Midnight Murderers

Chapter 2: Safe

Am I dead? Why do I feel comfortable and warm for once? Why am I asking all these questions? Where is my father? Why do I not feel the burning? I broke my ribs didn't I? Who moved me? Was it a rapist? Oh, god... Was I raped? I can't feel anything. Why can't I feel anything? Am I paralysed? I can't even open my eyes. Why can't I see? Am I blind?

"Hey... Hey, it's alright... calm down. We're not trying to hurt you. You're safe. Breathe in."

Who is that? What do they mean 'we'? There is more than one person? Why do they want me? What worth am I to them? Who even is them?

"We need to use a sedative... If she keeps this up, she's going to end up reinjuring herself and then her recovery time will more than double."

Sedative? That means needles... I don't do needles.

I can feel myself thrashing under the firm hold of several hands. Large hands are gripped tightly over both of my wrist whilst another pair of hands grips my angles. There was a soft pressure on my hips whilst I heard rustling and clanking. A rough material is then attached to my wrist and ankles, replacing the rough hands. The prick in my arm caused me to jump and a small whimper to escape my lips. Darkness instantly starts to cloud my mind as my consciousness slowly slips from me once again.

My eyes slowly peeled open and then immediately shut. My drowsy eyes felt like they were being targeted by the bright lights of the surrounding room. I tried to rub the sleep out of my eyes but found that I could not move my arms at all. I peeked my eyes open once more and saw that they were restrained behind leather hand cuffs that had rubbed my wrists red raw. I heard the clearing of a throat close to my head. As my eyes followed the noise I jumped in surprise by a woman sitting in a chair with a clipboard. Her hair was pulled back into a professional looking bun with her glasses sitting firmly up against her face. Her white lab coat convinced me that she was some form of doctor. However, a piece of hair was blocking the full potential of my sight. She reached to remove it for me due to the restraints however, stopped when she saw my hesitation. I looked into her unsteady eyes as she monitored and took notes. It was as if she was a scientist writing observations on her new test subject. I felt like I was being examined against my will. Well... the restraints would have given that one away. Our eyes broke their intense stare down as the sound of smashing glass was heard in a further part of the large industrial styled warehouse. The flickering overhead lights made it hard to see. The strain on my eyes allowed me to see the silhouette of a person bending over and picking up pieces of glass. A faint hiss came from the figure and their hand came up to their face and it appeared as if they had cut themselves. Using my fascination of the silhouette to distract me, the official nurse type lady extended her hand to me and removed the hair from my eyes. She looked at me and there were traces of a slight smile. She attempted to extend her hand once more and this time I wasn't as hesitant.

"Hello, my name is Mariam. May I ask... what your name is?"

I moved my head in the opposite direction of her body, rudely. She huffed but slowly sat up and removed herself from my personal space.

"I'll be back tomorrow. I hope you will feel comfortable enough to talk to me and then maybe I can answer some questions you may have for me."

Where am I? Who is this woman? Why does she need my name? Why does she need me at all?

Her absence left silence to cascade the room and my thoughts to quickly swarm my head. The night was long and filled with trepidation as the demons that survived inside my head caused hallucinations to form within the confines of my room. Dark shadows roamed the building, cast by the light of the moon through the industrial warehouse skylights. The pit in my stomach continued to grow and the unbearable clenching of my organs caused me to whimper my pains into the lonely night. Ones that unfortunately would not be heard. Emptiness filled my soul and overtook my very being. The loneliness back at home was bearable because even though he was never there for me, there was still his presence, an absent presence but it was still there. Now it is his absence and the absence of those around me that has caused me to have quickened breathes and an unsteady heartbeat. Sweaty palms and a shivering figure. The night was long and torturous, filled with the taunting hallucinations of my demons. The screams inside my head never dulling and the excruciating throbbing that cascaded my skull was still manifesting. The first light of day shone through the skylights and my demons hesitantly crept back into the shadows. The abandoned warehouse was slowly starting to rid of complete absence as people starting walking through the intimidatingly tall doors and getting along with what I assume to be their jobs. I couldn't see much, but I assume from the noise that this place was full to capacity. The blood curdling screams every now and then caused shivers to run up along the curve of my spine as I failed to cover my ears due to the restraints. There was nothing I could do. I couldn't even move. How was I supposed to save someone else if I am someone who also needs saving? How am I meant to pick up the pieces of another if I am struggling to keep my broken pieces from tumbling to the ground?

My thoughts were quickly subsided with the appearance of the official nurse looking lady from yesterday. I didn't like her. I don't want to be anyone's experiment or play thing. She entered the room and sat down once more in the chair that she took place in yesterday. Nothing was said as she continued to look at me, study me. It felt as if she was criticizing my very existence. I tried to avoid eye contact as much as possible, but with the knowledge that someone is openly staring at you, makes it hard to ignore. As soon as my eyes found hers, she clicked her fingers and a large buff man dressed in all black appeared with a tray in his hands, food. She commanded him to place if by the end of the bed and left the room without once making eye contact with either of us. The lady, Miriam, crossed her legs and entwined both of her manicured fingernails, placing them comfortably in her lap.

"Let's try this again, shall we?"

She waited for my response and when it didn't arrive, she huffed out in annoyance once more. I am starting to think that she might have a temper. I know the signs. The twitching of the hands, the short breathes, the clenched teeth, the infuriated staring at the one thing that they want to destroy. She was displaying every single one and I didn't even care. She could hit me if she wanted to, I can bet that my father was worse, that I have been through way worse. I looked her in the eyes, challenging her rage.

"You can hit me if it will make you feel any better."

Her eyes widened slightly as she saw me staring at her clenched fists. She clenched them tighter before releasing her tensed hands and placed them delicately on her crossed legs.

"I am not going to hit you."

"But you wanted to."

It wasn't a question and we both knew it. I knew the truth even if she wasn't capable of admitting it.

"If I say I am not going to hit you... then I am not going to hit you."

"It doesn't bother me, come back to me when you have decided because your mouth says one thing but everything else I'm looking at says another" I exclaimed raking my eyes over her tensed figure.

She looked beyond me, at the wall behind my head and started to take long deep breaths. When she figured she was calm enough, she turned to me and once again began to speak.

"I am going to ask you a series of questions, please answer them to the best of your ability and I will answer any questions you may or may not have for me in return."

I rolled my eyes and looked back at her in annoyance.

"You may eat when we are finished."

"I'm not hungry."

"Just answer the damn questions."

I noticed that she has a really short temper. She hates to be pushed when it comes to her authority as well as when it comes to questioning her as a person. I always seem to pick up on what makes people tick, it is different for every individual but everyone has something.

"Name."

"Miriam."

"Not my name, you stupid little girl!"

"You said name, you didn't state whose you wanted."

"What is your name?"

"Better, and I don't feel obliged to answer that question, but thank-you for using proper English this time. It makes me happy to know that I am teaching you at least the basics."

"You little shit!"

"You said to answer questions to the best of my ability, so I did. You never said that I couldn't answer questions."

"I thought that it was implied."

"Obviously I'm going to have to speak slowly to you, stupid deaf girl, I don't think you understand English and I am concerned that you didn't have the best upbringing."

"Me! Have the best upbringing? Are you serious? We found you with broken bones in an alleyway covered in blood. You've been here unconscious for a week and only now you are starting to wake up. How's that for a poor upbringing? Seriously! Did your wittle mommy and daddy kick you out the house for being such a disappointment? I mean I would if I were your parents. I mean... have you even looked at yourself? You ugly little thing, such a runt."