A Fateful Encounter (Zayn Malik fanfic)

Chapter 22

3 hours later

I woke up dazed and disorientated. My vision was blurred and the room was moving. The darkness was almost indecipherable but I could make out a room with four walls crowding in on me. No windows. No doors. Thank God I wasn’t claustrophobic. My head was aching and it felt like the worst migraine ever. I was dizzy and shocked and the room was freezing. My numb fingers wrapped around me as I cocooned myself inwards. A warm ticklish feeling on my forehead alerted me to the fact that I was probably bleeding. Nice. I sniffed, inhaling the air and could only smell the thick copper substance that was flowing endlessly from my skull.

I realised how stupid that was after the round of dizziness stunned me. I stood up, shaking. I was sure I had a concussion. My legs were flowered with bruises and I didn’t even want to see how much damage my head had taken. In all honesty, the fall made me feel like one massive bruise.

Worst of all? I could remember it all. I couldn’t even forget what had happened at the club and now I was wrought with panic and worry. I felt physically ill. Right now, my strong stomach saved me from being sick. Questions swirled in my head.

Where was Zayn?

Was he alright?

Oh God, dad was going to find out!

I choked back another wave of nausea. This one stronger and I was scared I would have to be sick to get it out of my system.

I looked around the room for a place to exit. I would escape. I had to. The biggest worry was where Drew and Lucy were. Because I knew, when they would come I had to be on guard. All I was wearing was the outfit Zayn gave me and I was shivering all over. It was then that I noticed the filth of the area I was in.

Grime and mould was smudged into every crack and crevice and the single dim, flickering light that hung from the ceiling did nothing to illuminate the area.

Hobbling over to the wall, I hit it as hard as I could. Punching, banging, scraping. But I heard nothing, felt nothing. It was an echo. Tears choked me and I hit again, harder this time. Only to find that every wall was solid concrete. Not hollow. I swallowed thickly. It could only mean I was trapped underground, a basement maybe.

I screamed loudly, swallowing and belting out pleas.

‘Heeelp! Someone!’ I called again and again. But I already had my answer. No. There would be no help. No mercy.

Clawing, shouting, hitting. I became a wild animal trapped in a cage. My nails scraped on the wall, dislodging and ripping off. The next scream was in pain, as I unleashed the fury onto anything near me. But the room was empty. So I turned on myself.

It was not a moment I was proud of. This weakness in me. My panic was so sheer, my terror a tangible thing that all I could do was wail and scream like a lost soul.

And Zayn. My Zayn. Out there somewhere looking for me. I scratched my skin suddenly feeling itchy. Spiders, I thought. They were crawling all over me. Over my arms, legs, face. Into my mouth. I choked and huddled into a ball in the corner of the prison.

Where the hell was I? The love I felt for Zayn was the only thing that kept me sane. The only thing stopping me from dropping dead with exhaustion right now or going mad. Pfft I was half crazed already. He would get me through this. I focussed on his face and was driven by a single raw need. Love.

Endless hours passed of me calling for help, looking for a way out. Claustrophobia had unfortunately seized me and I felt crowded. Consumed. My voice was hoarse whisper by now and I had no tears to shed. I was hungry, tired and drained. The lights flickered again for the hundredth time, before they too gave up. I was left in a pit of darkness and I was alone. For now.

Somehow, sleep saved me. The pain evaporated into nightmares until at one point, I couldn’t distinguish between the two.