Chapter VIII
A wave of nausea tore her out of the pit of blackness. Her head throbbed, and she felt ripped apart by something. Thinking hurt and awareness still eluded her.
But most of all, she longed for comfort.
A light touch brushed against her mind, a presence that was not familiar. Whether she couldn't recognize it because her sense of self still hadn't returned or because it had purposely hiding from her was still unclear. None the less, she decided to follow the touch out of the abyss of her mind. Eventually, her mind found its anchor in her body and she managed to open her eyes.
The blurred image of a face appeared before her. She tried to raise her arms to rub her eyes but she still didn't have enough control over her body. Eventually, she had to settle for blinking to bring the person into focus.
The small pieces of the individual face slowly fell into place. Dark brown hair that just brushed the shoulders framed a thin face and eyes that glowed a soft brown. Then the face found form. It was a man, a few years older than her. He was maybe 26 or 27.
Bonnie frowned. He was much older than that. A small voice in her mind tried to tell her something but she couldn't reach it. It remained out of her grasp.
Her mouth opened but the words were stopped when she saw him smile. Small pointed teeth mocked her sanity. She tried to shrink back but only met a solid, cold wall.
"I must thank young Brent in helping me find his replacement. He was an unworthy subject in all honesty. I just liked to toy with him."
The world spun and finally found its foundation. She remembered the feel of her inner barrier, the sounds of screaming and a dark presence. "Oh, God. Brent!"
Her eyes quickly darted around the room. Nothing familiar. No Alaric.
"I wouldn't worry about talking to Brent anytime soon. After he summoned me and I sensed your raw ability, I sent him somewhere special."
Bonnie shook her head, denial surging forth. She grasped hold of inner power and released it. The man was flung against the opposite wall. She struggled to stand but fell to her knees when a sudden pain stabbed into her mind. She screamed in agony, digging her nails into her scalp.
The man stood and shook himself. A few small pieces of cement crumbled to the floor. His eyes were hard as he took a predatory step towards her. "Understand this. Thanks to you and your doctor, I now have a tight grip on your mind. I might not be able to fully control you yet, but I will always have this." He raised his hand and formed a tight fist. She screamed again.
He released his hold and she sunk down to the floor, exhausted.
"What do you want?" she whispered.
"I already have her."
A wave of nausea tore her out of the pit of blackness. Her head throbbed, and she felt ripped apart by something. Thinking hurt and awareness still eluded her.
But most of all, she longed for comfort.
A light touch brushed against her mind, a presence that was not familiar. Whether she couldn't recognize it because her sense of self still hadn't returned or because it had purposely hiding from her was still unclear. None the less, she decided to follow the touch out of the abyss of her mind. Eventually, her mind found its anchor in her body and she managed to open her eyes.
The blurred image of a face appeared before her. She tried to raise her arms to rub her eyes but she still didn't have enough control over her body. Eventually, she had to settle for blinking to bring the person into focus.
The small pieces of the individual face slowly fell into place. Dark brown hair that just brushed the shoulders framed a thin face and eyes that glowed a soft brown. Then the face found form. It was a man, a few years older than her. He was maybe 26 or 27.
Bonnie frowned. He was much older than that. A small voice in her mind tried to tell her something but she couldn't reach it. It remained out of her grasp.
Her mouth opened but the words were stopped when she saw him smile. Small pointed teeth mocked her sanity. She tried to shrink back but only met a solid, cold wall.
"I must thank young Brent in helping me find his replacement. He was an unworthy subject in all honesty. I just liked to toy with him."
The world spun and finally found its foundation. She remembered the feel of her inner barrier, the sounds of screaming and a dark presence. "Oh, God. Brent!"
Her eyes quickly darted around the room. Nothing familiar. No Alaric.
"I wouldn't worry about talking to Brent anytime soon. After he summoned me and I sensed your raw ability, I sent him somewhere special."
Bonnie shook her head, denial surging forth. She grasped hold of inner power and released it. The man was flung against the opposite wall. She struggled to stand but fell to her knees when a sudden pain stabbed into her mind. She screamed in agony, digging her nails into her scalp.
The man stood and shook himself. A few small pieces of cement crumbled to the floor. His eyes were hard as he took a predatory step towards her. "Understand this. Thanks to you and your doctor, I now have a tight grip on your mind. I might not be able to fully control you yet, but I will always have this." He raised his hand and formed a tight fist. She screamed again.
He released his hold and she sunk down to the floor, exhausted.
"What do you want?" she whispered.
"I already have her."