FATE\Deus Decipit

Chapter 35: The Hangover

7:35 am, The Alghul Villa

Aisha Alghul sat upright on her bed, barely awake and half-delirious. As she worked to push the hangover-like headache from her mind, there were a few things she noticed in turn.

First, she was in her bedroom, on her bed, no surprise there.

Second, to her surprise, she was naked. More accurately, she was in her underwear; deep garnet lace. She did wear underwear to bed, but always under her pajamas, which were nowhere to be immediately found; likely still in her dresser.

Thirdly, oddly, she was ON her bed, that is, on top of the covers and the blankets, rather than under them. The bed was mostly made, but the indention in the covers indicated restlessness. Wrinkles across them revealed a rather simple story: she had been kicking and rolling in her sleep.

Finally, and related to the previous observation, she was covered in a cold sweat, and likely had been for a long time, if the dampness of the bedspread was any indication.

Combined, it told an odd story that she couldn't quite make sense of.

She must've gotten drunk, right? But that wouldn't explain the cold sweat and restlessness. The only conclusion is that she must've done harder drugs, but why would she ever do that? Her body is a temple, and she'd never disgrace herself in such a way under normal circumstances. Then there was her sleeping arrangement. Somewhere along the line, she either undressed or was undressed. This would indicate some form of sexual encounter, but then why was she dressed at all? Wouldn't she be wholly naked if that were the case? Perhaps an encounter was attempted, or maybe some other fringe scenario led her here?

Her memory offered no answers, in fact, she couldn't quite remember anything. She knew things, she remembered her identity, her history, herself in all its aspects, but whenever the time came for true recollection, any piece of information which required reconstruction, the pounding in her head would swell, effectively cutting off her memories.

She slid over to the side of the bed, pushing herself off.

-She nearly fell. Her legs felt weak. She felt sick. Her body was unnaturally hot, but it was more than that. She felt violated. She felt as if there were worms crawling through her veins, as if her blood had been replaced with viscous ooze. Her heart shuddered in its place, and her body was riddled with shivers and trembling.

'It must be anxiety, or maybe another side effect.'

The inability to retrieve her memories, her literal and metaphorical nakedness; there were few things she hated more than feeling vulnerable. The questions that swam through the mind paired with the physical sickness sent every part of her being into a state of panic, but there was nothing to fear. Anxiety filled her heart and soul even as she stood, alone, in her room, where no danger could come to her. Her hands instinctively moved to her opposite shoulders, covering her breasts, grasping at some feeble sense of security as she began to move to the bathroom.

She opened the door slowly, scanning the room from behind the door lest someone else be there.

'Wait, who?'

She was alone wasn't she? She had this whole cabin to herself, and had taken great measures so that even those within her organization didn't know her address. So who?

'Caster.'

How could she have forgotten Caster? Even with her apparent amnesia, he was such a major aspect of her life, it seemed impossible to forget him, but even now her headache was swelling, and her image of him was blurred and incoherent, like all her memories.

She walked slowly into the bathroom, even going so far as to lock the door behind her, and, crossing the bathroom, locking the hallway door as well. She wasn't sure why, but the pressure in her chest wouldn't leave her; she felt like a mouse in a cage, or a tiger in a zoo. Like the walls, the ceiling, the floor, were all watching with serpent eyes. She felt as if each step were wholly futile, as if doom waited for her just outside her door, but was already beginning to slip through the cracks.