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3
SKYLAR
Thump. Thump.
I groan at the pain in my head as my body continuously jolts. My eyes are closed, I’m freezing, and this is the worst nap I’ve ever had in my life.
And why am I lying on the floor?
Thump. Thump.
My eyes snap open, but I’m engulfed in darkness.
And my head?—
Thump. Thump.
It hurts too much to keep my eyes open. It feels like an ice pick is stabbing into each of my eyes, and any movement at all shoots pain throughout my body.
Thump. Thump.
I kick my feet out, squirming to get more comfortable, but there’s not enough space to stretch out.
I try to recall anything from before I fell asleep, but it’s all strangely…gone.
I was at home, and River and Landon were there, and…was I crying?
THUMP.
Another hard jolt, and my mind goes blank.
I wake up to another headache, but this time, there’s no more thumping, which makes the pain minutely better.
I blink my eyes open to stare at an unfamiliar wood paneled ceiling.
My mouth is dry, as if I’m hungover. I have to pee, and it’s freezing.
I’m lying on a bare mattress under a thin, itchy blanket.
“What the hell,” I mutter, struggling to right myself.
I attempt to sit up, but that only makes my head pound and the loud, unpleasant clink of metal sound throughout the room. My left foot feels heavier than my right, and it takes me a moment to comprehend what has happened.
I’m in a small, chilly room with dark wood paneled walls. The flimsy mattress sits in the middle of the room, and a metal pole installed against the left corner of the wall is connected to the shackle that wraps around my ankle. A fluorescent light hanging from the ceiling is my only source of light.
With a shaky breath, I stumble off the mattress and scramble to my feet on the faded beige carpet, leaning against the wall for purchase. Behind me is a doorway that leads to a toilet and the smallest shower I’ve seen in my life, with a flimsy curtain and dinky looking showerhead. The door to the bathroom is removed, leaving only a splintery frame, eliminating any privacy.
I swallow and squat down to yank at the shackle on my ankle, swallowing a scream as I attempt to pry it open.
It’s no use.
I’m trapped.
That’s when fuzzy memories come back to me.
River and Landon arguing with me….telling me it’s not safe…a hand clamping over my mouth.
“Oh,” I whisper as panic seizes my gut.
