Her
Colors. So many of them. Fuchsia, green and blue and magenta orbs floating between and a spray paint sprinkling golden glitter. Where am I? Baby turquoise cottony soft clouds...are those clouds? Something is tickling my foot, and instantly I am met with something cold and hard.
Fuck!I am drowning. I am drowning. Need air... Need air.
I splash at the water in the luxe jacuzzi I suddenly am waking to. Getting to my senses slowly with my lungs full of water. Coughing and spewing water all around me.
How many days have I slept on my way to this nightmare? Somebody must have thrown me in the fucking tub.
I look around to find two ethnically different people – triggering my xenophobia – that I never knew existed. A man hardly my age and an older looking woman standing right behind him, staring at me like I am one fucking specimen of a neanderthal or something.
Where am I? Where the fuck has Jessica left me?
“Good morning, Ruza.” The man says in a strong Slavic accent, “I am Vuk, and this is Marija. We are supposed to help you settle here.”
“Settle me?” My brows furrow, I grab my aching head in a numbing clutch, “Where am I?”
“I’m afraid I can’t tell you anything about it. But you’ve been transported to us a few days back. And we’re supposed to groom you for the stay.” He says before the woman nudges and interrupts him.
“That’s enough for introductions. Wash yourself up and get ready in an hour. Boss meets you at sharp eleven.” Her tone sharp and unkind. Like I had any expectation of kindness from this bitchy expression queen.
Her lifeless blue eyes scan my outfit as she speaks to the man in a foreign tongue. I have a feeling it’s not nice things she’s talking about. The man replies her with a glare, shutting her instantly.
“Food will be served in half an hour. In the meantime, freshen up and get ready. King is very particular about time.” The moment the words leave his mouth, everything turns black in front of my eyes for a few moments.
King?I must’ve heard that wrong.
“What? Who?” The words come out with such difficulty, it’s like I’m high and aching at the same time.
“Our Boss. We call him – King.”
Fuck!
So, I had guessed it right. That was Jessica’s plan... To befriend me, trick me into doing shit in the name of her safety, and sell me to the devil. That was what my genuine love towards her were worth.
“Are you alright?” Vuk stares at me with a look of concern.
“I – I don’t know...”
“Look! I know it’s difficult. But if you simply just cooperate, you’ll see how easy things will become.” He says adjusting me upright.
“Is this what you people tell every other woman who arrives here?” Tears of fury slip free past my wet lashes, “Tell me... Did Jessica sell me to him?”
He looks at me for a moment of consideration, but averts his gaze quickly, “No. You’ve not been bought. You’ve been transported. And the more you keep that mouth shut and oblige his orders, the more days you’ll see in this world. Now, I don’t want to repeat myself, but you need to get up and ready. He’ll kill us all if you’re not ready by eleven.”
“I won’t come out. I am not meeting anyone. And I don’t fucking care who dies, I’m not meeting with your Boss.” I retort.
His expression darkens. But the moment he begins in my direction, the woman behind him stops him in the tracks.
But his pissed is peeking through as he speaks, “Two things – One, you’ll get yourself killed if you swear around Him. Two, if you don’t put that dress on, I’ll oblige you in getting into it.” His accent is making every word sound more ominous than intended.
That’s all that I get before he storms out of the room with Marija hurrying out behind him after shooting me a disgusted look.
Where the fuck am I? Where the fuck is Nakul? What’s taking him so long? Am I really that far off?
I don’t care who is out on the rescue operation. I’ll won’t sit here and wait for something terrible to happen. And regardless of however many walls I am surrounded with, I am getting out of here that is all I can think of right now.
But how?
I rise up to my feet and scan the area around. Maybe I should really cooperate and buy some time for a look around this place.
WHEN I COME OUT OFthe shower, I find a red lace cut dress resting on a large Alaskan king size bed. The décor in the room is unexpectedly similar to that of Nakul’s preference. Lavish, minimal and classy.
But when you love someone so deeply, you tend to look for them everywhere. Did I just self-admit?
I notice how my head starts hurting every time a strong emotion hits my mind. These people must’ve drugged me real hard. Having no other option with the dress I was wearing already soaking in the bath water, I take the one lying on the bed and put it on.
Like a storm after the calm, the message creeps inside my head... I wonder how pretty my Rose will look painted in red. I have to face the monster again. Panic is all I feel each time I think about it. I may wear whatever, eat whatever; but I still need to find a way out of this place. Or I’ll have to meet the monster in person.
Pacing inside the room, I look in every nook and corner for a way out before my vision lands on the view from the slightly parted curtains on a glass window. My breathing stops for several seconds as pure horror fills every single cell of my body.
Blue – as far as the vision goes.
I frantically pull the curtains back to look as farther... as if that’s going to change anything at all. Vast blue sea is stares right back at me. Taunting me. How am I ever going to escape?
I am in the middle of nowhere.
I am on a fucking ship.