Chasing White

Chapter One:

A high pitched scream startled Hazel. Her eyes shot open, expecting to see pristine walls and a single harsh light. When, instead, darkness pierced her vision, she searched the edges of the room for anything familiar. When she could make out nothing but a small rectangle of yellow light that framed a door, her pulse quickened.

"Where am I?" Hazel questioned aloud. When another sharp scream sliced through her ears, she jumped.

Quietly, she slipped out of the thin sheets she had been laying in, and tiptoed towards the door.

She pressed her ear to the cold wood and listened.

Silence.

Suddenly, a loud thump came from the space outside of the door. Hazel froze. There was a loud scuffling noise, like a piece of furniture being dragged across carpet. Then, a door slammed. More silence followed. 

Hazel turned the metal door knob, pleased to hear no creaking when the door slid open. She poked her head out into a small hallway, furnished with white walls and a small, quaint painting of a flock of birds. A clean, lemon scent mixed with an undertone of something much darker, like stale alcohol, invaded Hazel's nostrils.

Hazel stepped outside into the hallway. She stood there for a few moments, reconsidering her choice to explore. After looking back into the room where she had come from, she made up her mind.

Putting one foot in front of the other, Hazel chose a direction to walk and headed down the hallway. She came to a room with the same clean white walls and spotless white carpet. She spotted a collection of framed pictures on a small table next to a fireplace.

Curious, Hazel made her way towards the table. Scrutinizing the photos, Hazel's heart began to beat faster. One picture showed a small girl which Hazel thought looked exactly like herself, just a bit younger. Moving to the next picture, she saw a tall, muscular man hugging a smaller, more petite woman with a long mane of black hair. Hazel ran her fingers through her own hair, realizing suddenly that she had the same thick, dark hair as the mysterious woman in the picture.

Startled, Hazel looked at the last photo. Immediately, Hazel felt light headed and weary. Her vision tunneled, and she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

The photo was a sunny beach shot of the same tall man and small woman from the last photo. However, between the two, was Hazel, bent over and playing in the sand.