It was silent as the grave and just as suffocating. The air was heavy and filled with something that didn't belong. Mixed with the smell of a long forgotten home was something else, something darker. Her ears strained for and hint of her assailant as she tried to make sense of her situation without opening her eyes. She seemed to be bound to a chair. She must have been out a while then.
'No use pretending. I know you're awake.' The voice was male, cold. Almost robotic.
She sat motionless, if she showed no reaction maybe he would assume he had been wrong. She felt a finger run down her cheek and flinched. Her eyes snapped open. She had been sure by the sound of his voice that he had been across the room. He'd managed to walk across the floor without her even noticing. The thought unnerved her.
'There now. Was that so hard?' The man drawled.
She went through her options. She could barely move so she couldn't fight. She could scream but there was nothing in the area so she wasn't likely to be heard anyway.
He walked a few paces away. He was avoiding the few shafts of light that filtered down through the ruined floor above. She kept her eyes to the floor watching him only through her periphery.
He's circling me like prey.
She supposed that was exactly what she was but it still didn't help to think about it. He was behind her now.
'I know what you're thinking. Maybe you have a chance. Maybe I'll let you go. After all, you don't even know what I look like.'
Goosebumps began to rise on her flesh and she shuddered in spite of herself. That was exactly what she had thought, or hoped really. He leaned close. brushing her hair away from her ear.
'That's not going to happen.' He whispered softly. He heart hammered in her chest as she struggled against her bonds. 'Careful. Wouldn't want to bruise that delicate skin.'
'Well then you shouldn't have tied me up!' She spat as he moved to stand beside her.
It wasn't smart to goad someone who was obviously dangerous and she immediately regretted it. Fear makes people do stupid things.
He laughed and grabbed her jaw, forcing her to look at him. So much for not seeing his face. It was dark but this close up she could tell he had dark hair, brown or black, and dark eyes.
'I wasn't talking about your restraints.'
'What do you want with me?' She was sure she didn't want to know but she had to ask.
He released her lower jaw and began pacing the room again. This time he wasn't circling but staying in front of her, never leaving her line of sight. He gestured with his hands as though he was trying to find the right words.
'Let's call it....an experiment.'
Before she could respond someone came up from behind her as slapped a piece of duct tape across her mouth followed by a blindfold. She felt her restraints being removed from the chair and was pulled to her feet. Before she could catch her balance, her arms were wrenched behind her back and she felt handcuffs encase her wrists, the cold metal biting into her skin. A hand gripped her shoulder tightly and something pressed into the small of her back.
'Don't run.' Warned a voice. Not the man that had spoken to her before but the voice sounded familiar all the same. The man guided her up the steps and out of the house, weaving around debris as they went.
A car started and she was put into the back seat. She did her best to take note of the turns but it was too disorienting to know for sure. Between the blindfold and the terror seeping through her, she wasn't even sure which way was up anymore. She didn't even know how long they drove before she finally felt the car come to a stop and the engine shut off.
As afraid as she had been before it was nothing compared to now. She was unable to see, couldn't use her arms, had no clue where she was and felt what was most likely a gun to her back once again while being led who knew where. Not to mention she had no clue how many people she was actually dealing with.
That would definitely be a terrifying experience OnO she couldn't even make a runfor it. These people knew her already