The Slip

Chapter One

It's my turn to drive, which means my turn to choose the music so Lana Del Rey is blaring. I remember Runa and Lee said to me once "Iris sweetie, nobody wants to listen to Lana Del Ray", I replied by saying "pfffft, not nobody; I want to." I heard lee whisper "duh".

Almost a year ago now we picked up everything and hopped on a plane to Canada, from our little Australian town. It's not like I didn't like Australia but I'm young and I want to explore! In Canada (specifically Toronto) we bought an RV with enough room to fit all of us and the essentials.

Its 4:00PM we have been taking turns driving since 8:00 AM. Even after a year of driving I still enjoy it and find it relaxing, unlike Runa and Lee who complain every time it's their turn.

After an hour or so we reach a small camping spot at Sweetwater Station, Wyoming where we stop for the night. Our little area of land has a fire pit so Lee, the expert at lighting fires, starts a fire with some wood we bought from the front office. For dinner I cook a loaf of damper, and bacon fried using a portable gas hotplate. Sometimes the simplest meals can be the best, my personal favourite is bacon, eggs and cheese with artistically drizzled tomato sauce. Yes, tomato sauce. Don't judge. Since there aren't any other people at this campsite with us we get out our speaker and sing along to Ed Sheeran and Passenger. After awhile we break out a few beers (not enough to warrant not driving tomorrow) and our singing turns into a tipsy slur.

Around 11:00pm we stumble into our beds.

I wake up to my alarm thinking goddamnit, I should've turned that off. For breakfast Runa makes us all pancakes, Runa's pancakes are the best I don't know how she gets them so fluffy and she isn't going to tell me anytime soon.

After we've cleaned up we head out, its Lee's turn to drive so the RV's blasting Halsey, not that I'm complaining. We drive for an hour or so until we hit a tiny town called Muddy Gap and I mean really tiny it only has a petrol station, grocery store and like five houses. We fill up the RV's tank then go to the store. We quickly get back on the road eager to reach Colorado.

After our last turn off that the satnav directed us to take I start to think this dirt road has gone for way too long. "I think we have taken a wrong turn" I say to Runa who is now driving.

"I think so too" Lee says anxiously.

"Yeah, I agree maybe I should turn around" Runa suggests, still driving though.

Our conversation is interrupted by a large Smash! As the RV hits something in front of us, wait no; there's nothing in front of us I think. The time seems to slow down, I watch Runa and Lee who were sitting in the front hit the air bags that appeared to cushion there fall, that is all I see before I smash into a seat in front of me and it all goes black.

I wake up shaking the grogginess from my head. Looking around I see that I'm laying on a cold stone bench jutting out from the wall; there is one sturdy looking wooden door on one side of the room, the walls are made of grey bricks and smell of wet dogs and pee. I get up and I try the door; its locked. Now that I've done it I feel stupid obviously its locked; why else would I be in a room with a bucket in the corner and a stone bench for a bed?

Where are Runa and Lee?

Now I'm freaked out. I start to bang against the door screaming "HELP!!"

I keep screaming and pounding the door until my throat is raw and my hands start bleed, I turn my back to the door and slide down it, thinking that maybe it wasn't the best idea to hurt my hands.

Strangely my chest feels constricted.

Wait. Oh. My. God. I am wearing a damn corset; I am also wearing a blue grimy dress. I have no shoes on that, hasn't changed at least.

Someone must be playing a prank; they must be! This is ridiculous!

At some point I must have fallen asleep because I wake up, I have a crick in my neck from sleeping against the door. I get up, nothing has changed in my room/cell. I move over to the stone bench, I assume is my "bed" and sit down feeling the rough and cold stone through my dress.

I don't know how long it has been when a gap opens up in my door and a tray slides through it, I walk over and see that on the tray lies a hunk of bread (like the "old fashioned" type you would get at an harvest market) and a glass of water. At this point in a book or movie the main character would either:

1. Sniff the food to check whether its poisoned

2. Throw it against the wall in a revolt

3. Eat it

I decide to sniff it even though I doubt I would realise if it was poisoned. It all smells pretty normal to me but once again what would I know? I eat the food, figuring that I would die eventually if I don't eat any food. After I have finished eating the meagre supply of food I get up, honestly I don't know why I just feel like I should doing something.

I don't know how much time has passed when I see and hear my door open with a loud and what I think is a rusty crunch. Through the open door walks a man, he looks like he is in his fifties he has curly dark black hair and seemingly black eyes (probably just dark brown). He is wearing simple brown pants, a dirty old white shirt underneath a brown vest. He continues to walk towards me as I slowly back away. What if he is a murderer and has already killed Runa and Lee! I've backed up as far as I can and feel the rough stone behind me. He reaches me grabbing me firmly by the arm saying "your turn" in a cliché villain voice. I look up at him not able to find my voice to scream. Oh. My. God. What is happening to me? He drags me down a hallway with the same rough bricks from the room we were just in. Quickly I find my strength and with my free arm I thrust it back elbowing his nose, his grip on my arm loosens and I rip it free and run down the hallway. I hear him yell "come back here you wench!" Thankfully I did karate before Runa, Lee and I left so I am fairly fit. I can hear the man's footsteps quickly approaching so I push myself harder, but I'm just not fast enough I can feel the heat radiating off him behind me. His arms wrap around my waist pulling me to a jolting stop. He leans his head around next to mine whispering "to slow" then he laughs, sending a chill through me. I give up struggling as it would do any good and we're at the end of the hallway where there is another door. He unlocks it with a large old fashioned key and on the other side is a big room not unlike my own cell, however there is a wooden table in the centre with leather straps hanging off it. Next to the table is a selection of strange looking liquids and syringes. The man drags me up next to the table and lifts me onto it, strapping me to it with the leather bindings. I close my eyes wishing for this to go away like a bad dream. But it doesn't. I feel something poke into my arm, making me sleepy. I pass out.

When I come to I'm back in my cell, my head is throbbing. I look down at my arm, there are five miniscule dots of blood where I assume the syringe was inserted. I don't know what to do so I just close my eyes imaging that I am somewhere else.

I must've fallen asleep because I wake up; my headache hasn't gone away yet. I sit up quickly glancing around my cell, there's a new tray on the ground. I run my hand through my matted hair in a weak attempt to unknot it, that's when I notice on my arm where there was before only five marks there is now twelve. I must've been out for longer than I thought.

I feel like at this point in an action movie the main character would be getting up and doing push ups or planning an escape route, but no way am I doing that.

The time passes in a blur so I'm not sure how long it's been when the door opens and the man grabs me taking me down the hallway to the room and sticking the syringe in my arm. I pass out yet again.

My eyes shoot open, I look around I'm not in the same room as before, this room is much larger and has three stone "beds" jutting out of the walls. Both of the other beds are empty. My headache is gone. Actually I feel great.

I just sit and wait, I don't know what I'm waiting for but I wait.