to hell and back.

My eyes slowly flicker open, still fuzzy with sleep. A few pieces of my still-wet brown hair brush across my face, blocking my field of view. I comb them out of the way and wriggle out of bed, the towel that was wrapped around my body falling to the floor. I sigh and look around for my clothes.

As I'm searching the ground for my dress, totally bare-ass naked, someone abruptly knocks on the door with a clearly impatient attitude. The knocking continues, only to become more and more impatient by the second. Taking a deep sigh, I rub my eyes, and feel a soft fabric underneath my foot. I look down to see my dress, lying in a crumpled, sad heap on the floor.

I pick it up and slide it on before meandering over to the door, shoulders noticably hunched over with tiredness. The knocking stops as I crack open the door a bit, just to see who it is.

My heart beats a little faster, and my cheeks flush, but I try to hide the wave of discomfort that shivers beneath my skin.

"Hello," I say quietly, yet polietly. "Who are you? Do you need something?"

The person standing in the hallway is a dark clothed figure. Their entire body is covered a silky looking black jump suit that tightly hugs their figure, and by the way their body curves, I judge that it is a woman.

She says nothing, but raises a finger to her lips. Then she waves her hand in a manner that means she wants me to come closer.

I frown, biting the inside of my lip. My stomach queases with stress. She possibly wants to tell me something, or even show me something. So I put my trust in the ninja-looking figure; I open the door further, lean out, then glance around. The hallway is empty.

I make eye contact with the figure. Her eyes are tired and dull, the mask only making them appear darker.

They look a lot like Vaggie's eyes.

Just then, I notice the figure's arm twitch in the slightest bit. It is behind her back, seemingly idle, but not quite. I look down to observe, and she must see me do so, because her posture straightens. I look back up and make eye contact with her.

I'm going to get kidnapped.

The nameless girl blinks, then, in one swift motion, the same arm that was behind her back whips around and claps over my nose and mouth, as if to keep me quiet.

My lips feel something soft, like cotton, and I see the white fabric in her hand. My heart beats even faster as I take a breath; it smells like chemicals. I try to hold my breath, but it's too late. Before I can even think, my sight glazes over, my thoughts slow, and my body goes numb.

And then I can't see anything.

ᯬ

I can feel my arm cramping up as I come to.

My head is pounding and my neck feels tight and hot, as if I slept on it wrong. I cough a little, because my lungs sting and my chest feels heavy. I sit up and comb my hair back so that I can see where I am and, if needed, look for an escape.

I'm in a big, pale blue room, sitting on a big, fluffy, white bed. The lighting of the room is soft on the eyes, but it looks odd, like the light is coming up from below. Upon further examination, I don't see any ceiling lights anywhere, so the light must be coming from somewhere else. There is a thin white sheet over me, and I push it down to my feet to feel the cold air on my legs. I am still wearing my dress, which is a good sign. If it was Alastor (or some girl working for him, more likely than not) who kidnapped me, at least they didn't undress me like last time. I shiver at the thought.

I am alone, for now. The air is calm and comfortably chilly, and it smells clean, like a fresh car or just-washed linens. It's a good smell, and it suits the appearance of the room very well. I swing my legs over the bed and place my feet on the floor. They immediately recoil, because the floor is freezing cold.