Death by Love

Chapter 1: Waking Up Dead

CHAPTER 1  

            The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was the coffee colored wooden planks on the ceiling. It smelled faintly of the sea. I was vaguely aware that I couldn’t hear anything at all- the world was completely silent.

            Where was I? I thought. I was lying down in a soft, king size bed, buried under a fluffy down comforter. I was in a room, with wooden planks for the floor, walls, and ceiling. There was a large silver mirror to one side, and a bookcase to another. Other than that, the room was empty.

            I got up from the bed in a dream-like trance. I felt strangely distant from everything. I stopped in front of the mirror and almost gasped.

            Yes, it was still me, pretty as always, with light brown hair that curled at the tips and hazel eyes. But my skin was a sickly shade of white, so pale to the point that it seemed to emit a soft glow.  It was eerie- normally, I had to slather on layers of sunscreen to keep from turning too tan. And I was wearing a strange outfit that I did most definitely not put on- a lacy black dress that reached to my knees and made my skin look an even harsher shade of white.

            My heart started to beat frantically. This was weird to the point of being scary. I didn’t know where I was. I was glowing- glowing! What kind of normal person glowed? And the silence was getting eerie.

            “Hello?” I said tentatively, desperate to break the oppressive silence. My voice sounded shaky and weak, like a little girl, scared and lonely. My voice echoed around the room. Hello? Hello? Hello?

            “Hey,” a voice answered back.

            “Eek! Oh my god!” I fell onto my back. “Oof!” I scrambled back to my feet and looked around. Everything made sense.

            I had been kidnapped.

            I quickly jumped into the bed, hid under the covers, and peeked through a little hole.

            The doorknob slowly turned. The seconds stretched out. I am so dead, I thought. My heart beat erratically. The wooden door slowly creaked open, and-

            My jaw dropped. Whoever I was expecting, I was not expecting him. He looked about my age- 14 or 15-ish, with dark brown hair that fell into his eyes. His eyes were an electric blue, and were framed by eyelashes that were completely wasted on a boy. He was what Emma would consider a cutie. Snap out of it, I told myself.

            I blinked. I was momentarily confused- was he my kidnapper? I could easily escape him. After all, I hadn’t taken self-defense classes for nothing. He walked into the room, and swept his gaze over the room. His eyes stopped on the bed. I was huddled into a lump, and probably wasn’t too hard to spot.

            He walked over. He might have been stronger, but I was prepared to attack. As soon as he uncovered the blanket, I would attack him, and-

            “Hi-yah!” I punched him in his face. Then, I leapt out of the bed and ran towards the door. Freedom!

            Suddenly, I felt his hand gripping onto my arm. “Wait! Don’t leave, Carys! It’s not what you think!”

            I struggled. “Let-go-of-me! Ugh, let go!” I squirmed, but his grip was firm.

            “Carys, just listen. I swear, it’s really important,” he pleaded.