This is the first of a 3 part story I am currently working on, keep your eye out for parts 2 and 3!
Darkness. The first thing she noticed - the all-consuming darkness surrounding her. As she reached up to rub the sleep from her eyes and clear her vision, she noticed the second thing - her bound body.
Panic surged through her as she became alert to the unfamiliar position she found herself in. Writhing and struggling blindly against unseen bindings, she tried her hardest to pull her hands apart from each other, to pull them from behind her back, to pull her legs together or even just to lift one foot up, each time to no avail. Adrenaline pumping to match the panic, she willed herself to take a few deep breaths, to calm herself and to retrace her last memory.
The last thing she could clearly remember was her daily yoga practise in her living room. It was incredibly important to her to stay flexible and had always found yoga to be a great form of keeping her toned body in shape and her muscles strong and sharp. She'd been holding her upward facing dog pose, stretching the tension from her lower back and slowly slipping into child's pose, her arms stretched out in front of her, body curled up for her to rest in peace, then...nothing. Try as she might as she replayed that memory again and again, could she picture anything after that position. Anger set in and she pulled against her binds in frustration.
A deep, dark chuckle reverberated from somewhere in front of her and she instantly stilled.
Slowing her breathing, she strained her hearing, desperate for answers to the questions filling up inside of her. It was then that she really began to take stock of her situation. Wriggling her toes told her she was sat on a carpeted floor, the ropes binding her feet to the chair lay against her bare skin but she could still feel the fabric of her yoga leggings against her body. Her hands, bound behind her, could grip a metal chair frame. Chilly air floating past her upper body told her she was still in just her sports bra, a stark contrast to the heat she could feel returning back to her with every breathe she took. The faint scent of lavender hovered in the hot air and with horror she recognised it as the smell of her laundry powder. Twisting her head in confusion, she suddenly realised her head was being covered by a pillowcase. Her stomach plunged as she wriggled her toes and grabbed at the metallic chair again.
The faraway chuckle repeated, taking delight in the answers that were rushing to her all at once. She was still in her home, still in her living room, still in her yoga clothes, but she was far from at peace. As desperate ideas for escape flooded her mind, a rustling noise alerted her to the movement of someone past her right hand side. Tensing, she braced for a touch, a pinch, an impact that never came and shuddered as the confusing combination of terror and relief rushed across her body.
"W...w...whoever you are, I don't know why you're here, but please just take my valuables, there's cash in my bedside drawer, just please don't hurt me!" She stammered through the pillowcase, praying her words were audible through the material. She threw her head around blindly, hoping she was in the right direction of her captor.
For a third time the chuckle echoed around her ears, her body shuddering in response.
"I think you know exactly why I'm here," a slow, deep males voice whispered closely into her ear. She struggled to place the accent from such few words; British? South African? American? She couldn't be sure especially as now something cold and pointed was trailing down her left arm, leaving a tingling sensation that made her shudder all the more.
"You know exactly what I want and I am not leaving here without it." he continued as she followed his voice to directly in front of her. The chair sunk further down.
"I honestly do not know what you're talking about, please, please just-" she winced as suddenly the light flew into view and her living room burst into sight. Immediately in front of her, a large burly bald headed suited man loomed menacingly over her. His arms were planted on each of the chairs armrests, making his frame all the more intimidating. She gulped and instinctively pulled herself away from the fierce stranger.
"So you're going to make me do this the hard way are you Red?" He growled, pushing himself off the chair and walking over to the sofa, sliding off a well cut black blazer to reveal a crisp white shirt underneath. As he was walking, she saw papers and books ripped and strewn across the floor, pillows torn apart, stuffing and feathers littering the room. Craning her neck to the right to see through the doorway to her bedroom, clothes had been thrown everywhere, drawers pulled out, even her childhood teddy bear hadn't survived the brutal ransacking.
