Captured

Chapter Sixty Seven

Chapter Sixty-Seven

Fear was like a chain, it was like a knife slowly being twisted inside your gut, it was like a constant hammer on your head. However, it didn't have to be negative, there was a reason and purpose for fear, it was a biological mechanism to keep you safe. It's part of your intuition, once you're fearful your brain will search for a solution to remove the cause of said fear.

Fear wasn't a constant feeling though, it came in like crashing waves. The cold water void of any warmth and sending chills to the core. Just as you manage to adapt to the cold, it comes again and again and again.

Fear gripped me all night like a tight, suffocating hand. It's hold was unforgivable and relentless. There were times I could feel myself give into the darkness and obliviousness of sleep but each time I inched closer and closer to it, fear would get a hold of my body and shake it awake.

Cami, on the other hand, slept like a baby. Once she had said she was going to sleep, she was out in minutes. Fear, stress or anxiety clearly were not plaguing her mind like it was with me.

How could she sleep so peacefully knowing what was to come the next day?

The whole night was spent staring mindlessly at either the ceiling or my carefree sister snoring away. I tried to come up with ideas on what to do, however, my mind kept coming up blank and after a while it was too tired to think of anything but not tired enough to switch off.

Have you experienced that before? Where you're so mentally and physically tired yet there's something holding you back from giving in to the darkness?

As the hours ticked by and as I tossed and turned on the bed, praying for an answer or some sleep, my eyes wandered over to the windows that were covered by the dark curtains.

Would it be possible to jump out of the window and escape? Where could we escape to? I couldn't think of one place where we could go that Alpha Alessandro wouldn't find us.

As dawn approached, I slowly got out of bed, wary of waking Cami up and made my way over to the window. Pulling the curtain to the side slightly, I stand in front of the window and before pulling the curtain behind me so no light snuck into the room.

Closing my eyes, I bathed in the rosy glow of the sun, feeling its heat on my face. Placing my hand on the window, I imagine the feeling of the cool, crisp air around my fingers, the way the wind would play with my hair.

How many times had I seen the sun rise and took it for granted? Would this be the last time I would ever see it? What else have I now done for the last time?

I stepped back, moving the curtain with me so that the white rays shone through into the room. Everything it touched, it lit up, showing the beauty of the colours in the room.

It reached Cami's face causing her to scrunch it up slightly, I was tempted to wake her up, to beg her to see the beauty of dawn, the beauty of life but as I stared at my little sister's face I knew I couldn't do that.

I let her sleep in bliss and forget the pains and trauma of her life and dream of the most wonderful things. Reality was a nightmare and sleep was the only escape from it. If only I could have been afforded the same luxury, the same escape from reality.

Once Cami was awake, we slowly got ready for the day, neither of us silent but neither of us actually talking to one another. It was small talk, the polite chit chat you have with strangers acquaintances.

Cami felt like a stranger, before this I thought I knew her well, knew what she was thinking but now I had no idea what was going on inside her head.

Staring at the reflection in the mirror, I winced at what was staring back at me. My eyes had sunken into its socket and dark panda like circles encased them.