Eclipse (Born at Dusk - Book 1)

5

April 22nd, 1961

Kate was awoken by an aggressive noise, pulling her upwards from her place on her bed. The metal scraping on metal wasn't the hatch she'd come to know, but the door opening.

Swinging her legs over the bed, two figures walked into the room without a word. Each of them grabbed her by the arm and positioned her between them, keeping a tight hold over her shoulders with her hands behind her back. The three of them pushed through the door, and Kate was walking down the stone hallway.

Kate watched, and checked her surroundings, but it wasn't much. A single bulb of light sat high on the right wall every several yards, connected by a single wire. Doors that she assumed were like hers dotted the left wall, spaced along with the lights. The same leaking water trailed the ceiling and left trails of water on the floor.

The only sound in the empty hallway was Kate's bare feet slapping on the cold concrete, paired with the near-in-sync footsteps of the boots of her captors. Both of them wore a green military uniform, black boots, and an iron grip.

Kate turned her head back, hoping to catch sight of the hallway behind her and maybe even a soldier's face if she could. Before she could catch a glimpse, a soldier's hand was at the back of her neck as he shoved her head forward, making her wince. She only saw enough that it was pointless to see their faces; they both bore black face coverings.

Ok, guess that's not an option.

Instead, Kate looked forward, paying attention to what was in front of her. After a minute or two of silent walking, they slowed at a door; no markings, no signs, Kate noticed. One soldier let her go while the other opened the door to a stairwell. Dread burrowed its way into Kate's stomach as the soldiers resumed their hold on her, and they became their ascent.

Each of the soldiers was quick, wasting no time waiting for Kate as she tripped several times, pulling her upright and forward as they scaled the stairs. After three flights, Kate was fighting for breath, the lack of proper nutrients finally kicking in. She hung her head, her feet dragging lazily up the steps. Clearly, the soldiers didn't care as they practically dragged her up another two flights.

Finally, they stopped, entering the door to the main floor. Kate was heaving, her throat dry and sore, but the soldiers went on. They weaved their way through hallways and doors before stopping. Kate did her best to pay attention to her surroundings, but everything was the same: smooth concrete walls, metal doors with metal handles, and lights high on the walls. Everything was blurring together in a haze of gray.

This time, when they went through a door, it wasn't a hallway but a small room. Inside there was a steel table and two chairs sitting opposite each other. Before Kate could even catch her breath, she was inside the room, the soldiers sitting her in one of the chairs. They quickly took her hands and zip-tied her wrists to the table, pushing her into her chair before leaving, locking the door from the outside.

Everything went quiet again, only Kate's uneven breaths up the room. "You've got to be kidding me," Kate muttered to herself, one of the first string of words she'd said in days.

She took the opportunity to survey the room but found it was identical to the building itself; the same stone walls, rust-coated floors, and uneasy pipes. Unease comfortably settled itself in Kate's system, making her nauseous.

What I'd give for food right now.

Kate sat there, her hands tied uncomfortably to the cold table, and looked around the room. She quickly became bored, anxiety filling her system. She could only think of the worst outcomes as she awaited for something, anything, that would eventually end up in something bad.