The dark haired girl peered around the largeness of the shopping mall she stood in. Crowds of people shoved by almost resulting to the poor girl losing her glasses. “Dammit…” she mumbled to herself as she pushed them up her nose with her index finger. This must have been the fifth time she’d gotten separated from a crowd of friends, all thanks to her daydreaming. She huffed out loudly to herself and decided maybe it was best to just go home.

“Are you lost, my dear?” A soft grip of a hand was pressed around the back of her neck making the girl flinch from the icy coldness. Being touched in such an area, her quick assumption was that is was a pervert or thief.

Instinctively she swung her elbow backwards hoping to meet the male’s stomach or groin only to have it stop in the palm of his other hand. “Now now, I’ve learnt enough to know grabbing a woman from behind can lead to cheap shots like these.”

Why didn’t it seem so obvious before when hearing that familiar voice the first time as the small girl throws her head upwards, her eyes immediately lined up with another pair of brown eyes that simply stared back at her. His white hair now dangled over her tilted head, and that trademark smirk spread about his face….Fern.

Though it was a man she had deep interest in, it was dangerous to be within his reach having her mouth open and close as she brought her head back down into view of the crowds. Panic was slowly rising and her only possible choice was to cause a scene hoping people would shove the mad man away and carry her to safety.

Her mouth open wide to scream out words, but it seemed her vocal cords were incapable of working. A warm clogging sensation had hit the back of her neck; the feeling had spread rapidly to the insides of her throat making her head spin. The only noise she was able to produce was a quiet wheezing sound.

“Fascinating isn’t it?” Fern whispered to her, his arm already trapping her body against his own. “Your voice has been somewhat silenced or stiffened if you will. Your vocal cords are still in use, but simply not vibrating as you push for words.” His first hand that had grabbed her revealed a small pin point outwards from his thumb. No doubt this was the cause of her silence.

Immediately she began to squirm and fidget in his grip, but no one seemed to notice or care what was happening to her making her world dance around all the more.

“Dear Cassi, think of your options now.” His smirk never wavered restraining her arms with his own to limit less harm upon herself. “Your wriggling attempts will only put yourself at risk of one of the many instruments in my pockets that could easily pierce you.”

That didn’t help her case, she had slowed in writhing, but her breathing had quickened causing the light headedness to turn into nausea.
In a swift motion a cool hand was placed on her left cheek helping the rising heat in her face to gradually subside and relax her slightly. Her breathing was still at pace, however it wasn’t as uncontrollable as before. The snickering of her captor was breathing into her ear, “I wouldn’t want you to fall unconscious my dear. That would lose your chance of escape.”

The small framed girl couldn’t let this happen, but thinking about it only made her fear spark more. Of all the times of grinning about scenes like this to Kate, now that one was actually taking place she was having a panic attack.

The doctor sighed heavily as he rustled around in lab like coat pulling out a small white cloth and without delay, pressed it over Cassi’s nose and mouth. Flailing arms and the odd grunting sound was all lost to the girl as her surroundings were slipping out of view. “Try as you might to scream and squirm, small one. You’ll feel much better inhaling this.”

She had no way of protesting that statement as her legs buckled under her and slumped in his arms. The last thing she heard was her glasses that had slipped away and clattered along the tiled floor.

--------------------

Her eyes burned a little making her rub them in response. That was the most bizarre dream she had ever experienced with Fern. So vivid and real, and yet with her eyes still closed, she didn’t have to think twice about how uncomfortable her bed was feeling.

The smell of medicine and dampness hit her nose slowly as she fluttered her eyelids. A long almost gothic like window greeted her with the beads of sunlight that seeped through the dust and cobwebs. It was probably the best addition to the dark room which from head to foot was covered in black wood.

Bringing her knees upwards, she shuffled to sit up taking in the abandoned looking medical room. A tray sat neatly upon a metal trolley beside her bed revealing her glasses to be resting with the rest of the torturous tools. When picked up she noticed a small amount of dust had settled on the lenses. How long had she been sleeping here?

Her shoes stood softly on the creaky floor boards, her balance hadn’t completely returned to her but she managed to stagger to the old window. It viewed the side of another house a little further away from this one, peering down was a grassy patch of land which by the looks of it trailed to the back of the house. In the deep grass were stoned models that stood on top of various sized pedestals. Someone certain had unique taste to have such garden ornaments.

Hands captured her sides making the girl shriek out the scream that had been pleading to be released from her lips since the mall. The gloved left hand covered her mouth as the all-knowing voice lulled soothingly into her ear, “My dear…Welcome to Brooksonville.”