From Bunkers to Palaces

Part 1 - Absolute Silence

Opening her eyes to deep darkness, she tried to sit.

Struggling, she could hardly move. I'm tied up... but where am I? 

A foreign blankness clouded her mind and she closed her eyes, wanting to sleep, but the tightness of her bonds prevented that. I must have slept already, she realised this, then wondered how long she'd been here, that is, wherever it 'here' was...

Have I... was I... drugged? she asked herself...

She opened her eyes again.

The blackness of the chamber seemed more of a dull grey now.

"Is anyone there?" she called into the darkness...

Confusion came as a sharp pain stabbed within her temple.

Her head ached. Had someone hit her?

Her thoughts raced, accompanied by the beating of her heart.

A surge of air cooled her face. What was that sound? Like a whistle, long and slow. She'd heard it before... somewhere, but couldn't think to remember. It stopped.

Maybe it was the sound of wind. How do I know it's wind? She asked herself. Somewhere within this dark place, there must be an opening. Wind was funnelling in from somewhere.

She called again, as loud as she could, "Is anyone there? Anyone? Can anyone help me? Help me. Help.

"Help!"

Silence.

"Help!"

Although air blew quite forcefully, swirling around her, there was no sound. Nothing. No noise at all...

Swivelling herself around on the hard, cold floor, she managed to move a little way across the chamber. It was hard, smooth, unrelenting. There seemed no boundary, no wall, nothing... just floor...

Struggling against her bonds, calling out again for help; her efforts brought no result, no comfort, no help...

"I'm lost..." she whispered. Remembering her mind had thought of drugs and of being hit and she'd thought of whistling wind, she wondered if there was hope in these words. Someone must be out there. Summoning all her strength, she shouted, "Help!" and repeated it over and over until she was hoarse.

She heard her voice rasping as she said, in despair, "There's no one there..."

Closing her eyes, she found some respite to let go... allow her mind to be blank... it wasn't a crime was it? Crime... what was crime? She slowed her breathing, forcing herself not to think...

A minute passed... slowly...

Her body spasmed as her thoughts told her that her mind was really, truly, blank. She didn't need to make it blank. It felt as if it had always been blank, for all her life. But how long was that? How could she not think if she had nothing to think about? It was confusing...

I can't remember my name, but I know I should have one. How do I know? If I do have a name, what is it? I can't think of it...

She had no memory.

Where had she been before she was here?

How did she get here?

Who tied her up? How did she know that someone tied her up?

Were they, or him, or her, coming back? Or — was it some other thing that had tied her and put her here? Did they put her here, or had she been born here? Did her life just begin now and was this all there would be?

The worst thought of all, was to try to think of someone who might save her. Who could save her? She couldn't think of anyone. What kind of people did she know? Who would care about her?

Not one memory could she find to give her any hope, any comfort or any rescue from the despair that enveloped her.

I'm doomed, she told herself... but what is doom? How do I know that word? What other words do I know? —Hope?

What is hope anyway? I can't think of hope... there is no hope... there is no help... there is no love...

Love? I know not love, but I am sure it must not be this! There is no love, not here.

I am lost. I have no one...

No one cares...

She listened but there was absolute silence.