4

C ome on, Leera, you can do this.

Pull harder.

Pull yourself out of this darkness.

I will not die here.

I'm trying so hard to bring myself out of this horrible unconsciousness. The first time, it was all darkness. This time, I kept reliving the best and worst moments of my life.

Who took me?

Why was I taken?

Will I ever see Roman again?

I still can't open my eyes, but I’m shooting off brain signals to every inch of my body, hoping and praying that something will move. Anything.

How long have I been here?

Is anyone looking for me?

Just when I feel like giving up, I feel my foot twitch. It was the tiniest twitch, but it's the only physical reaction I've gotten from my body in…well, since I was thrown into that van.

Focus Leera.

Do it again.

I’m able to recreate the twitch in my foot. I focus all my energy on that one limb. If I can start there, maybe I can work my way up my body and bring my motion back.

All of a sudden, my leg doesn't just twitch, it flies forward, connecting hard with something, causing a sharp pain to shoot through my shin. I can't open my eyes to see what I hit. I can't even cry out.

That's when I notice the sound of shuffled footsteps approaching me. My leg kicking…whatever I kicked…must have alerted my captors.

Please go away! Leave me alone.

I want to scream and fight, but my body just can't.

What kind of drug did they give me?

How do I fight this?

My leg twitches one more time before I again feel the now familiar prick of a needle in my neck as the world fades away, and this time, I don't fight the darkness.