Predator: Captured

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The last thing Camila remembered was walking to the train station after work. She took the same route she took every night on her way home from the hospital. She was just crossing the intersection at 3rd and Simon street when everything went black.

When she woke up she was in a cage.

A tangled web of desperate cries and whimpering moans coated the cold air around her. Twelve other women were huddled tight against the black metal bars shivering in fear as they stared anxiously at the black void beyond the bars. Fiona, the girl to her right told her that all the women in the cage had similar memories of getting here. They were all doing something outside at night whether it was walking their dog, taking out the trash or jogging, and the next thing they remembered was waking up here. Watches, cell phones, jewelry, everything besides their clothing was taken, leaving them with no concept of time or how long they had been there.

The only thing out of place on their bodies was a narrow black ring around their necks, very much like a collar. No matter how much they tugged at the flexible black band it would not budge.

This couldn't be happening. The sick feeling of dread in her stomach knotted painfully as Camila's mind began to spiral with fear. Camilla had done everything right in life, Everything she was supposed to as a safety conscientious young women. She read the news, stayed abreast of any local crimes—especially towards women, always stayed alert when she walked home and she never left home without her keychain can of mace. So, how was this happening? Shaking, Camila clenched her hands tight underneath her drawn up knees.

She had to breathe.

She had to remain calm. Whoever took them couldn't possibly hurt all of them, right? Or, it could be like that movie from the 90's with Ashley Judd where the rapist separated all the women to torture them individually. Heart pounding, Camila let her head thump back against the metal bars behind her, trying to mentally suppress her worst fears. No, if they were going to do that, they would have done it when each woman was unconscious. Why wait until they all woke up with the possibility of being outnumbered?

Looking around, she noticed that the room the cage was in wasn't completely dark. There was just enough illumination to make out shadowy faces. All around the base of the cage, there were odd blue lights. Turning around, Camila ran her hand against the strange blue light source. It wasn't like anything she had ever seen before.

"It's weird isn't," the hoarse voice of the women sitting next to her spoke up. Angie, was what she said her name was earlier when Camila compared stories with her. "It almost feels like these damn necklaces."

Nodding, Camila continued to stare at the light. The light seemed to pulse as her hand ran across it, which wouldn't be that weird if the light didn't feel like it was coming from the metal itself. There was no break in the metal bars and no telling point where the light started and ended, it was if the metal itself glowed. For someone who prided themselves as a technology enthusiast, Camila was certain she had never heard of anyone on the market selling seamless glowing steel.

It all felt wrong—it felt foreign.

Putting her head back down against her knee, she and everyone jumped with a scream at the sudden sound of pressurized air being released as the wall beyond the cage opened. The tall doorway slid open with a bright white light causing Camila to squint. Four large figures silhouetted by the light, stood at the opening before marching their way forward.

Camila couldn't be sure, the light behind the figures was so bright compared to the darkness her eyes had adjusted to, but they didn't seem quite normal. Tall, so very tall, they looked like giants descending upon them. The shadow of their heads were quite large compared to their broad bodies—too big even. Or was that their hair she was seeing, they looked like long whip-like dreadlocks moving as they walked. Camila held her breath.