A slow inhalation sounded in my ears.
Is that me? I wondered hazily. The thought floated from corner to corner of my brain; I couldn't make sense of it.
Who am I? I blinked back the blurriness, and when it finally stopped from hindering my vision, I got clear vision of the lights attached to the ceiling. Where am I?
I lied there in silence — not entirely sure if I was waiting for something or someone, but I still waiting. After a few minutes, I focused on myself. My mouth felt stale and cottony, one of my arms felt numb and cold, my headed throbbed with vengeance. I had no idea what was going on, but what I did know was that there was bad feeling in my gut made me want to hurl.
Willing my stiff limbs to move, and they did move — slowly, that is — but got jolted from moving further from the cuffs restraining them down onto freezing metal table. Panic and confusion buzzed throughout my brain at this revelation, so I shakily lifted my head, which felt like a hundred pounds, and looked down at my body.
A gasp clogged my throat. My mouth moved with words, but no noise came out. A high pitched scree-ing flitted in ears and the whole world seemed hazy.
I had no idea what my name was, but I knew that this body wasn't mine.
What took my attention first was the arm. I recognized the arm. Metal, shiny, cold, with a red star on the bicep. An icon of the Marvel comics, especially in my time. The infamous arm of Bucky Barnes: the Winter Soldier.
Is this a joke? I thought frantically, Or am I losing my mind?
I clenched my metal hand into a fist experimentally and released, then wiggled some fingers.
It felt real, as much as I could tell without being able to touch it with my other hand.
At this point, I started panting and shifting in panic, causing me to strain against the restraints holding my torso and thighs down. I stilled before the hyperventilating could get to me.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, No, No
This—this was just a dream. J-just a nightmare that I will wake up from in any, any moment.
I waited desperately.
When hours passed, and there was no shift in this reality, I felt impending doom. No, please someone help me this can't be real. I'm not—I'm not—
Tears poured down my temples to my ears.
God help me.