Aviana (MC Riders #1)

K O M O R E B I

/木漏れ日/

noun

the effect of sunlight filtering through trees.

~🎲~

A V I A N A  D R I F T E D  in and out of consciousness for what she thought must have been a few days. There were so many faces; blurry, barely identifiable faces that appeared whenever she opened her eyes for a short moment. She could remember outlines. The jawline and hair of a person, whether it was a man or a woman was easy to see most of the time. A face appearing more than once was also easy to identify.

Which was why a male form with short, cropped hair and a strong jaw was imprinted in her mind. It was the only sense of normality Aviana had throughout the few days she spent somewhere in between consciousness and sleep. The man was a comforting figure, but strangely she often found herself dreaming of a more vivid face that she couldn't remember ever seeing. 

Blue eyes with a hard look in their depths. Wavy hair that framed a structured, bearded face. Warm, calloused hands that cradled her head like she was a treasure. A deep, gruff voice that hinted at a hidden sadness yet held authority and confidence.

Apparently, her mind had conjured up the perfect man while grappling onto life. A man who didn't exist.

Aviana could feel her mind becoming more aware, waking up - for real, this time. She could feel an ache throughout her body; sharp, stabbing pains in her abdomen, bruised muscles in her legs and arms, and a throbbing pulse in her head. 

Even after days of rest, she still felt exhausted. Not just physically; it was a sickening, helpless feeling in her chest. The feeling that made it hardest to force her eyes open.

Bright lights seared Aviana's vision and she scrunched up her face in discomfort. In response to her action, a shuffling noise came from beside the bed she was in and a hand clamped down on her forearm. She felt her throat swell with panic and she quickly ripped her arm away from the hand, her heart clenching painfully inside her chest.

She opened her eyes to a familiar face, the man's hands held up in surrender.
"Sorry," He said slowly, his eyes boring into her own. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Aviana pressed a hand to her chest, trying to slow down her rapid heartbeats. She gave a small nod, her mouth feeling too dry and heavy to speak any words. She tried to wet the top of her mouth with her tongue, but there was no moisture and it only left her feeling frustrated. The man seemed to catch on and quickly got up from his seat.

"Do you need some water?" He asked, already at the station with a glass in hand.

Aviana nodded hesitantly again, eyeing the man as he approached her with a filled cup.
"Drink up," He said, handing her the glass. 

The looked down at the water, bringing it to her face only to sniff it slightly before staring at it again. There was no way to know if there were drugs in the water. He could have mixed it into the jug before she woke up and if not him, then someone else could have.

"It won't hurt you," The man spoke again, making Aviana look at him warily. "I promise. We have no reason to hurt you. We want to help."

Aviana spared him one last glance before peering back down at the water. 

What's the worst that could happen?

She shrugged, downing the water in one go. 

Luckily, - or perhaps unluckily, Aviana couldn't decide - the water was not drugged. She wiped the last few droplets of water from her mouth with the back of her hand, looking back to the man with cautious eyes. Her mind travelled back to the other girls that she had been with and concern gripped her.