Found Obsession

Chapter 1: Survivor

- Impossible, the murder whispered.

in a dimly lit room across town, the figure known only as the murderer sat in silence, the newspaper trembling in his hands. His eyes scanned the headline again and again, disbelief and distress warring for dominance within him. Detective Rose Hansley Survives Murder Attempt.

With a guttural growl of frustration, he crumpled the newspaper into a tight ball, the sound echoing in the quiet room. How had she survived? His meticulously laid plans had been foiled, his carefully constructed facade shattered in an instant. Panic surged through him, mingling with a gnawing sense of unease.

The game had changed, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to adapt. But adapt he must, for the hunt was far from over, and Detective Rose Hansley was still very much a threat to his carefully constructed world.

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- Somebody help me, Rose begged.

Rose found herself ensnared in a terrifying dance with death. Water, thick and suffocating, closed in around her like a vice, its weight pressing down on her chest, squeezing the air from her lungs. Each gasp for breath was met with a cruel denial, as if the very essence of life had turned against her.

Time lost all meaning as she struggled against the water, her limbs growing heavy with exhaustion. Panic seized her, a primal instinct urging her to fight against the inevitable. But the water was unforgiving, its grip unyielding as it dragged her further into the abyss.

With every passing moment, the world around her faded into darkness, a murky haze that obscured all sense of direction. She could feel her strength waning, her body betraying her as the desperate need for oxygen consumed her thoughts. And yet, the surface remained tantalizingly out of reach, a distant beacon of hope in a sea of despair.

As the last vestiges of consciousness slipped away, Rose found herself engulfed in a quiet resignation. This was it, she realized with a sinking heart. This was how it would end-alone, submerged in the cold embrace of the depths, her struggles silenced by the merciless embrace of the water.

But just as she felt herself slipping away, a sudden surge of adrenaline jolted her awake, the harsh reality of the hospital room crashing down around her. Gasping for air, she blinked away the remnants of the dream, the memory of drowning still lingering like a ghostly echo in the recesses of her mind.

Rose jolted awake, gasping for breath. Her eyes darted around the unfamiliar surroundings, heart hammering in her chest. But something was wrong. Her memories felt like scattered fragments, elusive and out of reach. Fear prickled at the edges of her consciousness as she struggled to piece together the puzzle of her own identity.

A cacophony of voices and commotion outside her room drew her attention,

What was going on?

Rose still felt disoriented, but the commotion outside alerted her to the presence of someone in her room. Her eyes, reminiscent of the ocean, fixated on the figure of a doctor about to administrate serum with a needle.

The doctor had heard her gasp as she woke up and he already had his attention on her.

- Water, Rose managed to say with a sore throat.

The doctor held a look of mixed concern and curiosity etched on his face. There she lay, pallid against the sterile white sheets, her complexion drained of its usual vitality. Her lips, once soft and rosy, were now chapped and dry, evidence of the ordeal she had endured.

A collar encircled her delicate neck, a stark reminder of the trauma she had suffered. Her face bore the signs of a struggle, with faint bruises marring her skin, telling a silent tale of the violence she had endured. Despite the bruises, her features held a fragile beauty, a testament to resilience in the face of adversity.

As the doctor observed her, this young woman lying before him, battered and bruised yet still clinging to life. With a gentle touch, he reached for the glass of water, knowing that even in her weakened state, she deserved comfort and care.

As she drank, Rose realized she wore a collar, and her lungs ached while her head throbbed. Not being able to drink more water she lightly pushed the glass of water away.

- It's nice to have you back mam. The doctor mentioned.

- Back. Rose repeated softly.

Bringing her hand to her forehead, she felt the stitches there, wincing at the discomfort. She tried to recall how she ended up in this situation, but her memories were gone.

-You've been through quite an ordeal. He said softly, his voice tinged with sympathy.

-But you're safe now.

Safe? Rose couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. The sterile environment of the room, the clinical smell of antiseptic, and the presence of the doctor hovering over her only intensified her sense of vulnerability.

- What happened to me? What day is it? she finally managed to croak, her voice barely above a whisper. She winced as a sharp pain shot through her head, causing her to recoil slightly.

The doctor hesitated for a moment, as if weighing his words carefully.

- You were involved in an accident, he explained, his tone guarded.

- But you're in good hands now. We'll make sure you recover fully.

Rose's mind raced with questions, but before she could voice them, the door to her room burst open, and a flurry of activity ensued. Police officers, accompanied by a few members of the media, flooded into the room, some snapped pictures and she covered herself from the flashes.

- Detective, can you confirm your whereabouts on the night of the murder?, one reporter shouted, thrusting a microphone in her direction.

Another journalist chimed in, "Were you aware of any conflict between the victim and yourself prior to the incident?"

Rose's heart raced as the barrage of questions intensified. She felt her world begin to collapse around her, the weight of their inquiries pressing down on her like a suffocating blanket. Try as she might, she couldn't recall anything, her memory shrouded in a fog of confusion and fear.

- Murderer? Rose asked.

Victim?

- Can you tell us what happened? another reporter interjected, their voice sharp and insistent.

Thankfully the doctor and a few nurses stepped in, in a protective barrier between Rose and the onslaught of questions.

- That's enough, he stated firmly, his tone brooking no argument.

- Give her time to recover, she needs time to recover.

This was chaos.

As Rose's headache intensified, a sharp pain radiated through her skull, causing her to wince in agony. Her heart rate quickened, each beat echoing loudly in her ears as panic surged through her veins. Frantically, she tried to grasp at any memory swirling in the depths of her mind, but they remained frustratingly out of reach.

The nurses, sensing her escalating distress, exchanged worried glances as they observed her deteriorating condition. With a sense of urgency, they moved closer, their expressions etched with concern.

The police officers and the a nurse ushered the media out of the room, their voices fading into the distance as the door closed behind them. Rose sank back against the pillows, her mind swirling with unanswered questions and a growing sense of unease. The truth remained elusive, hidden behind a veil of uncertainty that seemed impenetrable.

- Stay with us, Rose. One of the nurses murmured softly, her voice a soothing balm amidst the chaos.

But Rose's panic only intensified, her breaths coming in short, shallow gasps as her mind spiraled further into darkness. Desperation clawed at her chest, squeezing tight like a vice, threatening to suffocate her with its crushing weight.

With no other recourse, the nurses swiftly retrieved a syringe, filled with a sedative meant to calm her racing heart and soothe her frayed nerves. Gently, they approached Rose's bedside, their movements slow and deliberate, as if afraid to startle a wounded animal.

-Everything's going to be alright. The nurse whispered, her voice a gentle reassurance amidst the chaos. With practiced precision, she administered the sedative, injecting it into Rose's vein with a tender touch.

As the medication took effect, a sense of calm washed over Rose, soothing the turbulent storm raging within her. Her eyelids grew heavy, drooping with the weight of exhaustion as she succumbed to the embrace of sleep.

The nurses watched over her with a mixture of relief and concern, their hearts heavy with the weight of the unknown that loomed over their patient. In the quiet of the hospital room, the steady rhythm of Rose's breathing was the only sound that remained, a fragile lifeline in the darkness of uncertainty.

- Poor girl. A nurse whispered.