Chapter 1
Alex's POV
As soon as I open my eyes, I know I'm not in any room I recognize. First of all, the lights are freaking bright, and I'm on a hard-ass surface, which was freezing. Because of the bright lights I decide I wasn't opening my eyes any time soon, if I could help it. There is a thin fabric sheet between me and the (metal? seemed like metal) surface. I'm guessing I'm dressed in a tank top and shorts, seeing as my legs are really cold. Damm, I could really use some fuzzy sweats right now.
Since it was really quiet, the buzz of the overhead light was annoying the shit out of me, I decided to figure out if I could turn it off. But, I couldn't do that without opening my eyes, ugh. So, I roll over and hide my face in the crook of my elbow, attempting to dim the brightness, and slowly crack open my eyes. As my eyes adjusted, I slowly raise my head to look at the room. Well, no wonder the light is so bright, the freaking walls are white! From my point of view, I could see 3 of the walls, which were really plain, and flat. Except the one directly across from the place where I was laying, that wall looked like it might have a door in it, but I couldn't really tell.
"Where the hell am I?" I whisper. Ooo, my voice sounds really weird, all scratchy and hoarse. I couldn't make it any louder than a whisper/croak, my throat must be dry. Is there a bathroom in here? I slowly push the covers off so I can stand up, and get off this surface as I would normally get off my bed. But, as soon as I get up, my vision blacks out and I get a pounding headache. I fall back onto the surface (ow) in a sitting position so I can get over my nausea. I concentrate hard to ignore the headache, and open my eyes. My feet are dangling a little bit off the floor, considering how cold the surface is, I doubt the floor will be any warmer. It's not. Pushing myself up, I look about for a bathroom, or a sink. Ah, an open door way near the end of the surface that I was lying on, which looks like a hospital table bed. I carefully move towards the opening to make sure nothing weird is hiding there. Once I was all the way in the door frame I sagged with relief against it. To my left is a sink and toilet and a shower/tub on the right. The walls were white in here too. I tilt forward and catch myself on the lip of the sink counter, and grab the cup sitting there. Jamming the water to cold, I filled it up to drink. I raise the glass to my lips and take a sip.
"Please stand in the center of the room."
I jump at the woman's voice, then I say, "Shit!" as my glass of water jerks from my unsteady hand and clatters to the floor, water splashing everywhere. I stare at the cup. Sighing, I slide down the wall, to pick it up.
"Please stand in the center of the room."
"Yeah, yeah," I say as I manage to pick up the glass and stand to lean on the sink counter. "Whatever." I'm filling up the cup a second time when my body freezes. I can't move. The water is overfilling the cup and spilling into the sink drain. I try to shut the water off, but my hands won't obey my command.
"Stand in the center of the room now." The voice is demanding now, no negotiations. My hand relaxes, released from its mysterious hold, and drops the cup into the sink. The water shuts off by its self. I try to reach for the cup again, but my hand freezes. I can pull it away from the cup, but as soon as I start to reach for it, my hand freezes. Obviously, I will not be getting any more water. With a sigh, I turn back into the main room, leaning against the door frame. How the hell am I going to get to the center of the room without falling on my face? I make my way to the hospital bed and rest for a moment on the edge. Then, with a mighty push, I take three steps and stand in the center of the room, swaying on my feet.
In front of me was the wall that looked like it might have a door in it. And it did seem to be a door as it quietly unlocked, swished and retracted into the wall, leaving a similar opening to the way to get to the bathroom. I heard a series of clicks, and some whispers, but couldn't place them. My headache had come back, and my eyesight is blurring. I don't think I can stand here much longer. To me the door is swinging, up and tilting to my left, then back straight in front of me, then up to the right, then back to the middle, then up to the left. Or was I the one swinging? I don't know. Focusing for a second, a figure appears in the doorway, but it is pitch black outside the entrance, and I can't tell anything other than they are tall, and strong. I blink my eyes, hoping to focus for longer, but my head is swimming and there's a hammer on the inside of my head going, ding, ding, ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Getting louder. DING. DING. I think the person in the entrance has come in the room but the hammer is so annoying.
"Make it stop!" Someone yells, breaking through the hammer. Or was that me? I don't know. For some reason the door way is falling, getting smaller in my vision. Or am I falling? No. I can't be, someone is holding me up, I can feel their hands digging into my armpits in an effort to keep me up. Who would be trying to hold me up? Before I can put any effort into that mystery, the hammering is back and really loud. DING! DING! DING! My eyes are staying closed longer and longer, I think I am passing out. Oh, well. At least the hammer will shut up. As I let the darkness take me, not even bothering to try and open my eyes anymore, I hear a familiar voice say, "She's going under, Quick! Grab her legs!"