Day #5: Many Colours by Elizabeth Averay
Alone in the restaurant. Sitting waiting for my family and their partners, knowing they aren’t coming. I have been here for an hour and a half. This was meant to be a celebration. I graduated top of my class from Uni and I was told we would celebrate at the best restaurant in town. I should have known it wouldn’t happen. Why should they change the habits of my lifetime?
Walking home, feeling as though I don’t exist, it starts to rain. Wonderful. Perfect end to the day, is all I can think. Not paying attention to my surroundings I ignore the sounds of cars, bikes, and buses as they go by – don’t even notice a van that has just pulled up across the road I’m about to cross.
Three men jump out, grab me, and pull me struggling into the van and tie my hands and feet. Finally finding my voice I scream as loud as I can. Feeling a sting in my right arm I grow drowsy.
The van pulls out into traffic.
I awaken positioned in a chair. My arms and legs zip-tied to the chair, a ball-gag in my mouth and a strap around my chest keeping my torso tied to the chair back.
One bare bulb is all that lights the room but there is only blank empty walls to look at.
After an excruciatingly long time I hear a door open and close. Two masked men step into my view. One is carrying a foldout table, the other a briefcase. Erecting the table, the briefcase is placed upon it and opened. Inside are chisels, knives, pliers, screwdrivers, and brass knuckles.
One of the men leaves the other, comes up to me and removes the ball-gag, drops it to the floor, then walks away again.
After another long wait the door that must be behind me opens again and a woman walks into view with her face covered. Looking at me she asks, ‘Do you know why you are here?’
‘How could I? I don’t even know where here is or who any of you are.’ Hoping I sound brave and not scared to my very soul.
Frowning down at me she grabs my chin in her hand and squeezes hard, glaring at my face, screwing hers up in disgust. She storms from the room, her heels clacking rapidly away.
The two masked men appear, roughly shoving the gag back into my mouth, one then pulling out a syringe. He says in a deep voice, ‘Sorry, thought you were someone else. You get to live for Christmas, but won’t remember any of this.’ He plunges the syringe into my neck. Instantly the room is streaming colours that rapidly spin and merge to create colours no one has ever dreamed of – then darkness.
In the dark I hear them speak in muffled tones. Then all sound goes.
I wake up in the middle of a field with lights flashing all around and someone bending over me. ‘She is awake. Love, can you hear me?’
I slowly nod. I can’t remember how to speak.
‘Love, do you know your name?’
Thinking hard, I shake my head. I can’t remember anything.
The person over me calls out to someone to bring the gurney over. They load me on to it and take me to the hospital…
It is two weeks since I was found; I still don’t have any memories but every time I close my eyes I see the most amazing array of colours…
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