Part Four
Cinzia awakened with the disconcerting sensation that something was wrong. A feeling that would be justified when she looked around at her surroundings, trying to place where she was. This was not her room. What.. happened? How’d she get here?
Hazel eyes took in her surroundings. She appeared to be in a what? A loft? Warehouse?? But it was certainly quiet for what she’d think a warehouse should be.
Slowly sitting up on the couch she tucked her feet up under her, arms wrapping around her legs as she peered around. She was indeed in a loft of sorts, a section of the building that was a rather messy office and the main section of the warehouse below was in plain view. Or, would have been in plain view had the lights been turned on. But, where was the door?
“Ah, Sleeping Beauty has awakened.” The voice seemed to come from nowhere yet everywhere. Cinzia squinted to try and peer further into the darkness toward the sound of the voice. She wriggled her toes, yes, her shoes were still on. She would just thank who ever this was and take her leave. Good plan. Never mind that she had no clue where she was in relation to her hotel and how to get there.
“I don’t know about Sleeping Beauty but I’m awake and I’ll be leaving now, thank you very much.” She tipped her chin when she saw the person she vaguely remembered on top of the phone booth finally step out of a corner and into the center of the office. At the same time the sound of her feet hitting the floor seemed to echo. She pressed her hands in to the seat of the couch to push herself up but was stopped with one finger.
The stranger had placed one finger on her chest and despite her pushing to stand he managed to keep her in place on the couch. “Get your hands off me!” The words that came from the girl seemed almost a growl, one she hoped would mask her growing fear. She swiped at his arm to move his hand at the same time she tried again to stand only rather than feeling her hand land on his arm, it hit nothing. He moved his hand from her chest with that push to stand but with nothing holding her back she stumbled forward to the sound of his cackling.
“Leaving so soon?” Cinzia ignored the voice. She searched in the darkness to find the stairs, to locate a door.. to find her way out of here. As soon as she saw the stairs she started toward them, this time unhindered. In the seemingly empty warehouse everything seemed louder than it ordinarily would. Courtesy would dictate she thank this man for getting her out of the middle of what was likely an ugly situation but she felt just as uncomfortable now as she did out there at the phone booth.
The man shrugged and simply whispered, though he knew she’d hear him, “ Have at it just keep in mind you will not last long out there.”
