The brunette woman glanced around at the two adjourning corridors looking more anxious, more baffled.
'I didn't see anybody else. But your nose is bleeding!'
I raised my hand to my nose feeling a tiny smear of blood upon the tip. What the hell is going on here? I felt so confused. Did I just imagine all of this? Was that really my blood on the floor and not the blonde woman's? And just who the hell was she anyway? Surely she must exist if I damn well saw her right here in front of my own eyes. But the dark haired woman never saw her, even while she crouched and scratched upon the corner in front of us in full view. Oh my mind was in knots and turns. What was happening here? What was happening to me? I couldn't think straight. I felt so frustrated. It was like living in some mad, crazy, tormenting nightmare. Some limbo reality from where I could not awake. I wiped my nose which still bled a little. I let go of the woman's hand and crouched back down to take a closer look at the loose tile. The woman remained still, watching curiously as I felt my way around the large square. It moved, wobbling freely underneath my touch. I noticed a small gap at the back of the tile wedged against the corner wall. The gap was big enough to place my finger inside while gripping the tile. I squeezed my finger into the small hole and lifted. The tile came loose with ease. I placed it to one side revealing a narrow black hole with a ladder attached. Both the hole and ladder looked big enough for me to climb down quite easily, but in all honesty I didn't know what to do or think anymore. Should I climb down right this second? I wanted too, but what about the dark haired woman? I'd have to take her with me since she didn't want to be left alone. But in her state I don't think I could get her to come down there with me either. I took a few moments staring down into the pitch black hole. Without thinking I positioned my feet and lower legs inside, just to see if they would fit as I imagined they would. Behind me, the anxious looking brunette reached out, touching my shoulder, beckoning me not to go. I turned to face her with a blank expression.
'Please don't go down there, please!'
I turned to face the hole. My urges inside were so overwhelming I had to go down there and take a look. I mean what else was there for me to do?
'Please!' She pleaded more. 'Please don't.'
I turned to face her again. Damn she looked so pale and pretty in this light. My loins stirred as I snuck a quick peek at her soft, pale and smooth lower thighs which were still showing from underneath her white gown. Her gentle touch upon my shoulder felt good too that in this moment I wanted to please her and make her happy. I let out a deep sigh, pulling my feet and lower legs out from the hole, pushing myself backwards until I was firmly against the corridor wall, right underneath the trailing black window. The woman moved closer towards me. In silence she sat herself down beside me underneath the window. I could feel the warmth of her body immediately and it felt good. It felt really good. She took a hold of my hand and unexpectedly cuddled into me like a frightened little animal. I felt uncomfortable by this gesture of intimacy at first, but after a short while I relaxed, wrapping my arm tightly around her own shoulders and upper body, returning the intimate gesture.
Chapter 6
I was awoken by the sound of a continuous faint beeping coming from somewhere along the opposite corridor, the one leading up towards the pod room. The brunette woman slept peacefully against the wall beside me yet hugging into me for dear life. My mouth felt dry, although I wasn't desperate for a taste of water just yet, I did have a gut feeling that if we didn't get some within the next few hours, well! That grim prospect didn't seem worth thinking about right now. The beeping continued, then the corridor lights began flickering on and off, on and off, on and off, but only for a few brief moments as they quickly restored themselves to normality. The beeping stopped and one of the four sealed doorways situated along the pod room corridor unexpectedly slid open. Feeling a little excited about this new event I turned to the brunette woman and awakened her.
'Hey, wake up. Wake up.'
The woman stirred, opening her eyes. She stared curiously at me a little disorientated as if trying to figure out exactly where the hell she was. After a moment she finally spoke.
'What... what is it? What's wrong?' She said wearily, stretching. I directed her glance towards the newly opened doorway in the next corridor.
'Over there! That door. It just opened all by itself.'
The woman fell silent, glancing at the newly opened doorway with an emotionless gaze. Slowly I rose to my feet. I felt stiff, weak and even more tired than before I'd slept. I bent down taking the brunette woman by her hand, pulling her up onto her feet. I was surprised she let me do it so easily. It felt like she were acting more subdued and submissive by the hour. Maybe she was just tired and weak too. I led her towards the doorway until we were standing outside, glancing in at the new room. I didn't know what to expect, but felt a slight mixture of disappointment and delight to see two sets of reasonably comfortable beds on opposite sides of the room. In all honesty though water and food were beginning to occupy my mind more and more by the second. This is what I wanted to see, feel and taste, more than a comfortable bed.
The woman surprised me by making the first move to enter. She let go of my hand approaching the first bed on the left and lay herself down facing the wall with her back turned towards me. I glanced at the bed on the right and made my way to it, climbing on top of the naked mattress to lay down upon my back. I felt too tired and dehydrated to think straight anymore. I surprised myself at how quickly I fell back into a deep sleep once again.
Chapter 7
I awoke for the second time in as many hours feeling the creaking presence of someone sitting upon the edge of my bed. I lay with my front side facing the wall and back turned towards the open doorway and the bed of the woman. For a second I just assumed she'd woken feeling scared and wanted to cuddle. I turned slowly onto my other side fully expecting to face her sitting upon the bed beside me. Boy did I get a shock. I was confronted by a medium build, middle aged man with cold, piercing grey eyes, a greyish black beard, moustache and greyish black hair. I barely had time to collect what little and confusing thoughts I had left. I jerked upright, startled.
'Who the hell are you? Where did you come from?'
The grey bearded man continued to stare with those cold piercing eyes like he were deliberately delaying his answer. He then gently put his finger to his lips finally speaking in a very well spoken manner.
'Hush.' He said quietly. 'You'll wake sleeping beauty over there.'
I glanced at the woman still lying fast asleep on the opposite bed with her front side facing towards me rather than away just like it had been when she'd first lay down. I looked back at the bearded man.
'Who the hell are you?' I said in an angry whisper, lowering my tone. He let out a sly grin, toying with me.
'I... am... Ian.' He said still grinning. Immediately my thoughts filled with the blonde woman and how she'd called me Ian in my memory. Or had she only whispered a name to me? Someone else's name perhaps?
'Where did you come from?' I said asking the next question that sprung immediately to my mind. Maybe he came from one of those other sealed pods! Maybe he came up from that laddered hole? Or perhaps even from the blackness outside. He might be able to tell me something about myself? About this place?
'Oh I just wandered on in from the corridor out there that's all.'
He unleashed another playful smile.
'But before that? Before the corridor. Did you come from outside? From the darkness behind the window?'
I sounded desperate. The man chuckled, but still he did not answer.
'Do you know what I'm doing here? Or how the hell I even got here? Where is here?' I continued with a barrage of questions coming to me in my frustrated state. The man did not reply. Instead he let out another smug grin and playful chuckle which annoyed the hell out of me. I took a deep breath trying to compose my growing anger.
'Do you at least know who I am? Or who she is?' I said calmer, cleare
r.
'Why aren't you just full of a hundred and one little questions right now young man?'
'Please, tell me something... if you can, anything! Please?' I replied hopeful and dejected. The man glared at me with those cold eyes. He wasn't smiling anymore. I couldn't tell if this were a good or bad thing.
'Well...' The man finally said. 'I'm fairly certain that my name is Ian. So I guess your name, young man, would have to be... David.'
He paused, turning his attention towards the sleeping woman. I wanted to speak so bad. To shout aloud 'David! My name is David!' But I didn't want to interrupt. I wanted to hear what he had to say since he seemed so reluctant to give out information. He continued leering at the woman for uncomfortably longer than I would've ever dared myself.
'And the lovely sleeping little vixen beauty over there. Well I guess her name would have to be... Anna.'
'Anna, David!' I said under my breath. I glanced up at the bearded man who called himself Ian. 'So do you know what I'm doing here? Or what is the meaning of all of this?'
Ian broke his eerie lingering stare from Anna, turning to meet my own gaze. I prepared myself for his answer which I desperately wanted to hear.
'She's a fine looking lass that one isn't she?' Said Ian completely ignoring my question. I went along with it though, turning my attention to face the woman, Anna.
'But who is she? And why are we both here? Please tell me.' I begged even more desperate for answers.
'I told you already she's Anna and she... well she's just here! Here because you awoke her from a long, deep sleep. One that she was never meant to awaken from. A sleep you both weren't meant to awaken from.'
'This is just crazy.' I yelled frustrated. 'Don't you have anything useful to say. At least tell me who you are? What you're doing here?'
'I told you... I'm Ian! And like you and that delicious little creature over there, I'm just here.' Ian smiled with that annoyingly sly grin before getting up off the edge of the bed. He made his way over towards the sleeping Anna crouching down beside her. I didn't know what to make of this. It felt wrong and uncomfortable.
'What the hell are you doing?'
'She's a pretty girl this one no? A little vixen some might say.' Ian said hovering over her pale, pretty face. His eyes glowing with a starving desire.
'Who might say?' I asked knowing full well I would never get an answer.
'What a beauty.'
He lifted his hand towards her ankles, then ever so gently brushed his fingertips all the way up and along the bottom of Anna's naked legs. From her ankles, calves and knees all the way up towards her mid thighs. He stopped at the rim tip of her white gown. I felt a rage building inside me like no other. This was wrong! What Ian was doing to Anna without her permission was wrong! I didn't know too many things right now, but I knew that you couldn't touch people in that way without their say so.
'Stop it.' I blurted. Ian kept his hand firmly rested upon Anna's thigh. It was like he knew the feelings of rage I felt deep down inside and was encouraging them to erupt like a volcano. He was playfully taunting me.
'Legs so soft just like silk.'
'Stop touching her.'
'This is how a woman longs to be touched David. A light touch brushing softly against her silky smooth skin. Like a delicate little feather.'
'Stop touching her like that.' I cried louder with more conviction. I sat up, edging right onto the edge of the bed. Still Ian kept rubbing his hand gently along Anna's thighs, stroking up and down, up and down. He turned to me while continuing to stroke her.
'Tell me you haven't thought about these gloriously silky smooth legs wrapped tightly around your naked body David. Those curvaceous thighs grasping you with a vice like grip of passion while the rest of her naked body grinds down hard against you.'
'No! I bloody well haven't. Why the hell are you saying this?' I felt shocked he would suggest such things.
Anna stirred in her sleep but did not waken. Ian didn't flinched, not one bit, keeping his hand firmly upon her thigh.
'You know David. I think she likes you.'
'What are you talking about?'
'Look at the way she's turned her body towards you David as she sleeps, away from the wall to face you. I'll tell you this for nothing. The subconscious mind never lies. She likes you David. No doubt about it.'
I sighed holding my head in frustration before lying back on the bed, facing up towards the ceiling. Why was this strange man talking to me this way. In such a bizarre manner. It was too much for me. Too much for my weak mind. These new conflicting feelings and emotions triggering off inside my head all at the same time. I felt dizzy, exhausted, then another urge for water and food began aching throughout my entire body to add more fuel to my unstable emotional fire.
'This is just too much.'
Ian stood over me. How the hell did he get beside my bed so quickly. It was startling. I never even heard him move from Anna's bed.
'Come.' He said boldly, reaching out his hand.
'You must be thirsty and hungry?'
He read my mind. His gesture temping me with his delicious key words. I was hungry. I would have done anything in that moment to clench my dying thirst. In silence I reached out taking his firm hand. He had a strong grip which pulled me to my feet with a scary ease. In a blurry daze I let him lead me out of the bedroom, along the next two corridors and finally into the kitchen area.
Ian abandoned me in the middle of the kitchen while he approached the left side of the first row of cupboards. I watched curiously as he gently double tapped a small flat panel on the side of the first cupboard and all of the cupboard doors sprung open a few inches. Ian double tapped the same panel and the cupboards closed themselves, locking tightly shut. It looked so simple yet so mind boggling.
'Now you try.' Ian said grinning.
'I'm sure I pressed and pushed at everything all around those cupboards and nothing happened.'
'Ah! But did you double tap?' Ian said smugly. I gave him a confused stare.
'Come on then.' He continued beckoning me towards the small thin panel on the side of the first cupboard. I approached and just like I'd watched Ian do just moments earlier, I double tapped the cupboard panel. All the cupboards opened. A feeling of great pride and accomplishment washed over me. I'd actually learned something new. I realised then if I couldn't get any of my old memories back then I'd just have to make new ones instead, learning everything about this place, about myself even, from scratch. Ian grinned, beckoning me over to look inside one of the cupboards. When he opened it fully I could feel a coolness from within. It was some kind of cooling cupboard, full to the brim with various liquid packages.
'Take a clear one, it's water. The dark packets are food.'
I grabbed one, desperately trying to open the bizarrely sealed package. It had a soft white bottle neck head at one end and a bulky flat bottom at the other. Ian watched amused as I struggled with it. He spoke.
'Put the head into your mouth and pull it off with your teeth.'
I inserted the small plastic head of the package into my mouth, pulling on the head hard.
'Harder.' Said Ian. With more ferocious force I pulled the head off, squirting water all over myself. The cool water inside my mouth felt so good that I didn't even care one bit for the spilt water all over my face, neck and chest. I sucked out the remaining water from the package then greedily grabbed another. This time I ripped off the plastic head with my teeth first time and quickly drained it. Ian laughed hard at my primitive and animal like antics.
'You are a thirsty boy aren't you?'
From the corridor outside a sleepy looking Anna walked wearily through the kitchen doorway taking me by surprise.
'What are you doing?' She said with an expression that was neither joyful nor sad. I smiled wildly at her while gulping down the remainder of my water.
'We have water... and food.' I blurted in between swallows. Anna's eyes widened with delight. I never saw her look so damn prett
y before, smiling away happily for the first time since she'd come out of that pod.
'You opened the cupboards?' Anna said overjoyed, rushing over. 'Let me have some? Please, let me have some?' She playfully begged and pleaded. Just as I was about to give her the remainder of my water package, I felt a little strange that she'd completely ignored our new arrival standing behind me.
'Squirt her.' Ian said.
'What?' I replied, confused.
'Squirt her with the water. Everywhere! It will be fun. It's what the old, playful David would do.'
For a second I glanced at Anna. Her eyes were closed while her jaws were wide open waiting for me to put some water into her mouth. Instead of squirting it inside, I squeezed the package with all my strength, squirting the water all over her face, mouth, nose, neck, eyes and hair. I squirted it all over her night gown too. Anna giddily squealed, playfully screaming like an overly excited little girl as the cool water washed over her beautiful pale skin and upper body. She was enjoying it immensely.
'It's so cold and wet. Give me more... I want more?'
I grabbed another water package, tore it open and squirted it hard into Anna's mouth, squirting the rest over her face and hair. She continued to scream playfully running over and grabbing her own water package from the cooling cupboard. Like me she was a little unsure at first about how to open it. I motioned her to put the plastic head between her teeth and tear it off. She did, then squirted me with the water. It felt good! What we were doing felt so, so good and everything about our unusually grim situation was forgotten for a few fun, playful moments. I squirted her back. She ducked out of the way, spraying more water at me. I laughed aloud for the first time I could ever remember.
'This is Ian by the way.' I shouted giddily. Anna looked confused. I turned around to look for Ian who should've been standing at the cupboards behind me, a casual observer of our playful antics. To my shock and dismay Ian had gone... What the hell?
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