You're Mine, Claire

Waking Up

Waking up was strange. It was like I was underwater; I could hear sounds and voices but they were faded and far away.

What was also strange was that my body didn't wake up but my mind did. I could move my arms or my legs or any part of me. I wasn't sure I could even feel my body. I liken it to sleep paralysis but without the terrifying demons on me, trying to strangle me.

The voices became clear enough that I could focus on them. One was a man's voice and the other a woman's.

"Why did you pick her?" The man asked.

"She has a emotional connection to my doppelganger in her world. Maybe her different body will prove an interesting experiment." The woman replied. I could hear ever so soft footsteps coming nearer then I felt cool hands brushing my hair away.

"If you think her emotions stayed intact after you force fed her, think again."

"Of course I don't think that," The woman replied, slight irritation in her tone. "You know how quickly the humans here last, I just want to see how long she'll hold out."

"Then why not pick any of the others? She doesn't look the type that will last long."

"You won't last long if you don't have anything to say."

"What would you like me to say?"

"Something that shows your intelligence, instead of repeating the same question."

"You had three others to pick from, though." There was a silence, then a bang. I jumped but of course only in my mind. I heard faint whispering, then the rustle of something and then the sound of the door closing.

The woman sighed and pressed a hand to my forehead. "Wake up." My eyes flew open and I saw I was lying on a bed in a dimly lit room. The curtains were drawn and the lights above me were just barely on. I recognised the woman, but couldn't place her. "Do you know who I am?" I shook my head. "Do you know where you are?"

"Morganville."

"Do you remember what happened, Claire?"

"I was in your office and we were talking about me. Then you wanted to drink from me and you held me down and bit me. I woke up here."

I was confused and shocked. This wasn't me, even though it was my voice I heard. After being reminded of what happened, I shouldn't be so calm about it. I tried to sit up, but I was paralysed; I couldn't feel anything, except for my own presence in my mind.

"Sit up." Just as the woman said that, I sat up. How did I do that? I just tried but I couldn't move. I tried moving my arm or my fingers but nothing responded. It was only when the woman told me to do something... I was a puppet on a string.

Suddenly I remembered her name. The second it appeared in my mind, I said "Amelie."

"You do remember me? That happened quicker than expected." Amelie walked over to the desk and picked something up. I tried to look elsewhere, which surprisingly worked. It took a bit of willpower and there was some resistance but I was in control of my eyes. Amelie came back and handed me the envelope. "I need this taken to the Day House. Give it to Shane Collins, then come back to my office. Jared will be escorting you to make sure you're not held up along the way."

"Yes, ma'am." I got up and left the room.

Walking out of the room, I saw Jared standing outside and he left his post outside the room and kept pace behind me while I walked downstairs and outside.

I didn't remember much of the journey, even though I walked it countless times on my way to Myrnin's lab.

But we weren't going to Myrnin's, instead I turned right and walked down the street and up to the door next to one of the Founder Houses.

I knocked the door which opened almost immediately. "Claire!" Eve said happily, throwing her arms around me. I tried to return the gesture, but nothing responded.

My heart was already breaking but it shattered when Shane came to the door. Eve pulled away and Shane took a step closer.

"I have a letter here for you, from the Founder." My voice was monotonous and my arm lifted to hand him the letter.

"Claire, can you hear me?" Eve asked, waving a hand in front of my face.

"Take the letter." Jared said from behind me.

"Claire, look at me." Shane took my hand. I looked at him and blinked twice. He pulled me over the threshold, faster than Jared could react ad shut the door.

Jared hammered on the door. "Open up!"

"What did they do to you?" Eve asked.

"Can you speak to us?" Shane gripped my shoulders. All I could do was move my eyes and blink. I couldn't make a sound or move any other part of my body, making me frustrated and angry.

"You can't keep her she's loyal to the Founder! She will break open the door if she has to. Bring her out!"

"Screw you!" Eve shouted. Shane's expression changed and he vanished into the kitchen and came out with a crossbow with a wooden bow loaded. "Uh, what are you doing?"

He didn't answer, instead he threw open the door and fired the bolt directly into Jared's chest. I couldn't see anything without turning around but I heard a thump and the sound of him being dragged inside. "We need to know what they've done to her."

"And how do you expect to tie him up? We don't exactly have chains around here."

"You saw handcuffs didn't you?"

"Yeah, but I don't know if there silver."

"Get them anyway." Before she did, Eve led me into the living room and sat me down. Soon enough, Eve was back with the cuffs and Shane fastened one wrist to the pole of the radiator and took out the bolt.