Sheltered(16)

“Oh shit.” I sit up and everything from last night comes flooding back and hits me hard.

The stolen art, Fritz and Lilith together, the strange man who held me while I cried.

My hand goes to my arm, pressing to see if there’s any pain. I think he stuck me with a needle, but that just seems crazy.

I glance around the room but don’t see anyone. The only light on in the room is the lamp next to the bed, casting everything in shadow. My breath catches as I take in the bedroom. It definitely isn’t my room, or like any bedroom I’ve ever been in.

Bear climbs into my lap and plops himself down. The bedroom is massive and looks bigger than my apartment. The room is filled with dark antique furniture and paintings that look even older and fancier than the furniture. Where am I? The bed is giant, with a canopy over it, reminding me of something from an old southern mansion. No wonder I slept so well; pillows and blankets surround me on either side, and it feels like I’m on a fluffy cloud.

I search my brain for some sort of memory from last night, hoping something comes to me. Maybe I had a panic attack and got abducted by some rich person. I laugh at the idea, because it seems insane. There has to be a rational explanation for why I’m here. I move Bear off my lap and glance down at myself. My body doesn’t seem to be sore or have any marks, but these aren’t my clothes. If I had some sort of mental breakdown last night, wouldn’t I be in the hospital right now? Instead, I’m in some fancy room wearing really expensive pajamas, and my cat is staring at me like I’m crazy.

I throw my legs over the side of the bed and realize how far off the ground it is. I slide down and stop onto a thick, fluffy rug. I keep my hand on the bed, feeling a little dizzy at the sudden jolt. It’s then I realize the fancy “pajamas” are really a button-up shirt that falls to my knees. I also notice that my feet are covered in thick wool socks that aren’t mine either. I pull the shirt to my nose, and that same rich smell fills my lungs. It’s soothing. I let the shirt go and walk towards the thick dark gray curtains and pull them back. It’s pitch black outside without a star or moonlight in the sky. I jump when a flash of lightning sparks across the sky and lights up miles and miles of land. It’s gone before I can try to make anything out. I drop the curtains and stumble back when thunder booms. I wrap my arms around myself and try not to panic.

I hate storms. They terrify me to no end. I remind myself that I’m not a little girl stuck in a trailer alone while a hurricane beats down on it, shaking everything inside. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to control the fear that always comes with bad weather. I open them when I feel Bear rubbing up against my legs trying to comfort me. I reach down and give him a long pet down his back, letting him know I’m okay.

“Bear, what day is it?” I ask, and he looks up at me and meows.

It has to be the same night. I couldn't have slept through a whole day, could I? And where am I? I’m not near the city. I know that from the glimpse I got out of the window.

I close my eyes, trying to remember again. Fritz flutters through my mind, and I feel sick. The image of him with Lilith makes my stomach roll. I try to push the thought from my mind and focus on what happened after that. I remember running. My eyes fly open when two bright green eyes come flashing back, eyes that I know I’ve seen before but can’t place.

I glance over to a painting on the wall. It’s old and probably worth a lot of money. My heart starts to pound. What if this has to do with the stolen art? This looks like the kind of place that would be owned by someone who deals in art. Maybe even the stolen kind.

I shake my head at myself. Don’t be a drama queen. First, I think I’m being kidnapping and now I think I’m wrapped up in some stolen artwork heist. If I had to guess, I probably got so freaked out and overwhelmed with what I saw I passed out on that stranger last night. Johnny was there, too, wasn't he? My brain is so foggy.

I look around the room trying to find my clothes so I can change into something, but don’t find anything. When I open the closet, I see it’s packed full of men’s suits and women’s dresses. I run my fingers along one of them, envious of whoever they belong to. I stop on a dark green one that’s beautiful and would fit me perfectly. As if I’m being snapped back to reality, I let it go. I’m being rude. It’s clear I’m in a room that belongs to a couple. Maybe they helped me last night and now I’m going through their stuff.

“Come on, Bear.” I open another door that leads to a bathroom.

I pause at the mirror when I notice something. A necklace catches my eye and I step towards the mirror, fingering the gold chain. It leads down to a heavy charm with a stone in the center. It changes color as I move it, and the light hits it in different places. I reach behind my neck trying to unclip it, but the latch won’t budge. I mess with it for a few moments, then finally give up.

I run my hands through my hair and remember that I put it up before work, but it’s down now. I look at my nails and notice my hands are clean, too. Someone not only changed my clothes, they washed the warehouse dirt and dust off me. Flipping off the bathroom light, I walk out and go to the other mystery door on the far side of the room. When I open it, a long hallway is revealed, with not much light leading the way.

I pop my head out and as soon as I do, Bear shoots out and takes off running down the hallway.

“Bear!” I whisper-shout.