Bloodlines and Bullets

three

Blinking against the dim, but harsh light, I slowly become aware of my surroundings. Confusion clouds my groggy mind as I try to make sense of the disorienting shift. For a moment, the remnants of my sleep linger, and I'm convinced I'm still in the airport lounge, slouched on a plush couch. Yet the biting cold beneath me starkly contradicts that notion. I blink again, squinting against the brightness, and realize I am far from the airport lounge. The relentless chill of the concrete floor against my back sends a shiver through me, a stark reminder that comfort is a distant memory.

Panic surges as I attempt to comprehend the abrupt shift. I tug at my wrists, only to discover they're bound to the wall, heavy iron cuffs biting into my skin. The room is dim, shadows creeping along the edges, and a damp chill clings to the air. My breaths come faster, shallow and frantic, chest tightening as I strain against the restraints. Each movement only tightens the grip of the chains, and a sharp pain stabs at my wrists.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" I scream, my voice cracking, echoing into the emptiness, but no one answers. I'm alone, the silence wrapping around me like a suffocating blanket.

I squeeze my eyes shut, forcing myself to breathe, to think. How long have I been here? Time feels like it's stretching, bending, every second dragging out. My throat is dry, my head pounding, and a gnawing fear claws at my insides. I try to shift, to move, but my body feels heavy, drained, as if the weight of whatever's coming is pressing down on me already.

The room is cold, the kind that seeps into your bones, I can't feel my fingers anymore. Are they numb from the restraints? I glance up, trying to see if there's any give in the chains, any way to slip out, but the metal is unforgiving. It's too quiet. The kind of silence that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, like something is watching, waiting. My pulse pounds in my ears, the panic rising again, but I force it down. Think, Thalia. Stay calm. There's got to be a way out of this.

A faint, metallic clatter echoes through the room, and I freeze, my heart slamming against my ribs. The sound is distant, but it's enough to make my skin prickle with unease. Footsteps, heavy and deliberate, begin to approach. Each one grows louder, more ominous. I stare at the door, waiting, dread curling in my stomach. Please don't come in. Please just go away.

The door creaks open, and a man steps inside. He's not someone I recognise. Tall, broad-shouldered, with a dark presence that fills the room. His face is hidden in the shadows, but I can feel his eyes on me, assessing, calculating. He moves slowly, deliberately, his boots striking the floor in a steady, unhurried rhythm. Each step is a reminder that he's in no rush. He knows I have nowhere to go. I shrink back as far as I can, pressing myself against the cold stone wall, but there's no escape. My wrists burn from the restraints, every movement only digging the metal deeper into my skin. I try to breathe, to steady myself, but my heart is racing, my body trembling.

He says nothing as he comes closer, his face still obscured by shadow, but the menace in the air is palpable. Finally, he stops just in front of me, the light barely catching his features. His eyes are grey, cold, lifeless. His jaw is sharp, dark stubble lining his skin, but it's the expression - or lack of it - that makes my stomach twist.

"What do you want?" I manage to whisper, my voice shaking despite my efforts to stay calm. "Why am I here?"

For a moment, he just stares at me, as if my words don't even register. Then, slowly, he reaches into his coat, pulling out a small, metallic object. The light catches the edge of it - a pair of pliers. I feel the blood drain from my face. My stomach lurches, the fear tightening its grip on my throat.

"No, no, no! Please," I stammer, my voice barely above a whisper. "Please. I swear, I don't know why I'm here. You've made a mistake-"

The slap is sudden, violent, snapping my head to the side. My cheek explodes with pain, the sharp sting radiating through my skull. I gasp, blinking back the tears that blur my vision. My heart is racing, the shock of it making my entire body tremble.