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The meek, quiet voice of a woman fills my ears, and I shift to the side quickly. Feeling along the wall, I make my way forward until I’m up against the bars, seeking out the voice that spoke to me.
“H-hello?” I whisper, loud enough to be heard, but not loud enough to draw attention to myself.
“It’s ok,” she answers, “there’s no one down here. They won’t be back for a while.”
“They? Wh-where am I? Who are you? Alone? They didn’t bring anyone else here?” I rapid-fire questions at whoever owns the voice, expecting her to have all the answers for me, like she’s not trapped too.
At least I’m not completely alone.
“Alright new guy,” the voice is coming from the other side of the wall, and I press myself so tightly against the wall, attempting to get closer to the person bringing me comfort from the other side. “They? I don’t know… the freaks that run this place. Where are you? Well, I mean I’m not sure exactly, but I do know we’re in the valley. They brought you in alone a few hours ago, you were pretty knocked out, I think I overheard one of them talking about how you were drugged. And me? Just call me Q.”
My mind is reeling. I guess you could call those answers, but I’m only left with more questions. Panic and dread fill my chest, and I can feel my pulse beginning to race. Cells. This is a cell. I’m locked up, and I’m not the only one. I’m not in Havok Hills anymore.
Everything sinks in, weighing on me like wet sand, and it’s making it a struggle to breathe. Rapidly I inhale and exhale in short bursts, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t slow down. I can’t suck in enough oxygen. Liquid pools behind my eyelids and I let out an audible gasp as I grip my chest and try to count backwards in my head.
It doesn’t work.
“Hey, hey,” Q’s soft voice parts through my racing thoughts, but I still can’t breathe.
“Hey, come on, new guy, tell me your name.”
She’s trying to distract me. But I’m suffocating. I’m drowning on dry land. My chest tightens and it feels like the room is spinning again.
Over the whooshing sound of my heart racing between my ears, I hear something scuffling across concrete, and that’s when I hear her voice again.
“Come on new guy, it’s ok, look, give me your hand.”
My hand? But I’m alone. I…
“Come on, lay down, scoot up against the wall and put your hand through the bars, I’ve got you.”
I don’t know why but something in the tone of her voice feels safe. There’s a calmness to her in this great scary unknown, so I will my body to move, and I listen. Sliding down to the floor, I face the wall, pressing my body as tight to the concrete as I can get it. My breathing is still erratic, but I slip my hand through the bars, feeling around.
Nothing? Am I crazy? Is she even there?
“Q?” I ask with a shakiness to my voice.
Soft smooth fingers graze mine, and my heart settles as the fingertips find their way between my own, “I’m right here. Just breathe.”
Closing my eyes, and gripping Q’s hand tightly, I exhale heavily.
“There we go,” her thumb sweeps the back of my hand. “Breathe in.”
Inhale.
“Breathe out.”
Exhale.
“Come on, one more time,” her voice is hypnotizing, and it lulls me into a false sense of security, but no matter how false the feeling is, it has the intended effect. I breathe in and breathe out, allowing my insides to slow down.
“What’s your name, new guy?”
“Cole,” I sigh, pressing my eyelids closed. My head is still throbbing, and as I allow my body to relax, I’m finding that I’m so exhausted too.
“Cole,” she hums. “I dig it. You called out for someone Cole.”
“Y-yeah,” I murmur. “Zeke, we were together, and then, then… I don’t know what happened. Q, why am I here?”
