Captive Shadows-Part I

Prologue



It was cold below her, what felt like wet concrete seemed to chill her to the bone. Only semi conscious, Saige hazed in and out of awareness. Her peripheral splotched with blurs of black. Her head ached and throbbed. The metallic taste of blood made her gag as she gasped for breath. Her body felt heavy, weighing her down against the cold surface she lay on. A thin sheen of sweat formed on her forehead, adding to the somewhat sticky wetness that already covered her face.

With shaky hands, Saige lifted her body off the chilly ground and pushed herself against the floor, dragging her body. It took all of her strength, which she had so little of. Her back hit a solid wall, where she sagged and rubbed at her eyes, pulling stray hairs off her face.

When her vision cleared it did little good to see where she was. It was dark everywhere, the way her breath came out in a slight fog only proved the temperature. She looked left, and then right, there was nothing to be seen. The way her breath sounded throughout her surroundings, leaving a small echo, made her think she could be somewhere quite large.

Saige tried to call out, but her throat was thick and her tongue dry. She worked at her mouth, trying to wet it with her saliva. The taste of blood was profound; her face was wet and sticky with it too. Her heart hammered in her chest, her lunges queezing out an uneasy pant of breath.

“Hello?” she called, her throat raspy with dehydration.

She waited in silence for a sound, any sound that might hint to anything. At first, silence.

Then slowly, multiple sounds echoed around her.

Breathing, more than one amount and not her own. Coughing and groaning. Then one by one, voices began calling out replies. Most thickly coated in unfamiliar accents and voices just as croaky as hers.

There was a shuffling of movement beside her which made her start. She covered her mouth in haste, not wanting to warn whatever danger near that she was there. She felt as though her heart would give her away, the constant loud beating audible in her ears.

More groans and cries starting sounding around her like some sort of nightmare. The dark only added to her fear, helpless tears streamed down her face.

People began screaming, the various sounds becoming louder within consciousness.

The shuffling became closer beside her and she let out a loud squeal when something touched her leg.

“Is someone... there?” a deep voice asked from beside her, but Saige was already dragging her limp body away from the danger. Adrenaline coursing through her blood.

Every drag only brought her closer to others, they were everywhere. Voices, echoing in some loud and shallow tones.

“Hello?”

“Where am I?”

“Who’s there?”

“What’s wrong with me?”

Although Saige was beyond terrified, there was something distinct in every one of those voices.

Fear.





Chapter One       

Two days before...



Her heart constricted in her chest, beneath the pale blue colour of her lace blouse. She rubbed her sweaty palms across her dark denim jeans. Her gem green eyes wide in suspense and anxiety. Everything waited on this one fleeting moment.

“Saige Ambrosius?” she started at the sound of her name, but stood quickly out of her seat.

After straightening her already crisp clothing and perfected black hair, Saige followed the small receptionist as she was led to the office.

Her boots made a clicking sound with every step against the polished wooden floors of the university. The pure white walls felt like a cage to her, the room to high of a temperature. But she was just nervous and anxious, she reminded herself.

The small round receptionist stopped at the Headmaster’s Office, offering a reassuring crooked smile that was off kilter with her otherwise shabby looks.

“Good luck, dear,” she whispered, before strolling off ahead of her.

With a few more deep breathes, Saige lifted her chin like her mother had always told her, and set her shoulders. She gently rapped on the sturdy mahogany door.

“Come in,” Headmaster Finch called in his deep commanding voice.

The office wasn’t huge, but it was impressive. The walls were lined with bookcases filled with various novels and student texts, ranging from industrial to medicine and others. Many Saige had read herself in preparation.                                                                                                  From the ceiling was a chandelier that looked like it belonged more so in a mansion than in an office. The ceiling was painted, little angel boys stared down at her, looking far from angelic but more accusatory.

She tore her eyes away from them and shifted her weight from one foot to the other, playing with loops in her ears.

At the far side of the room was a straight but heavy looking desk, where behind, the Headmaster sat almost regal looking. Saige’s nerves hyped up a notch at the way he watched her over the tip of his glasses, with heavy brown eyes that seemed to strip at her soul.

He gently set his glasses on the desk before him and rose to his full height, which seemed more intimidating now than ever. He wore a dark pinstriped suit, the way his gray hair was slicked back only added to the mobster sort of appearance he held. Perhaps if he had one of those big guns they had back in the day, like that movie...

“Miss Ambrosius?” the Headmaster’s boom of a voice snapped Saige out of her reverie.

“Yes, sir?” she asked, her voice sadly betraying her nerves.

“I said have a seat, please,” he repeated a bit impatiently, though Saige hadn’t heard him the first time.

Great, what a first impression. Stupid, stupid, she complained internally.

Headmaster Finch raised a bushy brow, gesturing for her to sit at the seat in front of his desk.

She did so, tripping on her feet in the process.

Once she was seated, the Headmaster stalked past her. Saige swivelled in her chair to see, he raised a silver lid off a coffee table and poured himself a long glass of water.

Sensing her eyes on him, he raised his head and met her stare. Saige quickly looked away, feeling intrusive.

“Would you like a cold drink of water, Miss Ambrosius?” he offered gently.

“Thank you, sir.” Saige accepted, taking refuge in the cold water as it slid down her throat, easing her dry parched mouth.

Once Headmaster Finch took his seat, he smiled kindly as if he understood her nerves. Saige returned the smile in kind.

“Okay, let’s see...” he shuffled through the paperwork on his desk, which was piled high, no surprise this time of year.

Students would be lining up with applications of acceptance. The thought of Saige’s own application only being one in the many hundreds he had in front of him, made her heart leap in her chest.

“Ah! Here we go, Saige is it?” he questioned, looking at her under lowered lids.

Saige swallowed before nodding, “Yes, Headmaster Finch.”

He nodded to himself, sliding his glassed back onto the bridge of his long prominent nose. He clucked his tongue as he read along, “Not bad, not bad...”

Saige took another long drink of her water, almost crying when it was empty. She waited and waited as he read over her files, her leg jumping up and down involuntarily.

Finally he looked up, a worrisome frown between his brows. “You finished first in your from?” he asked.

Saige had to blink twice before replying, “Yes sir. I also received an honour in biology and my placements at the clinic.”

She hoped she hadn’t gone too far and sounded a martyr, but felt she had to point that out hopefully in her favour.

“Ah, yes. I can see that...” he trailed off as he read on.

Saige folded her dainty hands together to stop from fidgeting as the Headmaster pondered. She diverted her attention to the small birthmark on her deep brown hand, hoping to not go into a full scale panic attack.

“Well,” he started, snapping her attention back to his knowing dark eyes, “Your application is pretty good. But I have seen much better.”

Saige’s heart sank and she stopped breathing. All her hopes hung on this moment, her life and career. If she didn’t get into medical school, she thought she would die prematurely of misery and heartbreak.

She had wanted to be a doctor her whole life, even as a child playing with toy stethoscopes and reviving her dolls after fake heart attacks. It was her passion, her one sole interest.

Helping people.

“I have five references on that application, sir. They would vouch for me,” she almost begged, biting the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood.

“Yes, yes. I can see that Miss Ambrosius,” he drawled, sighing and placing the papers back on the desk, along with Saige’s heart.

Saige felt her legs moving without conscious effort, she felt lifeless as she strode out of the office. She didn’t want to hear him say it, say no to her life. She would rather smash her head against a brick wall, than hear the words acknowledging the fall of her would-be career.

“Thank you for your time,” she murmured as she put her hand to the door knob and opened the door.

“Saige-“

“No sir, I’d rather not hear it,” she cut him off, hanging her head instead of holding it high.

“Miss Ambrosius, please one second!” he called out to her as she walked off, his voice was what stopped her, it was demanding.

She didn’t turn to look at him, but stopped long enough to hear the words she so didn’t want to hear.

God, please I don’t want to hear this. Why can’t he understand?

She jumped when she felt his hand on her shoulder, ready to scream rape until she realised that wasn’t at all his implication.

Then she heard his words.

“Welcome to Medical School, Saige.”

She spun around the instant he said the words, fearing that he was playing some sick ass joke on her. But the look in his eyes was far from humour, he was serious, dead serious.

“Oh. My. God!” Saige probably just destroyed her well worked self image by the way she very unattractively squealed and threw her arms around the Headmaster.

“That’ll be enough Miss Ambrosius, you're here to learn to heal injuries, not cause them.” He grunted as she gave him one last squeeze before letting go. He straightened his crimson tie and cleared his throat.

“Thank you, thank you!” Saige gushed, giddy with relief.

She pretty much skipped into his office to collect her acceptance letter, thanking him a multiple more times before leaving.

She collected her purse from the receptionist, offering her a much more dazzling smile this time. She was in turn offered a lithe little laugh and congratulations.

She couldn’t wait to get home and tell her mother, she would be over the moon for her. She juggled her guess bag up to her shoulder and opened her acceptance letter. A huge broad smile plastered to her face as she read it over and over again.

She was so distracted; she hadn’t watched where she was going until she hit a wall.

She shook the impact off with a shake of her head and looked up. What she saw surprised her, it wasn’t a wall, and it was a mountain of a boy. His hands that were steadying her by the shoulders were warm beneath her blouse. He had intensely blue eyes and sandy blonde hair that was styled in that messy but stylish kind of way.

Good god, he is gorgeous and I just all but ran over him.

She had to tilt her head to look up at him; he had to have been over six foot in height. His arms were the size of one of her thighs, muscles prominent beneath a very clingy black t- shirt. He had a red bandana tied around his upper arm, giving him that bad boy sort of look and god help her, but she loved that look.

“You're staring at me,” he said, his voice almost a purr. A smirk playing on his lush lips.

I wonder what they would feel like...

A deep blush formed on her cheeks, the heat embarrassingly hot. Saige slowly stepped out of his cage of arms and hated the lack of warmth.

Then she all but ran away.

What was I doing! I just drooled all over that guy; he must think I’m a freak

She ducked her head, hiding her blush and heavy breathing. She couldn’t believe that, she should have thanked him or something. She was about to stop and reconsider maybe saying thank you at least, when he called out.

“Hey kid!”

She spun around on her heels and looked back to his mass of sexiness. He was laughing, trying to hide it but failing miserably. Saige felt her cheeks heat again, but not the same way. She was pissed.

He dangled something from his fingers, looking closely she could see it was her purse. She must have dropped it mid crash.

Cautiously, slowly, she approached him again. She made for her purse, but he snatched it away with a tsk.

“What do you say?” he mused.

“Excuse me?” Saige glared at him, suddenly feeling stupid for thinking him all that.

He laughed again, “I saved you from a major collision, chick. Not to mention your pretty face and purse. Don’t I get a thank you?”

Saige’s mouth fell open at his casual use of taunting. These were the sort of guys that bugged her, a lot.

“Give me my purse,” she snapped through clenched teeth.

He faked a look of hurt, placing a hand to his chest, “Oh, my heart just weeps!” he feigned.

Saige ignored him and made a snatch for the bad again, missing. She grunted in annoyance.

Is this guy for real!

“How bout a kiss then?” he folded his big arms over his chest and looked at her through lowered lids.

Saige had to remind herself to breathe. “No. Now give me my bag you jack-ass.”

“I dunno, all I wanted was a simpl-“

“GIVE ME MY BAG!” she yelled, losing her temper. Feeling like her flesh might melt away from the heat in her face.

For a moment he looked stricken, and then he burst out laughing, handing her bag over in the midst of it. Saige snatched it- not gently- out of his hands and walked away. She imagined steam pouring out of her ears, people melting away from her, caught up in her own ball of fury.

“Hey! Congratulations!” he called loudly, people around him cast an annoyed glance at him, and he didn’t seem to care.

“What?” Saige had stopped walking again, watching him through narrowed eyes.

He shrugged his shoulders, “You’ve got that ‘I-Just-Got-Into-College-Look’” he chuckled, running his hands through his mussy hair, “Congratulations.”

Saige just stared at him, “Thank you,” she finally said.

“Hallelujah! She has a conscious!” he mocked.

Saige groaned and shook her head, “I’m outta here, later jerk.”

“Anytime beautiful,” he replied and sauntered off somewhere into the university.

Saige was still laughing when she reached her car, launched it into drive and made her way home.



Chapter Two.



Saige held her head in her hands, rocking and humming to herself. It made no difference, she still heard the agonising voices of all those around her. Nothing could block out the cries and screams of many boys and girls around her.

Time seemed to drag on and on, each second another agonising, heart wrenching torture.

Where am I? What happened to me?  She pleaded in her mind.

Many were voicing her own thoughts, screaming for help, some in pain. She had the impression that she wasn’t the only one hurt, her head still ached and she felt somewhat raw amongst the cold surroundings.

It was so dark, not a light in sight. Not a sound but those of the people around her. Not even a peek of possible escapes of an outside world.

She was constantly touched and grappled by others, each time she moved further away only to run into to many more.

How many people are here? Why are they here?

It sounding like a good twenty people were there, varied in sex and culture by indication of their foreign languages and bad English.

She didn’t know how long she had been sitting on the wet ground, gasping for breath, her heart hammering in her chest, every noise sending a long pang of fear and hopelessness to her bones. It seemed like forever, but it couldn’t have been too long.

In time, the voices became both quieter and more urgent. People began conversing, voicing there obvious wariness and fears. The same questions repeated over and over again, with the same non giving answers.

No one knew where they were or what had happened, which wasn’t at all reassuring. But in a small amount, Saige felt the relief of somehow knowing that these people were just as scared and clueless as her. Potentially not the danger to be feared then.

She screamed again when someone touched her, stronger this time. Each touch was different. She tried to shuffle away but was caught in a death grip; she kicked out with her foot, connecting with something by the sound of a loud grunt.

Then she stopped dead in her tracks.

“Ugh shit. What was that for!” a male voice complained, already released her.

Unexpectedly, whether it was humour or even hedging towards insanity, Saige burst out laughing. Tears fell from her cheeks as she laughed.

“You have got to be kidding me!” she laughed again, the sound of it echoing through her now named prison. “You're that jerk from the University, right?”

She didn’t jump as his hands began searching for her again, she did slap them away when they got to near certain places though. She heard him settle down next to her, his breath just as heavy as hers.

“Christ, what are the chances of that?” he mumbled, half to himself she guessed.

“It’s your lucky day!” Saige cheered falsely, her voice sounding weaker by the minute. 

Rubbing at her cold arms, she felt a sudden lump that was tender. She frowned in the darkness, probing the sore spot with her fingertips.

What isn’t tender? She reasoned.

“Any idea what’s going on?” Bad Boy asked after a few moments.

Saige shrugged, though he couldn’t see. “I have as much idea as anyone else...” she whispered, her voice droned out by the others.

She couldn’t get her head around the whole situation. Her head was too hazy to even remember how she had ended up in the place. She wondered if whatever happened to her, happened to all these people too.

Why? Was all she could keep thinking.

“God my head hurts,” Bad Boy complained, his breath hot on her shoulder.

“Yeah, mine too,” she agreed, rubbing at her scalp as it continued its constant pounding.

“Come here, I’ll kiss it better,” he offered, though she couldn’t see, she imagined that smirk playing on his lips.

“If you could see me right now, you would see me roll my eyes in that –what-a-loser- sort of way,” she replied.

“You're right. I should be getting the kiss, you just kicked me in the face,” he said.

Saige cringed when she heard a crack of what was definitely bone, being put back in place. She couldn’t deny she felt a bit smug for that.

She ignored him anyway, deciding that she could at least talk to him about their current situation.

“Now is hardly the time, idiot. Can you see anything?” she asked him, squinting in hope of at least seeing something, anything.

“Not a thing,” he concluded, sighing loudly. “I cant even remember getting here. I think I got cracked in the-“

He was cut off abruptly at the sound of something banging. The constant thunk, thunk, of something became louder each time. It sounded like something or someone was hitting something repeatedly.

All of a sudden, in one blinding moment, the lights were on.

At first blinded by the foreign fluorescents, Saige slammed her eyes shut against the glare. When she opened them again, it was so bright she had to blink several times before her eyes focussed.

Beside her was Bad Boy, having trouble with the light too, by the looks of his squinted eyes. He was a mess, just as Saige imagined to be. He had a raw cut across his brow and dry blood down one side of his cheek. He was wearing the same sort of clothes when she first met him. Black muscle shirt, bandana, dark denims and combat boots. His hands and arms were covered in dirt and tattoos she had never seen before.

Saige’s body froze at the sound of multiple screams, louder than the previous. She only then looked around her.

It looked like a warehouse, a dirty old one at that. The ground was concrete, wet in places with god knows what. By the looks of the oil stains and markings, it may have been a workshop. She looked up and saw that the roof was completely covered with dark tarps, only leaving the fluorescent lights hanging free. Along the walls of the warehouse were barred doors and windows, metal shutters covering most and nailed wood palings.

One thing was for sure, whoever this place belonged to, had been careful making sure no one would leave or be heard.

The most astounding thing that she saw brought a gasp to her lips.

There were bodies, everywhere.

She was close when she guessed there were about twenty people, just by a glimpse there had to have been close to thirty. But not all of them were moving.                                                                                                    Saige was pained to see that some bodies weren’t moving, staring lifelessly to the ceiling or the ground before them. Others appeared to be unconscious.

People were beginning to get to their feet, talking amongst themselves, searching for an escape. Others stayed in groups or were alone in a state of fear and shock.

The variety of people was shocking. There were Asians and Indians, English and Germans, every race of being seemed to be in one room.

One thing was constant though, everyone looked to have been either a teenager or young adult. There were no middle aged or elderly people there.

“Holy...” bad boy began under his breath

“Shit.” Saige finished for him, slowly getting to her feet.

The people were in bad shape, some bleeding profusely, others barely scraped up. Her heart began hammering in her chest again, seeing so many people, young people, huddled together like this was terrifying.

Like some mass kidnapping, this was becoming the likely conclusion.

By one of the barred doors, a rugged looking Sudanese boy was banging his fists against the shutter.

So that’s what that noise was...

Girls were gathered together in groups, clinging to each other and weeping uncontrollably. Some were mere children.

Seeing so many people hurt had an effect of Saige, both making her scared witless beyond anything she had felt before, and it also made her switch into her mode.

“Bad boy, come with me,” she said, rising to her full height. She swayed slightly as the blood came back to her head, making her dizzy.

When no reply came she turned to see that he had already disappeared amongst the throngs of people, perhaps looking for an escape like most of the boys were doing.

She stalked past groups of people with pleading wide fearful eyes. When she came across the first body, she crouched down to check for a pulse.

None.

With a silent grievance, she got up and moved to the next.

Some watched her curiously or warily as she marched along checking for the dead or the unconscious. Some followed, offering help or speaking in languages she didn’t understand.

In the end she uncovered five dead and three unconscious.

She was surprised the death didn’t hurt her more, like it was to the wailing people in the warehouse. But she was born prepared for all of it, being a doctor ensured deaths far worse than these.

With a deep breath, that threatened to choke on a sob, she started out again.

She tripped when she wasn’t looking, grazing her hands and knees, tearing her already shredded clothing. Before she could stand from her fall she saw two people huddled in a corner.

It was a boy and girl, the girl had her head of wavy blonde hair resting in his lap, where he idly stroked her hair and wiped away her tears. He looked pissed and scared at the same time. Even from a distance Saige could sense the air of possessiveness that surrounded him around that girl.

Perhaps they weren’t all strangers to each other.

“Are you okay?” a light voice asked from above her, she turned her head up to see a small dainty looking girl. She held a hand out for her, Saige accepted the upturned palm to right herself.

She was a tiny porcelain looking doll. Her hair was curly and red like flames, held back with sparkling pins that seemed so out of place amongst the dank cold hell they were in.

“Thanks,” Saige replied, pulling her hair out of her face.

“I saw you... are you a doctor? Can you help those people?” the girl pleaded, looking at the bodies of the unmoving with pure sadness in her blue eyes. She had a strong English accent.

Saige shook her head, “I didn’t even make my first day of medical school..” she whispered sadly to herself.

Bad Boy appeared in front of Saige, looking rugged and strung out. He nodded a hello to the little English girl before averting his attention to Saige.

“There’s no way out. The place is sealed to bone. No one knows what’s going on...”

A chocked sob fell from the English girl’s throat, abruptly she burst into helpless tears. Her dress was torn to pieces, barely covering her shaking gentle body.

“I’m so... scared. Why is this.. happening..” she cried.

It was heartbreaking. Saige felt her own tears fall down her cheeks as she took the small English girl under her arm.

The banging started up again, the Sudanese boy was swearing and yelling as he pounded his fists. People covered there ears and cried louder, others cheered him on as he kept hitting the shutters.

All eyes were trained on him in his fury.

So everyone saw as a small hole opened, and something long poked out. For a moment the boy was stunned and didn’t move, then within seconds of appearing, the things that poked out let out an ear splitting crack. Embers and sparks fell from the nuzzle of the hole.

Everyone saw that Sudanese boys head being blown clear off his shoulders.

Everything was quiet, a stunned surreal silence stretching out of the crowds of people. People covered their gaping mouths with shaky hands and wide eyes. Girls and boys began vomiting all over the floor, as they saw the deep pool of blood forming around the decapitated boy.

Before the screams and pleading began, everyone’s question was answered.

“Welcome to your new life kiddie’s!” a deep commanding voice sounded throughout the whole warehouse, the echo only adding to the tone of evil.

“From now on, you are not your former selves. You are re-born and uneducated. If you want to live, you abide by my rules. There will be no reasoning from me, so don’t bother.”

Everyone looked around themselves in a panic, trying to find the foreign voice that seemed louder than even their own.

Only then did Saige notice the flashing red lights surrounding the compound and the speakers built into the walls.

Cameras and an intercom.

Saige felt like she might vomit like everyone else, but for different reasons.

“I see everything, think of me as a modern day Big Brother. So don’t bother screwing me around, I know each and every one of your names and details. So once again, you want to live, you abide by my rules.”

Silence again, as if the voice were challenging them all.

Saige couldn’t move, could barely breath. The girl under her arm was stunned beyond crying now.

“Rule number one,” the loud voice drawled, “There is no escape.”