Chapter One

No.

A crash. A bang. Glass shattered, people screamed. Through a sleepy haze, I fumbled for my light switch and flipped it on, my eyes blurred from sleep but wide nonetheless.

It's not okay.

It's not okay.

I gasped awake, my eyes straining to see in the black darkness. Where am I? I reached in all directions for my light switch so I could see, but found only empty space. That was when I realized where I was. Not at home, that was for sure.

And in that moment, I had never felt so alone.

But, recalling the events the previous night- or however many nights had passed since I was taken- I knew they must want something from me. At least, that's what my sane mind would have thought. At that moment I was too scared and too filled with adrenaline to think clearly about anything.

"Who do you think you are?!" I screeched into the distance. The room couldn't be that big. I hoped. I got to my feet shakily and tried to walk around. Bad idea. My vision grew black spots and I looked for something, like a wall, to brace myself on and catch my breath. Finding no support, I fell to the ground once more. This went on several more times until I finally could stand without nearly passing out. The black spots weren't as prominent as before, but they were still there, so I was extra careful as I made my way through the pressing blackness. Whichever way that was.

I'm certain I looked like an idiot, wandering around like a zombie, my hands flying everywhere and my feet dragging slightly. I doubt anyone could have seen me though, wandering around like that. The darkness was so devoid of light it felt like it was a substance.

I fell as I tripped over something, the breath rushing out of me. Except I hadn't tripped over something. I'd tripped over someone.

"Oh, ew," I said anyways, scrambling backward. I didn't care whether it was a boy or a girl or a monster or whatever else might be lurking in this room. I just wanted to get away.

"What the..." A boy's voice came out of the body I had tripped over. At least, I thought it did. I couldn't see to save my life.

"Umm. Hello." I was certain my cheeks were reddening. Tripped over a boy that could be my chance to survival. Wonderful.

"Did you..."

"If you're asking if I was the one who tripped over you, then maybe. If you're asking if I kidnapped you, the answer is no."

"Huh. I'm a little freaked out right now."

"No kidding! I'm scared out of my mind. I just want to get out of here and get whatever it is done when I can actually see." I was sweating, and not just from fear. The room wasn't exactly cold, and coming from an area in the mountains, my body isn't used to such warm temperatures. "You'll give us all heatbite! Or whatever the tropical temperature version of frostbite is!" I shouted uncertainly, feeling another drop of sweat run down my back.

"Heatstroke."

"Whatever."

The boy on the ground laughed, and from the way his voice moved around I could tell he was attempting to stand. "Easy," I began, reaching blindly for him to try to steady him. I missed and he was sent falling to the ground. "Those drugs must have been wicked, huh?"

"You're telling me," he responded with a groan. I reached for him once again and my hand landed on his shoulder. "Umm... why are you touching me?"

"To prevent you from falling." I knew what he was hinting at but I shrugged it off. Sure, I was scared to death, but we needed to get him standing before we came in contact with whoever was behind this whole shenanigan. "Now lean on me. It's not going to be easy, but we need to get you standing."

He still seemed a little uncomfortable- though, then again, who wouldn't be- but I was already beginning to stand, so he had no choice but to follow. As expected, the boy began to falter, but I quickly steadied him and saved him from falling as I had many times before. When he could begin standing without leaning on me too much, I finally broke away from his grasp. "Should we look for others?" The boy asked.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt. Better than standing in the darkness doing nothing."

He put his hand on my shoulder once more and we walked in a random direction. Thankfully, we only had to walk a few feet before my outstretched hand touched the person- or object- I had just kicked.

No response. If only this was one of those books where the main character is all brave and screams that she isn't afraid and saves the world.

It isn't. It definitely wasn't just some fairytale where we all live happily ever after. Life doesn't work that way. At least, I'm not the type of person to be on the "life favors me" side. And I'm also not saying that I'm the "despite being alone and weak, she fought bravely" kind of person. I'm one to run from the fight, really, instead of facing a giant, scary monster- but apparently I was going to have to grow up real fast.

Yeah. Real fast.

"Is it alive- or was it ever alive?" The boy whispered. Something about the empty darkness of the room made raising your voice above a murmur feel wrong.

I frowned in his general direction before realizing with a groan that he couldn't see me. "That's a good question. Do you know how to feel for a pulse or should I try and figure it out?"

"We did a class on this in gym once. Guess I'll have to try to remember how to do it."

As I heard the scuffle on the ground signaling he was kneeling down to see if the thing I'd kicked was alive, a loud scream rang through the humid air.