Death is Only the Beginning

Where Am I

Casey awoke, her head thumping, eyelids gritty and her mouth feeling extremely dry. It was dark, pitch black and she couldn't see two feet in front of her. She could feel concrete underneath her, rough and cold as she sat up, eyes darting around futilely. Where was she? It was most definitely not the holiday house that she had been in earlier, a different location completely. But was she still on the island or somewhere else? Where was everyone else? Was she the only one who had been kidnapped? Damnit this was such a fuc*ed up situation. Maybe screaming for help was her best option right now?

Casey put a hand up to her head grimacing, trying to remember exactly what happened, her memory a little bit fuzzy. She had found something in her room and was going to show the others but now she couldn't remember what that thing was. It had seemed important. But then something happened. Her eyes widened. That's right some sort of gas had drifted in and caused her to fall unconscious before she could leave her bedroom. The camera and speaker coming back to her now. She should have been more careful, ran out of the room instead of being so slow and giving them the opportunity to prevent her alerting everyone else. 

Well she clearly wasn't in her room judging by the concrete. Casey could feel her panic rising even as she forced down hysteria. Crying wouldn't help her and neither would screaming. Slowly she stood, arms swinging slowly as she tentatively took a step in front trying to feel for walls. She finally hit something, her hands feeling what could be a door? But there was no handle to open it, the wood digging into her as her fingers scrabbled uselessly at it. Giving up she turned and made her way around the room using the walls as a guide. It wasn't a large room, almost a cell in fact. Minus the bars of course. It was frustrating, no door and she couldn't fathom how she had gotten inside in the first place. Was she just not seeing something or was she just panicking too much to be levelheaded right now and jumping to conclusions? They had gotten her inside here somehow so it was highly probable there was some sort of way to exit this room somehow. 

There was utter silence besides her heavy breathing, was there any air in here or would she suffocate to death? Casey could feel herself beginning to lose it as she stumbled and fell, her knee cracking on the hard ground. Ouch. Damnit she swore, rubbing it with a grimace. 

Casey couldn't take it anymore "why am I here" she screamed, her voice shrill and hoarse, her desperation clear on her face as small tears dripped down from her eyes. She had done nothing at least she didn't think so. If they wanted money or to ransom her then they were in for a very big surprise because she was flat out broke and had no money let alone friends or relatives. 

"Is anyone there" she shrieked beginning to hit the ground with her fists and feeling bile rise up in her throat in fear.

A light came on and she turned startled, a small light on the ceiling showing her enough to make out what was in the room. There wasn't much. Casey could make out the wooden door she'd tried to open a small long slit in it, a bed she'd somehow managed to completely miss as it was almost in the centre of the room and another door in the corner that she must have also missed in her panic.Way to go Casey she admonished herself. Keep it together will you. You don't know what these people want, just hold yourself together and wait for them to tell you. They couldn't keep her locked up forever, not without some explanation for all of this. 

Slowly she made her way to the other door, it opening easily with a twist of the knob. Casey gave a small moan of frustration taking in the basic toilet, shower and sink, a cup on the vanity. There was no widows, just a small vent that let in enough sunlight to see but no where near big enough to crawl through. No glass on the shower either just a showerhead and nothing else. The vanity was a stainless steel sink jutting out from the wall, no mirror above. It was eerily similar to what one might find in a prison thought Casey despondently. It did nothing to lift her mood or depressive state. 

She spared a thought for the others. Were Candy, Sandy, Rihanna and Kenneth alright? Had they been taken to whatever this was as well or just her? Were they also in a room like this one? She gave one last look at the pathetic bathroom and went back out sitting on the bed, the springs digging into her bottom and the plain threadbare blanket and pillow offering very little warmth or comfort. To be honest she wondered why it was even in the room, the floor being just as miserable and uncomfortable to sit on let alone lie on it. 

The sound of a voice startled her, coming from who knew where, clearly heard in the room. 

"I bet you're wondering why you're here" it said, robotic and disguised. It was impossible to tell if it was female or male.

"If it helps all of you are here" it said amused "Candy, Sandy, Kenneth, Rihanna" it paused for a moment "and poor Casey who was never even meant to be here, let alone get involved in this."

Casey swore. Sandra was meant to be here, was meant to be the one trapped and she knew there was a reason for it, a motive that everyone probably knew about except for her. She wouldn't put it past them to have done something so bad that someone was now exacting revenge. Great she thought bitterly, she was going to die wherever she was and it was due to some rich snobs that had done something she hadn't even been involved in. The next time someone asked her to do something it would be a definite no, not caring if it offended someone. Look what being nice got you she thought resentfully. 

"For that Casey I do apologise" the voice said regretfully "but we didn't know who you were until it was too late and now you have to take Sandra's place."

She said nothing listening to the words, not moving out of fear. Would they explain what was going on?

"For starter's I bet you are hungry" the voice said calmly "So I've arranged for some food for you to eat. You can of course help yourself to water with the cup we provided in the bathroom."

She heard footsteps, loud, echoing as they stopped directly at her door, a tray thrust through the gap, the hands holding it patiently waiting for her to grab it.

Reluctantly Casey grabbed it, the hands disappearing the second she did, footsteps rounding the corner as she tried to peer out and saw nothing but a long hallway with doors the exact same as hers. She was willing to bet that was where the others were. She scrunched her nose up at the smell coming from the tray as she sat back down and examined it. 

"What the hell" she murmured disgustedly "it looked like dog or cat food? Mashed up in a bowl like you would give an animal, bones painted on the outside of it. A small bowl of milk next to it. She shuddered and was about to throw it to the ground when the voice came back.

"I wouldn't throw the food if I were you" it said "this is part of your test to get free. If you want out of the room you need to eat every drop and I want you to eat and drink from the floor like the dogs you are." 

Casey felt sick. No way could she do this. It was inhumane, cruel to force them to eat something meant for animal's digestion. But if she didn't then would she be stuck here rather than being let out? 

"You have fifteen minutes to complete your task" the voice said smoothly "and if you cheat or do anything besides what I've just told you well there will be dire consequences, Besides don't you want out of your rooms? This is the only way you have of getting out so I would choose wisely.

Casey felt the nausea rise as she looked at the bowls, putting them hastily on the floor and sitting next to them without kneeling down. 

"I know you're wondering why I'm doing this to you" the voice droned "but that will be revealed in time. Your fifteen minutes start now so I would start eating if I were you."

A loud timer began to sound counting down the minutes to them and seconds as Casey forced herself to move closer to the bowls. She was disgusted as she put her face down into the food and began to eat, the bile rising even as she swallowed., feeling violated and degraded, like an animal instead of a human being. 

It was the most horrendous thing to see but to her suprise when she did bring herself to taste it she found it was just oatmeal, plain and a little gross but nonetheless palatable as she ate, the annoying countdown sounding in the background. She took a sip of the milk grateful to find it tasted just like milk and continued, determined to get out of this room and survive, no matter what it would take. Casey was not going to die today not if she could help it. Fuc* this, those rich bastar*s had a lot to answer for and she would make them tell her whatever the hell it was they had done. But why give her food like this when it didn't seem like much of a challenge or gest at all.