Amissis Imperium

False Satus

I groggily woke up, feeling as though I had just run a marathon and then got hit by a bicycle right at the finish line. There was an intense pulsing sensation coming from my neck. I let out a small whimper, turning my head lightly to the side as I opened my eyes up. I was laying on my stomach, my legs spread out along the bed.

A large duvet was covering me, and my head was propped up by two pillows. It took me a few second to realize where I was – someplace that I hadn't recognized. I blinked my eyes, and then a shot of panic washed over me as I clenched my fingers tightly.

I moved my hands underneath me, expecting to be tied up – I knew that Evan had taken me...it was one of the last things that I could remember before being drugged. I had a vague recollection of him taking me towards the jet, no matter how many times I tried to convince him to just let me go.

A migraine slammed into my head just as I tried to sit up. I twisted my body, placing my hands underneath me as the stinging, sharp pain made my brain throb. Letting out a few uneven breaths, I forced myself to sit, only just now aware of how naked I was underneath the duvet.

There wasn't a single article of clothing on my body, not even a bra or underwear to cover myself – I was completely naked underneath the duvet that had been placed on me. I gripped it, pulling up to my chest to conceal my pure naked body and shifted my legs, only to be met with some resistance.

I heard a gut wrenching clinking sound.

Clink.

Clink...

I pulled up on the duvet in order to see my legs. My feet were chained to the end of the bed, and I watched breathlessly as I moved my legs from one side to the next. I watched as the chains clinked together, verifying my worst nightmare at getting chained up under Evan's rule again.

Clink.

Clink.

I breathed in and out heavily, the sudden anxiety slamming into me full force, leaving me gasping for air for a few seconds. I placed a hand up to my chest, feeling my furiously beating heart beat. There was little that I could do except concentrate on my breathing to stop my attack from getting any worse.

Despite everything and my knowledge on how to calm myself down, I kept having fleeting thoughts of hopelessness:

I'm chained – I'm chained again!

I looked around the darkened room with worry, trying to see something – anything in the darkness. I bit down on my bottom lip, trying to ease up on all the anxiety that I was currently experiencing. I pulled on my legs again in the process of searching, the feeling of being trapped and not being free was one of my worst fears...it stemmed from those endless months of being captive by Evan Hale back in high school.

I breathed in, my lungs not having enough capacity to get all the required oxygen. Nothing I did was having any effect, and I leaned forward in a last ditch attempt to get air in my body. I was practically forcing myself to breathe --

Breathe.

I couldn't-!

Breathe, Natalie!

I let in strained breaths, allowing my body to breathe. It sounded as though I was having an asthma attack, but...I didn't have asthma.

Not at all – this was all coming from a big, panic induced anxiety attack.

I crossed my arms across my chest so that my hands laid over my shoulders. I gripped them tightly, attempting to keep myself grounded and to concentrate on the environment around me. If I let my mind wander then my ability to breathe would only spiral downward from here.