luke, but she had never been able to. He had always been in the back of her mind, a reminder of what could have been.

Now, years later, Anna was back in town, and she couldn't resist the urge to see the old house and relive her memories. She walked around the back of the house, through the garden, and down the path to the woods. It was quiet and peaceful, just as she remembered it. She closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh air, letting the memories wash over her.

Suddenly, she heard a rustling in the bushes. She opened her eyes and saw a figure emerging from the woods. It was Luke.

Anna's heart skipped a beat as she looked at him. He was even more handsome than she remembered, with dark hair and piercing blue eyes. He looked at her, surprised, and then smiled.

"Anna," he said. "I can't believe it's really you."

They hugged, and Anna felt a rush of emotions. She had dreamed of this moment for years, and now it was finally happening.

They spent the rest of the day catching up, talking about their lives since they had last seen each other. Luke had become a successful businessman, and Anna had become a writer. They laughed and reminisced, and Anna felt like she was back in the summer of her youth.

As the sun began to set, Luke suggested that they go for a walk. Anna agreed, and they set off down the path through the woods. It was dark, and Anna felt a little uneasy, but she trusted Luke. They walked for a while, talking and laughing, until they came to a clearing. In the center of the clearing was a small pond, surrounded by trees.

"It's beautiful," Anna said, looking at the pond.

Luke smiled. "I used to come here all the time when I was a kid. I always felt like it was a magical place."

They sat down by the pond, and Luke put his arm around Anna. She felt a thrill run through her body as he leaned in and kissed her. It was like the world had stopped spinning, and she was back in the summer of her youth, experiencing her first love all over again.

But then something changed. Anna felt a chill run down her spine, and she pulled away from Luke.

"What's wrong?" he asked, looking concerned.

"I don't know," Anna said, looking around. "I just feel like we're not alone."

As she said the words, she saw movement in the trees around the pond. Figures were emerging from the darkness, moving towards them.

Anna's heart began to race as she realized what was happening. Luke had led her here on purpose, knowing that they would be vulnerable and alone. He had lured her into a trap.

Anna stood up, ready to run Anna stood up, ready to run, but it was too late. The figures had surrounded them, and Anna realized with horror that they were a group of masked men, armed with knives and guns.

"What is this?" she asked, her voice shaking.

Luke stood up beside her, a cold look in his eyes.

"It's simple," he said. "I need money, and you're going to give it to me."

Anna couldn't believe what she was hearing. This was the boy she had loved, the one she had trusted with her heart.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. "I don't have any money."

Luke's face twisted into a cruel smile.

"Oh, I think you do," he said. "Your family is wealthy, remember? And they'll pay anything to get you back."

Anna's mind was racing. She knew that Luke was right, that her family would do anything to get her back. But she also knew that these men weren't going to let her go without a fight.

"What do you want from me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Luke stepped closer to her, his eyes glinting in the moonlight.

"You're going to call your family," he said. "And you're going to tell them that you've been kidnapped. You're going to tell them that they need to pay a ransom to get you back. And if they don't pay, well…let's just say that things could get ugly."

Anna felt sick to her stomach. She couldn't believe that this was happening to her. But she knew that she had to do what Luke said, for her own safety.

Slowly, she took out her phone and dialed her mother's number. She could hear the fear in her own voice as she spoke, telling her mother that she had been kidnapped and that they needed to pay a ransom.

Her mother was hysterical, and Anna could hear her father in the background, shouting orders to the family's security team. Anna knew that they would do everything in their power to get her back.

As she hung up the phone, Luke and the masked men watched her, their expressions unreadable. Anna felt a cold sweat break out on her forehead as she realized that she was completely at their mercy.

The days that followed were a blur of fear and uncertainty. Anna was kept in a small room, with no windows and no way to escape. The men would bring her food and water, but they never spoke to her, never showed any emotion.

Anna spent her time thinking about her life, about the choices she had made, and the consequences of those choices. She thought about Luke, about the boy she had loved and trusted, and how he had turned out to be a monster.

Days turned into weeks, and Anna began to lose hope. She didn't know if her family had paid the ransom, or if they had even received her message. She didn't know if she would ever see her home or her family again.

But then, one day, the door to her room opened, and Luke stepped inside. Anna felt a surge of anger and fear as she looked at him.

"What do you want?" she asked, her voice shaking.

Luke looked at her, his expression unreadable.

"I came to say goodbye," he said. "I'm leaving the country, and I don't know when I'll be back. But I wanted to tell you something before I go."

Anna felt a knot form in her stomach. She didn't want to hear anything else from him.

"What?" she asked, her voice cold.

Luke took a step closer to her, and Anna recoiled.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry for what I did to you, Anna. I'm sorry for kidnapping you, for putting you through all of this. I was desperate, and I didn't know what else to do. But I want you to know that I still love you. I always have, and I always will."

Anna stared at him, incredulous. How could he still love her after everything he had done?

"You're sick," she said, her voice filled with disgust. "You're a monster, Luke. And I hope you rot in hell for what you've done to me."

Luke's face twisted with anger, and Anna took a step back. But then he seemed to calm down, and he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small envelope.

"I wanted to give you this," he said, holding it out to her. "It's a letter I wrote to you, before all of this happened. It's my way of saying goodbye, I guess."

Anna hesitated, unsure of what to do. But then she took the envelope from him, feeling a strange sense of curiosity.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Just read it," Luke said. "It's all in there."

And with that, he turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Anna sat down on the bed, clutching the envelope in her hand. She didn't know what to expect, but she knew that she had to read it.

Tearing open the envelope, she pulled out the letter, her heart pounding in her chest.

Dear Anna,

I don't know if you'll ever read this, but I had to write it down. I love you, Anna. I always have, and I always will. I know that we've had our ups and downs, but I want you to know that you're the only girl I've ever truly loved.

I don't know what the future holds for us, Anna. But I hope that we can find a way to be together. I hope that we can make it work, despite all of the obstacles that stand in our way.

I know that I've made mistakes, Anna. I've hurt you, and I've hurt others. But I want to make it right. I want to be the man you deserve, the man who will always be there for you.

I don't know what else to say, Anna. Except that I love you. And I always will.

Yours always,

Luke

Anna stared at the letter, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't believe that the boy she had loved, the one who had kidnapped her, still loved her.

But as she thought about Luke's words, she realized that she didn't love him anymore. She couldn't love someone who had hurt her so deeply, who had put her through so much pain and suffering.

With a sigh, Anna folded up the letter and put it back in the envelope. She didn't know what the future held for her, but she knew that she had to move on, to leave Luke and all of this behind.

As she waited for her family to rescue her, Anna thought about her first love. She thought about the boy who had stolen her heart, and the man he had become. And she realized that sometimes, first love is just that: a memory, a part of the past that we can never truly go back to.