The one you'd least expect

I woke from my nap; I guess I fell asleep at my desk again. I feel groggy, and although they feel heavy, I begin to open my eyes. But I can’t do it; it’s almost like they are stuck shut. I try again, putting in as much strength as I can provide to open my eyes. I lift my hands to my face in hopes of just holding my eyelids open when I realize, my eyes have been opened, there just was nothing in front of me to see. I was trapped. Nothing feels familiar while the black abyss surrounds me. Using my remaining senses, the smell of something that reminds me of chalk invades my nose, causing me to cough. All I can hear is the dripping sound of a liquid. I am not sure what kind of liquid it is, but it sounds thicker than water. I tap my foot to the rhythm of the droplets, reminding me of the metronome that mocked me during 7th-grade band class as I struggled to get my timing just right. The thought of what it could be makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, a strong chill runs down my spine. I shake it off by focusing on what I can feel within my reach, running my hands on either side of me, the gravel beneath them sticking to my palms with moisture. I grasped a small amount, rubbing it between my fingers and feeling the material crumble between my fingertips, almost into powder. Whatever the material is, it is not very strong and does not adhere well to itself once it separates. I raise the remaining bits to my nose. I guess I got a little too close because it feels like a fire erupts within my nostrils, causing my eyes to water. Holding back a sneeze, I quickly drop the substance, rubbing my palms on my thighs to wipe them clean. I freeze. Where are my pants? I can feel my eyes grow 5 times in size as I pat myself up my legs, feeling for any type of barrier left behind. I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath as I breathed a sigh of relief. I still have my underwear on, and apparently, I have been given a long shirt. Patting my arms down, the shirt feels like it's short-sleeved. Next, I grab at my breasts; whoever supplied me with this long shirt felt a bra was not necessary. My nipples harden at the thought. Shaking my head, I refocus on the more immediate task at hand, figuring out where I am and who the heck kidnapped me. I notice the loud drops have slowed slightly. I’ve been trying to convince myself that the liquid is not blood. The air felt stale and heavy, and I could taste the mold and what seemed to be metal in my mouth. The hypnotizing sounds of the drip-drop helped me center my focus and recall my last events. “Retrace your steps. What was the last thing you remember?” Trying to piece the puzzle together, I remember I was sitting in my office chair reading over the sales of the previous 6 months. I noticed some discrepancies with the numbers last month when I was helping out an employee now on paternity leave and decided to start digging a little deeper and see how far back it went. No, no, no, that was earlier in the day. I remember looking at the clock when I noticed daylight was turning into darkness. It was another day of getting wrapped up in my work and staying late. Gregory, my hope-to-be-soon-have-been-waiting-forever-ance, was talking about going out for drinks after I had finished up at the office. Did I ever make it there?

Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop

I remember shutting down everything at my desk, and I remember getting into the elevator. And… I can’t remember beyond that. Was there someone in the elevator with me? Think. Think. Think. I repeat to myself while pinching the bridge of my nose.

Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop.

I switched to rubbing my temples as a headache started to form. Either the result of thinking too hard or the side effects of whatever drug that ended with me in here. Wherever here was.

Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop.

I think I remember seeing a shadow in the corner, some figure. Someone was in the elevator when I walked in. Did they do this? I recall I looked up for a brief second to nod my head ‘Hello’ as I was walking into the cart before looking for the floor number I was parked on before pressing it. I never looked up again. My back was toward the shadow, and then my mind went blank. I tried to focus on the shadow in the corner. Was it the silhouette of a man or a woman? Were they tall? Short? I kept coming up blank. There has to be something I remember, a tattoo or a piercing. Maybe they had an emblem on their ring or necklace. Wait, were they even wearing jewelry? Ugh! This is pointless. I need to start paying attention to my surroundings. The irony of lecturing myself about paying attention to my surroundings when my eyesight has currently been taken away from me was not lost on me. I am pulled out of my trance when I hear a faraway click-clack, what sounds to be at a walk pace, growing louder by the second. As it gets closer, I determine the individual is someone wearing heels. I decided that the timing between each step is for someone tall with a long stride. The steps came to a halt, I assume in front of the door I am currently hidden behind since I cannot see anything. “Open it.” a smooth voice commands, followed by keys jingling. I guess someone was standing outside my captivity this whole time. For a split second, I felt I had heard the smooth voice before, but I would need to hear it again to be sure. “Quickly.” The smooth voice had a hint of annoyance behind it. I have heard that voice before; it is not one I have heard daily, but I have heard it before. I hear the key's insertion and the lock's spring setting my cage door free. Unfortunately, I cannot see; therefore, I have nowhere to run. I sit patiently, waiting to meet the face of my supposed captor. The door creaks as a tall, lanky body glides through the doorway. My skin starts to prickle, what feels like spiders crawling up my limbs as the door widens. The light behind them glowed all around them as if they were an angel, but I knew that couldn’t be possible. The devil tries to play cruel tricks, but I am smart enough to know that no angel would hold me up in these conditions. My eyes squinting at the level of brightness entering my space, I take a quick peek around at what is visible. If I just reached out to either side of me, I would have felt the walls that entrapped me. It’s a very small space, sending any claustrophobic to an early grave. I notice the tall gure stepping closer, turning my head back, and angling my gaze upward in hopes of seeing a face. What I didn’t expect to see was a face I recognized.