Gaol

Awakening

Her eyelids flickered with life ."Where am I?", That was the first thought that streamed through her mind as the neurones in her head flickered to life, bringing her into consciousness.

Slowly and tentatively she opened her eyes, scared at what she would see, but there was nothing. "I'm blind!" she mentally exclaimed. She bought her hands to her face, feeling the muscles in her fingers contract as she carefully examined her face. She went to her eyes first, fearful at what she would find. As she gently extended her fingertips and felt her eyelids she gave a sigh of relief as she realised that her eyes were still intact. Her fingers traced to her nose then to her lips and chin, making note of how soft her skin was as she carefully examined her every feature, almost as if she was trying to feel who she was.

"Who am I?!", dread again began to fill her mind as she realised that she couldn't remember anything. It was all a mystery to her. Where she was, how she got there. In her panic stricken state she screamed, but no sound came out. She tried to scream again but nothing. "I'm deaf! I'm blind and deaf!" Her hands clasped to her face and she started to cry, but no tears came out. "Who did this to me?!" She thought. Here she was completely vulnerable, unable to see or speak with no idea as to who she was or how she got here. She resolved that she must have been kidnapped and subject to some sort of medical experiment.

"Family, I must have family! Maybe not children of my own, but I must have parents who are out looking for me! And friends!". For the first time since waking up she felt a spark of optimism. A small shred of hope that she mentally grasped onto like a free-climber holding on to a cliff face. "Ok" she thought. I need to get out of here. I need to survive.

She attempted to stretch her legs, but they barely moved. She kicked out and realised that she was in some sort of padded room. She reached out her hands and tentatively explored her prison. She felt the soft, springy walls searching for some sort of exit, but found none. The walls all felt the same. What's more, she realised that it was no differentiation between the walls. "I'm in a bag!" a fresh wave of panic stormed throughout her body and she could felt her heartbeat in her ears. She realised that she could be anywhere.

She kicked out with her feet and punched her at her prison in an attempt to break out. The walls just stretched with her strikes and absorbed the blows, but she was fiercely determined. She kept hitting the walls, ignoring her now aching muscles, but to no avail. "One last try". she cocked back her left arm "I'm left-handed" she thought as her fingers curled into a fist, her knuckles white with tension. She drew her elbow as far back as she could and threw her fist, drawing energy from the shoulder and with an almighty inaudible scream, she punched with as much force as her aching body could muster. The wall was so supple that it felt as if it were absorbing her hand. But then she felt it.

Something pushed back.