Captive{ated}

Six: Waking Nightmare

When I first woke up, I was confused. Well I guess I was in denial more than anything. I remembered the strangeness of the dinner and the after effects of the glass of wine I had. I remembered how you caught me with the utmost care, whispering me into a sleep I couldn't defend myself against.

But that couldn't have happened, I thought to myself. There was some other explanation.

I quietly groaned as I rolled over, trying to overcome my grogginess. Everything still felt heavy, but slowly I was recovering. When I begrudgingly opened my eyes, it took a few blinks for the haziness to go away.

I was laying on a twin sized bed covered with a pink quilt of flowers. It was the only real piece of furniture in the room besides a small wardrobe and side table that a glass of water sat upon. The room itself was small with two doors and a window being the only light source.

Oh god, were those bars on the window?

Feeling dizzy and overwhelmed all at once, I closed my eyes and let them rest for a few moments. My heart was beating so fast that I had to take longer, slower breaths to calm myself. I couldn't give into the anxiety that was threatening to overtake me.

When I felt like I had more control over myself, I weakly sat up and tried assessing the situation. I was the only one in the room, and I was provided with some simple comforts. I supposed that was a good sign because at least I wasn't chained to the wall.

Perhaps I merely fainted from the long journey. Maybe I hallucinated the last memories I had from the dinner.

God, I was so naive. I wanted nothing more than for that all to be a lie.

My throat was parched, but I didn't dare take a drink from the glass that was taunting me. I could see a drop of water sliding down it, and to stop myself from taking the glass and gulping it all down, I turned away instead.

I choked back a sob that nearly blindsided me, trying so hard to stay silent. "Stay calm, Evelyn," I whispered to myself. I can't explain it, but hearing my reassurance in my own voice helped. Shakily I stood, not daring to take a step till my legs felt normal. When I moved, I snuck as silent as a mouse and as slow as a turtle. It was a tedious tactic, but I didn't want to be heard.

After some time, I approached the door on the left. I carefully tried to twist the door knob only to be stopped. It was locked.

I gulped, feeling myself pale.

Dejectedly, I made my way to the door on the right, and this one opened. Only, it led to a small bathroom. When I saw how ghostly I appeared in the mirror with my knotted chestnut hair and pale lips and skin, I shut the door without needing to see more.

This couldn't be happening.

My legs were shaking again, but this time it wasn't caused by some sort of drug. It was caused by an intense amount of fear.

I continued to move to my last chance: the window. The sight in front of my was disheartening. I saw that I was on the second floor, given the amazing sight of a tree right beside it. It prevented me from seeing much else, and not only that, but five iron bars were evenly spaced across it. Desperate, I pried the window open. I was immediately met with a great breath of fresh air, but I didn't care about any of that.

I grabbed the nearest bar to me and pulled. When that didn't work, I tried the next one and the next until I worked my way down the line. None of them budged, causing me to go back through and desperately yank on them harder but to no avail. I paused, my whole body shaking as I gripped the bars keeping me captive. My anxiety was taking the wheel from my hands, pushing all rational thought to the trunk. Realization chilled me not only to the bone, but into every individual cell of my body.