The girl with no name

-Chapter 1: Found-

~Unknown POV~

    I woke again in darkness, sore and cold all over. Well, what else was I expecting? I roll over on my left side and gave a small squeak when my world suddenly spun. I hit the floor hard on my stomach which knocks the air out of me for a minute. Once my head stopped spinning and the pain in my chest had dulled, I push myself up. Something clicks in my brain and I pause in terror- I wasn’t chained up. The floor wasn’t the cold castle-like stone that I was used to. This darkness was lighter.

  I’m not where I should be.

    I don’t even know where I am.

Was death supposed to be this way? I push myself into a sitting position, wincing as my right side, my head, and my left arm pound in rhythm.  No, I decide, death shouldn’t be this painful.

   “Do you think she’s awake yet?” I startle at the voice. I crawl back up to where I was assuming I was. I lie back on the bed and close my eyes, mimicking sleep. I hear a door open and it echoes in my head. Then I hear three pairs of footfalls. Red tints hit my eyelids.

   Light! I think with joy. Something I hadn’t seen for years.

“She’s still asleep,” a low voice says off to my right. “Axel, where’d you say you found her?”

   “Outside. Besides the bar where Da-“

“Say his name, will you?” an angry female voice snaps. “Just hearing his name makes me want to snap his neck!”

 The second voice does not answer the question. “All I know was that she was alone and dying outside on the street corner. I’m not sure what happened to her; I pulled over and carried her in the backseat of my car. She was so still that I had to check if she was still breathing.”

    “She’s awake,” the first male said quietly as I shift on the bed. This information made me uncomfortable. Was he gone? Or was he still here? I was afraid I would hear something I didn’t want to know. God, I must have gone crazy.

    “We know you’re awake,” the second voice drawls.

“Hey,” I feel something grab my shoulder. Painful memories arise in my mind of him grabbing my shoulder, keeping me still, while drinking from me or using his knife to trace previous scars he had created before. I hiss and throw off the arm and I finally open my eyes. Pale blue walls were the first thing I saw. Then I focused my attention on the three people in the room- two men and one woman. The first man was taller than everybody else at about 6 feet. He had stunning green catlike eyes and red spiky hair that stuck out in all directions. He wore a plain red shirt and a pair of cutoff jeans. His right arm held the girl’s.

     She was the one that startled me. Her bright green eyes stare at me and studied my reactions. She was obviously shocked that I reacted defensively just by having my arm grabbed by someone.  Her long blonde hair fell halfway past her shoulders. She wore dark blue jeans, a dark red t-shirt, and black-and-red gloves. She takes a step back from me.

    “It’s okay,” she soothes, “I won’t hurt you.”

I’ve gone crazy, I think. I back up and hit the wall when she takes two steps toward me.

    “Hurt her?” Redhead asks.

“Look at her,” the girl replies. “She’s obviously been through a lot. Ax, can you go get-“

    “I got it,” the third man re-enters the room. I hadn’t even seen him leave. I look up at him now. He also had green eyes- no surprise- and wavy short brown hair. He was wearing a white shirt and shorts. In his hand he held a clear plastic bag filled with dark liquid. He opens the top with ease and a drop of blood oozes out onto his finger which he licks off. My eyes grow wide as my throat burns and the creature stirs inside me with thirst. It wanted the blood and it wanted it now. I restrain myself and go further against the wall to avoid jumping on the man like a wild animal.

    “She’s starving,” the man hands the bag to the girl who cautiously holds it out to me slowly. “It’s okay,” she repeats as I don’t move closer to her even though the vampire in me wants to rip the bag from her hand. I reach out and grab it. She backs up to the redhead. I tilt the bag and drink hungrily and it is empty in five seconds.

    The redhead whistles, “Damn. Did he starve you or what?”

“Um…yes?” I say quietly. “Everything is…confusing? Not so much, um…” I racked my brain; what was the word? “Aloneness…”

     The girl sticks her hand out at me, “I’m Anexi.”

“Um…” I stare at her hand blankly. What was I supposed to do again? I had no idea. I must have been in the dark longer I thought. She awkwardly lowers her arm when I don’t respond, “This idiot is my boyfriend Axel-“

   “Hey!” Redhead- I mean Axel- protests.

“-and Richard.” she motions to the tall dark-haired cute one. His eyes were on my face, reading my features.

    “What’s your name?” he asks curiously.

“Um…” Crap. I fumble, “Um…I…don’t know.”

    All three looked at me in astonished at my statement.

“You…don’t know?” chokes out Axel.

    I shake my head. “I…don’t remember.”

“You have to have a name.” Richard said.

      I don’t respond. The open window had caught my attention. I stand up a little unsteadily and walked over to it and peered out. I watched the cars roll down the busy highways, the noisy blue buses, the different trees and the rising sun. The sun I haven’t seen in so long.

     “How long have you lived with your kidnapper?”

I turn around and speak to Anexi, “I don’t know. I was…twelve when I was brought to the darkness. Seventeen when I was changed. And I think I was still there for two years afterwards.”

     Axel looks up at the ceiling. Finally he yells, “NINETEEN YEARS?! Is he out of his goddamned mind?!”

Richard’s eyes flash to Axel’s face, “What?” his voice is low and deadly.

    “Nineteen…” Anexi was shocked.

  “I want to talk to him.” Richard mutters.

Anexi hisses at him, “Are YOU out of your mind?! He never listens to anyone!”

“He’s MY idiot brother!” Richard yells back.

     “But your parents’ castle is three hours aw-“

“A castle?” I repeat blankly. “I’ve been living under a castle for 19 years?!”

     That apparently set him off. Richard grabs a jacket from the corner and said over his shoulder, “I’ll be back at midnight.”

    “RICHARD! Get back-“the door slams shut, “-here.” Anexi growls under her breath.

“I’m thinking we need to give her a name,” Axel gestures to me. Anexi looks at me. “Hmm.” she hums. I grew self-conscious as they gave me their rapt attention.

   “Can…can I choose?” I ask quietly.

“Sure.” She smiles. “What would you like to be called?”

I think for a minute. “…Sarah?”

“Sarah. Hmm. I like it.” she grins, “C’mon, let’s get you cleaned up.” she takes my hand and shows me the rest of the apartment.