Nocturne || A Crime Oneshot

Nocturne / Part 1

Raye had always been rather observant. She prided herself for her ability to solve puzzles the slightest bit faster than the generic population.

This time was no different. Despite the darkness around her, her brain remained her most powerful ally.

The first thing she really noticed was the smell. It smelled similarly to a new car. A very Sterile new car. The second thing she noticed was the temperature of the room she was in. Was it a room? She'd get to that in a second. It was an alright temperature; warm enough to spoil milk, but with just the right amount of chill to make you uncomfortable.

The third and final thing she registered before opening her eyes, was a consistent palindromic beeping.

Upon this arrival of senses, all within 30 seconds or less, her eyes flew open.

She was in a well lit room, it looked like a miniature warehouse; The same as a regular warehouse, but shrunk into a single room building. There was equipment she couldn't quite make out, papers everywhere, and annoying LED lights, complete with the stereotypical hum of fluorescence. She squinted her eyes, still slightly delirious from the sleep state she just exited.

Shifting her half awake body, she realized she was in a chair. And not just in a chair, but strapped to one. Her wrists and ankles had secure leather bindings tying her to the wood. After a split second of flexing said restraints, the beeping increased ever so slightly. This drew her eyes to the standing monitor next to her, displaying her heart rate. She inhaled through her nose, eyes darting around, trying to keep herself calm. She managed to keep her heart rate consistent, considering she wasn't really panicking. She should have been, this being very unusual circumstances after all, but she held it together.

She let her mind work faster than her body, an instinct she was used to. After a few delicate moments of thought, her eyes snapped to the smallest creak, coming from a dark corner she couldn't see very well.

More rustling followed, and a shadowed figure stood up. Her heart rate didn't waver.

Stepping into the light, surprisingly, was a man that appeared to be of her age or slightly older. He had a strong build, wore a dress shirt and pants, had dark wavy hair, walked confidently, and was gazing at her with the most intense look she had ever seen.

Her first thoughts, in rapid succession, flew through her mind:
where am I?
what am I doing tied to a chair?
who is he?
why is he so attractive?

As the last thought marinated, she flicked her eyes away in embarrassment, her face no doubt growing pink. She heard the beeping increase ever so slightly and scolded herself for blushing in such a compromising situation.

"Interesting" The man spoke smoothly, drawing her eyes once again. Her gaze flirted across his figure, but this time she controlled her thoughts. She remained quiet, hoping he'd reveal himself or his intentions before she had to speak.

"You know- they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Yet, I can't quite shake the feeling that you had no intention of flattery" She met his gaze confidently, however the confidence was slowly dripping away. Who was he? What did he want? What was he talking about?

Her eyes left him, travelling around the room to analyze every piece of paper she could see, read, or understand. She heard him "hmm" to himself, but continued to soak up information about her surroundings.

"Eyes on me, dear" his hand grasped her jaw firmly, his finger barely brushing her bottom lip. He turned her head to him, so that their eyes met. Her heart rate instantly increased, but unfortunately not from panic. She knew she had to be blushing, and from his small smirk, he knew too.