Tangled

Unshift 242

Unshift 242

242 Lisa: Waking in Comfort

LISA

Waking up in a bed is too comfortable.

My brain wants to wake, but my body wants to keep sleeping.

If this comfort is little more than an elaborate trap before I'm murdered, just take me away. At least I'll be going in bliss.

A sharp poke in my side jolts me from my half-asleep musings. I crack open an eye, squinting against the sudden brightness. A face swims into view, so close I can count every wrinkle etched into leathery skin.

"Up! Up, you lazy girl!"

The voice is shrill, grating against my eardrums. I blink,

40 focus on the owner of that

voice. It's a woman, impossibly small, with a nose so red it could guide Santa's sleigh.

I open my mouth to speak, but my tongue feels like sandpaper. Before I can form words, a stinging slap lands on my calf. The pain is sharp, unexpected, and I jerk away, nearly tumbling off

the bed.

"Ow! What the-"

"No time for your nonsense," the tiny woman interrupts, waving a hand in front of my face. Her fingers are gnarled, reminding me of tree roots. "You stink. Shower. Now"

I sit up, head spinning. The room tilts and sways around me. Where am I? How did I get here? The last thing I remember is... Darkness, Cold. A strange man who brought me out of my personal hell. The tiny woman's groan snaps me back to the present. "Look at this mess. Filthy! You've ruined

the sheets."

I glance down at the bed. The once-white linens are stained with dirt and... is that blood? My

the sight of my wrists,

waste. She tugs at my arm by

Clothes I don't recognize-a simple white night dress that is several sizes too big, soft and deceptively clean. I'm sure

tiny woman herds me across the room, muttering under her breath. I want to ask questions. -so many questions-but they stick in my throat.

that it almost feels comforting to

if this tiny person isn't dragging

murder me.

Lisa: Waking in

reach a door, and she pushes it open, revealing a bathroom. "In. Shower.

protest, she shoves me

pale, eyes wide with confusion and

my fingers grow to little more than bony sticks, but

God.

skeleton with

Horrible.

the hell is happening?" I whisper to

girl in the mirror has no answers. She

me wants to march

grime I can feel coating my skin, and the memories

shift dress. My body underneath is a map of bruises and scrapes. Some look fresh, angry red against my pale skin. Others are older, fading to sickly

victim, it wasn't technically all that

did do a lot of thrashing around, trying to escape my chains. That usually involved falling to the floor in various painful ways. And when it wasn't escape attempts, it was me trying to do basic stretches and exercises to keep up

I'm surprised my wrists and ankles aren't

water hisses as I turn it on, steam quickly filling the small space. I step under the spray, whimpering as the hot water hits my battered skin. But the pain fades, replaced by a blessed warmth that seems to seep

of peace and cleanliness I haven't felt since... well,

ledge is the first thing I grab, rubbing it all over me until it

at my

wash away the memories along with the dirt. By the

skin is pink and raw, but I feel

mess. I'm not even sure it's possible to brush it out. Still, I take my time washing

Lisa. Waking

brushing out