Neon Dawn

Chapter 3. Aurora.

I look around again, unable to figure it out, where am I? The ceiling is harsh, white, sterile. The artificial lights burn my eyes. I can't quite make out if the breathing I can hear is my own or someone else's. I try and move, but quickly realise I can't, even if I wanted to sit up my body wont respond, or can't respond. I'm not sure which.

I cast my mind back, where am I? How did I get here? My head hurts, I try to concentrate but the dull aching sensation quickly escalates into a searing pain, I shut my eyes tightly. I can hear screaming, it's familiar but sounds distant, far away but is getting louder and louder as the pain intensifies.

My body is rigid, I'm restrained, it's hard not to panic. I try and move, the urge to run is so strong but I'm trapped.  A door opens but I can't make out what side of the room its on, everything is confused, cloaked in chaos.

Over the screams I can just make out an alarm sounding and raised voices, but these ones feel much closer.

I have no idea what is going on but my instinct tells me to be still, a hand touches my arm. I freeze, unable to see anything but sense there is more that one of them. Theres a sharp prick in my hand and it stings, within seconds I start to descend back into the darkness, the screams fade and before I know it its pitch black night again.

"What was that, did you see her? "

"Yes, she's getting stronger, I don't know how much longer we can keep her here. It's too dangerous."

"You try telling them that, you know the drill. We just have to keep watch, there's no way she can escape, she doesn't even know who she is".

"Jake, we don't know who she is, or what she is for that matter, but I do know that in all my time here I've never seen anything like her chamber. And I've never seen so many guards move so fast"

"Did you see her, I've never, wow"?

"Yes, Sssshh".

"We both did, ok but I don't think we should have. When she looked right at us I thought we were gonners, but I don't think she saw us, so lets leave it".

"Don't you think we ought to",

"NO, we can't let anyone know we made eye contact. We'll be fired for sure, or worse, we'll be sent back to the safe house".

"Ok. Ok. Are you sure you are ok Jake, you look a bit pale?"

"I'm fine, just tired and a bit of a headache that's all. Just need to get some rest"

In the blackness, for the first time I reach out and beyond the emptiness. My heart races at the sound. I hear him, his thoughts loud and clear. I'm in his head, he's scared, his head hurts, I feel it, the a dull aching pain. He can't place me, this peculiar feeling, and he's trying to brush it off.

So disconnected, but here I am, a microscopic fibre picking up speed. I saw him, made eye contact and in that split second the connection was made. Thats all that was needed and now I'm back, back online and although he doesn't know it yet, Jake is the one who's going to me get out of here.