'tis the damn season

Fifteen: The Archer

"Can you see right through me?"

This chair was so uncomfortable. It had been almost an hour and Steve still hadn't woken up. They'd just left us in here. I kept looking around the room to see if I could use anything to break us free, but it was pointless. We were stuck in the middle of the room and couldn't move.

I tried over and over again, to wiggle the rope loose, but it was no use. I don't know what kind of boy scout knots they were tying, but it was really tight.

Was this seriously how I was going to die? Trapped in a secret underground base tied to Steve Harrington, and murdered by Russians? You had to be joking.

I'm trying to stay calm. I really am. But every minute that passed, put me on edge even more. My wrists were getting raw because of how much I was pulling on the handcuffs. I tried over and over again to pull it over my hand, but the metal just kept cutting into my skin. I was pulling on the one side so hard I started to bleed a little bit.

I'd given up on yelling at them to let us out, twenty minutes ago now. They weren't going to let us go. Even if we told them the truth and they believed us, we knew about their secret base now. We weren't going to be getting out of here alive.

"Steve?" I ask, hoping that maybe he'd be willing to wake up now.

No answer.

"Wake up!" I yell.

Again nothing.

How could he still be unconscious? Was it possible to be knocked out for that long? They shouldn't have moved him the way they did. They'd picked him up like a rag doll, tying him to my back without a care in the world. Maybe I was wrong before, maybe they really did kill him.

The whole time we've been down here it's felt like I haven't had much control over my breathing. It was so sharp, and only got worse as my mind raced with the worst case scenario.

"Steve, please wake up," I say, my voice uneven. "I swear to god if you don't wake up right now I'll kill you before the Russians can."

I thought that I had felt a pulse earlier, but it was so faint, and I could have been second guessing myself.

I just needed to know he was actually alive.

I sigh heavily when he doesn't answer, tossing my head back in defeat and accidentally bashing it into his.

"Ow, shit sorry," I say, instinctively trying to move my hand up to where it hurt, but being restricted by the rope and handcuffs.

My breath caught in my throat when I heard him make a small grumbly noise, like bonking into his head had woken him up.

"Steve?" I ask, trying to turn in my seat as much as I can.

He was moving now, probably just trying to figure out where he was. Relief washed over me, and for a moment, I'm actually grateful.

I hear him take a deep breath before mumbling, "What the fuck?"

I felt him jerk in his seat, realizing he's tied to the chair. "Holy shit," he says, louder.

Sitting so close to him, I could hear just how fast his breathing was. I'd be pretty fucking scared if I was unconscious and woke up tied to a chair in an unfamiliar place too.

"Are you okay?" I ask, trying not to startle him, in case he didn't realize I was right behind him.

I was still twisted in my seat, when he turned to try to look at me. "Lauren?" He asks, realizing it's just me. "What the hell is going on?"