Nikira Kidnapped preview

The fuzzy visual of the surrounding environment slowly came into focus as Nikira began to open her eyes. She was still feeling drowsy as the effects of the chloroform had yet to wear off completely, and was entirely unfamiliar with her current surroundings. There was little light, and the air reeked of mold and decay. She began to feel cold, as the moisture from the wet concrete floor had saturated her clothes and hair while she was unconscious. Feelings of confusion and worry began to set in, and Nikira attempted to sit up and take stock of her situation. But a tight pressure on her chest stopped her from lifting her upper body from the floor, and she found that the feeling in her arms was gone. She felt the same stinging pressure around her thighs and calves, and realized that she could not feel her feet either.

Unable to see, Nikira tried to pull her arms around in front of her to push herself up, only to discover that they were tightly pinned to her sides. Rolling on her back, she felt her forearms, now numb from the lack of circulation, pressing against her lower back as they were sandwiched between her torso and the hard concrete. Next she tested the use of her legs, which were being held together firmly by several rings of the same rope that was trapping her upper body. Fear began to take hold as Nikira realized her peril. She took a breath to scream for help, only to let out a muffled shout. "HLMMMPH MMM! HMMMPH!!" Her continued desperate cries remained nearly inaudible, as the wadded old cloth in her mouth was keeping her jaw held open and her tongue pinned against her lower palette. A slight pressure over her lips made her aware of the strip of tape holding the old rag securely in its place. Attempts at any kind of movement were futile, as the thick ropes restraining her petite figure allowed for very little range of motion. Aside from being able to bend at the neck, waist, and knees, she was effectively immobilized. Her mind began to race with thoughts and questions of how she had gotten there, and who had done this to her. But of all the questions, two of them quickly stood out: "What's going to happen to me? Will I ever see my family again?" Her eyes began to fill with tears at the thought of what fate may be awaiting her in the coming hours, and the possibility of her loved ones never again seeing her alive.

The tears rolled over her damp cheeks, and had no sooner dropped to the floor when the door to the room swung open, filling her miserable prison with light. "Look who's awake!" exclaimed the dark silhouette of the man standing at the open door. "Hope you got plenty of rest. We've got business to take care of, and I need you to be alert!" said the man in a gruff, low voice. With the light at his back, his features were hidden from Nikira's sight, who was already half-blind from the sudden flood of light into the dark room. Before her pupils could properly adjust, another figure entered the room, briskly approaching her. She felt his large hands grip the sides of her arms, and hoist her up over his head in one, forceful motion. She felt as though she was in freefall for a split second, before her stomach made contact with the thug's shoulder, nearly knocking the breath from her lungs. "NNGFF!" she grunted from the shock and pain of the sudden impact. "Careful, damn it! Damaged merchandise won't do me any good, you know." The statement made the hairs on the back of Nikira's neck stand up. Being referred to as merchandise was unsettling, and a dreadful foreshadowing of what was to come.