2.
My eyelids quiver just before they open, and I become aware in the next instant of the rough, cold ground beneath me and the throbbing pain in my neck. Where was I? I try to get up, make my way to the nearby iron door, but I'm suddenly pulled back, slamming my head into the floor. I groan in pain, reaching for my neck, where I notice a leather band followed by a thick, short chain. But what...!
"Help!" I scream desperately, pulling with all the strength I can muster at the chain attached to the wall, where it seems firmly embedded. On the opposite wall from where I'm trapped, there's a small window through which the only light in this narrow space is filtering, giving me the certainty that it's already dawned. "Someone help me!" I cry out again, hoping that the window leads to a street where someone might hear me.
My entire body begins to tremble as I realize the dire situation I've gotten myself into. My breathing becomes heavier as I'm swallowed by this claustrophobic and oppressive place. The air feels scarce, as if it's being sucked out of the environment, and the suffocating atmosphere makes me feel like I'm in a slowly boiling pot.
The sensation of heat is overwhelming. Every passing second seems to increase the temperature, as if I'm being subjected to an extreme endurance test. My skin becomes sticky, clothes clinging to my body, and the weight of the surroundings feels oppressive. Sweat starts forming on my forehead, running down my face, making everything even more uncomfortable.
I've never been in such a despairing place before. The lack of control over the situation, the combination of heat and suffocation—everything fuels my fear and anxiety. It's as if they're testing my physical and mental limits, pushing me toward the abyss of agony. I knew I needed to find a way to escape, to fight against this distressing environment that seemed to want to consume me entirely.
And then there's that cramp... it's killing me, and I shouldn't be feeling cramps. Do pregnant women get cramps? My hands tremble before I pass them over my face and down to my neck, trying to remove the "collar." I groan in frustration and agony, looking at the window positioned higher than me, wondering if I could somehow squeeze my body through that space, even though I know it's impossible due to my size.
With my back pressed against the wall, I feel cornered in this suffocating and unfamiliar space. With each passing second, the pain seems to intensify, as if something is twisting my insides. I curl up, pulling my legs close to my body in a desperate attempt to alleviate the cramp that's hitting me hard.
Each spasm of pain feels like it's tearing at my insides, and I struggle to keep my composure as my breathing becomes irregular. Drops of sweat trickle down my face, mixing with the tears forming at the corners of my eyes.
As I writhe in agony, my mind works feverishly, trying to understand what's happening and how I can escape this nightmare. The suffocating environment and piercing pain merge into a torturous experience that I can't fully comprehend. The only thing I'm certain of at that moment is that I need to find a way to survive this situation, no matter what.
I press my lips tightly, suppressing a groan of pain, and at that moment, the door suddenly opens, capturing my attention and igniting a spark of hope that someone has come to rescue me. I forget the pain when I lock eyes with the man I saw before I blacked out.
"Stay away from me!" I scream, curling up even tighter, entering a state of literal panic.
This wasn't a dream. It wasn't even the damn nightmare I would wake up from. It was real. I was truly in a nightmare.
"You were screaming for help," his voice sounds calm, which terrifies me even more.
"...then help me," my voice trembles, "Let me go."
He tilts his head to the side, showing no emotion whatsoever. It's as if he's feeling nothing.
"But who said I want to help you?" My chin trembles as my vision becomes even blurrier due to tears. I just didn't want to admit to myself that this was only the beginning of the nightmare.