Me Without You

I tried to open my eyes but they felt tons more heavier than before. My head throbbed in a crazy beat. Everything felt sore yet there was a softness beneath me. Being knocked out was not the most pleasant experience.

Slowly spinning back into reality, I lifted my lids, trying to get focus and make sense of surroundings. An involuntary groan escaped my throat as I slowly tilted my head. Gradually my eyes adjusted to the light and brought me in focus. I was in a room, by the looks of it a big one. Raising myself on both hands, I managed to sit up.

Screw big room, this was grand. I was sitting on a round queen-size bed that rested on a two foot platform in the centre of the room. From two ends, small shelves came out of the bed in steps, one higher than the other, to act as tables. The other two ends were open. On one side of the bed was a large double-door black wood entrance that was finely engraved in golden floral patterns. The other end was a large four-door sliding glass that led to a huge balcony. Black drapes with golden embroidery and golden drapes with black embroidery hung thickly before the doors, shadowing most of them.

On the wall opposite to the right-side of the bed was a huge five-mirror vanity dressing table with everything that I may possibly need and not need. On thee left side, the entirely wall was covered in black mahogany shelves which were stacked with books. In between was a was 42-inch LED TV with a DVD player. A huge selection of discs rested in the shelves above and below them.

Between the bed and the shelves stood a two-end joined couch with a black coffee table in the centre. Between the Vanity mirror and the bed stood a small in-built pond with white water-lilies and floating candles. Above the bed a large chandelier hung that emitted bright golden radiance in the entire room. The walls were no less, they were adorned with paintings of Renaissance artists. To say this room was lavishly decorated was an understatement.

As I began to get up, I noticed that I was not in the red dress that I’d worn previously. In fact, now a silk silver night-gown covered me. This mad me feel embarrassed and naked. Who put me in this?

I picked up the silver woollen shawl that rested on the bed-shelve and wrapped it around my exposed arms. When I tried the entrance, it was locked and only rattled. Obviously, I was a prisoner in this room. So, searching for another escape, I walked to the doors on either side of the dressing table, but one led to a large washroom and the other to a walk-in closet which was richly packed with clothes. Sensing nothing else, I went out to the balcony.

Nigh fallen and the sky shimmered with a million stars. The room was on the second floor of whichever building I was in. Ahead of me was a pool, surrounded by a beautiful garden. Ahead of this was an iron fencing beyond which rested a beach and then the ocean. At least three men roamed the grounds, armed.

“You’re up,” I jumped around at the voice, the shawl slid down from my arms and fell at my feet. The site of the owner however, filled me with anger and in two longs steps, I stood before him, my hand flying across his face. A loud clasp echoed in the air as his face turned aside due to the force of my slap.

“How dare you!” I shrieked at the top of my chords, “You’ve some guts to abduct me like that! You’re going to have to pay for this! I swear I will-,”

“You will what?” he cut in between, his tone mocking me to continue. He seemed confident but his belief in himself didn’t faze me.

“I’m not a nobody Antonio, people will search for me,” I hissed dangerously low, glaring up at him. His eyes twinkled with amusement and his lips twisted in a taunting smirk

“Of course they will search for you,” he agreed, confusing me and then added, “they just won’t find you,”

“Of course they’ll find me! I’m not unreachable, I’m still on earth,”

“Ah yes! You’re on earth but you’re in my country, my kingdom and here, you are as good as unreachable,” he said. This time the assurance in his posture, in his voice, did make me waver a bit.

“Where have you brought me?” I whispered.

“Since this is your new home I might as well tell you. You’re at my residence in Sicily,” he replied, coolly gazing at me.

“Sicily?” Damn, he wasn’t kidding when he said ‘his country’. Failing to join the dots I sighed, “Antonio, why have you brought me here? What do you want from me?”