Taken

Chapter 1

Bright woke with a massive headache and his tongue pasted to the roof of his mouth like he hadn't had water in days. He tried to sit up but pain flared across his abdomen and down his spine.

"Ahh!" He cried out. He'd never been in this kind of pain before. He needed to get to the set in an hour but he wasn't sure he could even reach for his phone a few inches away on his nightstand.

His mind raced through what might have caused him to be in such a state, but his memory of the night before was a little foggy. He'd been out drinking to celebrate his new role, then...then...

"Ahhh!!" He wanted his mother, a cool hand on his forehead to tell him everything would be okay. That he wasn't dying, that he would make it to set and not waste this big chance he'd been given. This could be his big break. He can't believe he'd gone drinking the night before and wished he could go back in time.

"Please, please, please," he chanted as he tried to wriggle his body into a different position, but his muscles kept locking and his nerves screamed at every attempt.

Hot tears trailed down his cheeks as his eyes squeezed shut. "Please..."

~

"He's late."

"Not the first time."

"I've heard he can be a bit of a wild card."

Win, a six-foot tall beauty, sat on the steps of the college they were to start filming at today and pretended to scroll through his phone while he listened to the crew discuss his co-star.

This was his first acting role and he was really hoping to show his parents that he could do something on his own.

He'd met Bright, a veteran actor at the age of 22, a few times prior to today, and he'd seemed serious about his work even though he did have a bit of a temper.

"Shouldn't someone give him a call to make sure he didn't get hurt on the way here?" He asked softly, interrupting another bit of gossip from the people around him.

"I tried," the director who'd been pacing back and forth nearby interjected. "He didn't pick up."

Win chewed on his full lower lip, then stood, towering over most of the crew, though his soft, calm aura kept him from being intimidating. "Is there anyone who can go check on him? If it's nothing serious he should at least be able to pick up his phone."

"He was drinking last night," someone said. "Probably hungover."

A few people scoffed.

Win maintained his calm exterior though their attitude was beginning to wear on him. Yes, being late was unprofessional, but so was disregarding the notion that something could be seriously wrong and bad-mouthing someone behind their back.

"How about I drive over and check on him? I'll get his address from P'Eed. It shouldn't take too long to confirm that he's okay. And if he's too hungover or sick to come, we can try to get my scenes done?"

The director sighed gustily but waved him away.

Win's long stride ate up the campus so he had Bright's address and was on his way to his condo in no time.

~

Bright never knew pain could be so exhausting, but he was drained from hurting. He wanted to just close his eyes and fall back to sleep so he could stop feeling it. Had he gotten so drunk he walked in front of a car or something? What else could explain the pain? Did he have some new, rare disease no one had ever heard of?

"P'Bai!!"

Pounding on the door, then the voice calling for him again.

"H-help! Help!!" His voice cracked and came out as little more than whisper.