Machines were hooked up all over my room, the floor had been turned into a sea of wires. Chen sat at my desk tapping away on his sleek black laptop. I sat perched on my bed with a horrible feeling in my gut. "Chen the readings are...well for a lack of a better phrase off the scale," I nibbled on my lip, what exactly did that mean? What had been in here? "Do you think the wake has started?" Chen seemed to ignore the older man as he typed up a document. The room remained silent as the sound of the clicking keys echoed in my ears. "It's a possibility," he glanced back at me, "Ms Odinaya, Trey said he was looking for his mother?" I nod, "And in the last few months have you sensed a woman, or seen one," I shake my head, "Interesting, Jethro, please get into contact with the 2nd dimension jurisdiction office, we'll have to do some travelling," The room seemed to get considerably colder, the beeps got louder, Jethro checked the screens and pushed buttons. They both turned to look at me, I opened my mouth to tell them it wasn't me, but it felt like my voice was being sucked away. I tried to scream but no words came out, "Stay calm," it was in the same commanding tone he'd used on me before, but this time it seemed to have no effect. My reality seemed to waver, everything was going black, I could hear him, the small boyish voice, 'Trey' I followed the voice, "Ms Odinaya, you need to...."
My eyes opened and I cringed as my ears popped "Excuse me?" it felt like my throat had been sanded down, scratch that, it felt like my body had been sanded down. Had they brought me back to the office? "Jethro?" I called out "Chen?" I needed to find Trey. I looked around trying to ignore the growing ringing in my ears. I was sure every particle in my body was ready to explode out of me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breathe trying to arrange my thoughts and quite possibly my cells so I could move. I lumbered towards the window and looked out, it looked like the alley but it didn't feel like it. The air seemed to shift like a mirage in the desert. Nothing seemed to be moving and a fear gripped my stomach cold and hot. "Get a grip," I muttered and turned towards the door.
As I got to the alley I turned to walk out and it was like being hit by a truck, the light blinded me. I stumbled and reached out for something to steady myself but instead I bumped into a wave of people who carried me along the dirty pavements. The sound of fast moving vehicles and chatter assaulted me "50 pence, 50 pence," was there a market here before? I looked around for somewhere to escape this crowd, all I could see was a blur of flags I had never seen before and posters of people in dreads, with orange hair holding instruments or guns, the smell of food, sweat and salt. "You," a voice called out and my wrist was grabbed roughly "Right this way," I focused on the filthy brown leather jacket and long choppy hair, the woman's hand was freckled with age, her nails broken and filthy. I tripped on a some lose pavement, she didn't even look back just tightened her grip on my wrist. I flinched slightly, we turned into an estate with flats rising each and everywhere, people squatted huddled together seemingly hiding from the sun and as they saw the lady their eyes fell on me and their pupils disappeared and tongues run over their lips. I began to struggle and the ladies grip tightened "Let go!" I found my voice at last, she ignored me and turned into a block of flats that seemed to smell of stale piss, though it looked fairly clean. She dragged me up the stairs "You need to let me go," nothing. We got to a faded door, she knocked three times and it swung open. The smell of something acid entered my nose, my body slumped and all I saw was black.
"Make that 500," the voice was the same gruff voice that had called out to me earlier, my body felt light, light as a feather, I couldn't stop the giggle from leaving my mouth as I opened my eyes. "How many dark skinned girls do you have at your establishment, you need her," the woman's eyes were cold as ice, they hand nothing on Chen though, I giggled at the thought of Chen, good looking, mean and perfect in every way. "She is a fine specimen," a second voice mused, his voice sounded smooth like chocolate "I'm not," I slurred, I moved but the surface underneath me moved as well. I tried looking around again, the room was dark, the curtains a heavy velvet red, it matched the red carpet and walls and the red fur I was laying on. "I'll take her," the man had a bald head...like Jethro but unlike Jethro I sensed something out to hurt me with this man. "No you won't," and I rolled off the bed, I landed with a thud. I heard footsteps and I swayed to my feet and began a tipsy dash. I glanced down to see my body exposed. I shielded myself as I was grabbed and shot an accusing frown at the old lady. "She's feisty," and I was becoming more aware, I kicked back and made a dash for the door, it was unlocked and I ran as fast as I could through it, eyes turned to face me and I felt dread. I grabbed a set of sheets that were stacked on the side. I wrapped it around myself and at the same time I was lifted into the air. "You're going to be a handful," his breath on my skin made it crawl. I closed my eyes and called out for anybody.
