Uncovering You: The Contract

Chapter Four

(Present day - October 2013)

I open my eyes to the brilliant expanse of my prison. I test the air with my nose. There’s no more odor.

I feel groggy, as if waking up from a long sleep. How long have I been out?

I push myself to a sitting position and look around. The tiles are clean. The vomit is gone. There are two jars close by that were not there before.

I crawl over and look at them. One is filled with water. The other is empty.

Without thought I clutch the handle of the first and start to chug. I spit the first mouthful out to clean my mouth, but the rest goes down quickly. My stomach rumbles in protest after my umpteenth heavy gulp, but my body needs the hydration.

Two more drafts and I set the jar down.

Only then does it strike me that the water might be drugged.

I start to feel sick again. I’m in the process of jamming my fingers to the back of my throat when the absurdity of what I’m doing strikes me.

You’re already a prisoner, and as vulnerable as you’re going to get. Why spike the water?

A hysterical sort of laughter builds in my chest. It’s the laughter that comes when all the lights have gone out and all hope has been extinguished. It’s the laughter of a woman on the edge of sanity.

I bolt to my feet, shaking with laughter. “What do you want from me?” I scream at the sky. I spread my arms and spin. “Show yourself! Show me who you are!”

I stood up too fast. A wave of light-headedness overcomes me. I lose my balance and fall.

My head bounces off the floor. Everything goes black again.