#EXPOSED

CHAPTER - 01

Dark water - Nightwalker 

Vaanya

Darkness cloaks the room with a waxing horror bracketing me in as I rock back and forth—a coping mechanism I have taken up years ago—while hugging my knees tight to my chest. The stench of death is not far away and I tremble so hard, I feel I'd crawl out of my skin.

He's dead. He's dead. He is dead!

I release a shaky breath as a low sob begins to escape my throat and my palms dampen with sticky sweat. How did I land in a room with these girls? Why can't I remember a single detail from last night? It was supposed to be a harmless girls' night out with few drinks and banters—a dead body was never the plan. Oh Good God!

I slap my hand against my mouth to a harsh intake of air for my burning lungs. The girls are asleep—no passed out—I don't really know but what I do know is that we are in really dark water.

I prowl slowly towards the body on the marbled floor and inch my finger away from his nose. Oh my God. He isn't breathing. It's the third time I have done it.

The thunder crashes in the distance and the lightning flashes across his dead face fleetingly, sickening me with terror as it reveals his lifeless face, startling me and I sprawl back on my butt. I wheeze sharp pants as I begin to hyperventilate. Why can't I breathe? I need to breathe—in and out...in and out. It's not helping. I struggle to navigate my way through the pitch darkness and my feet hits against another limb. I soon fall onto my knees with a soft thud.

"Wake up," I whisper, tears constricting my throat as I shake her. I'm not sure who she is but I need at least a friend right now. "Please wake up," I whisper-shout and she groans in her sleep.

"Go away," Ella grumbles throatily, "Let me sleep." Crap.

I prowl to the other direction in hopes of waking up Maira or Sam and blessedly enough, I hear her moan lazily in her sleep. "Sam?" I mutter audaciously. "Sam! Wake up!"

"Vaanya?" Her voice is a thick rasp as I reach near her. "Hey, what's going on?"

"I don't know..." I trail off with my watery voice. "I—we—we got here and he's—he's dead." I stutter and choke on my muted sobs as I touch her hand and for a moment, I think she fell back asleep. "Sam?"

"Yeah, no, I'm here, I'm just—wait, who's dead?"

"Kunal!" I snivel because that's all I can manage to do with my shaking body. I hear the blood ring in my ears when I acknowledge it out loud. "I woke up a while ago and..." I wipe my damp face and release another shaky breath. "...found him lying on the floor with us." My eyes sting with fresh tears as I sit beside her and reach for a comforting hand—a hug—anything because I still feel I'd crawl out of my skin. "But he isn't—he isn't waking up—he isn't breathing Sam. I—"

She is on her feet before I can manage another word and the lightning flashes again through the murky room. "Are you sure?" she inquires, rummaging through the bed aimlessly and I wipe my sticky hair away from my temples. "Where's my freaking bag? I need my phone."

"Why do you need your phone?" I'm not whispering anymore—I'm full-on sobbing but not enough loud for the other girls to wake up. "Can you just check his pulse or something?" I stifle my cry and get on my feet. "Please? I need to know if he's really gone."

"I need flashlight V." She roots through her bag, her belongings clamoring through the thick air. "Fuck it. I can't find it," she mutters and walks to me. "Where's he?"

Before I can point my finger in Kunal's direction, the thunder crashes again and I hear the downpour as lightning flashes in a series.

Sam gasps in horror. "What is this place?" She pivots to note her bearings but I'm sure she fails to fathom any of it. It's dark and cold here with the only source of light being the thunder strokes, thank god. "How did we get here?" Her voice catches the venomous panic and I hug my tummy to release the ache in my chest. "Vaanya, how the hell did we get here and why is he dead? How is he dead? Why can't I remember anything? I'm so scared..." Her voice is alarming and I hear all the sirens in my head, begging me to bolt before someone catches me with a dead body but I can't ditch the girls either.