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Description
When she opened her eyes a blue-black expanse lit only by small dots of light stretched before her. She vaguely sensed a light source above her shedding milky blue light into darkness that ate it up mercilessly. She took careful inventory of her physical wellbeing and, when confident in her wholeness, began testing her restraints. She could move her head a little but whoever, or whatever, trapped her against the wall plastered her there snugly. She didn't know how. Her chest muscles soon started aching from the unaccustomed position she couldn't move her arms from: horizontally spread out.

"Hum," she said aloud to herself, contemplating the situation she found herself in.

"Hello?" a male voice called out from the darkness. The woman's eyebrows arched up.

"Hello," she called amiably. He seemed scared and desperate for human contact. She mildly wondered why.

"My name's Jordan. Who're you?" he asked, voice wavering.

"I'm Melanie," the woman said. "Do you know where I am? Well, I suppose it's where we are. Or do you know how I got here? Where is 'here,' anyway?" she rambled.

"No, you can't find amusement in your situation! This is very dire. Why aren't you more worried?" Jordan berated her.

"It's okay, Jordan. It doesn't seem as bad as you think. After all, I'm safe. I have this beautiful view spreading out endlessly before me. I could just watch it forever and lose myself in the depths of the…" Melanie couldn't recall when she trailed off but she came-to to Jordan's frantic calls.

"Melanie, no, that's what they want you to do! Awaken the need for self-preservation," he commanded.

"But I don't feel like I'm in any danger. Why don't you understand that? Why won't you relax?"

"Melanie, this isn't…! Curse it. I can't help you if you aren't willing to be helped. Lose yourself for all I care!" He fell silent. Melanie soon missed his voice and the unhappiness marred the peace of the evening. His words hung heavy on her conscience.

"Please don't give up on me," she whimpered piteously. She waited to hear his voice but the minutes passed by, empty. "Please, don't give up on me!" she pleaded.

"Why should I have faith in you if you don't have faith in yourself?" he replied icily. Tears formed in Melanie's eyes. Images flashed through her mind of a car crash and a hospital room. Then she saw an endless see of books and words. She felt hungry, thirsty, and tired. She closed her eyes.

"No," she whispered.

"Yes," Jordan confirmed.

"That's not what I want. That's not what I want! This isn't what I want," she cried out. Whatever bonds held her loosened and she slipped against the wall. For a moment the previous contentment returned and the bonds strengthened.

"That was right, Melanie. Take the risk. Let them know they can't have you," Jordan encouraged her.

"Who are they?" she asked, voice wavering.

"Everyone and no one. But they can't have you. It'll be okay now that you're fighting," he announced.

Silently Melanie stared at the night sky. "It's beautiful, but I want to see new horizons," she said with a smile. Closing her eyes, she reveled in the sensation of free fall as she peeled away from the wall.

"That's my girl," Jordan said before she sped out of earshot.

"It's a miracle; she's waking up. She's waking up!" the nurse called incredulously. Doctors ran in and jostled the young man sitting beside the bed out of the way. He just watched the young woman's face with a smile.

"That's my girl," he repeated.

Description
When she opened her eyes a blue-black expanse lit only by small dots of light stretched before her. She vaguely sensed a light source above her shedding milky blue light into darkness that ate it up mercilessly. She took careful inventory of her physical wellbeing and, when confident in her wholeness, began testing her restraints. She could move her head a little but whoever, or whatever, trapped her against the wall plastered her there snugly. She didn't know how. Her chest muscles soon started aching from the unaccustomed position she couldn't move her arms from: horizontally spread out.

"Hum," she said aloud to herself, contemplating the situation she found herself in.

"Hello?" a male voice called out from the darkness. The woman's eyebrows arched up.

"Hello," she called amiably. He seemed scared and desperate for human contact. She mildly wondered why.

"My name's Jordan. Who're you?" he asked, voice wavering.

"I'm Melanie," the woman said. "Do you know where I am? Well, I suppose it's where we are. Or do you know how I got here? Where is 'here,' anyway?" she rambled.

"No, you can't find amusement in your situation! This is very dire. Why aren't you more worried?" Jordan berated her.

"It's okay, Jordan. It doesn't seem as bad as you think. After all, I'm safe. I have this beautiful view spreading out endlessly before me. I could just watch it forever and lose myself in the depths of the…" Melanie couldn't recall when she trailed off but she came-to to Jordan's frantic calls.

"Melanie, no, that's what they want you to do! Awaken the need for self-preservation," he commanded.

"But I don't feel like I'm in any danger. Why don't you understand that? Why won't you relax?"

"Melanie, this isn't…! Curse it. I can't help you if you aren't willing to be helped. Lose yourself for all I care!" He fell silent. Melanie soon missed his voice and the unhappiness marred the peace of the evening. His words hung heavy on her conscience.

"Please don't give up on me," she whimpered piteously. She waited to hear his voice but the minutes passed by, empty. "Please, don't give up on me!" she pleaded.

"Why should I have faith in you if you don't have faith in yourself?" he replied icily. Tears formed in Melanie's eyes. Images flashed through her mind of a car crash and a hospital room. Then she saw an endless see of books and words. She felt hungry, thirsty, and tired. She closed her eyes.

"No," she whispered.

"Yes," Jordan confirmed.

"That's not what I want. That's not what I want! This isn't what I want," she cried out. Whatever bonds held her loosened and she slipped against the wall. For a moment the previous contentment returned and the bonds strengthened.

"That was right, Melanie. Take the risk. Let them know they can't have you," Jordan encouraged her.

"Who are they?" she asked, voice wavering.

"Everyone and no one. But they can't have you. It'll be okay now that you're fighting," he announced.

Silently Melanie stared at the night sky. "It's beautiful, but I want to see new horizons," she said with a smile. Closing her eyes, she reveled in the sensation of free fall as she peeled away from the wall.

"That's my girl," Jordan said before she sped out of earshot.

"It's a miracle; she's waking up. She's waking up!" the nurse called incredulously. Doctors ran in and jostled the young man sitting beside the bed out of the way. He just watched the young woman's face with a smile.

"That's my girl," he repeated.