Moon, Bitten

Chapter Nineteen

          Kate awoke sometime later to the sound of rain sprinkling soundly against glass. Her eyes drew there, watching tiny rivulets streak the pane.

          She shifted upright in bed, grimacing at every dull and ache that protested sorely as she shoved layers of blankets aside, throwing her legs to the edge.

          Her gaze flickered about the room, recalling the unfinished brick and rustic beams and the gray bit of interior that adorned the room.

          She groaned and pressed a hand against her temple. Her head felt tenfold its size and though still somewhat in limbo, her thoughts scrambled in haste, assembling those grim, unsettling images that sent her plummeting into oblivion. They struck her with a semblance of horror and she grappled with unshed tears.

        She tightened her eyes shut but Danny’s face surged and her heart slammed against her chest, and she remembered his cold, bottomless words.

          I want you back.

          Her chest ached with a gasp as it escaped her breathlessly. It was as if she’d never left him. He’d always been there – waiting. How could she have been so naïve? So gullible to think she’d ever live a life of normalcy. Her parents were gone. This was the life she’d chosen. Why flee from it? Why not submit and return to that forlorn shell of herself?

          Her heart had never felt so heavy in her chest, as if it were foreign to her body. She wiped salty tears away with her palm and pushed strands of mussed hair from her face.

          What are you going to do now, Kate? Her subconscious rebuked.

          What could she do? She didn’t even know where she was or how she’d gotten here. She noticed the bandage about her ankle that hadn’t been their before and the potent smell of ointment strong on her nose. She still wore the same button-down shirt and tugged at it.

          Her eyes wavered about the room. Where were her clothes?

         She spotted the flight of stairs and wrinkled her nose at the aspect of it, realizing the slight feat ahead of her as she limped towards it.

          Her eyes wavered over the lower floor as she took each step tentatively, gripping the railing firmly. Though at first glance it appeared nothing more than a rustic old building, it was surprisingly charming. Despite only a few rooms it boasted with spaciousness and modern décor done in subtle shades. It was plain yet tasteful with a well-heeled impression.

         The concrete floor was cool beneath her bare soles as she stepped from the stairs. She glanced around, noticing a bar, its sleek surface fraught with empty bottles. To the left of it was a kitchen, just as roomy with smooth black appliances and granite countertops.

        As if on cue, her stomach grumbled noisily. She pressed her hand there, feeling its emptiness. She couldn’t remember last when she’d eaten. She didn’t even know what day it was or how long she’d been out cold.

          She hadn’t heard a sound, nothing to indicate another person so she opted to assuage her most pressing concern.

          She padded over to the colossal size fridge and tugged it open. Her entire body objected to every shift and stir of her limbs; but the thought of lying immobile to a bed infuriated her. Perhaps a small part of her wasn’t willing to admit defeat just yet.

          The refrigerator was loaded. Her eyes flickered hungrily over its contents from the various choices of fruits and veggies to the lunchmeats. She even considered the stash of red wine.