'tis the damn season

Sixteen: Lavender Haze

"I've been under scrutiny, you handle it beautifully, all this shit is new to me" 

I felt dizzy. No, sick? That wasn't quite it. It felt like the room was spinning, but my eyes were closed. Is that possible?

My eyes flutter open, feeling very heavy as I look around the room. Still trapped with the Russians, okay. I look into my lap. I'm still tied to the chair. Shit.

Was I wrong in saying whatever exactly it was that I was feeling, kind of felt good? It was like I was floating on a cloud, without a care in the world.

Steve! Was he still here?

"Steve?" I mumble. "Are you still in here?"

"Laur? Is that you?" He asks, sounding confused.

I smile, feeling a little bit of relief that I wasn't alone. "Yeah! Holy shit are we alive? I can't tell."

I had this bubbly feeling inside. I couldn't tell where it was coming from.

"No we're definitely alive," Steve says, before he starts laughing.

I lean back against his shoulders trying to turn around in my seat. "What? Why are you laughing?" His laugh was contagious, and before I knew it, I was giggling too.

"I kind of feel good," he laughs. "Those morons messed up the drug!"

Every feeling I had was heightened, and right now, despite still being kidnapped, I felt great.

"Morons!" I yell, hoping they can hear me through the door. I wasn't afraid of them anymore.

Steve joins in the yelling, both of us laughing uncontrollably in between syllables.

I jump in my seat when the door suddenly opens, and Arnold, Doug, the doctor and the other guy step through the door. Seeing them again made me realize that three of them had names, and the main guy we'd been talking to didn't. Maybe Pete. He looked like a Pete.

"Welcome back," Pete says.

"Hi Pete," I smile, looking up at him.

He smiles back at me, but I can't tell if he means to be nice or not.

"Are you two feeling okay?" He asks, walking over to Steve who was still sitting behind me.

"So good," Steve replies happily.

I nod along agreeing with him. "Yeah really excellent."

"Are you willing to answer a few questions?" Pete asks, seeming to be gentle.

I can't help the laugh that escapes my lips when he asks this. "Sure, just don't ask about either of our dads though because that's a bit of a touchy subject for us," I explain.

Steve bursts out into laughter behind me when I say this.

I don't think Pete, Arnold, Doug or the doctor are very amused by us, based on their hard facial expressions, but for some reason, I wasn't scared of them.

"How did you get down here?" Pete asks, coming back around to face me.

I smile up at him. "The elevator," I answer simply.

"How did you get into the elevator?"

"We had a kid climb through the vents to let us in. There was no one outside so we just walked right in once the door was open," I explain.

Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned about Erica and the vents. At least I didn't say her name.

"Why are you here?" Pete asks glaring at me.