Desolation

Chapter Ten

When I wake up, my head is pounding. It's as if there is a hammer smashing my skull repeatedly. I open my eyes, at first blinded by bright sunlight. But then, my eyes adjust, and my stomach sinks.

I am in a cage.

That's when I remember that last thing that happened to me; someone putting a chloroform cloth to my face in the middle of the night. Then blackness.

I have been captured.

I am in a small metal cage in the middle of the jungle. I immediately begin to feel claustrophobic in the small, confined space. Standing up slowly, I look around at my surroundings. No one appears to be there, but I have a strange feeling that I am being watched.

When I look up, that thought is confirmed. A surveillance camera is mounted in the top corner of the cage, pointed directly at me, its red light flashing.

I am suddenly filled with rage and I begin banging on the metal bars of the cage, screaming in anger.

"LET ME OUT OF HERE!" I scream, over and over until my voice hurts.

Even though I know it is completely useless, I continue screaming and banging at the bars until my voice is nearly gone. I slide down to the ground, collapsing. The throbbing in my head has intensified to the point where I cannot even see straight anymore.

Why am I the one that they took?

Then I remember; my name was the only one circled on the list of the names we found at the bottom of the lake. They must have been planning it this whole time. But why me?

I put my head into my hands, trembling with anxiety. I think of Ian and Tristan. They must have woken by now and realized that I am gone. I am filled with a slight bit of hope when I realize that they will probably come looking for me. But then that slight bit of hope is extinguished like a candle when I realize how big the island is and how slim the chances are of them finding me in the vast jungle. And even if they somehow do find me, how will they get me out of a locked cage?

Minutes turn into hours as I sit there, slumped over on the jungle floor. I have ran out of the energy do anything, even to cry. The sun beats down on me, burning my skin. I am dripping with sweat and it feels as if my head is spinning.

Then, just as I am about to doze off, I hear footsteps. Coming towards me.

I quickly pick my head up to see two men in white lab coats coming towards me. They are wearing all white, from the surgical masks covering their faces to the shoes on their feet.

I immediately begin to panic, edging back into the far corner of the cage. My heart is racing with terror as the two men arrive at the cage.

"Who..who are you?" I shout out, my voice quaking.

Neither of them respond or even look at me. Instead, one of them reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ring of keys. After finding the correct one, he puts it into the lock and twists it. There is a click and the cage door creaks open.

I press my back against the cage, my eyes wide with fear as they both walk in. I can only see their dark eyes above their surgical masks, which cover the rest of their face. One of the men walks into the cage and grabs me roughly. I scream, but it's of no use. No one can hear me.

He drags me out of the cage. Each man grabs one of my arms, and begin to walk, dragging me along. My heart is racing with fear.