Afterlife (Afterlife Saga)

by Stephanie Hudson

  “Don't struggle Keira.... just breathe.” He whispered in my ear. But this had the opposite effect as I tried to twist more from my muscled cage.

  “Stop fighting it.” His voice was soft, gentle and also soothing. My body began to react to it giving up the fight I had no chance of winning. He could feel it too as he didn't crush me so tightly. My lungs had finally run out of air and if I didn't inhale I was going to pass out anyway so I took in little sharp, deep breaths that were shallow and out of control.

  “That's it...good girl...calm yourself,” he said softly and his arms were soon taking my weight instead of fighting against it. I felt his hand leave my mouth and start to smooth back my hair, caressing me against him, pulling me tighter into the cradle of his body.

  “My little Keira sleep now. You are safe.” I heard his voice in my head and then I was floating. A rosy mist flowed over me and his voice was the last thing I remembered before falling asleep in his arms once again.

  Chapter 35 - Held against my will

  “Did you get a trace on the call?”

  “No, he just wasn't on long enough. Don't worry Dominic we will find him...she is safe now...Do you think she will fight against it?”

  “Undoubtedly!”

  That last voice that spoke, I knew belonged to Dominic Draven and the other was his brother Vincent. I hadn't opened my eyes but I could now hear the voices clearly. I didn't want to alert anyone that I was now fully awake so I kept very still and waited.

  “What will you do about the girl if she doesn't co-operate?” Vincent asked his brother and I held my breath waiting for the answer.

  “She will obey... she is stubborn, yes, but she can be controlled.” Draven said and I had to control the urge to not get up and hit him. How dare he! I didn't understand why they were doing this but I wasn't about to stick around to find out. The first chance I got I was so out of here! That's if I could find my way out of this fortress before they caught up to me. I had to get out of here...I just had to!

  Then I heard the door open and my chance presented itself.

  “My Lord, there is something you should see.” Another voice spoke, one I didn't recognise. Then I could hear footsteps coming closer to me until they stopped next to me at the couch. I could feel by the usual heat and smell that it was Draven standing over me. I continued to breathe normally as I would have done if I had been asleep. He leaned down and I felt his hand come to my face, two of his fingers touched my cheek moving down my skin and I didn't move hoping he would believe my act. He seemed satisfied as he moved his hand away and walked across the room.

  “Very well, show me.”

  I heard the sound of several people go out of the room and the door closed. This was my sign to move so I opened my eyes slowly until it was confirmed I was finally alone. I knew they would be back soon, so I didn't have long. I was in a room I hadn't seen before which was long and full of grand chairs and luxurious sofas positioned everywhere. There was a massive fireplace in the middle of the room that you could have fit an elephant inside. There were two statues of winged angels at either side that stood half the way up the wall, taller than your average man. It was all made from carved marble, which seemed to be the theme of the room. There was marble everywhere. Candlesticks, the moulding on the ceiling, chairs, tables, even figures of winged demons sat on their own stands. I didn't take long looking about the room, just long enough to find what I was looking for. I found there was another door on the other side of the room so I ran for it and opened it slightly without going through it. I then ran over to one of the floor to ceiling tall windows. These were framed with thick red and gold embroidered curtains that hung down around the floor. I stepped behind one side letting the material shield me from sight. I then waited for them to come back knowing this was my best chance to escape.

  I didn't have to wait long as I heard footsteps and a door opening. I counted three different voices and it didn't take Draven long to notice that I was missing. I bit my lip as I heard his anger erupt.

  “She couldn't have gone far...FIND HER!” He shouted the order and I heard one person leave after saying, “Yes my lord.”

  “When you find her bring her to me at once...I will be in my quarters.” Draven ordered his brother and I shuddered as this was the last thing I wanted.

  “Of course, I will find her.” Vincent said in reply before leaving himself. I waited to hear one more door close and then I would make my move. As soon as I did I peeked around the fabric seeing that the room was empty once again. I dashed out looking for another door, there were three in total, one in the middle and one either end so I chose the one I didn't think anyone had used.

  At the far end I ran to the door hoping it wasn't locked. It wasn't and I opened it cautiously before walking through it. Once inside I found I was in another room but this one was small and looked like a storeroom, filled with trunks and boxes. There were piles of newspapers stacked high and some furniture that was covered with large white sheets. It was darker in this room as it only had one small lamp that sat at the only desk that wasn't covered with a sheet. However this one was filled with yet even more folders and paperwork that was also brimming over.

  Well one thing was for sure I couldn't hide in here forever. They would soon find me. I traced the walls until I found yet another door. Bingo! I stepped quietly around the piles of files on the floor and finally got to it. I turned the handle but it was locked...Damn! But then I heard a strange noise as if someone had just unlocked it. I froze waiting to be discovered but nothing happened. The door didn't move nor did the handle so I tried it again and this time it worked. I opened the door and again peeked through checking it was all clear. I entered a hallway that was at the top of a staircase. I looked over the balustrades to find that I was higher up than I first imagined, as the stairs went on going down until I couldn't see the bottom. I was starting to panic now as I wasn't sure I would ever find my way out of this stone maze. And what was to say that the next door I opened didn't lead right to Draven himself.

  My mind started to whirl round making me feel dizzy so I backed away from the immense drop I was still staring at. I fell back to the wall holding myself up using the different stone boulders jutting out making good hand rests. What was I going to do? How was I ever going to get out of here? And when I finally did what then? To run from one horror straight into my own personal Hell!

  I must carry on moving, I couldn't just wait here for them to find me. At least if I kept going then I had a chance didn't I? I walked along the hallway that was badly lit by only a few candles held in holders on the wall. I kept going until I stopped at the sound of voices. I held my body still against the wall and tried to quieten my heavy breathing. Once the sound moved and went silent again I carried on until I came to another door at the end. I was just about to open it when I felt a hand grab my shoulder and a scream erupted out of my lips.

  “Ssshh, it's only me!” Sophia stood opposite me holding an antique oil lamp that hung on a brass stick.

  “Sophia?” I said as if to check.

  “Yes, now come with me,” she said grabbing my arm softly, pulling me back down the hallway.

  “Where are we going?” I said not trusting her.

  “I'm getting you out of here, but you must be quiet.....follow me.” She said letting go of my arm and I followed her until she stopped at a large tapestry that hung from gold hooks on the wall. I stood looking at her confused as to why she was now staring at it. She turned to me and passed me the lamp.

  “Hold this,” she said as her hands flowed over the woven material without touching it. Her hands went round in patterns and I was about to ask her what she was doing when I heard the sound of stone moving. I couldn't see anything but when she lifted the tapestry back she revealed a passageway in the stone. She took the lamp back off me and motioned with her hand for me to follow.

  “How did you do that?” I asked as she led me up the narrow tunnel.

  “Do what?” Her voic
e sounded steady as if what she had just done had been an everyday normal occurrence. The walls were wet and the floor was slippery as my footing nearly gave way a few times but every time Sophia saved me by grabbing my arm, steadying me.

  “Careful!” Was all she would say before letting go. I was suddenly aware of how strong Sophia was for such a small delicate frame.

  “How much further?” I asked, as my legs were growing tired from working so hard to stay upright.

  “Here we are, just through this door,” she replied in monotone. The door opened without her laying a finger on it. I jumped at the noise and my eyes squinted to adapt to the brightly lit hallway we were now in. She carried on but now I could see her fully and I began to get wary as she was acting strangely. I had a job to keep up with her as she was gliding over the tiled floor making her movements so fluid that I could barely see her limbs. We were nearly at another door when I had finally caught up and stopped her with my hand on her shoulder. She turn to look at me and her face was frightening until it softened at my reaction of seeing her looking so angry.

  “Sophia what's wrong?” I asked timidly

  “Nothing, I just want to get you out of here that's all.” She said looking around but I didn't trust her words so I asked,

  “Why are you helping me anyway?” My superstitious voice was getting louder.

  “Because I do not always agree with my brother’s decisions.” She said opening the door for me to walk through and stupidly I went inside.

  Once in the room Sophia stood next to me but I couldn’t take my eyes away from the man that stood opposite us.

  “But that doesn't mean I would EVER disobey him Keira.” Sophia said to me before going up to kiss her brother’s cheek and then returned to the door.

  “Thank you Sophia, you have done well.” Draven said before his sister left out of the same door we had just come in. As soon as the door shut I turned quickly to try and run back through it but the door made a locking sound sealing me in with Draven. I banged my fist hard on the wooden door expressing my full feelings about being trapped.

  “That won't help,” he said in his smooth deep voice that I had quickly grown to hate, as he was no longer the Draven I knew. He was now my captor and I his prisoner and all I wanted was to escape!

  “Then what will?” I shouted back at him, as I turned round.

  “Co-operation might be a good idea.” He said sarcastically but I just bit my lip and this time it was in anger.

  “What you really mean is submission, obey your every command is that it!” A shrug was all I received as an answer.

  “I might consider that, if everything wasn't on your terms!” I snapped back.

  “Well if you were left to your own devices, then I doubt you would last long, especially with what you've got in mind.” He said keeping a cool manner. I on the other hand was not.

  “And what the Hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “I think you know what it means.... you’re obviously not safe to deal with this alone.” He answered as he rubbed the back of his neck, as if this was all very frustrating to him.

  “What, and I am safe here, with you...I don't think so!” I said feeling my skin get hot as my anger was multiplying with every word out of his perfect mouth. He let out a short laugh at my words and said,

  “Have I hurt you?”

  “Not yet no.... but you are keeping me here against my will!”

  “Well, if you weren't always so difficult then things might have gone differently but I am only keeping you here for your own benefit.” He said slowly losing his calm exterior. I decided to play it a different way, as I knew if I pushed it, we would just end up in another shouting match and his temper wouldn't help me right now.

  “Look I have to go, you don't understand how important it is...Please let me leave.” I said pleading once again with a man that had a will of iron.

  “I understand more than you think... Catherine.” He said the name I hadn't heard for the longest time, so that it felt foreign to me even though it was my own. My mouth actually dropped as I couldn't understand what was happening...had somebody put out a town bulletin about me or something?!!!

  He walked over to his desk and I finally had chance to take in my surroundings, realising I was in the same room I had seen before. It was the room I was brought into when Layla had stabbed me. The night that Draven tried to make me believe was all a dream. But this only confirmed it...it had all happened. I could see the bed at the far end of the room on a higher platform that was the same one I had woken up in that night. I looked to the side of me and noticed the couch that I had laid upon bleeding.

  I wanted to cry out at my realisation. I knew deep down it had happened and I wanted to lash out at him for making me feel crazy. But there was a more important matter to deal with, like how did he know my real name and what else did he know...?

  Meanwhile Draven had retrieved a folder from on top of his desk and was bringing it closer to me. I already knew what it contained so I looked away in shameful disgust.

  “I don't want to talk about that.” I said feeling the emotion building up.

  “What you mean is your past!” He said as he threw the folder back down on the desk making the contents spill out, scattering my life on pages across the polished wood. I kept swallowing, as I could taste the acid that my stomach produced. The anger started to replace my shame. What right did he have to do this to me?

  “My past is none of your business! How dare you judge me! So you think because you found out my real name that this proves something...You don't know anything!” I shouted feeling my lungs needing more air as my hands shook.

  “Don't be foolish Catherine, I'm not judging you, damn it! I'm trying to protect you, if you would let me.” He said trying to calm me down but it was too late for reason, we were well past that now.

  “Protect me, from what?”

  “From that!” He shouted pointing to the file spread out like a collage of my life.

  “Well thanks, but I don't need your help. I coped on my own last time and I can do it again!” I said, but he looked down at my arms and came back with the ultimate hurt.

  “Is that what you call coping?”

  I looked down at my arms that were covered with numerous layers as I still had my jacket and zipped hooded sweater on. I was so angry I could feel the tears developing and I wanted to scream out at him but instead I calmed my breathing and said in a controlled way,

  “You think you know everything just because you have read some stupid file filled with evidence pictures and test results but you don't know anything about how I coped. You just take one look at me and you come up with the same conclusion as everybody else does! After all, it was you that said presumption is the mother from which all mistakes are born!” By the end of this little speech I couldn't stop the beads of water that escaped my eyes.

  “Then tell me.” He said, his voice filled with compassion at seeing me cry.

  “What?” I said nearly sobbing.

  “Well you say I don't understand, you say that I don't know the whole story and this is true, I don't.” He flipped open the file and continued “I have read this file over and over and there is not one statement from you, so why don't you tell me what happened.”

  “NO!” Was all I said, but he walked closer to me stopping only a foot away. He tilted his head to see my face but I kept my head down.

  “All I want to do is go...I need to get out of here.” I said without meeting his eyes, as I could feel them burning into mine.

  “Ok... well we will strike a deal, if you tell me what really happened then I will let you leave.” He said and my heart rate shot up a couple of notches.

  “You wouldn't.” I was keeping on my guard.

  “I give you my word that if by the time you have finished and you still want to leave then I will allow it but....”

  “But what?”

  “I have to be satisfied that it is the truth.” He said placing his han
d under my chin and then bringing my face up to see his. My skin tingled under his fingers and I mentally scorned myself for still feeling like this around him. I bit my bottom lip again and he smiled at the sight before letting go and stepping back away from me. My body instantly started to cool down with the distance he put between us and I almost wanted to go running back to him so that I could feel safe again. What was I thinking! NO! He was the enemy, I had to get that through to myself, he wasn't safe.... he was dangerous!

  He motioned for me take a seat and I did as I was told as with the story I was about to tell I didn't know if my legs were up to the task of holding me up.

  “What do you already know?” I asked not wanting to tell him any more than I had to but he must have realised what I was thinking because he just gave me a warning,

  “Keira...please be reasonable.” He said quickly going back to calling me the name I used. I instantly felt better hearing it.

  “I know your name is really Catherine Keiran Williams and that you’re 23 years old, you were born on the 7th day of the 7th month in 1987 in Liverpool. When you were seven years old you had something very unusual happen to you and you started seeing things you couldn't explain. You soon learned to control it and lived a semi normal life until you went to University, moving to Southampton at the age of twenty one. There you were to become a victim of a kidnapping.” Once he was finished I couldn't find my voice. That was my life in a nutshell. The very one I had been running from for over two years. And this was the night that I had finally hit a brick wall preventing me from running any more. I wanted to scream out in pain at what he knew. He was the one person in the world that I wanted to keep this from and now my fake world was crumbling around me leaving me standing in the rubble of my horrifying past.

  So I took a deep breath and started to do the one thing that I didn't want but knowing it was my one chance to run away, I started with my story...

  “My family all called me Keira or Kazzy, as my dad was convinced I was going to be born a boy. So my middle name is Keiran, which is what they would have called me if I had been. This was after my Grandfather. It was only when I went to Uni that I dropped it taking on a more adult sounding Catherine.” I said calmly, wishing I could have stopped at that, but I knew my chances of getting out of here lay with the story I had to tell.