Author's Note: Hello there! It has been an absurd amount of time since I've posted any All My Children fiction. I've mostly been focusing on other television shows over at Ao3. However, I found this the other day and felt inspired to revamp it and post it. This chapter is extremely short because I'm using it mostly as a test to see if there are any FF members still interested in David and Erica/All My Children fiction!

INTRODUCTION:

Erica slumped down in her desk chair, thumbing through model portfolios. She threw her head back in frustration, none of the women were what she was looking for. She was looking for someone who was naturally beautiful, dark haired, dark eyes, and portrayed a 'girl next door' image similar to her own daughter, Bianca. She'd pleaded with Bianca to accept the position as one of Enchantment's ambassadors, but Bianca declined much to her mother's dismay.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a female figure stood in her doorway.

"Ms. Kane, is there anything else I can do for you before I head out?" Her receptionist, Lucy, asked. Erica shook her head.

"No, thank you, Lucy. I have a few more portfolios to look through and then I'll be leaving out myself. I have to drop off a few packages at the post office before heading home."

"I'll take these for you." The caramel color haired woman offered. Erica thanked her for being so helpful and Lucy collected the mail. At last, Erica was alone with her work.

She was in the middle of her fourth portfolio when the office chandelier flickered. The chandelier came back on but a lamp she had next to her desk went off. She stood up and walked towards the window, wondering if a storm was near. It was late and the sky was black but there was no rain. The roads weren't glistening from the streetlights and she hadn't heard any thunder. The air was eerily still. She shook her head in an attempt to shake the uneasy feeling from her body.

She returned to her desk where she had a clear view of the door. She noticed under the space between the bottom of the door and the floor that the power in the reception area was out as well. It was almost like someone was messing with the breakers. That was strange, she thought.

The power suddenly cut off all together. She sighed heavily, waiting for the generators to kick in, but after a few minutes the office remained pitch dark. This was her cue to go home. Now. Erica stood up, wrapping her dark, merlot pashmina around her shoulders.

She reached down to pull her keys out of her purse. That's when she thought she heard footsteps.

"Lucy?" She called out to see if the receptionist was still there. As she suspected, she was alone and her mind was obviously playing tricks on her. There was no work to be done without power and she felt strangely frightened alone in Enchantment. Erica had spent many late weeknights at Enchantment alone without an issue. She was used to putting in overtime during a launch or a campaign. Her office was her second home, and these days, it seemed like it was her home.

As she closed the door behind her, she saw a man's shadow.

"...Hello?" She called out. "Is someone still here?" She paused but the only response was heavy footsteps. Perhaps it was a maintenance worker who didn't hear her. She waited for the sound of keys but instead heard silence. "HELLO?" She said louder once more and the silhouetted man came closer. She turned around to seek refuge in her office, but fumbled with the doorknob that she'd complained to maintenance about. That's when she felt the hands snake around her waist. She panicked. The hands holding her body to his weren't familiar. The body holding her captive wasn't her husband's.

She opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out. It felt as though her vocal cords had been paralyzed by the fear she felt surging through her body. It wouldn't have done her any good anyway, no one else was around to hear her.

She did her best to scream, but no one else was around to hear her. She tried to fight him, to elbow the man in the ribs but he was too strong for her.

"You're feisty, aren't you?" He whispered in her ear. Erica sobbed loudly and was soon silenced by the chilled leather gloves that covered the hand currently wrapped around her face. She continued to struggle. She exhausted every option she could think of to fight back. She bit, she kicked, and she cried. The tears streamed down her face and over the leather, leaving streaks of wetness. The man didn't care. He watched her struggle with a smile hidden behind his mask. Finally, her unwillingness to give up made him frustrated. He took the stock of the handgun and knocked her unconscious.

-OoO-

Erica groaned loudly and tipped her head to the side, wincing when she did so. She blinked a few times, waiting for her eyes to adjust to her surroundings. She shivered lightly. Why was it so cold? Why did her head hurt so badly? She was utterly confused. The last image she remembered was a thick shade of black. She shivered once more when a cool breeze hit her skin. Was she outside? She saw blurry wooden crates. Was she in... a warehouse?

"Oh, you're coming to. What a shame. I was enjoying the peaceful quiet." Erica heard a familiar voice, when the blurriness of her vision cleared she saw Vanessa Bennett sitting in front of her. Vanessa was bouncing her leg up and down, a magazine in her hand to keep her occupied.

"What's going on? Why am I here? Why are you here? Where are we?" Erica interrogated.

"One question at a time, dear." Vanessa told her, discarding the magazine on the metal chair she'd previously been sitting in.