Sianna and the Soulweaver

Chapter 3 - The Illusion

The final sight I witness, before the door slams shut and a fist connects with my temple to knock me unconscious, is a lone bird fluttering past looking terribly out of place.

And I swear it stopped and stared right at me.

••••••••••

I awaken absolutely petrified in a room I don't recognize, lying on what appears to be just a big pile of hay.

How long have I been here? Where am I?

My ears are ringing and at first it's basically impossible to see anything, my eyes burning like when you open them in chlorine water. There is something seriously off about this downtrodden place, and not just the fact that I have been taken against my will and have no earthly idea where the hell I am. The events leading up to my unconsciousness flood my brain excessively, momentarily drowning my ability to tap into my survival instincts. Everything hurts, the surface of my skin covered in invisible tiny pins and needles; the sensation resembling a limb falling asleep but the pain intensified by a thousand. The only sounds in the room are my harsh breathing and some stray water falling from above - a haunting plop plop plop that rings like a monotonous church bell alerting the townspeople of my untimely demise.

What a fun image, Sianna. Way to motivate yourself.

The walls have an ethereal glow, the color so unusual that I cannot at first pinpoint how I would describe it. It appears almost gray, like dust bunnies―except it has an unnatural sparkle that pushes it more towards a silver or maybe even some sort of blue. Regardless of color, walls are not supposed to glow; of that much I am indeed certain. There is a pungent smell wafting in the air, the stench reminding me of body odor or old gym socks. The exact culprit of the scent is not apparent but from the look of my surroundings, it really could be anything. The room is fairly barren except for a few random (and filthy) items. A wooden chair by the wall on my right, an empty metal bucket turned over on the floor, the slightest but noticeable red stain splashed across the door-

My God, is that...blood?

I nearly vomit in fear at the sight. Someone else's blood who was also trapped here...someone else who tried to escape this cursed place-

And if I don't escape, these people are going to kill me too.

I need to get up or else they are going to kill me too!

The leak above my head drops down onto the tip of my nose, stale water from the ceiling dampening both myself and my makeshift bed. I use the back of my hand to wipe it off and finally sit myself up, an overwhelming feeling of fatigue and soreness making it extremely difficult to do so. My head feels like it weighs a thousand pounds and clunks right back down on the hay, making me want to scream and cry all at the same time. I try to dig deep inside my being for some semblance of strength, mustering up every ounce of my self perseverance. My lungs feel as if they have collapsed and each breath is strained, dragging in and out of my airway reluctantly. 

Flashes of my assault pierce my brain with each simple movement, my ribs suffering the most along with the top of my head. I reach up to touch my scalp and instantly flinch away, gasping at the unexpected raw agony that the action brings. Visions of the terrible man ripping at my hair come painfully back to mind, his fingernails nearly removing my skin from my skull. I thought he was going to kill me right there and then, his accomplice helping to drag my lifeless body so they can properly dispose of it...

I don't want to die here!

My mind wanders to Annie, my heart panging at the thought of her round face full of love and freckles. I have brief comfort knowing that my longest-standing friend is thoughtful enough to still take care of my sweet dog Ron, especially after not hearing back from me for however long it's been.

Ugh, how long has it been? That question is driving me crazy.

Regardless of the length of time I've been absent, Annie would never let Ron go hungry, I know that. Plus she knows where the spare key is, so maybe once she checks up on him-

A grim idea interrupts my mild and temporary comfort. Even if Annie realizes something is horribly wrong and discovers I'm gone, what can she realistically do that's within her power? Call 911 and alert the police, sure, but how long until they find me in this dank, mysterious room? What if no one ever finds me, or what if they do but I'm already a rotting corpse by then? My thoughts torpedo into a hopeless whirlwind and I sense myself starting to hyperventilate, my ragged breaths coming more frequently and beads of sweat pooling around my temples. James' form appears in front of me, these hallucinations of mine becoming more crystal clear than ever but providing me at least some grasp on sanity. He stands strong and tall and I sigh through my heartbreak, my eyes watering from how bad I wish he was really here. He'll take care of the dog too if I don't come home, I know he will. He smiles at me and cocks his head to the side, using the gesture to silently ask me, "Well what are you doing just laying there, lazy ass?" And suddenly, I am asking myself the same very urgent question.

Get up, Sianna. Get up even if it hurts like hell. Get up even if it ends up getting you killed anyway.

Breathing in deeply through my nose, I lean forward slowly and attempt once again to sit up for more than a couple of measly seconds. Pain laces through my joints and torn skin, my nerves protesting the physical exertion but my body fighting through. I groan in despair when I nudge my left leg over and then my right, the agony growing worse with every small movement but my brain trying to ignore it. I use my elbows to fully push myself up and then touch my feet to the floor, the material below feeling like rough stone or concrete. A particularly noticeable sting of pain plagues my left big toe and I am positive it must be broken, the appearance of it swollen like a balloon and covered in purplish black bruising.

Fuck, I need to stand.

I brace myself, sucking in my breath before taking the plunge. I use my right foot first to bear most of my weight and then carefully balance with my left, staggering slightly but then gaining my composure. I move my feet forward slowly to test the waters and immediately fall back on my butt, landing on the hay with a not-so-graceful huff. Sighing and rubbing my temples, I close my eyes and wait several moments before making my second attempt, again starting with my right foot and trying to avoid leaning on my presumably broken big toe on my left. I manage to regain my balance and start to walk again, moving at a snail's pace towards my ultimate goal: the exit out of here. The door stands at least 10 feet or so from my hay pile, the distance seeming like miles to my tired and battered body.

I can do this. Just keep going...carefully.

I force my feet another few inches, a crushing stab in my ribcage taking my very little breath away. Something is broken, certainly, but I can't really do much about that at the moment; I have to try to get out of here and find some help. The rough floor below me scrapes at my sensitive heels and toes but I continue forward, the glowing door in my sights but definitely not yet within my grasp-

A stomp somewhere outside the door halts me dead in my tracks, my heart leaping from my chest. Is someone out there right now? A scraping sound, following by several more stomps, prompts me to abandon my mission and stagger weakly back to the bed of hay. I collapse onto my side and shut my eyes tight, pretending to still be unconscious despite my racing pulse and sweaty skin. I accomplish this act with seconds to spare as the door bangs open, the energy in the room immediately shifting to a tone of pure evil. The atmosphere grows cold and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up straight, a deep sensation of dread pooling in my rumbling stomach. The person remains silent, the sound of them sniffing aggressively at the air making me wish I was already dead before I have to endure whatever torture is sure to come.

Why is he sniffing like that? What's he doing? It doesn't even sound human...

A full minute goes by before the unwelcome visitor finally makes a move, my eyes still closed but my ears listening intently. I hear him pivot and stomp loudly back out the door, slamming it shut so hard that both the walls and floor shake in response. The tears that have been threatening to spill finally escape my closed lids and fall down my cheeks, my body shaking and my hope failing me once more.

I am never getting out of here.

••••••

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