Her Captor, Her Savior

Awakenings: Evelyn Young

A small candle was lit, the silence deafening. Thick blankets coated my small body, blocking out the cold surrounding me. My hand reached out to greet the darkness as I turned in bed, blowing my long hair out of my eyes. I stifled a gasp.

The sight before me was one of a defeated man hunched over and situated on a little wooden stool. Not a mere meter from the bed.

I started to panic, my memories escaping me. Stifling a gasp, I learned, to my horror, that my mind was blank as a new sheet.

Scanning the room in a panic, I slowly attempted rolling out of bed to my feet, beckoning away from the stirring man beside me. I had to get out of here before he awakes. However, my rush to the door didn't go unnoticed.

"Shh, it's okay. What's wrong?" He asked, his voice groggy and sleep-deprived.

As he rubbed his eyes, I demanded, "Who are you?"

He stood slowly as I backed up, my back pressed against the cold, hard wall. His deep, anxious eyes stared up at me.

"You're safe, Evelyn," he replied, his voice warm and haunting. "I'm your savior, Raffe."

I repeated those words to myself, struggling to make sense of them. They felt like they should mean something-like the key to a long-rusted lock. However, the door to my past was shut tight. I couldn't even remember my own name. Evelyn...the name felt so distant. Panic crept in, making my voice waver as I panicked.

"What have you done to me? Why can't I remember who I am?" My breathing was a crescendo, getting louder and louder as a drum pounded against my chest.

I clutched my hand to my heart as he murmured, "I'll never let anything happen to you ever again..."

I had enough.

"Stay away from me!" I yelled, eyes connecting with the door.

I had to get out of there. I ran for the doorknob, throwing the door open to an empty hallway. Gasping, darkness welcomed me as I reached for the stairs. I could hear heavy footsteps behind me as I ran down the narrow steps, the floorboards creaking below me. Turning the corner to my right, I came face-to-face with the exit.

An escape. I breathed a sigh of relief before a realization hit me. Turning the wooden knob, I knew the lock was shut from the outside. I was trapped.

All I could do was arm myself, so I scanned the room for a weapon. The living room was empty, save for a rocking chair and a small coffee table. My gaze then fixed on the man who called himself my "savior," slowly making his way down the stairs.

His steps were steady, his demeanor calm and in control. What really scared me was his gaze. I was painfully aware of his eyes on my body as if I were just some experiment to him, calculated and concise.

"It's okay. I won't harm you. I just can't let you out, not in your condition." His smile radiated reassurance, his posture almost shifting to amusement as he studied me.

"What condition? I'll stop trying to run away if you give me some answers." My curiosity was getting the best of me. If I was going to die, I wanted to at least know who I was.

He waved at the rocking chair beside me, saying, "This might be hard to hear; I suggest you sit down for this."

Pacing around the room, I saw his hands combing through his hair, a look of pity on his face. He was wearing a gray shirt and cargo pants, clashing against his pale texture.

"You were in an accident. I found your body on the side of the road as I went out hunting one day, blood dripping from a head wound. It must have been a hit-and-run, pieces of glass from the headlights littering the floor. The bloody coward left you."

His voice caught, anger turning into something else. I shook, shock keeping me in my seat as I watched Raffe shake his head, hatred displayed on his face in all glory. "He should have died."

I curled up in the rocker, tears running down my face, oblivious to his presence creeping up on me. He grabbed his coat from a handle, placing it over my small, frail body.

"You've been through so much, Evelyn. I'll never let anything hurt you again. We're safe here... together."