Ethereal Lives: A Romantic Sci-Fi Novel

Chapter 1

Ariane Wilson's eyes shot open before quickly closing again to block out the stark white light. She raised a hand to her heavy head, trying to shake the fog that clouded it. She had been reading a book on the beach in Barbados. Did I fall asleep in the sun?

"Look, I know we were short on time, but Ax isn't going to like this."

The soft voice broke through her hazy mind making a dull ache prod her temples. "Go away, I'm on holiday," she groaned.

When she opened her eyes again, she winced at the bright light and threw an arm over her face. She wasn't on the beach now; she was sure of that.

"Well, it's awake, so I guess we'll find out what Ax thinks soon enough," a gravelly voice replied.

Ariane attempted to open her eyes once more. The light didn't seem quite as bright this time. A large lamp hung above her, reflecting off of white walls. Am I in a hospital? The clinical smell that you would normally associate with such a place was missing, but it certainly appeared sterile.

"Do you understand me?" the soft-spoken person asked.

"Err, yeah." She glanced around the room in confusion, though there wasn't much to see, just a door, tiled white walls, and two men standing a few feet away. "Where am I?"

"On our ship," the taller man replied, as he stared at her quizzically.

Ship? She didn't remember a ship. Yes, she'd been at the beach. However, she had no recollection of getting on a boat and why couldn't she feel it rocking? The fog began to lift from her brain. "Okay, why am I on a ship?"

"You are our prisoner," the shorter man said in his much gentler tone.

Ariane blinked a few times as she regarded them. They didn't look like kidnappers. Yes, she'd heard about people being kidnapped, when on holiday, and sold as slaves but she felt pretty sure they didn't get put in rooms this clean. If that had been the case, she imagined she'd be somewhere grotty, probably tied up, and the captors would be dirty and unshaven. These men were clean and well dressed. If you could call tourist shirts with parrots on them well dressed. One stood about a foot taller than the other and was nearly bald. The shorter man had big bushy eyebrows that joined in the middle. They appeared more like friendly uncles than sleazy people traffickers. Still, looks could be deceiving.

With caution, she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Both men jumped back slightly as if wary of her.

She frowned. That was a strange reaction for a kidnapper. It calmed her nerves and helped her voice stay steady. "Right, as fun as this has been I think it's time to end it, so if you could just drop me at the next port, I'd really appreciate it."

Baldy took a step towards her. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

She leant back, relieved when he didn't come any closer. "Of course."

"Good, as I said, you're our prisoner."

Ariane fidgeted under the man's stare. "Okay, is this a joke?" Her eyes darted towards the door, wondering if one of her work colleagues was waiting to run in laughing. "I know. It's reality TV, isn't it? I bet I signed up by mistake, by clicking on one of those stupid pop ups on the PC."

When the men didn't respond and just continued to stare, she decided she might as well take a look at the room. After all, didn't you have to complete tasks in these shows? Escape from a beach or eat bugs in a jungle. Maybe she had to get off their ship. Sliding off the bed, she placed a hand on the wall for support. Whatever had knocked her out earlier made her unsteady on her feet. The room spun; she swayed and her vision blurred. Taking a few deep breaths, she regained her footing, and her eyes came back into focus.