Chapter 149: Blinding darkness

Leah's eyes had widened in apprehension , and slowly began to shine with the possibilities. "A girls' day out?" she breathed softly, reserve creeping into her tone as eagerness seethed beneath.

"Absolutely!" I stated. "We’ll get up, go out, get pampered with a spa day, shop 'til you drop on the shopping street. Our turn to let it all hang out, be ourselves, and laugh it all off, just us two."

At once, Leah quickly got dressed , a bright and cheerful look again on her face. She stepped from the room into the doorway, her smiling reassurance and last grasp on my hand as she let me go. Ahead of her today lay an afternoon of enjoyment, a way of finding the goodness of sisterhood and plain pleasures of an overindulgent day.

We emerged into town as a vibrant living entity of color and life. The streets came alive but in a friendly, welcoming mood, with sinuous cobblestone streets flanked by hectic market stalls and picturesque boutiques. Warm sunlight radiated over all in hue, and the fragrance of newly baked pastry was complemented by earthy floral sweetness in bloom.

We started our visit in a small, upscale spa renowned for its therapeutic massages. As we stepped inside, a soothing hum of peaceful music and soft scent of essential oils enveloped us. We were ushered into a peaceful room where expert hands performed their magic, untangling each knot and rousing relaxation from the very bones of our marrow. I closed my eyes, the soothing massages carrying me to pure bliss. It was a day of hermit excess, a day to just be, to allow our mind and body to unwind from the weight of responsibility.

Later, we strolled through town after massages, our pokes in good spirits and with dirty humor. We entered a store that dealt in nice clothes and accessories. Color, texture, and the soft, indistinct whisper of quiet laughter drifted from beyond my periphery, making my heart a-skipping. I was leaning against the corner of the store, where I caught a glimpse of an amazing lingerie set, soft, elegantly made, and agonizingly sensual. Getting a whim, I became flirtatious, grabbing the set and holding it up, taunting Leah, "I think you would look absolutely stunning in this."

Leah's cheeks flamed bright with a rich, mellow pink as she protested softly and in shock, "Althea, you're teasing me!" Her blush was met with the brightness of my smile as I remembered the memory of my own blush for being at the underwear shop for the first time, courtesy of Thalia, a memory full of naivety and awe at new beauty.

We spent the day with kidding jokes, picking up a few small baubles, a pretty scarf here, a dashing pair of earrings there, a little celebration of each little joy in life. Town day was full of shared laughter and sweet surprises, and I could feel the bonds of sisterhood increasing by the minute.

As the day went on, we got exhausted and decided to go back to the pack house. But as we were exiting the final shop, a violent commotion broke the stillness. Screams and shouts of confused voices rang out from a distance, and a wave of tension rippled through the street in proximity.

Without delay, I pulled my bag out and took hold of the bags I had with me. "Leah, you just hold on to these," I instructed firmly, the voice trembling on me. "I am going to go see what is happening. I will be back in a minute."

Leah nodded, closing her arms around the bags into a hug. "Take care, Althea," she whispered, her eyes meeting mine in a combination of concern and faith. One final reassuring smile exchanged, I stepped on ahead, softly pushing my friend aside as I moved further into the middle of the chaos.

Way ahead of me was turbulence, shouting, things hurled in every direction, and tension that thumped in the heart. I moved carefully along a step, my gaze sweeping the black in front of me. The festive spirit of the day was infused by a thread of danger, a sorrowful string that blemished the music that we had all cheered for.

As I ventured deeper into the heart of activity, terror got hold of me. Out of the dark, black alleyway, cruel, dirty hands writhed like snakes and hauled me away from safety out of light. I was roughly dragged into the darkness, everything around me altered to brutish chaos and massive shadows.

I could not shriek before a coarse piece of cloth was shoved over my face, suffocating me in hard black.

I tried to scream, but choking gags closed against my frantic shouts. Terror crept over me as I struggled with the faceless kidnappers. My legs and arms felt like lead, molasses movement, before fear gripped my very existence. Between moments of struggle, I felt the cold probing pressure along my neck. Metallic, biting flavor exploded on my lips as I knew a syringe was being inserted into me. I could feel the burning of the needle as its contents were forced into my veins. It was cold, scorching, as it ran through me, and my body immediately went against me. My muscles were as heavy as anchors, my arms dangled at my sides, and no matter how I strained to continue, strength leached out of me. The world whirled around me in a mad whirlpool, and before I could scream again, my eyelids grew heavy.

I was covered in a sea of black, a dark, foreboding hush that went on to infinity. All thought, all remembrance, was washed from my mind at once as I fell into nothing. The last, hollow moment, in this desperate flash that lasted longer than time itself, held for me only the echo of distant combat and one despairing cry jammed somewhere in my head.

I have no clue how long I remained there. Time simply dissolved as the world beyond it dissolved into nothingness. Even when my brain stopped working, however, the incessant question in the back of my head was ever the same: who was kidnapping me, and more importantly, what did they want from me? 

Then I succumbed to the darkness.