6:09 a.m. (Mountain Time)
Abigail’s eyelids opened and closed in brief intervals. Her blurred vision sharpened and the familiar dimly lit room came into view. Her head was throbbing and her shoulders felt stiff. Her arms were stretched above her head. Lowering them a few inches, she heard the rattle of steel chain links rubbing against the vertical slats of the bedframe. Handcuffs.
“They drugged you again, Abby. How are you feeling?” Layla was handcuffed to the bed in the same manner as her friend. The girls were lying face-to-face on the narrow bed in the storage room.
Shaking her head several times, Abigail struggled to focus her thoughts. Her voice was quiet and her words were slurred. “Layla, is that you? My head is killing me.”
“You’re lucky…no, we’re both lucky to be alive. I’m surprised they didn’t kill us as soon as they caught us escaping.”
Abigail’s face twisted, while she adjusted her body on the bed to relieve the pain coming from her right side. She had no clue how long she had been unconscious. Her sense of time had been distorted, having been drugged on two occasions. What day is it? She could not tell if it was day or night. All she knew was she was back where she had started. Replaying Layla’s words in her mind, the details of what had happened came back to her. “Layla, are you okay? Did they hurt you?”
“No, I’m all right.” She cocked her head backward and tugged on her restraints. “These cuffs are cutting into my wrists, though.” She tried to ease some of the pressure, but the handcuffs were securely attached.
“Did they drug you, too?”
“No, they just brought me back in here with you. How are you? You’ve been out for quite some time. They must’ve given you a double dose or something.”
“I’ll be fine.” Abigail examined the room. She was tired. Her head and shoulders were hurting, but her mind was searching for a way to escape. “We were so close to getting out. I swear the door was only a few feet away.”
“I know.” Layla shook her head. “I can’t believe I knocked over that vase.”
Abigail thought for a few seconds. “How’d you knock it over, anyway? We were at least ten feet away from the countertop the vase was on.”
Layla made a goofy face and said, “Just clumsy, I guess.” She changed the subject. “So, how are you feeling?”
Abigail cocked her head. “You already asked me that…twice. I’m…fine,” she said slowly. What’s wrong with her? She’s acting weird.