Stronger by Ang Chris
Chapter 94

Annettes POV

“Grayson.

In the dizzy fatigue state I was in all I knew was I wanted him. Where’s Grayson? The last thing Iremember was black

boots in the snow.

After that, it was an awful state of incoherence like I’d had too much to drink or I’d taken the wrongmedication. My whole world felt distorted and my b*dy felt off.

I don’t remember the trip to where I am now, I don’t remember what day it was, no matter how hard Itried to keep track. Sometimes when I opened my eyes it felt like twenty minutes had passed,sometimes it felt like months had. passed.

I was living in a gray barren world and I was entirely alone. For the first time ever.

Seraphim was gone in the murky woods that now covered my thoughts; she was nowhere to be foundand whenever I got with it enough to try and figure out where I was and see what I could, someonewould come in.

I could never see their face but they’d stick me with the needle and I’d go back to sleep. To the pitchblack that I now dreamed, I couldn’t escape my life even then.

One face kept coming back to me blonde hair green eyes coming close to me as if to suffocate me.Always whispering my name to me calling to me.

More often than not when I awoke I’d get sick throwing up something but I don’t remember eating. I’dget the shakes

and huddle under some blankets.

After what I think were days of this I realized that my leg was bound by a silver chain. In and out ofsleep 1 kept forgetting that I’d discovered that and then I’d remember and then I’d remember just howmany times that’d happened.

I started by counting trying to count the seconds before I’d fall asleep again then I’d make sure the sunwas up before I’d sleep. When I’d wake up and the sun was up I decided that it was the same day.

I’d search my mind for my wolf running around in the woods for her lost in a wilderness of my design.No matter how hard I called for her she wouldn’t answer. Why wouldn’t she answer?

I kept my thoughts away from that bundle of cloth I’d sent off. If I thought of it I’d probably die from thepain. I couldn’t bear what had happened so I forced myself to keep informed like nothing hadhappened.

If I didn’t acknowledge it, whatever other horrid that had happened would never meet my eyes and Icould somehow

survive this.

I would open my eyes and count the seconds trying to regain my mind from whatever drug had takenover it. I would force myself to write down in my head that the sun was up before I was dragged backinto the abyss of obsidian and

solitude.

“I’ve got a friend. Annette,” the green eyes told me. “This will all be over soon and your ex–husbandwon’t be able to stop it,”

Grayson. Grayson. I called for him but without Seraphine, I couldn’t see him I stood there shouting noone answering- trying to picture him trying to replace him. Had he forgotten me?

“How long had I been gone?

It couldn’t have been long it couldn’t have been long.

“Grayson.

He’d replace me, he wouldn’t give up. He’d replace me, he’d bring me home.

I’d retreat into the gray trees and swamp floor of my head and search for Seraphine. She’d show mehow to get home. I just had to replace her.

The green eyes came back to me calling my name and telling me how beautiful I was. I didn’t want tobe beautiful I wanted my husband. Where was my husband?

After what felt like an eternity of this I opened my eyes and was able to stay awake.

I looked around, a cinderblock cell greeted my eyes. Silver bars faced me and a cold concrete floor.

But instead of an empty prison cell, I was laying on a soft bed. If not the softest bed I’d ever laid on. Ilooked over it and an ornate comforter laid over me and I was on a normal bed for sure.

I turned and surveyed the room now that my head had gathered itself. A screen hid a claw foot tub anda toilet. A vanity was laid on the other side and a dresser.

“What?” I hissed. I couldn’t understand what was going on.

A stinging sensation hit me from my ankle and I whipped off the blankets. Sure enough, a silvershackle was clenched around my ankle.

“Ahhhh,” I growled grabbing it and bracing the pain of touching it trying and failing horribly to get thewretched thing

off.

“I wouldn’t do that,” a voice came to me. I don’t know who it belonged to and a lanky man with a mop ofbrown hair and rectangle glasses stood on the other side of the bars. “He’ll make me give you anothershot if the first thing you do

is fight,”

“Who?” I let go of the shackle and stared at him.

“Who do you think?” He walked off.

No! I wanted about no don’t leave me alone. I wanted to know where I was and who was holding me. Iknew it was our enemy but I didn’t know his name. Grayson only told me of the father but he’d beendecapitated.

“Was this the son?

“Was he that stupid?

Grayson. I wanted to see him now more than ever. I was with it enough to know it couldn’t have beenthat long. Had my plan worked?

I stumbled then almost let out a sob. Don’t do that, I told myself. Don’t let it in. Stay in control. I orderedmyself.

I would lose any and all rationally if I let into that thought.

I got up stumbling a bit. The man in the glasses sprinted back over from his hiding spot

“No, no take it slow!” He shouted at me.

I glared at him as I steadied myself. I didn’t care about any punishment I wanted to figure some thingsout.

Everything in here was nice which meant they wanted me to feel comfortable but the chain and thesilver bars let me

know where I stood in reality.

*I mean it you need rest,” he insisted sounding very frustrated and at the same time terrified.

“I’ve had enough rest,” I shot back at him.

He didn’t seem the type to be a villain. In fact I felt almost bad for him he was trying to put on a verybrave face but it

was not working.

“You will get another shot,” he whined at me. He sounded as if I was about to get in trouble with mymother.

I looked up at the window judging if I could reach it or not I don’t think I could in this state. I looked atthe vanity and went thought it. Only a brush nothing actually useful to get out of here.

“Annette,” a voice came from behind me.

I stoped in my tracks, I knew that voice. Green eyes. I turned slowly.

“It’s not very nice to not listen to poor Simon. He is just trying to help you,” he was staring at me as ifwe knew each other. He was not being friendly in any means every word was a threat.

He let out a long sigh and started waking away. “It’s a shame,” he called back to me. “You had only justwoke up,”

Simon hung his head before disappearing around the corner and returning with that goddess–awfulneedle.

“I did warn you,” he looked at me sorrowfully.

I would have been able to overpower him before. I went to grab his tiny wrist but he just turned me andbefore I could bargain with him he stuck me and the world went black again.