The Extractor

Chapter 1 - Annaliea

 Dedicated to this wonderful person who made this amazing cover!!

Chapter 1-Annaliea

Annaliea opened her eyes. Her eyes darted from the ceiling, to the plush carpet, to the mirror. Judging by her surroundings, Annaliea reasoned she was in a bedroom, and a spacious one at that. She had no memory of how she got there, or what she was doing there. After she thought about it, she had no memory at all.

She placed her hand behind her to steady her as she sat up, but could not progress very far once a splitting headache took over. Annaliea sat up as best as she could and looked at herself in the mirror. She saw a girl who was no older than fifteen years, with short black hair partly covered by a blood stained bandage. Blue eyes and a flawless round face; she was stunning.

She was wearing just a plain T-shirt with the word: Annaliea, printed on the chest, and a blue skirt that went to her knee. A simple uniform.

Annaliea did not know this girl. She knew nothing more than her name.

She felt something on her head, and reached out her hand to touch it. Pain shot through her head as she drew her fingers back, a red sticky substance smudged on her fingers. Blood, she thought, and began unwrapping the bandages that covered her head. 

An atrocious scar ran from her right ear to her left eyebrow, blood obscured her forehead, Annaliea’s features disoriented by the hideous scar. She gasped and quickly replaced the bandage, not wanting her revolting reflection to haunt her. How could that thing in the mirror be her?

Her heart sank as she stared at the ground. Tears welled in her eyes at the thought that the repulsive thing in the mirror might actually be her. A tear dripped down her cheek and curved along her chin. She found herself wondering how she would live in a place like this. Were there others in her situation?

She took a step off the bed. Pain surged through her head as she stood up. Wincing, she walked to the window, wanting to see something that would remind her of anything. Where she came from and why she could not remember anything. All she saw was a pale sky and miles of nothing.

Trapped, was the word that came to mind.  She was trapped. What had she done in her life that had made her deserve this? What could she have done to live with no past to go back on and no future to look forward too?

“What is this sick Hell?” she said looking around the room. The luxurious room dared her to say anything bad about her new life. She had it good, it seemed to say, your life is just going to get better when you are here.

“I don’t buy any of this.” She spat, sadness quickly tuning to anger.

She pursued her lips and looked out the window: the menacing expanse of nothing threatingly her sanity. Most would go crazy, in her position, but she stayed standing tall and wiped the tears from her eyes. Getting rid of any sign of weakness, she crossed to the dresser with the mirror, and undid her bandage again. She did not wince as she saw the hideous reflection staring back at her; instead, she smiled, grabbed the round mirror by the ends and threw it on the ground hard.

It shattered against the plush carpet; the sliver glass reflected everywhere and meshed its way into the carpet. She walked into the bathroom and dampened a towel; she then began wiping at her forehead. Annaliea rinsed her forehead of all blood and left only the abhorrent scar.

Annaliea saw on the counter a note addressed to her:

Dear Annaliea,

Welcome to the Castle

That was all it said.

Suddenly a searing pain shot through Annaliea’s forehead. She collapsed on the cold tile, her hand at her forehead, trying to stop the terrible pain. She grabbed the counter with her free hand and tried to pull herself up. She stumbled out of the bathroom, practically crawling on the floor. Finale she was able to stand, but as soon as she regained her balance, it left her again and she found herself on the floor next to her bed.