Their Thief

Thirty-three

Damaris Rana

I lie still staring at the unblemished ceiling while taking steady breaths in an attempt to get my racing heart back to a normal rate. In the silence of the room, I focus on the sound of rain hitting the window and the increasing wind outside as it whistles through the trees, a sharp contrast to the sunshine this morning. Once it stops feeling like someone is using a jackhammer to get out of my chest, I sit up and swing my legs over the side of the bed. I don't want to be lying in it in case they change their mind and come back.

Although Alec scared the living shit out of me, I'm glad he was blunt. For now, at least, I'm fairly certain that me and my vagina are safe from unwanted dick. He's right. If they wanted to rape me there's nothing I could do to stop them. They have no reason to say they won't because they just could if they really wanted to.

Unless their lying and it's all a joke for them. Maybe they're trying to lull me into a false sense of security so they can cause maximum damage when they stop pretending. Not like it hasn't been done before.

I sharply shake my head.

Wasting my time lingering on what if's isn't going to do anything but cause me more panic, and I don't even think it's possible for me to feel any more than I already do. No, I need to stop my pessimistic self from digging a hole to prematurely bury myself in. I already have those three to cause me more panic and fear to last a dozen people multiple lifetimes, I don't need to add to it.

I rub my hands down my face, trying to think of my next step. They said I was free to roam. Who knows how long this nice act is going to last, I need to take advantage of it while I can.

Placing my feet on the ground, I push myself off the bed to stand. Before I can take a step forward blackness starts to take over my vision as the sounds of the wind blowing through the trees outside fades. I stumble backwards until the backs of my legs hit the bed and I fall onto it again. The calm beats of my heart once again skyrocket into erratic thuds in an attempt to escape my ribcage. Panic starts to set in at the sudden loss of my senses.

I fist my hair in my hands and lean forward putting my elbows on my knee. "I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine," I repeatedly whisper like a mantra.

Slowly the darkness retreats with each blink and my hearing returns with static. As the static fades and the sound of rain hitting glass returns, I let out a shaky breath.

Shit.

I forgot how long it has been since I last ate. The gnawing pain of hunger had disappeared a while ago, making the need to eat fade. The last time I had anything in my stomach other than water was when I was being fed whatever they were feeding me through the tube they shoved up my nose and down my esophagus when I was unconscious.

"Oh, sweetness!"

I jump as Max barges in through the door singing.

"Look who came to see you!" he says in a baby voice as he cuddles the grey puppy in his arms. "Ash is my new son. I adopted and named him since his would-be mommy abandoned him," he adds, looking at me pointedly.

When his eyes land on me his playful glare disappears. "Are you ok?" he asks as he comes to stand in front of me.

Ash interrupts by barking and struggling in Max's arms until he's forced to set him down on the bed beside me. The moment he's free, he runs to the edge and looks over it. He bends his legs in preparation to jump down, but chickens out and backs up instead. He does this a few times before looking at max and barking again.