And So I Ran - Complete

Chapter 13

There's noise all around me, but I feel as if I am submerged underwater. Everything echoes, and has a slightly unreal sound about it. I'm almost there, and then I am not. Something is tugging at the back of my mind. Something very important I know I have forgotten. But I don't feel well, and it's too much to force my mind to focus its attention, so I let it go. I fall back to sleep again.

It could be minutes or hours later when I next hear voices, as well as an incessant electronic beeping. I feel queasy. Waves of nausea are washing over me. I still have the feeling I've forgotten something, so with a struggle, I open my eyes. And I have no idea where I am.

I am in a large room. More like a few rooms joined together. The bed I'm on is a hospital bed, but the rest of the room looks more like an older style hotel suite. Large and functional, but a little run down. I look around curiously, noticing there's a drip in my arm and something on my index finger. There are people in the room, but none of them are paying attention to me just now.

I should be alarmed, but instead, I'm almost amused. I must be hallucinating. There in front of me is the African American lady who sometimes catches the same bus to work as me. Statuesque and athletically built, she would always wear a tailored pants suit and would get on at the stop two-hundred yards after mine. I remembered her because despite her almost masculine close-cropped hair and toned physique, she would spend some of her time on the bus applying bright, colorful lipstick. It looked good on her. She was standing talking to Mr. Military from the café near work, who was looking agitated.

"This is such a clusterfuck," I overheard him saying. "We'll have to keep her here... she can't be moved... He's going to go thermonuclear..."

There was someone else in the room with their back to me, but I had no idea who it was. Which brought me back to the fact I had no idea where I was.

It didn't seem like I was still dreaming, but as I searched my memory, the last thing I could distinctly remember was being at work at SIP on Thursday. Thinking about SIP, that urgent feeling returned to me. I could feel adrenaline flooding my body as every cell within me screamed something was wrong; that I needed to get out of here now to save myself.

I was looking at the drip in my hand, trying to work out how I could detach it and make my way out of here. I sat up in the bed a little, only to discover I was wearing a thin white cotton hospital gown and that other than panties I was naked beneath it. My shifting must have alerted my captors because Mr. Military turned to look at me. His gaze intense and searing, he took a step forward, as did Ms. Bright Lipstick. I sat up quickly, noticing a nurse in the room.

"Help me!" I screamed. "My name is Anastasia Steele, and they've kidnapped me! I don't know where I am! I didn't consent to this," I indicated, pointing to the drip and then gesturing around the room.

I was trying to get out of the bed as Military and Lipstick approached.

"Don't let them near me! They're holding me against my will!" I shrieked, clambering out of the hospital cot and putting it between them and me.

Lipstick and Military stepped back watching me, but the nurse came closer. She's in her early fifties and looks friendly enough, although right now, I'm highly suspicious of everyone.

"Where am I and why am I here?" I demand, looking around the room and cursing its single entrance. The entrance Lipstick and Military were standing in front of, effectively blocking it.

"Calm down, Miss Steele. You're in Mount Sinai West."

"I'm in Egypt?" I shriek, my mental geography kicking in as my eyes looked around in terror. I'd obviously been abducted – but why bring me to Egypt?! What the hell did these people want from me?