Thicker Than Water

Chapter One

If this is death, I welcome it.

For a while, there was only darkness. But I was coming alive. My brain was cloudy and muddled, as if I was waking from the longest dream I'd ever had, but I was definitely alive. I forced myself from the void that I'd been wandering through in my head and opened my eyes.

My senses were practically assaulted as I tried to right myself. The sun was bright and big, and I had to blink several times to make the spots in my vision disappear. The wind was loud, its melody almost whistling through the space around me. My fingers twitched, and I recognized the sensation of grass against my skin. The scent of fresh pine filled my nose as I took a deep breath.

I had no idea where I was, but I was very much alone. There were trees and rocks everywhere, and I was at the center of a grassy field, snow-capped mountains surrounding me like a vast, immovable diadem.

I'd never seen mountains before. I'd always figured that they were just big rocks, and I could see rocks any day along the pavement on my walk to school. Why would I want to spend money to go look at big ones? Not to mention that I'd never had enough money to leave the city, and the handful of foster parents I'd had in my youth had didn't care enough to take me anywhere. But now that I was staring at one, I had to choke back a gasp at the sight of it. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. And the sheer size of it made me feel... insignificant. Even more so than I usually did.

I shook myself out of the bitter thoughts that were creeping up on me and sat up. I made a quick assessment of my condition. I wasn't in any pain, and I couldn't see any blood or wounds.

Better get moving and figure out where the hell I am.

As I stood, the hem of my favorite blue dress slid down my legs into place by my feet. The wind picked up, billowing the dress around me. Instinctively I wrapped my arms around my body to keep from shivering, but I realized I wasn't cold.

How did I get here? My short term memory was a total blur - the last memory I had was sitting at home watching TV. But how long ago was that?  

"Bridget."

It was only a whisper; the hushed tickle of my name in the air, but it sounded like it was coming from right behind me. I spun around to see a man standing about a hundred feet away. He was too far away to have whispered in my ear, but I knew what I'd heard.

The man was tall, easily over six feet compared to my five foot six. I guessed he was muscular by the shape of his frame, but it was hard to see under his black suit. A tiny bit of muscle peeked out from the collar of his shirt, which was unbuttoned at the very top. He had curly dark brown hair that was just long enough to skim the tops of his eyebrows. His face was perfectly symmetrical, and incredibly handsome. His deep blue eyes were locked on mine, and he looked... relieved?

For as lethal as this man looked, I was surprised to find that I wasn't afraid. Being alone in an unfamiliar place with a stranger should have made a normal person nervous. But there was something about him that felt familiar, comfortable.

I blinked and he was gone. Before I could even register what had happened, he had reappeared only a few feet away. Something inside me stirred with curiosity, but still- no fear. I was starting to get concerned. Did I hit my head? Am I suffering from brain damage? Why am I behaving so unnaturally?

"Bridget." he said again, reaching his hand up to touch my face. "I'm so glad we found you."

His voice had a soft edge to it, and it made something inside me stir with joy. He talked like the rich people did on that British historical drama I liked to watch. Maybe that was why I didn't cringe away from his touch.