Chapter 1 - Part III

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I woke abruptly, sitting straight up in the bed. The covers and sheets were twisted around my legs and my body felt sticky with sweat. Taking deep breaths, I attempted to calm my racing heart. Thunder cracked and I could feel the vibrations rattle the mansion. " the mansion" I thought. " I'm here, safe. It was only a dream, it was only a dream"

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I awoke again, several hours later. This time, I was no longer in the mansion's warm bed, nor was I trapped in a pine box. I was in a cellar, it seemed. Rusty shackles bound my wrists and one of my ankles was chained to the wall. "Not another nightmare!" I thought in exasperation. I collapsed onto the grimy floor of the cellar and laid my head against the wall. I sharp, searing pain came from my left wrist and when I looked, a thin stream of blood slowly trickled from beneath the shackle and down my arm. Tears filled my eyes as I realized, this was no nightmare.

There were so many things i didn't understand. When, why, and how I had been taken here and chained. Where was Nadia? Did she have something to do with this? I hoped with all my heart that she did not, for she had been so gracious to me when she caught me in the storm but I had seen no one else in the house.

I let a tear freely fall down my face. My life had become nothing but a living nightmare. I always seemed to be trusting all the wrong people.

I must have dozed off because i opened my eyes, startled by the creaking of the heavy cellar door and the leisurely clop of two sets of footsteps crossing the concrete floor. At first, I couldn't see my visitors because of the lack of light in my prison but as they got closer I could begin to make out there faces. One of them was Nadia; hooked on her arm was a handsome, kingly-looking man I'd never seen before.

"I hope you slept well." Nadia said as though nothing was wrong with the situation I was in. I was in complete disgust and said nothing in reply. A menacing smile spread across her face. "Now, now dear. Don't be upset with me. You're perfectly fine.". She paused and looked at her accompanier. "Oh how rude of me! Liana, this is my husband, Lorenzo."

Lorenzo nodded and proceeded into a rather melodramatic bow. "Please to meet you" he added with a smirk. " I do apologize for the dreariness of this dungeon. It is rather unpleasant down here. "

I said nothing. Still staring at them. Their formality was agitating. I was chained against the wall in a cellar of some enormous manor that everyone thought to be empty. I was not the slightest bit interested in listening to them pretend to be my friend.

Lorenzo gave me a quizzical look and began walking towards me. I scrambled to my feet and tried to back away from him but he only laughed. He extended his pale,smooth hand and gently caressed my face. All the muscles in my body tensed and I turned my face away from him. "Darling, this one is most stunning...she seems to special to do merely use and throw out." he commented to Nadia. "Use and throw out?" I wondered. "What in heaven's name is he talking about?"

His eyes slowly traveled down my body and stopped half way. He reached out and grabbed my wrist but I jerked my hand away from him. Lorenzo put his hand up to his face and inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. "Yes, yes Nadia. You have done well with this one, indeed." he whispered in a dazed tone. I stared in horror at his hand, covered in the blood from my wound.

Nadia strolled over to her husband, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You are most right my love. And I have just the plan for her." she hissed.

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