Ablaze

04

When I awoke, the room was pitch black.

No light is emitted from any source. The lack of windows made it hard to tell what time of day it was or how long I had slept.

The sensation was disorientating, surrounded by perpetual darkness. I couldn't see my fingers in front of me, my eyes refusing to adjust.

My breathing was loud as I struggled to breathe against the cloud of stale tobacco. The Underground would have to have some sort of ventilation system down here. Otherwise, their life expectancy would be dwindling.

Likely, an irritating torture tactic from Harry.

I sat up slowly, my bare feet touching the carpet. Stretching my arms above me, I grimaced at how tight my muscles felt from sleeping in such an awkward position.

I reached down, blindly probing for my glass, feeling around before I softly hit it. As I picked it up, it felt heavier. I could almost groan with appreciation that it had been refilled.

The previous events began to rekindle, the fog of exhaustion clearing. Acutely aware I was alone, I started frantically searching for my shoes. I was ready to get out of here, and my window of opportunity was dwindling.

Sighing in relief that I had found them, I quickly began trying to put them on in the shadows of the bunker. Securing them as tightly as I could, I stood on shaky legs, cringing at the fatigue that weighed me down.

I bolted in the direction of the door, my hands in front of me, desperately feeling for the cold metal. I breathed a sigh of relief when I felt my fingers graze the door.

I began to open it when a voice spoke from the depths of the room, "Going so soon?"

A scream of fear escaped me, believing I had been alone this whole time. I felt ambushed and frightened that someone had been in here the entire time.

Immediately, I knew it was Harry, his voice cold and commanding. The subconscious ability to automatically connect it to a man I barely knew disturbed me. The skin on my arms itched, the sensation creeping up my neck.

My hand clenched onto the door handle, escaping so within reach I could practically taste it. The battle waged on within me, debating whether to just run and pray that I made it back to the ladder before being caught.

"I only wanted a place to rest. I'm looking for my Brother. He is not down here, so I plan on leaving and walking back through the forest to find him. I won't tell anyone about this, I promise." My voice came out shaky, feverishly trying to explain to Harry that he could trust me to keep my mouth shut about the Underground.

"And here I was hoping your Father had sent you here to spy for him."

My heart stopped beating in my chest at the mention of my Father. Waves crashed against my eardrums, everything becoming white noise.

Heaving with unease, I whipped back around to Harry. He was still concealed, my eyes still unable to adjust to the inky darkness of the room. I could only narrowly locate him by the direction of his voice.

"What do you know about my Father?" My words were rushed as I began to convince myself that he was working with my Father and would be here any moment to collect me.

I envisioned him demanding my Father to come here, threatening that he would murder me in cold blood.

"What an interesting reaction." Was all Harry responded with, his tone blunt.

"Please don't tell him I am here. I will leave now, and you can forget you ever saw me. I swear." I begged him, my words sounding whiny as I pleaded.

I hadn't bothered begging for my life, but at the mere mention of my Father, I was ready to crumble to my knees and pray for mercy.