VICTORIA'S POV

My body felt heavy.

No, it was my head.

I couldn't make a coherent thought.

I tried to move but found it too hard. Why was my body feeling this way? It felt like I was learning to move in my own skin for the first time. Nothing was responding the way it should.

As the fog in my head cleared, I became more aware of my surroundings. My eyes were still closed. I didn't want to open them yet. I knew that opening them would change everything.

I started with a finger, then another, until I could move them all. Then I concentrated on my toes. I wiggled them all and was satisfied. At least I wasn't paralysed.

I lay on my back, something soft cushioning me. I felt around with my hands. It felt like silk, but that couldn't be right, because it had the texture of fur. It was that soft, and warm. I could feel the warmth on the skin of the back of my shins and arms all the way to my shoulders. I didn't want to leave this bed.

My head was elevated slightly by more of this material. I was so comfortable.

Then it hit me.

How am I able to feel the warmth with my skin? I remember very well that I was in a pair of sweats yesterday.

Realisation dawned on me.

The memories came flooding back in one giant tidal wave. I went to buy take out. My car stopped yards away from my house. I left my car to go to the house. My body froze. A woman, with a weirdly shaped floating bench thingy approached me. She had a gun, she shot me in the back of my neck.

My breathing escalated.

Oh no! I can't believe it. I can't believe that I'm dead. But if I am dead, does that mean I am in heaven? Or is this hell?

No, hell wouldn't feel this comfortable.

Shouldn't I be with God and the angels if I am in heaven?

Just where in God's name am I?

I knew that the only way to know was to open my eyes. But I was too scared. My heartbeat drowned out all other noise that might have been in the background.

If they wanted you dead, you would have been dead already. They wouldn't keep you in such a comfortable place.

I tried to calm myself down.

But what if this is just some sick game to them. They try and make me believe I'm safe, and the Bahm! They do all sorts of evil things to me.

This just took my panic attack into overdrive. I felt like I couldn't breathe. I was gasping for air when I felt a pair of hands hold me down by my shoulders. I thrashed and thrashed, trying to get away from whoever was touching me, but then felt something pressed to the side of my neck. As soon as it was removed from me, I felt much calmer. I could breathe easily now.

Then I heard a voice. A deep, rich, smooth voice, "What is wrong with," the voice stopped for a second, "her?"

Then I heard another voice. This one was female. It sounded like it belonged to a wise, older woman. "She is frightened."

"Why would she be frightened of what she has not seen? Why has she not woken yet?" The male voice asked.

I heard a tsk sound. It must have come from the female. "She is awake. She just hasn't opened her eyes yet. I'm assuming the memories of how she came to be here are what triggered that frenzy."

The female voice was closer to me now. I could feel whoever this voice belonged to right next to me. I knew the man was further away.

"Little one, you must open your eyes and face us, sooner or later. You cannot remain like this," she spoke.

I contemplated. Maybe I could pull off faking that I was asleep. But that wouldn't work. She already knew that I was awake.

So, I opened my eyes. A little at first, expecting to be blinded by some bright light and then fully. There was light coming from above, but no light bulb. It was like the ceiling was emitting this light. I sat up then. It was a little difficult because my body was still feeling weird. I looked around the room I was in; the walls were white and all emitted light like the ceiling, but not as brightly. There were weird looking devices and machines to my right. To my left were what I presumed to be cabinets with even more weird objects. This was obviously some sort of mini infirmary.

There didn't seem to be a door in this room.

How did I get here?

What I thought was a bed was actually some kind of floating bowl shaped, yet oblong saucer. I know, that was a terrible description, but that was the best I could come up with considering the state I was in.

The soft material I lay on lined the surface of the 'floating saucer'. I had completely forgotten that I was not alone until I heard the woman speak.

"I am Bulba. I assume you have questions."

I looked at her. She was older, maybe in her fifties. I couldn't tell because her skin was flawless, not a wrinkle in sight. What gave it away were the grey strands in her hair which was pulled back from her face, a beautiful oval face, and put in a ponytail that was braided down to her lower back. It reached her lower back. I noticed that her eyes were a steely grey as she stared, no, observed me. She wore some kind of jumpsuit which hugged her body from the neck all the way to her wrists and I assumed her ankles, because her feet were clad in dark grey boots that rose to above her ankles. It was grey-ish in colour. Above that was some kind of overall dress that was cinched at the waist and flowed to just below her knees. The sleeves were wide and fell to the middle of her wrist and elbow. It too was grey, except it was a lighter shade of grey than the spandex jumpsuit.

Then I remembered what she said.

"Where am I? Why did you take me? What do you want from me?" My voice was shaky.

"You are on board The Exodian, a Thanzorian ship. Why we took you shall be revealed in due time. The same goes for what we want from you as they are the same question.

"Are you going to kill me once you've gotten what you want? Will you take me back home? Where are you taking me? Why are you doing this?"

"No, we will not kill you. No, we will not take you back. You will know of our destination and reasons in due time. Any more questions?" She answered clinically. She didn't sound the least bit concerned for my emotional distress. She spoke as if she was reading out items off a menu.

"What is the point of asking questions that will only be answered in due time?" I asked her. Tears were threatening to escape. I just wanted to go home. I bit my lip to keep them at bay. I wouldn't let them fall.

"Indeed, I am not the appropriate person to explain things to you." She looked behind me. I remembered that there was a man in here as well.

I heard him moving towards me. I don't know why, but my heart beat a little faster. Maybe I was expecting him to stab me, or choke me, or do something to hurt me.

He walked and stood at what I assumed to be the foot of the saucer and turned to look at me. I inhaled sharply.

This man, who seemed to be around my age or a few years older, was a beautiful specimen.

Yes, I said beautiful.

He was tall, very tall, and muscular. I couldn't really see his muscles but I could tell from his broad shoulders. He had a sharp jaw and high cheekbones. His eyes were an amazing shade of green, a green that was so rich even I could tell from this distance. He had a perfectly sculpted nose and kissable lips.

Did I just think that?

Yes, yes I did.

I could look at him forever and never get tired. I hadn't realised that I was staring with my mouth hanging open until Bulba cleared her throat.

That snapped me back to reality.

I looked at him again and paid attention to his other features. He wore black and wore it well. Black pants and a black jacket/shirt thing that reached his wrists. His feet were clad in black boots that rose a third of the way up his shins. He had long hair, hair so long and thick I was envious. It was pulled back into a French braid and reached a little past his lower back. He held his hands behind his back and I realised he was observing me as well.

He looked at me with hatred and disgust in his eyes. It was so intense that I was forced to look away. But then I turned back to look at him as well. I was the one who was supposed to have that look. They kidnapped me! Not the other way around. I should hate them. No matter how good looking they were. They took me against my will.

I will not be bullied.

He didn't speak, and neither did I.

We continued staring each other down for what seemed like forever when Bulba spoke. "I see you're both enjoying your staring match. I have other matters to attend to. I shall take my leave and leave the rest up to you," she said, giving us a glance.

She walked towards the wall and I was sure she would walk right into it, but then the wall disappeared and a hallway appeared. Soon she was gone and the wall re-appeared. I couldn't take time to ponder on this because this beautiful specimen of a man walked off. I turned to look at where he was going. He walked towards a wall as well, and it disappeared to reveal a room beyond. He stopped in the doorway, "come," and continued into the room.

'Come'?

Seriously?

Does he expect me to jump at his orders and follow him?

I decided to stay put when my stomach rumbled, and thought better of it. They will probably leave me here to starve.

So, I swung my legs over, and floating rectangles appeared, much like steps. I hesitated only for a split second and walked down them. I walked towards the wall he had gone through earlier and just like before, it disappeared and revealed the room beyond. I looked at the edges of the 'doorway' in wonder.

Shelve it and panic later. Let your hunger fuel your anger.

I walked through and followed after him. The room beyond was an open space. It was quite larger than I expected. No walls separated anything and there were no other rooms. Well, there probably were, I just couldn't tell because the walls here could turn into doorways.

In front of me and to my right was a kitchen area. It had counter tops and an island in the middle, which I guess served as an eating area as well because it had two stools (floating in the air) on one side. The appliances, however, didn't look like anything I'd ever seen before. They had that futuristic feel to them.

In front of me was a sitting area, with more floating chairs arranged in a circle. This area seemed homey.

To my left was a wall, but I could see that it ended after the sitting area and opened up to another area. I walked through the sitting area till I could see what was there. There was a larger version of the saucer I was on earlier. I'm guessing it was meant to be used as a bed. It was suspended a few inches off the ground.

What is it with these people and gravity defying furniture?

Next to the bed, on the farther side from where I stood was another floating rectangular object with a stool that resembled the one by the kitchen island.

Must be some sort of work area.

Beyond that, the place where a wall should have stretched from the end of the room where the bed was, to the end where the kitchen was, was glass. The glass looked out to the stars.

Oh my God! Stars? Am I in....in....space?

Even thinking it felt ridiculous.

This can't be happening.

The man from earlier stood gazing out the 'window'. I hadn't realised that my bare feet had deposited me right next to him.

"How is this possible?" I whispered.