Part III

Suddenly I cough, snapping back to consciousness. I´m dizzy, disoriented, confused and not quite able to think or remember very clearly. But I do remember that something happened and Aicha was with me when it did. Whatever it was…I can´t remember.

“Aicha?” My throat is hoarse and the air about me is scented by something…almost familiar, seeming almost thick enough for me to reach out and grasp hold to part of it. I cough again, trying to recall whatever it was that happened, but I draw a blurred blank. It is as if my memories are hidden behind an indestructible thin veil hiding what I seek.

“Aicha?” I call out again, waiting with growing fear until I hear a soft moan and immediately followed by a grumble somewhere nearby. When I try to open my eyes…I find that I can´t see! Wherever I am, there is nothing but complete darkness – not one trace of light to give any sort of clue as to where I am.

“Aicha, you there?”

“…yeah, I´m here. Where are we?”

Before I answer, I try to move closer to Aicha, but I immediately gasp in pain when I attempt to do so. Somehow, I have hurt myself – my head throbs like a herd of wild elephants are stampeding inside my brain, throwing me off balance, and guessing from the pain, I must have sprung my right ankle.

“I have no freakin clue – I can´t see worth shit!” I answer with a little pain and frustration as I continue to move towards Aicha’s voice. “But wherever we are…it sounds like a room of some sort.”

“And how, oh great Sherlock, can you tell?”

“Elementary my dear Aicha – by the echo of our voices.”

Just as I find myself sitting beside Aicha, she grumbles, muttering something under her breath. She always hated it when I answer her like that. I do it just to piss her off. But I can hear her, “I bow before your greatness, oh mighty Sherlock.”

“And somehow, I hurt myself – my head hurts like hell! And I sprung my ankle. How…I haven’t the damndest clue.”

With a sigh, Aicha helps me move closer to her, sitting at her right side, and together, we lean back against something hard and cold. It actually feels rather good as its coolness seeps through the thin fabric of my black tank top and black shorts. And shifting my back, a shiver races down my spine then back up.

Staring out into the darkness, I feel almost alone except for Aicha sitting next to me.

“*Where are we?*”

I grab hold of her right hand, taking it in mine and I lean my head against Aicha’s shoulder. She’s the sister I’ve never had and I don´t really know what I’d do without her. And together, we sit side by side, alone in the darkness, afraid and not knowing where on Earth we are. But I cannot get rid of the sense that there is something wrong. It makes my skin tingle and the hairs at the nape of my neck to stand on end and there is a sort of electrical charge in the air. I huddle closer to Aicha, my only sense of security – “*If we are together, nothing will happen to us.*”

Just as I finish that thought, something long and powerful wraps about my wrists and instantly I am yanked to my feet, and quickly I find myself being dragged away from Aicha, who’s screaming bloody murder.

“Aicha!!” I cry, trying to fight whatever has hold of me, but to no avail – I´m being removed forcefully from the room where we found ourselves in when we returned to consciousness.

Soon I realize that what holds to me is hands – two slim powerful hands with five long steely fingers each, hands hidden behind a sheath of leather. I fight harder, kicking and flailing my body and arms at whoever holds to me, only to be pulled against a hard muscled body. Just as swiftly, well muscled arms encircle me as I am taken away from Aicha.

“Dawn-“

Aicha’s cry is cut off suddenly as something moves passed me – a doorway. My sense of danger is going crazy, but I can´t break free of my captor no matter how hard I fight.

“Let me go!” I cry out, not wanting to be taken away from Aicha, not wanting her to be left all alone in that inky black room…not wanting to be separated from her. But I hear nothing except deep breathing and a low throaty growl rumble through my back.

“Do not fight, it will only make matters worse for you and your companion.”

I cannot contain the gasp of surprise in hearing my captor actually speak to me. And, for the damndest of reasons…I want to hear it again. The voice - male, deep and silken like water, breathy and alluring like the night…and just as seductive.

I heed his words, whoever he is, and I cease my fighting, but I am unable to stop the trembling and send away my fear. And I grow angry at myself for being afraid. Fear has always been one of my biggest problems – I´m afraid of everything.

“Use your fear, it will give you strength.”

“Huh?” I exclaim, not quite sure if heard right…or if I even heard it at all. There is nothing but silence as I am led farther away from Aicha, yet I swear I heard my captor say something…atleast I thought I did. I can feel my fear beginning to overwhelm me, causing my heart to race to the beat calling to death… I can´t breathe anymore, my lungs are tight and won’t let me breathe and once more, I begin to fight in fear – fear of dying even before my captor has the chance to kill me.

“Do not let your fear control you, you must control your own fear…”

I hear his sweet voice again, but this time I know where I heard it – in my head of all places! But the thought of not being able to bring life giving air into my lungs takes over and my thoughts are chaotic and filled with terror.

“*I don´t want to die! I can´t breathe! Help! Someone help me!!*”

“Help-“ I can only get out of my throat…such a feeble attempt.

As I feel the life being burned from my body with the lack of oxygen, I find myself being lifted from my feet and laid over my captor’s arms. The sounds of air whistling softly in my ears is the last thing I hear as the darkness of unconsciousness envelopes me.