Apnea

Mute

She tried to make a sound, any sound, but only a quiet, harsh wheeze came out. Her mind was blank, only registering a faint beeping and the person in front of her.

Arms wrapped around her, supporting her. A hand had been placed on the back of her head, stroking her hair. The silence was broken when the person sighed.

"Don't talk, you won't be able to." The raspy voice triggered a memory, a man pinning her to the floor.

She started struggling, pulling away. This man wasn't safe; everything screamed at her to run away, flee. His grip only tightened on her, holding her in place.

"Calm down, pest." His voice was calm, almost soothing. She halted in her struggles, her body giving up.

Who is this? Who, who?! A name, he had a name. He told her his name; what was his name? Her breathing picked up again, eyes widening in panic.

"Damn, kid, take a breath." He moved his hand from her head to reach for something. A cool substance touched the side of her face, making her flinch back and shrink further into the arm that was still holding her. Looking towards his hand, she noticed it held a glass of water.

"Drink this and don't speak." His hand extended closer to her face, gesturing that she take the half-full glass of water.

Lifting her hand to grab the glass, she shifted her weight to sit back on the bed. Sheets scratched her bare legs as she shifted, making her look down. She was in black biking shorts and a grey sports bra. Her normal sleep attire. She had been in her bed, in her apartment. When was that? Hours ago? Weeks?

She grabbed for the water, not noticing how bad her hand was trembling. As she took hold of it, the glass almost dumped on the bed. The man grabbed her hand, stabilizing it.
"You can even hold a glass. What a nuisance." He scoffed as he guided the glass to her mouth, noticing the fear in her eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you, well, not right now anyway." His eyes looked bored and slightly annoyed.

She tried to swallow, surprised at how dry her mouth was. She accepted the glass, and the cool water slid down her throat as she drank. She never took her eyes off of him, analyzing his face.

She choked, coughing as the water was caught in a gasp. Bending over, she hacked into the sheets. The man pulled the glass away and set it to the side.

"Dabi."