Refuge

Chapter 6

We continued walking for at least 10 minutes before we finally stopped. My handcuff chains dropped as whoever had pulled me here had put it down.

My ankle ached from the pressing weight and I simply stood there. I heard murmuring as I stood there wondering what I was going to do. Then, moments later I heard a male voice demanding, "Massage your filthy hair! Now!"

I did as the voice commanded with many second thoughts. Then I felt a drop of water on my hand and many others followed it. They're trying to drown us!

I heard someone say, "We're gonna drown! Forget massaging my hair!" Followed by banging on metal. He continued yelling but then a loud bang went out and there was only one more bang.

They killed him! I washed the ketchup off my eyes as quickly as I could. I finally open my eyes and look around to the many horrified faces. I'm in a concrete room filling with water. The water was at my ankles but I had no choice but to continue massaging my hair. I looked down to see blue suds falling down my clothing and into the water.

I looked around more carefully to see that most of us had different colored suds falling off of them. I looked around desperately seeking Katie but I couldn't see her. Ony a lot of familiar people with dyed hair.

Wait.

I pulled down a strand of my hair with one hand while massaging my head with the other. It was difficult with my handcuffs, but I managed to see a strand of my long hair. It was blue.

They didn't put ketchup in my hair! They dyed it! "%#@*" I muttered. I'm gonna make all these @&$* pay for holding us captive, threatening me and Katie; and now for this.

The water was up to my knees but I continued massaging my head. Surly drowning will be less painful than to be shot who knows where.  Soon the suds from my hair became clearer and almost pure water. The water continued slowly rising and people began to panic. 

More people stopped massaging their hair and shortly after they were shot. The water claimed a red tone as it continued rising. It was around the height of my waist when one of the armed men standing on a deck above the water shouted, "Out! Out! Out!"

Then suddenly a door opened to the outside. The water gushed outside pulling me forward. I try to hold my ground but the current grabs my ankle restraint and jerks my foot from under me. It pulled me under the water and I slammed against the floor, knocking the wind out of me.

In my surprise, I opened my mouth and took a breath. The distinct taste of blood and chemicals filled the water and my lungs tried to reject every ounce of the water I'd breathed.

I was pulled in the underwater current across the concrete and onto the grass. As soon as the air touched my face my eyes flew open and I gasped for the air in hopes that it would replace the water.

Once I had caught my breath I realised how sick was to my stomach. I sat up and vomited and began to feel a little better. "Jessie!" a familiar voice lightly called, "Jessie!"