Distinct conversations come from every angle, the tones vary between faint and bass. In the end they synchronize to echo on the walls as if we're cooped up in some thin cylinder room. An Ice cold A.C blowing down on me and beeps of trucks - A warehouse, or some abandoned building.

My capturer continues on with the doctor, rambling on about tasks having nothing to do with me or the circumstance, in that moment it allows me with only seconds of serenity to listen on any signs of clues.

Baritone laughter aside me makes the process itself difficult, luckily they wheeze out in the nick of time as a sound was approaching. Footsteps start off low and distant until it nears. I begin counting steps once it is within earshot. Soles of the dress shoes clicks about ten times before they fade behind a latching noise,

A rusty creak of a door cries open before allowing whistling wind inside, breeze travels through the atmosphere crinkling the plastic around my head. Conversations of men roaring from the outside, sounds of thumps as if something was being carelessly thrown onto the floor carrying on with their rambling.

I'm not too far yet I won't make a haste move, My capturer was still beside me and now there are men coming in from the outside. Too many within the perimeter to try and flee.

"Alright, he is clear. He may proceed, but try not to have him do anything too drastic or that loose ligament will fall." came the rasp voice of the elder man.

Slightly my body jolts along with the moving table under me, anxiety within my nerves ready to rupture from the overwhelming fear, an unknown. I am gliding on the table until the lights above fade. What is the next destination? not even the sounds of conversations could be made out anymore, bass chords of the men fade until its a distance squeak.

The rollers of the wheels underneath screech and scuff against floor the squeaky sound were Like the rats of my previous home and I fight back the tears. The filth and rats itself were not the best, nor was the life of a mere commoner like me, but just the sole fact that I'd always be near my best friend.

Momentary regrets disrupted when A chill Suddenly engulfs as feel myself being yeeted. A sharp maneuver to a room on the right side of the door almost launched my body to the ground, out of instinct my arms flared in attempt to grab onto anything secured.

Rolling came to a pause, a breathy chuckle fans the plastic above me. Now my capture is aware I am conscious.

"Wakey, wakey" he sung darkly.

The façade I played of playing unconscious could no longer fool him, however a part of me knew he was aware since I was pulled out of the trunk. My chest heaved fiercely, I'm sure it was picked up by the provider at least, since he was closest.

Despite the situation already, my brain refuses to believe that in this moment I could be spared and somehow free myself from the clutches of my kidnappers. Lowly sobs break from me and I gasp out the minimal air I have, fighting against the thin plastic that acts as a suction cup.

Unmoved by my cries I hear the clicks of the man's feet above me rounding to the side, darkly chuckling ever so deep and bone chillingly, amused by my fear. "You haven't begun to cry yet."

In a flash his fingers surround the plastic in a harsh grip, thick fingers sharply grazing my skin in the process. Me head forcefully lifts a few inches from the table, Ice cold oxygen flies into my lungs in a nanosecond before my head slams back down to the metal, my skull reverberates sharply from the impact.

It burns every time; cocooned in darkness and the light beams seconds later. Never any time to adjust, by now I should have grown accustomed to the sting, but not the nausea that it brings. Consciously I peel my eyes open, a blur fuzzes around the pupils until it clears.

An Evergreen paint with faint bluish hue colored walls, a few cracks slit like designs exposing the internal run down wood, I lay flatly on a metallic bed, a room pitch black just before me, thick evaporation swirling around inside, a bone numbing temperature welcoming me.

Perhaps it was because there wasn't a speck of light, It screamed danger, and I'm right before it, malnourished and frail, a small sample of the fog brushed against my bare feet instantly numbs out my toes.

I just escaped death but this time I've been brought to his doorstep on a literal silver platter.

My surroundings is unfamiliar, perhaps I was wrong about the warehouse, but definitely an abandoned building.

A dreadful feeling sneaking up behind me, tiny hairs rise behind my nape watching the large shadow of the kidnapper creep in from behind. A scent of rust and Iron envelops all around me, his shadow displaying a massive monster.

A reminder as to why I called them shadow men.

Sheeps in wolves clothing.

"I wonder what the boss sees in a runt like you." he snarls aside my ear.

"Weak, half dead and broken. Just like those rugged dolls you'd find on the side of the street."

My comparison is to an inanimate object aside the road, fragmented and torn. His words are cruel, yet there was no lie.

"Whatever he sees in you is his business, Just make sure to survive your first tasks cause if not -" He paused midway, drawing in the suspense.

First tasks?

I'm unease at the unspoken words, it weighs heavy on my chest. He quiets leaning into me, his shadow projecting a beast like creature on the wall, A silence I couldn't bear until I hear him within ear range.

"I'll have fun with you myself" he chuckles. The unease in my veins were accurate.

The heat of his breath aside my ear made me shiver, but it was nothing compared to his slimy tongue gliding on the outer layer of my ear. I fight back not to shrivel, enraged at the violation and disgusted by the feel.

Savoring the taste of me he moans, slithering his tongue back into his jaw leaving a wet draft. I don't get the time to peer up to him before the cart was shoved within the room, immersed into the darkness, again.

Blank, pitch black and silent, as if something was rotting nearby; a rampant odor nearly has me gagging, the foul smell for sure was poisoning the oxygen. It's cold, I am cold, and it's quiet. I'm cold and all alone, unable to even make out a surrounding of any sort.

Where were the other kids taken too? have they separated us? Though afraid I force myself to move setting forth a bravery of armor. Sealed in this room with no instructions or anyone around, I had to move, either that It was freeze to death or die by the poison I was inhaling.

I sharply Wince as my feet meets the frigid floor, ice cold instantly numbing out my toes, it travels through my skin chilling the nerves. The floor tiled and slippery.

I hear my staggering breaths, it escape my lungs only to crystalize within this freezer, cautiously I extend my arms, Like a blind man I keep alert for any surprises. Feeling the air for anything solid. I didn't wonder for too long before my hips nudged a metallic substance.

Someone whimpered and I step back for a better feel. "Is s-s-someone there?" My teeth chattering from the cold.

Again the person whimpered as a response, faintly.

The cyanosis numbs my fingertips Leaving me no choice but to forcefully grab. The skin of the person nearly frozen solid. Slender arms, strands of long hair sticking together like glue. A crystallized liquid on the side of their temple.

They whimper at my palms against their face, "Hey" I struggled. "Are you a boy or a girl?"

I ask questions forgetting we're on the verge of being popsicles. Perhaps if this person were to be comfortable we could have found a way to warm each other.

"A-"

The person forced to speak, a slight cracking sound coils me to the bone. The voice soft and sultry already pinpointed out the gender, but that wasn't enough to assume.

"Girl"

Instantly I back away, allowing her some distance. Reminding myself of My mother, she used to tell me to respect a women's space and privacy, "I-I'm sorry." I shivered.

"I -I'm cold." She mutters, her breath soft and innocent. Unable to withstand the temperature.

Is it only her and I? I felt nothing else upon wandering blindly in the dark. Her breathing only meant she was fighting and the best way to survive is teamwork.

"H-hey c-can you s-s-stand?"

"Uh-I-I'll try."

Discomfort rears its ugly head in my blood, sounds of her struggles and what seems to be her skin peeling from the sticky metal. It's as if they had they glued her or the cold itself had solidified her into the metal. A painful sensation it must have been.

In blank darkness I hear creaks and moans shifting positions, Her cries are Stifling, stuck in her throat, but she can't find the warmth to conjure the tears. Just As I predicted the process must've been painful.

"I-I can't s-s-stand I'm sorry, I-i-it hurts."

"I-it's ok" I breathe, "I-I'm going to s-s-sit next to you alright?" My eyelids become heavy, slowly succumbing to the freezing atmosphere. I struggle lifting the bottom of my feet from the ground.

"I'm going to hug you alright."

"Mmmm" she mutters.

Both the skin upon our bodies nearly freezing, but the small contact could light a heat warm enough to keep us alive. The table grinds to my weight climbing a top, my skin brushes hers and a small friction ignited, warmth.

My hands slither around her shoulders and hers around mine, the smell of her hair bland yet feels soft but crunches upon pressing against me, she trembles into me wrapping tighter.

Heat waves coursing through us, "We're going to make it out of here." I try and reassure, committed to keeping at least my second promise to the previous unknown girl.

Finally her trembles came to a stop, Her tiny fingers clench onto the loose fabric of my shirt, thumps of her heartbeat matched mine.

"There are more of us" she whispers. "We're being drugged."

My brows furrowed.

"What's going to happen to us" a sob ready to spill from her throat but I didn't have the words to console her, too preoccupied with the previous statement.

"What do you mean drugged?"

Before she could answer me the sounds of vapor goes silent, the cold dispersing, it didn't diminish the frigid atmosphere entirely but it was enough to pull away from each other.

It goes silent outside and In, our breath staggered while we try and keep calm, anything now keeps me on alert, a mental radar set to go off any time something is awry. Unknown to any of the next moves going forwards.

Loose fabric of my shirt still clutched in between her fingers, her intent to stay close to me spoke volumes and I didn't blame her.

A loud click suddenly goes off, it sounds as if it was coming from the corners of the room, my head whipping around for the owner but felt my soul leap from my body at a sudden voice.

"For those who have survived this first task, please head towards the exit." A voice behind a speaker, the bass of his voice through the Microphone nearly shatters the drums of my ear.

"Exit?" The girl questions, speaking what I was thinking out loud.

"Survived?" I retort.

Unease waves through me, if there were speakers in this room then possibly cameras? Again the unknown leaves me wondering of many different circumstances, have we been monitored since the beginning? was this a testament as to how well we could handle a glacial weather? surely not, cause than even this small contact would not have been enough for our survival, something was amiss.

A red light blinks on with a loud click, a sign reading 'EXIT'.

Both of us await unmoved, terrified to proceed into another mishap, but it was either that or slowly freeze solid.

I swallow thickly, "I'll go first". I breathe brokenly.

Easier said than done, my knees buckled meeting the floor, the girl follows suit, gliding herself onto the ground.

Steadily we walk towards the light, full alert in case of any surprises. Just Underneath the sign itself was a door, the dark wood blended in with the already dark scenery, for sure we would have missed it.

"Wait I'm scared" she whines tugging back the cloth of my shirt, a familiar gesture by someone I thought of.

Are all girls the same?

Bravely I swallowed, "It's ok." shakily reaching out to the silver handle, my fingers wrapping around the cold latch of the door handle, a clicking sound at the twist before it released, the door pushed open, a faint blue room, buzzes of failing electricity on the ceiling, white lights fight to stay open continuously flickering on and off, sounds of dripping liquid falling to the ground from rusty pipes.

A drastic change in temperature, warmth thawing out my face and body, liquid trickles down my eyes and nose. There were more doors, my clothing still fisted by the girls hands, "Hey, its ok, there is nothing here." I whispered, petrified to not speak too loudly, careful to not alert whatever lurked behind these doors.

She whimpers but forces her head upwards from my shoulder, "Where are we?" she whispers behind my ear, breath broken, still thawing out from the cold.

I shook my head, "I don't know." Were about to take step forwards but were stilled by another clicking sound, soon after another and all the doors against the wall were opening. I hold my breath backing away from whatever it was that was emerging, hand in hand with the girl behind me who begins to silently sob.

A boy, than a girl, out of each door at least six kids stepped out, glossed eyes just as curious as ours, peeking around the strange room coming together in the middle. Torn clothing and dried blood, each of their bodies shivered. Movements sluggish and discoordinated.

"Where are we Ryan?" A petite young girl cried running into the arms of a taller boy, similar features. An answer he didn't even know but forced himself to stay calm to not deepen her worry, rubbing her back.

All of us remaining quiet, with the exceptional whimpers and shivers, I scan through the crowd, So far none of these kids here are familiar, none of them were Her.

Two smaller kids dash by me to reunify with their elder sibling shoving me into the girl behind me, my elbow accidently rams into her chest, "Oh I am so so-"

Whatever remaining words I was ready to say from the sentence evaporates, looking into those sharp ultramarine colored orbs, they glossened looking into mine. I was wrong about my earlier statement, even in this midst of strangers, I wasn't alone.

Breathlessly I muttered the name I never thought I'd be happy to say. "Charlotte."

Her lips stretched into a genuine smile, "Nasir." A single bead of a tear trickling down her cheeks.